Dakota Datebook
History Podcasts
Sitting Bull to Phil Jackson, cattle to prairie dogs, knoefla to lefse. North Dakota's legacy includes many strange stories of eccentric towns, war heroes, and various colorful characters. Hear all about them on Dakota Datebook, your daily dose of North Dakota history. Dakota Datebook is made in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and funded by Humanities North Dakota, a nonprofit, independent state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities North Dakota or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Location:
United States
Genres:
History Podcasts
Description:
Sitting Bull to Phil Jackson, cattle to prairie dogs, knoefla to lefse. North Dakota's legacy includes many strange stories of eccentric towns, war heroes, and various colorful characters. Hear all about them on Dakota Datebook, your daily dose of North Dakota history. Dakota Datebook is made in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and funded by Humanities North Dakota, a nonprofit, independent state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities North Dakota or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Twitter:
@prairiepublic
Language:
English
Contact:
701-239-6900
Email:
info@prairiepublic.org
Episodes
May 10: The Birth of the Nonpartisan League
5/10/2024
In 1902, Indiana seed merchant James A. Everitt organized the American Society of Equity, one of the first organizations formed to improve conditions for American farmers. Everitt believed that if farmers organized, they would become a powerful political force. By 1906, the Society claimed there were almost three thousand local chapters, with almost every state represented.
Duration:00:02:45
May 9: New England, North Dakota
5/9/2024
The website for New England, North Dakota describes the town as “a small, friendly community in the heart of gold wheat fields, shadowed by the raw beauty of the Rainy Buttes.” The first settlement in Hettinger County, New England was founded in 1887. The name of the town reflects the early pioneers that came from the New England states of Vermont, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Duration:00:02:50
May 8: National Historic Preservation Month - Fairview Lift Bridge
5/8/2024
May is National Historic Preservation Month. Once a week on Dakota Datebook we’re featuring historic structures and places in North Dakota related to our transportation infrastructure. Today, our topic is the Fairview Lift Bridge.
Duration:00:02:48
May 7: The Reckless Wheelmen
5/7/2024
The bicycle, so common today, is a relatively cheap method of transportation. It is an efficient means of converting human energy into mobility. The first bicycle was made of wood and the rider propelled it by paddling his feet against the ground.
Duration:00:02:51
May 6: Teachings of Our Elders - "A Native Perspective on Sovereignty" (Part One)
5/6/2024
In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to JT Shining Oneside, enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of the Chippewa Nation, in Part One of "A Native Perspective on Sovereignty."
Duration:00:03:02
May 3: The Scoffer
5/3/2024
This week in 1907, the University of North Dakota's student newspaper, The Weekly Student, printed an editorial entitled “The Scoffer.”
Duration:00:02:54
May 2: The Fences Must Come Down
5/2/2024
Concern about meat production arose in the 1880s when Department of Agriculture chemist Harvey W. Wiley reported on health hazards within the meat industry. Those included the use of unsafe preservatives and coloring agents. Wiley began lobbying for federal legislation governing the packing and purity of food products.
Duration:00:03:00
May 1: National Historic Preservation Month - Transportation in North Dakota
5/1/2024
Transportation systems have left an indelible mark on the landscape. The pathways reflect many facets of history in commerce, technology, economics, and more.
Duration:00:02:07
April 30: Mayville Writer Mary Hilstad
4/30/2024
There was a writer from Mayville who captured the essence of her town by opening her eyes to the simple beauty around her. Her name was Mary Merilla Hilstad (1889-1973), and her descriptions of her Mayville surroundings are both simple and profound. On this date in 1936, the Traill County Tribune published Mary Hilstad’s impressions of colors in her everyday-life.
Duration:00:02:51
April 29: Teachings of Our Elders - Violet Smith shares stories from her grandma
4/29/2024
In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Violet Smith, enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation, as she shares about stories from her grandma.
Duration:00:02:36
April 26: A Meaningful Legacy
4/26/2024
William Lewis Guy was born on September 30th, 1919 in Devils Lake. He graduated from Amenia High School and North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University). He earned a master’s from the University of Minnesota. During World War II he served in the Navy.
Duration:00:03:01
April 25: Helen Keller in Fargo
4/25/2024
One of the most inspiring Americans of the 20th century visited Fargo on this date in 1914. Helen Keller, who was left blind and deaf from sickness as a small child, spoke at First Methodist Church with her teacher and longtime companion, Anne Sullivan. They were lifelong friends.
Duration:00:02:47
April 24: Teachings of Our Elders - Gladys Hawk on grandmother's stories
4/24/2024
In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Gladys Hawk, enrolled member of the Standing Rock Nation, as she talks about grandmother's stories.
Duration:00:02:36
April 23: A Case of Claim Jumping, Part 2
4/23/2024
Yesterday, we told you about Heber Creel’s efforts to gain control of the land on the north shore of Devils Lake as the railway headed in that direction. Creel and his cronies used every tactic, legal or not, to make sure they would make a tidy profit if the railroad bought their claims.
Duration:00:02:43
April 22: A Case of Claim Jumping
4/22/2024
In 1880, Heber Creel was a Second Lieutenant in the Seventh Cavalry stationed at Fort Totten at Devils Lake. There, he created detailed maps of the lake and the adjacent reservation. A year later, he was building a telegraph line to the railhead at Larimore when he was drawn in by increasing speculation about where the railroad was next headed. As interest in the land around Devils Lake increased, the 27-year-old got land fever, resigned his post and bet on the lake’s northern edge.
Duration:00:02:31
April 19: The Custer Hotel
4/19/2024
On this date in 1879, in a Bismarck Tribune ad, the Custer Hotel boasted first class accommodations for reasonable prices. The hotel targeted river men, railroad men, miners, and army people, based on a convenient location.
Duration:00:02:18
April 18: Norman B. Black and the Fargo Forum
4/18/2024
Fargo and Moorhead were first settled in 1871, and by 1874, the area’s first newspaper debuted: the Fargo Weekly Express. Over the following decades a plethora of newspapers went in and out of publication.
Duration:00:02:57
April 17: Petticoat Government
4/17/2024
A petticoat is an article of clothing worn under a skirt. It helps to smooth out wrinkles in the skirt. In the days when very full skirts were in fashion, a petticoat of several layers helped the skirt stand out. The petticoat has long been a symbol of modesty and proper feminine behavior. It has also been used as an insult towards women who were deemed to be venturing out of proper feminine behavior. For example, Mary Wollstonecraft, an early advocate for women’s rights, was called “a hyena in petticoats.”
Duration:00:02:51
April 16: The Flip of a Coin
4/16/2024
Before the railroad ran to Reynolds, North Dakota, steamboats brought the mail and supplies to nearby Frog Point. Residents traveled there by wagon to deliver their crops for shipping and to pick up supplies and mail. When the railroad arrived, an organized community began to take shape. Roads were laid out and sidewalks were built of pine boards. A town government was organized.
Duration:00:02:22
April 15: Teachings of Our Elders - Gladys Hawk on language and culture loss
4/15/2024
In this episode of Dakota Datebook we'll listen to Gladys Hawk, enrolled member of the Standing Rock Nation, as she talks about language and culture loss.
Duration:00:02:41