Dakota Datebook

On this date in 1928, readers of the Flasher Tribune were reminded that there were only 15 days of Christmas shopping left. Fewer days than today, since stores were closed on Sundays back then.

North Dakota is home to a wide variety of wildlife, with everything from the little prairie dog to the majestic bison. Very few people have seen a mountain lion, although they are known here. On this date in 1887, a mountain lion carcass was on display in Bismarck. The Bismarck Tribune noted that it was a fine specimen, suggesting it be stuffed and mounted for exhibit in the territorial museum.

A coal miner was murdered near Kenmare in late November of 1912, and it doesn’t appear his death was ever solved. The deceased was Carl Hanson, a 29-year-old born in Norway. A Soo Line section foreman discovered his body near the shore of Des Lacs Lake after following a bloody trail from the tracks

North Dakota’s coal mines were dangerous places a century ago, when blasts and equipment accidents could be fatal. The industry had swelled in North Dakota in the 1910s. In 1920, the state had 116 mines, most of them underground. They produced nearly 879,000 tons of coal, worth more than $2.1 million. That would be more than $33 million in today’s dollars.

In 1955, the city of Bismarck was in the middle of a scandalous trial. On this date the district attorney accepted a $300 bond, filed through the governor’s office for the removal of Sheriff Myron Thistlethwaite, a necessary step in the process for removing a public office holder.

On this date in 1909, the city of Williston celebrated the opening of their new Great Northern Depot. There had initially been some concern that the new depot would be farther from the city that the old depot, but the local commercial club got involved to ensure that it would be built close to the original site.

In 1946, Enderlin made history when townspeople elected Agnes Geelan as mayor, making her the first female mayor of an incorporated town in North Dakota.

North Dakota Native American Essential Understanding, number two, is about learning and storytelling. It states, "Traditional teaching and the passing on of knowledge and wisdom was done through storytelling, song, ceremony and daily way of life.

Happy Thanksgiving! Today’s story is a sampling of how the holiday was observed in North Dakota more than 100 years ago.

On this date in 1979, The Bismarck Tribune reported that the tiny town of New Hradec was long past its glory days. The grocery store, bar, and gas station had long ago closed. The school only had 22 students, and the church that once had 250 families now had 90. The population was still about 50, down a bit from its high of 57 in 1940. The outlook for this tiny town was dire, but it was strong in its Czech heritage.