Dakota Datebook

While many immigrants settled in the East, the Homestead Act enticed a large percentage to the Great Plains, an unfamiliar land that had until then been under tribal control. The land they were able to claim was many times larger than the small farms they had in their home countries. Immigrants were crucial to the settlement of the Great Plains in general, and North Dakota in particular. In 1870, thirty-four percent of the settlers in Dakota Territory were foreign-born. By 1915, nearly eighty percent of North Dakotans were either immigrants or the children of immigrants.

In the early days of the twentieth century, newspaper readers frequently skipped the main headlines and turned right to the back pages to catch up on local news in columns with names like “Society News.” These columns contained information that seems so minor and mundane that we might wonder why newspapers bothered to take up space with them.

A steam locomotive can burn through a massive amount of fuel in a short time. Wood-burning engines were fine for eastern railroads in heavily forested areas, but not practical on the Great Plains. It made more sense for those trains to burn coal, and burn coal they did. Depending on the size of the engine and its speed, a locomotive could burn as much as 800 pounds of coal per mile. The fireman had to constantly shovel coal into the firebox to keep the train moving.

On this date in 1798, Flat Mouth arrived at the North West Company Pembina post.

According to the 2020 census, Fingal, North Dakota, has a population of just 92 people. Alma Hollanitsch, however, remembered a time when Fingal was a thriving community of more than 300 residents. On this date in 1996, one month after celebrating her 100th birthday, Alma was interviewed. Her memory was still sharp as she reflected on a long life closely connected to Fingal.

The last wolverine recorded in North Dakota was “M56,” identified in 2016 after it was killed by a McKenzie County rancher. M56 had been radio-collared in Wyoming, detected in Colorado, and then its signal was lost. Wolverines had not been verified in the state for 150 years.

Prior to the 19th century, time was a local matter. Each town set a public clock to noon when the sun was at its highest point. Towns close together could be on different times. This system worked well enough, until the railroads arrived. Travelers found schedules confusing, since each stop followed a different local time. It was often hard to know exactly when a train would arrive or depart. The problem was solved in 1883, when the United States adopted the four time zones we know today.

On this date, in 1971, a young man named Steve Blehm scored 85 points during the Ramsey County Basketball Tournament in stark weather. That's right, 85 points.

In March of 1919, members of the American Expeditionary Force convened in Paris to create the American Legion, a patriotic veterans organization. World War I veterans returning home from Europe started posts across America.

Accidents at railroad crossings were fairly common in the early days of railroading, and the results were often gruesome. When survivors brought lawsuits, courts frequently ruled in favor of the railroads.