Dakota Datebook

By Prairie PublicSociety & Culture

Dakota Datebook episodes

January 08 January 8: On the Outskirts of Hope
The rosy, "Leave It to Beaver" portrayal of the American economy in the 1950s and ’60s was not reality for many Americans. By the 1960s, fully 20 percent of the population was living in poverty. President Kennedy’s advisor, Walter Heller, prepared a report warning that some Americans would remain trapped in poverty even with full employment.
4 min
January 07 January 7: Net-no-kwa, The Otter Woman and John Tanner, The Falcon
On this date in 1797, fur trader J. B. Chaboillez of the Northwest Company noted the arrival of Net-no-kwa and her sons at the Pembina post.
4 min
January 06 January 6: Fire Safety for the Capitol
North Dakota’s old Capitol building in Bismarck, built in 1884, was home to state officials, including the governor, the secretary of state, and the attorney general. It was also where the two houses of the state legislature met. By the early 1900s, the building was showing its age.
3 min
January 05 January 5: John James Audubon on the Great Plains
John James Audubon is famed as an ornithologist, largely because of his detailed illustrations of North American birds. He became famous after the publication of his meticulous and accurate paintings.
3 min
January 02 January 2: The Road to Statehood
Dakota Territory had to begin the process of statehood by applying to Congress. Many people thought it would be admitted as the state of Dakota instead of being split into North and South. Many factors led to the division including an increase in population of both sections of the territory and political disputes about the location of a capital.
3 min
January 01 January 1: NDSU's "Home Ec House"
It was originally called the Home Economics Practice House. Today, the house, located at 1260 University Drive North on the NDSU campus in Fargo is known as the Alba Bales House.
3 min
December 31, 2025 December 31: Slanderous Campaign
John Gabriel Halland had a tumultuous end of the century in the years leading up to 1900. Originally the head of the History Department at Fargo’s Agricultural College, he ran for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1898. As often happens in campaigns, every detail of his personal life was dragged into the spotlight.
3 min
December 30, 2025 December 30: An Act of Justice
The Civil War was not going well for the Union in 1862. A victory at Shiloh in April was followed by defeat in the Seven Days Battles, an inconclusive result at Antietam, and a disastrous loss at Fredericksburg.
3 min
December 29, 2025 December 29: Henry J. Linde
On this date in 1917, former Attorney General of North Dakota, Henry J. Linde, died. He had suffered a stroke three months earlier, after many years of illness. He was only 37 years old.
3 min
December 26, 2025 December 26: A Walk Across North Dakota
The morning after Christmas is usually reserved for sitting with a warm cup of coffee while perusing newspaper ads for major sales. However, on this day in 1994, many North Dakotans likely stopped leafing through the paper in shock to reread a story about a man from California.
3 min

About Dakota Datebook

From the publisher's feed

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.