Dakota Datebook

On this date in 2000, sculptor Tom Neary installed a 14-foot-tall stainless steel sign at the intersection of highways 83 and 200 in Washburn. The sign, which weighs almost a ton, reads “Historic Washburn” above a scene of Lewis, Clark, and Sakakawea. The giant sign was commissioned by the Washburn Civic Club and gave Tom Neary a chance to put his mark on the town he lived in and loved.

North Dakota has a rich baseball history. Legends of the game, including Roger Maris and Satchel Paige, have a connection to the state.

On this date in 1946, alumni of the University of North Dakota's secret society called “Iron Mask” held a reunion.

On this date in 1914, The Devils Lake World reported another sighting of “the much talked about sea serpent” near the Chautauqua grounds on Graham’s Island.

The fur traders who ventured to the American west relied on unpowered keelboats to haul furs back to civilization, where they could be sold. The boats had to be physically hauled up the Missouri River, then loaded and sailed back downriver with the current. The arrival of a powered steamboat would dramatically open the upper Missouri to trade and travel.

On this date in 1889, the Bismarck Tribune reported that "Wahpeton has a large and juicy scandal for the delectation of gossip." A Fargo divorcée got off the train in Wahpeton to meet a prominent man for a romantic rendezvous. She had written a letter indicating the time and date.

North Dakota Agricultural College was established in 1890 and opened for classes in 1892. The school’s emphasis was on agricultural science and mechanical engineering. John Worst was appointed president of NDAC in 1895. Although he didn’t have a college degree himself, he made lasting changes, not only to the school, but to farming techniques. As a successful farmer, he overcame the skepticism of North Dakota farmers who believed they couldn’t learn anything from “college boys.”

A notable North Dakotan of the past was a man named James Morris O’Neale, well-known as a Civil War veteran.

North Dakota was sweltering during the summer of 1930. The state was in the grip of an oppressive heatwave. Heat and humidity had caused extreme discomfort for several days. Temperatures hovered in the high 90s, and the humidity made things even worse. Hettinger was the hottest spot in the state, hitting 101 degrees. Other towns weren’t far behind. Beach and Grand Forks recorded 99, and Williston reached 98. North Dakotans were getting tired of the heat.

Leif Erickson led the first European expedition to North America around the year 1000. It’s difficult to determine how far inland they traveled, and their settlements were abandoned after a short time. Many centuries passed before Scandinavians began arriving in the New World in large numbers.