Drake, North Dakota, English teacher Bruce Severly did not expect controversy to erupt when he added Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” to the reading list for his class. Most of the students were pleased with the addition, but one student complained about offensive language. That was enough for the school board to order the book removed from the classroom and to direct that all copies be destroyed.

North Dakota has a long history with baseball. It was a cheap and easily-organized form of entertainment for people living on isolated farms and ranches, giving them the chance to gather for a social event. Those early games tended to be a matter of local pride, with neighboring towns competing. When the railroad arrived, teams began traveling. One of the biggest rivalries was between Grand Forks and Fargo.

In this episode of Dakota Datebook: Teachings of Our Elders, we'll listen to Mark Bluestone, enrolled member of the Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation, talking about recognizing our veterans.

As European settlers moved onto the Great Plains, they built wooden structures for shelter. These were vulnerable to fires, especially as settlers began building communities with wooden buildings close together. Fire, whether from natural causes like lightning or accidents caused by humans, could destroy an entire town in the blink of an eye.

Mary Ada Fisher was born at Somerset, Ohio, on July 5, 1888, the fourth child of John and Amita Fisher. When Mary was 10 years old, she moved with her family to North Dakota to settle the affairs of a deceased uncle. The Fisher family decided to stay, and bought a homestead near Wolf Creek where John built the Fisher store and post office, which then became known as Fisher, North Dakota.

In the fall of 1910, there was a big scandal in Minot. Citizens wanted to know: who drank the beer?

On this date in 1969, a shocking and grisly crime unfolded in the wee hours of Halloween morning. Various rumors began circulating in Wahpeton, spawning different local legends of the Halloween Horror.

There was a man in Grand Forks named Royal L. Boulter who was an innovator and an inventor. Back in 1896, R.L. “Roy” Boulter secured a patent from the U.S. Patent Office for what he called a “bicycle-boat.”

October is Archives Month, when archives around the country celebrate the records in their holdings and recognize the archivists who assess, collect, organize, preserve, and provide access to information of lasting value. The North Dakota State Archives is part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

In 1865, French historian and abolitionist Edouard de Laboulaye proposed a monument to celebrate the upcoming centennial of American independence and the abolition of slavery. The project was delayed by the Franco-Prussian War, but finally got underway in 1875. The plan was for the people of France to fund the statue, while Americans would provide a site and build the pedestal.