Dakota Datebook

North Dakota experiences frequent thunderstorms, averaging 25 to 35 storms each year. The storm season usually runs from late spring through early fall. The state is located in the path of winds that bring warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The flat terrain allows those winds to move freely, with little to impede the formation of storms.

In August 1921, a wave of bank robberies swept through small towns across North Dakota. The first targets were banks in Honeyford and Niagara in Grand Forks County. On this date, the criminals struck again, this time at the Farmers State Bank in Lunds Valley, Mountrail County.

On this date in 2003, the United States Navy announced that a contract had been awarded for a new vessel. The Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut, would build a Virginia-class submarine. Virginia-class submarines are designed for a broad range of open-ocean missions as well as operations closer to shore. They were developed as a less expensive alternative to the Cold War-era Seawolf-class submarines.

Buffalo Bill Cody had an astute talent for both business and self-promotion. He turned his experiences as a Pony Express rider, Army scout, and buffalo hunter into a successful career as a major celebrity. Ned Buntline wrote dime novels about Cody, and Buffalo Bill starred in a Broadway show about — who else? — himself.

Chief Giles Goose, also known as Joseph, was an Arikara scout, soldier, and mail carrier whose life reflected the rapid change on the Great Plains. Between 1870 and 1882, Goose served as a scout for the U.S. Army while military posts lined the Missouri River. During this time, he guided and protected settlers and traders traveling along this route, the primary transportation and trade corridor.

Prunus virginiana, commonly known as chokecherry, is a remarkably adaptable plant that thrives in diverse growing conditions and climates. It is a member of the rose family, blooming with clusters of white flowers in the spring, followed by dark red cherries. The plant is extremely hardy, able to survive both harsh winters and drought.

The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. Fourteen thousand troops of the American Expeditionary Force landed at Saint-Nazaire, France, on June 26. More than 35,000 North Dakotans served in World War I, with approximately 28,000 deployed overseas.

Food contamination was a common problem in the early 20th century. Contaminants that would shock us today were routinely found in food products. Sawdust was added to coffee, and chalk was added to milk to improve its appearance. Vivid colors for candy were created with lead, arsenic, coal tar, and copper compounds.

As World War I progressed, North Dakota began to suffer the consequences, even though the state was far from the battlefields of Europe. On this date in 1917, North Dakota newspapers were filled with reports of shortages affecting people across the state.

In spite of the clear skies and wide-open spaces, North Dakota ranks among the states with the fewest UFO sightings. Unidentified flying objects just do not seem very interested in North Dakota. One possible explanation is the state’s low population density. There are simply fewer people to notice what is happening in the sky. South Dakota has similar results. California appears to be the UFO capital, with more than 16,000 historical reports.