Dakota Datebook

In western movies and TV shows, traveling by horseback across the plains seems romantic. In reality, it was not all that pleasant. The average horse travels about five miles an hour. Travel by horse and buggy or buckboard wagon was even slower at about three miles an hour. At that rate, going from the homestead into town for supplies could be an all-day affair.

On this date in 1892, the Fargo society column of the Wisconsin Afro-American wrote, “The AFRO-AMERICAN man is always wide awake and never neglects anything that will benefit the colored people of Fargo. Every colored citizen should subscribe for this paper.”

In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll be listening to Oliver Gourd, enrolled member of Spirit Lake Nation, talking about two types of education.

During a cholera epidemic in the Dakota region in 1851, rumors among the Indians of the Northern Plains blamed the epidemic on drawings by Swiss artist Rudolph Kurz.

As each year goes by since Merriweather Lewis and William Clark led an expedition to the west coast from 1804-1806, Americans find new and different ways to honor their legacy and acknowledge the impact of their journey.

The Industrial Revolution brought sweeping economic changes in the Nineteenth Century. It began in Great Britain and spread to the rest of the world. Ordinary people saw factory owners becoming wealthy while the workers lived in poverty.

John Conrad Berkey is probably the best-known science fiction artist on the planet. His artwork appears on the covers of books, calendars and movie posters. His bold vision defined science fiction art. Berkey was born in Edgeley, North Dakota on this date in 1932. His family moved around, and as a child he lived in South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota. He studied at the Minneapolis School of Art.

In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll be listening to Demus McDonald, enrolled member of Spirit Lake Nation, talking about the lesson of bad medicine on the tongue.

After Congress established the US mint in 1792, the penny became one of the first circulating coins. The first penny was larger than a modern quarter, with an image of “Liberty” on one side and a chain of 15 links on the obverse. This coin underwent multiple changes over the years.

The Badlands of western North Dakota offer awe-inspiring views, but there’s a reason for the name: The Badlands are difficult to cross. And that’s putting it mildly.