Dakota Datebook

Shortly after beginning their journey down the Missouri River in April of 1805 after spending the winter at Fort Mandan, Meriwether Lewis wrote in his journal about an animal that Captain Clark had recently observed: “Captain Clark walked on shore today and informed on his return, that passing through the prairie he had seen an animal that precisely resembled the burrowing squirrel, accept in point of size, it being only about one third as large as the squirrel, and that it also burrows.”

On this date in 1905, the Bismarck Daily Tribune published a list of acts recently passed by the state legislature. Along with authorizing a Board of Embalmers and establishing fees to reimburse witnesses in trials, the legislature addressed the dangers of the pool hall.

On this date in 1968, North Dakota State University's student newspaper, The Spectrum, carried a report about police raiding a keg party, but it very well could have been an April Fool’s joke.

Until the early 1900s, people traveled by real horsepower – the kind fueled by hay. Then the automobile began changing American life. In those early days, driving was something of a free-for-all. There were no stop signs, traffic lights, proper lanes, brake lights, crosswalks, or speed limits. No driver’s license was necessary. Pedestrians crossing the street had to dodge any passing cars. One account stated: “Screaming pedestrians were scattered like ninepins. Some were bowled over or tossed against store fronts.”

The history of the printing industry in the United States was forever changed with the installation of a Linotype typesetting machine in June 1886 in the offices of the New York Tribune newspaper. Linotype produces lines of words as a single strip of metal, rather than hand setting type by individual letter. It streamlined the typesetting process making it faster to produce a page of type.

In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Dr. Twyla Baker, enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, in Part One of “To Us It Wasn't Discovered.”

In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Dr. Twyla Baker, enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, in Part One of “To Us It Wasn't Discovered.”

World War I caused turmoil in the United States even before America was involved. Some supported involvement, others objected, some just wanted to stay out of the war, and others left the country to support the fight. The United States would formally enter the conflict on April 4th, 1917. However, the months leading up to this momentous event were not devoid of discussion and preparation for military action.

On this date in 1934, the Bottineau Courant announced to its readers that the community senior men’s hockey team, The Bottineau Flyers, had won their first North Dakota Amateur Hockey League state championship.

Section three of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution is perhaps best known for the restrictions it places on who is qualified to be President. But there are four other sections in the Amendment, and one of them directly relates to North Dakota railroads.