Dakota Datebook

President Abraham Lincoln began considering emancipation for slaves in states that were in rebellion, which would exempt border states that remained in the Union, like Kentucky. This would be the first step on the road to abolition while keeping the border states loyal to the Union.

How often do you get to experience a UFO, or unidentified flying object, in your backyard? On this date in 1966, newspapers from the state reported on an 11-year-old boy in Sargent County who got to do just that.

The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers was the climax of the subprime mortgage crisis. When attempts to negotiate financing for reorganization failed, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy involving more than $600 billion. On this date in 2008, the Dow Jones fell by more than 500 points, a drop of 4½ percent. Other financial institutions began to feel the uncertainty, and the result was a financial pani...

In 1819, Secretary of War John C. Calhoun authorized an expedition to the American frontier. Calhoun’s goal was to establish a military outpost at the mouth of the Yellowstone River in present-day North Dakota.

Fire was always a danger in early North Dakota. Early firefighting often consisted of community members responding and forming bucket brigades. The first organized firefighters were volunteers who trained together and collected rudimentary equipment. But as clusters of homes grew into towns, and towns grew into cities, communities realized they had to develop a serious plan to respond to the dange...

The hardest variety of wheat is durum. Its high protein content makes it ideal for producing pasta. In fact, it is often called “pasta wheat.” While common wheat, also known as bread wheat, is valued for its elasticity and bread-making properties, durum is renowned for its exceptional hardness, which defines the quality of premium pasta. Durum wheat originated in the Fertile Crescent, an area enco...

Social media has become an important part of modern life. Although the technology that allows for two-way communication is modern, the concept of social media is nothing new. People have always been interested in what other people are doing, and they have always had ways of finding out.

The 1916 presidential campaign occurred during the Mexican Revolution and World War I. Americans wanted no part of foreign wars. Woodrow Wilson campaigned with the slogan, “He kept us out of war.” But Wilson was a practical man. He knew he had to have a plan in case it became impossible for the United States to remain neutral, and that plan had to include financing.

It doesn’t happen very often that a large lakebed largely dries out. Yet that is what happened at Devils Lake. North Dakota’s biggest natural lake was full of water when the town of Devils Lake was founded in 1882, with the lake sitting at 1,439.08 feet above sea level. But after that, the water level dropped, decade after decade, until Devils Lake reached its lowest point in recorded history, res...

William Moffet, editor of the Bismarck Pioneer, was a controversial but respected journalist known for his no-nonsense reporting style. A staunch prohibitionist, he frequently used his newspaper to expose corruption among public officials and businessmen. His reporting style earned him admiration, but also powerful enemies throughout the Bismarck area.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, which took place from 1804 to 1806, was only the beginning of the exploration of the vast wilderness acquired through the Louisiana Purchase.

On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell spoke nine momentous words: "Mr. Watson, come here. I need to see you." It was hardly an earthshaking statement, except for one fact. Bell had spoken the first words ever communicated by telephone. It wasn't much. Thomas Watson, Bell's assistant, was only in the next room. But Bell immediately saw the exciting possibilities. He began working right away to g...

Republican William McKinley was considered a strong presidential candidate in 1896. He had a long record of public service. He enlisted in the Union Army in 1861, rising to the rank of brevet major. He also served two successful terms as governor of Ohio. His politics appealed to Republicans, but he also attracted a broader range of voters. He was seen as a self-made man who radiated competence an...

On this date in 1928, sliced bread was introduced to consumers. Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the first machine for commercially slicing bread. The first commercial sale was made by a bakery in Chillicothe, Missouri. It was billed as “the greatest forward step in the baking industry.”

The late nineteenth century was the golden age of the exposition, often referred to as a “world’s fair.” Exhibits sponsored by foreign countries and displays of new modern conveniences were viewed with amazement.

Aviator Chester Jacobson was one of North Dakota’s earliest flyers who earned himself the reputation of a daredevil.

In 1946, a surplus World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane was purchased by the Aeronautics Department of Montana State College for $1 and placed on display on the university campus in Bozeman, Montana. In 1965, the Mustang was sold and hauled away, eventually ending up in a junkyard in Billings, Montana.

James Smithson was an Englishman who never set foot in the United States. He bequeathed his estate to his nephew on one condition: if the nephew died without an heir, the money would go to the United States to found “the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.”

On this date in 1926, Gerald P. Nye was appointed to the United States Senate by Governor Arthur Sorlie to represent North Dakota following the death of Senator Edwin F. Ladd. Despite debate within the Senate over whether the governor had the legal authority to appoint Nye, the Senate chose to resolve the issue and honored the appointment. Later that year, Nye won election in his own right and qui...

The Fargo newspaper headlines this week in 1957 concentrated on the devastating tornado that had leveled a large swath of the city only days before. An effort called “Operation Cleanup” was making progress with the damage caused by the twister that drilled through neighborhoods, especially the Golden Ridge area of North Fargo.

On today's Dakota Datebook, we'll hear about the importance of interconnectedness from Dr. Teresa Delorme, educator and enrolled member of Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.

On this date in 1876, the Battle of the Little Bighorn commenced. It was over quickly. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and 7th Cavalry forces met an overwhelming force of Lakota and Northern Cheyenne warriors. Custer's outfit was annihilated: 268 dead, including six Crow and Arikara scouts; 55 severely wounded, six dying soon.

The world rejoiced at the end of World War I in 1918. It seemed as if life would return to normal. There was no way to know that the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl were right around the corner. Hard times lay ahead.

On this date in 1929, Joseph Blanding was still living in the family farmhouse at the south end of Wahpeton. He gave a talk to the Wilkin County Historical Society that was later published in the local paper. Joseph came to the area in 1872 at age nine, before Wahpeton was settled.

During World War I, despite American neutrality, military mobilization was already underway. North Dakotans answered the call when President Wilson mobilized the National Guard for duty along the Mexican border in response to turmoil from the Mexican Revolution and Pancho Villa’s raid on Columbus, New Mexico, in March 1916. The Guardsmen garrisoned the border, freeing Regular Army troops to pursue...