Dakota Datebook Prairie Public
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- Society & Culture
Sitting Bull to Phil Jackson, cattle to prairie dogs, knoefla to lefse. North Dakota's legacy includes many strange stories of eccentric towns, war heroes, and various colorful characters. Hear all about them on Dakota Datebook, your daily dose of North Dakota history.
Dakota Datebook is made in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and funded by Humanities North Dakota, a nonprofit, independent state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities North Dakota or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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June 26: Accused of Land Fraud
The Homestead Act of 1862 opened the American West to settlement. Newcomers could claim 160 acres after living on it for five years, paying only a small fee for the land. Along with attracting settlers, the promise of nearly free land attracted speculators who gobbled up large tracts of land and then sold it at an inflated price.
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June 25: Lightning Death
Settlers in the Dakotas faced many challenges as they crossed the plains. There were the financial pressures as they attempted to forge a living from the prairie soils, and of course the extreme weather conditions, with a great range in both temperature and weather patterns. The state’s record high and low temps occurred in the same year, 1936. The high, 5th highest in the U.S., was an astounding 121 degrees, and the low was -60, a 181-degree difference.
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June 24: Teachings of Our Elders - Dennis Fox, Jr. on Art
North Dakota Native American Essential Understanding number six is about Native contributions. It states: "Native people continue to contribute to all levels of society, from local to global, in diverse fields, including medicine, science, government, education, economics, art, music, and many more."
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June 21: Babies Born in Cars
On this date in 1913, back when women still gave birth at home and few owned cars, the front-page news that a woman gave birth in a car must have been quite shocking.
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June 20: Beach Steam Laundry
The townsite of Beach was established when the Northern Pacific Railroad built a section house there in 1881. However, it wasn’t until 1900 when settlement really started to happen.
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June 19: Our One Great Hope
At the end of the Civil War, the country began waking up to the realities of recovery. Railroads and bridges had been destroyed. Farms had been wiped out. Disabled veterans were unable to support themselves and widows and orphans had been left behind. President Lincoln had promised to care for “those who have borne the burden, his widow and orphans.” But no one knew how to go about doing that.