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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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February 4: Comings and Goings

2026/02/04

In the early days of the twentieth century, newspaper readers frequently skipped the main headlines and turned right to the back pages to catch up on local news in columns with names like “Society News.” These columns contained information that seems so minor and mundane that we might wonder why newspapers bothered to take up space with them.

February 3: Thirsty Engines

2026/02/03

A steam locomotive can burn through a massive amount of fuel in a short time. Wood-burning engines were fine for eastern railroads in heavily forested areas, but not practical on the Great Plains. It made more sense for those trains to burn coal, and burn coal they did. Depending on the size of the engine and its speed, a locomotive could burn as much as 800 pounds of coal per mile. The fireman had to constantly shovel coal into the firebox to keep the train moving.

February 2: Flat Mouth: Hunter, Warrior, Peacemaker, Orator, Historian

2026/02/02

On this date in 1798, Flat Mouth arrived at the North West Company Pembina post.

January 30: Alma Hollanitsch

2026/01/30

According to the 2020 census, Fingal, North Dakota, has a population of just 92 people. Alma Hollanitsch, however, remembered a time when Fingal was a thriving community of more than 300 residents. On this date in 1996, one month after celebrating her 100th birthday, Alma was interviewed. Her memory was still sharp as she reflected on a long life closely connected to Fingal.

January 29: Deer, Bear, Wolf, Wildcat, Lynx, and Wolverine, Oh My!

2026/01/29

The last wolverine recorded in North Dakota was “M56,” identified in 2016 after it was killed by a McKenzie County rancher. M56 had been radio-collared in Wyoming, detected in Colorado, and then its signal was lost. Wolverines had not been verified in the state for 150 years.

January 28: Racing Against Lost Time

2026/01/28

Prior to the 19th century, time was a local matter. Each town set a public clock to noon when the sun was at its highest point. Towns close together could be on different times. This system worked well enough, until the railroads arrived. Travelers found schedules confusing, since each stop followed a different local time. It was often hard to know exactly when a train would arrive or depart. The problem was solved in 1883, when the United States adopted the four time zones we know today.

January 27: Steve Blehm

2026/01/27

On this date, in 1971, a young man named Steve Blehm scored 85 points during the Ramsey County Basketball Tournament in stark weather. That's right, 85 points.

January 26: Drum and Bugle Corps

2026/01/26

In March of 1919, members of the American Expeditionary Force convened in Paris to create the American Legion, a patriotic veterans organization. World War I veterans returning home from Europe started posts across America.

January 23: Guardians of the Crossings

2026/01/23

Accidents at railroad crossings were fairly common in the early days of railroading, and the results were often gruesome. When survivors brought lawsuits, courts frequently ruled in favor of the railroads.

January 22: Harriet Lake

2026/01/22

Today is the birthday of Harriet Lake, who was born in 1909 in Valley City. Her mother was an opera singer and her father, a traveling thespian.

January 21: Pink Tea

2026/01/21

President Theodore Roosevelt called the first Governor’s Conference in 1908. Roosevelt was concerned about the state of the environment and invited all the governors to the White House to discuss conservation. The governors found the gathering so useful that they went on to establish the National Governors Association. The organization is made up of the governors of all states and territories.

January 20: The Ties That Bind

2026/01/20

Invented in the 1870s, the power binder cut grain and tied the stalks into bundles using twine. One person and a team of horses could accomplish work that had formerly taken six workers to do.

January 19: Remembering Louis Armstrong in Fargo

2026/01/19

They called him “Satchmo”, or “Mr. Jazz.” His given name was Louis Armstrong, and this world-famous jazz trumpeter and singer came to Fargo in September of 1957, performing at NDSU’s fieldhouse for an “enthusiastic” audience of 3,200 fans.

January 16: Teachings of Our Elders - Alex DeCoteau on Native American Contributions to Society

2026/01/16

In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll hear Alex DeCoteau, educator and enrolled Member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, share his insight into exactly what it is that Native Americans have contributed to the United States.

January 15: The North Dakota Guard

2026/01/15

In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Dr. William Jayne as territorial governor. Jayne recognized that the territory needed some form of defense. The legislature passed "An Act to Organize and Discipline the Militia of the Territory of Dakota."

Podcast reviews

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4.9 out of 5

15 reviews

★★★★★

Cand94 2024/11/22

Love these Historical Flashbacks

I love learning ND history. Its even better when someone else reads a summarized version to you! The Meadowlark tune warms my heart and reminds me of...

★★★★★

Leewana Thomas 2018/07/13

Dakota Delightful

Glad these amazing tidbits are making the podcast leap! I believe you can also see the entire collection (they’ve been going on for several years) at...

★★★★★

RabidPrarieDog 2018/03/02

The historical “snack food” for North Dakota

Great podcast on historical tidbits from North Dakota. I learn something. everyday that makes me even more proud to live here

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