Transportation systems have left an indelible mark on the landscape. The pathways reflect many facets of history in commerce, technology, economics, and more ..read more

There was a writer from Mayville who captured the essence of her town by opening her eyes to the simple beauty around her. Her name was Mary Merilla Hilstad (1889-1973), and her descriptions of her Mayville surroundings are both simple and profound. On this date in 1936, the Traill County Tribune published Mary Hilstad’s impressions of colors in her everyday-life ..read more

In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Violet Smith, enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation, as she shares about stories from her grandma ..read more

William Lewis Guy was born on September 30th, 1919 in Devils Lake. He graduated from Amenia High School and North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University). He earned a master’s from the University of Minnesota. During World War II he served in the Navy ..read more

One of the most inspiring Americans of the 20th century visited Fargo on this date in 1914. Helen Keller, who was left blind and deaf from sickness as a small child, spoke at First Methodist Church with her teacher and longtime companion, Anne Sullivan. They were lifelong friends ..read more

In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Gladys Hawk, enrolled member of the Standing Rock Nation, as she talks about grandmother's stories ..read more

Yesterday, we told you about Heber Creel’s efforts to gain control of the land on the north shore of Devils Lake as the railway headed in that direction. Creel and his cronies used every tactic, legal or not, to make sure they would make a tidy profit if the railroad bought their claims ..read more

In 1880, Heber Creel was a Second Lieutenant in the Seventh Cavalry stationed at Fort Totten at Devils Lake. There, he created detailed maps of the lake and the adjacent reservation. A year later, he was building a telegraph line to the railhead at Larimore when he was drawn in by increasing speculation about where the railroad was next headed. As interest in the land around Devils Lake increased, the 27-year-old got land fever, resigned his post and bet on the lake’s northern edge ..read more

On this date in 1879, in a Bismarck Tribune ad, the Custer Hotel boasted first class accommodations for reasonable prices. The hotel targeted river men, railroad men, miners, and army people, based on a convenient location ..read more

Fargo and Moorhead were first settled in 1871, and by 1874, the area’s first newspaper debuted: the Fargo Weekly Express. Over the following decades a plethora of newspapers went in and out of publication ..read more