Today in North Dakota History

July 28, 1864

About 150 Indians and five soldiers were killed in the Battle of the Killdeer Mountains. The Army force was led by Brigadier General Alfred H. Sully.

July 28, 1884

Nearly half of the infant city of Devils Lake was destroyed by fire.

July 29, 1886

The North Dakota Press Association was formed by a group of editors on an outing at Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

July 28, 1888

Lee S. Elmer was lynched at Wahpeton.

July 29, 1839

The Jean Nicollet Survey Party reached the Devils Lake area, after coming overland from Fort Pierre and up the James and Sheyenne River valleys. The escort was headed by John C. Fremont.

July 29, 1919

Eight people were killed and about 40 injured and property damage estimated at $300,000 was caused by a severe windstorm that hit Williams and Divide counties.

July 29, 1937

The North Dakota Board of Administration fired four faculty members and three administrators at North Dakota Agricultural College, leading to the loss of its accreditation for political meddling and eventually to the establishment of the North Dakota Board of Higher Education.

July 30, 1898

The First North Dakota Infantry reached Manila Bay aboard the transport Valencia during the Spanish-American War.

July 30, 1919

The Grand Forks post of the American Legion was organized.

July 31, 1899

The First North Dakota Volunteers sailed from the Philippines for the United States, a year and a day after their arrival at Manila Bay.

July 31, 1906

The Nelson County city of Michigan was incorporated.

July 31, 1959

The Maltese Cross cabin of Theodore Roosevelt was acquired from the State of North Dakota and moved from Bismarck to Medora as an attraction at the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park.

July 31, 1955

Monthly oil production in North Dakota topped the one million barrel mark for the first time with 1,000,154 barrels produced.

August 1, 1938

Dr. Frank Eversull became the sixth president of North Dakota State University.

August 1, 1961

The North Dakota School for the Blind was re-established in Grand Forks after the closing of the old school at Bathgate that was originally opened in 1908.

July 31, 1872

Fort Ransom was abandoned with the completion of the railroad to Jamestown.

August 1, 1965

The former Ellendale State College became an extension center of the University of North Dakota.

July 31, 1916

Linton, the seat of Emmons County, was incorporated.

August 1, 1894

The Grand Forks City Council approved purchase of a half block of land for the city's first water filtration plant, the first such plant in North Dakota. It was established after the city's drinking water had been blamed for a large number of deaths the same year.

August 1, 1893

Vice President Adlai Stevenson visited Grand Forks briefly while on a western tour.

August 1, 1893

The North Dakota Soldiers Home opened at Lisbon with Colonel W. W. McIlvain as commandant.

August 1, 1894

Barbers of Grand Forks raised the prices of shaves to 15 cents and of haircuts to 25 cents.

August 1, 1929

Fort Buford State Park near Williston was dedicated, with Gen. Hugh L. Scott, a former Indian fighter, delivering the main address.

August 2, 1893

George Hutchings of Ransom County became the first person admitted to the State Soldiers Home at Lisbon.

August 2, 1894

About 40 buildings, covering four city blocks at LaMoure, were destroyed by fire.

August 2, 1898

The Walsh County village of Hoople was incorporated.

August 1, 1872

The second Yellowstone Survey expedition headed west from Fort Rice under General Thomas L. Rosser, with the escort commanded by Colonel D.S. Stanley. There were several Indian attacks in western Dakota and eastern Montana.

August 3, 1856

William B. Purcell, U. S. senator from North Dakota 1910-11, was born in Flemington, N. J.

August 3, 1881

Valley City was incorporated as a village.

August 4, 1950

First potato flake plant in North Dakota is established at Grand Forks.

August 5, 1917

North Dakota National Guard units mustered into military service for the World War I combat duty.

August 6, 1919

State Mill and Elevator Association purchased mill at Drake.

August 7, 1965

The first Minuteman Missile in the northeastern North Dakota was installed in its underground silo near Inkster.- The first Minuteman Missile in the northeastern North Dakota was installed in its underground silo near Inkster.

August 8, 1823

Major Stephen H. Long marked the international boundary at Pembina, putting that community and its 350 inhabitants under the jurisdiction of the United States.

August 9, 1890

Governor Frank A. Briggs died at Bismarck.

August 17, 1825

The Yellowstone Expedition under Gen. Henry Atkinson reached its destination -- the mouth of the Yellowstone River -- and established Camp Balfour.

August 17, 1889

Writing of the North Dakota Constitution completed.

August 17

1825 The Yellowstone Expedition under General Henry Atkinson reached its destination -- the mouth of the Yellowstone River.

1889 The writing of the North Dakota Constitution was completed.

August 18, 1919

The first local Business and Professional Womens club in North Dakota was organized at Grand Forks, where the state organization had been organized earlier the same year.

August 18, 1864

General Alfred Sully and his Yellowstone Expedition arrived at Fort Union Trading Post on the Missouri River, about 20 miles southwest of present day Williston.

August 19

1889 Gov. Mellette called an election on Oct. 1, 1889, for adoption or rejection of the North Dakota Constitution and election of first state officials.

1960 Usher L. Burdick, North Dakota lieutenant governor 1911-12 and congressman 1935-45 and 1949-59, died in Washington, D. C.

August 20

1806 Returning from a successful trip to the Pacific, the Lewis and Clark Expedition left the area of present-day North Dakota for St. Louis.

1890 H. E. Stockbridge became the first president of North Dakota Agricultural College, now North Dakota State University, and director of the Experiment Station.

1962 The 30th Bombardment Squadron at Grand Forks Air Force Base, equipped with B52-H aircraft, was declared combat ready.

1969 M. M. Oppegard, publisher of the Grand Forks Herald for 40 years before his retirement July 1, 1969, died at the age of 78.

August 21, 1867

Pembina County was founded as part of Dakota Territory.

August 22

1883 Construction of the Northern Pacific Railway line to the Pacific Coast was completed, although the formal Gold Spike ceremony at Gold Creek, Montana, was delayed until Sept. 8 of the same year.

1884 Mercer County was organized. It was named for William H. H. Mercer, a rancher who settled in Burleigh County in 1869.

1889 The first North Dakota Republican state convention was held at Fargo to choose a slate of candidates for the first state election. John Miller was nominated for governor.

August 23

1868 Indians attacked a detail of six soldiers and two civilian scouts at Palmer Springs, in southwestern Benson County, killing three of them. They were driving a mail wagon between Fort Totten and Fort Stevenson.

1964 Grand Forks International Airport was dedicated.

August 24

1884 Wells County was organized. It was named for E. P. Wells, a member of the Dakota Territory Assembly.

1961 Seven persons were killed in a car-pickup truck collision near Devils Lake.

August 25

1919 Brian Karr was killed in an airplane crash at Sutton, possibly the first fatal airplane accident in North Dakota.

1920 Establishment of the city commission form of government was approved by the electorate of Grand Forks. It continued until 1940.

August 27, 1903

The North Dakota Bankers Association opened a two-day reorganization convention in Grand Forks, after having been inactive for a decade.

August 26

1962 Vilhjalmur Stefansson died at age 82 at Hanover, New Hampshire/ The famed Arctic explorer grew up in Pembina County and attended the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks. He was born Nov. 3, 1879, at Arnes, Manitoba.

1966 A $1.57 million general construction contract was awarded on the Red River High School at Grand Forks.

August 28, 1857

Construction was begun on Fort Abercrombie, the first garrisoned military fort in North Dakota. In the Sioux uprising of 1862, the fort would be under siege for a month.