July 2, 1883

Dakota Territory capital moved from Yankton to Bismarck.

July 2, 1859

Samuel J. Albright established the Dakota Democrat at Sioux Falls City, first newspaper published within the limits of Dakota Territory.

July 2, 1874

General George Custer and an expedition of 1,000 men left Fort Abraham Lincoln, near present-day Mandan, on an expedition that confirmed the discovery of gold in the Black Hills.

July 2, 1863

General Sibley's expedition entered North Dakota at the Cayuga site to campaign against the Indians.

July 2, 1864

President Lincoln approved an act of Congress creating the Northern Pacific Railway.

July 2, 1955

A tornado caused two deaths and $180,000 damage at Walcott.

July 2, 1868

The largest Indian peace parley held in North Dakota convened at Fort Rice. There were said to have been 50,000 Indians on hand. Peace commissioners included Generals William S. Harvey, Alfred H. Terry and John B. Sanborn.

July 2, 1875

George H. Walsh published the first edition of the Grand Forks Plaindealer, the first newspaper of the village.

July 3, 1871

The first Grand Forks area voting precinct was established at John Stewart's stage station, located on the banks of the Red River at what now is Grand Forks. The precinct stretched from the Turtle River on the north to the Goose River on the south.

July 3, 1947

Nine people were killed by a tornado in Walsh County.

July 3, 1839

Lieutenant John C. Fremont, "the great pathfinder," and Lieutenant Jean N. Nicollet began exploring east-central North Dakota.

July 3, 1907

Natural gas was discovered on the Parker farm, 9.5 miles south of Westhope, while drilling for water.

July 3, 1805

Sioux massacred rival Indians on the Tongue River, in what now is North Dakota, killing or taking 14 men, women and children prisoner.

July 3, 1864

The site was selected and construction started on Fort Rice, south of Mandan on the west bank of the Missouri, by General Alfred H. Sully.

July 4, 1889

The North Dakota Constitutional Convention opened in Bismarck.

July 4, 1871

The Fargo townsite was established, although not given that name until the following year.

July 4, 1883

The first train arrived at the site of Devils Lake and was met by the steamboat Minnie H.

July 4, 1886

Theodore Roosevelt was the principal speaker for Dickinson's first Independence Day celebration.

July 4, 1889

Sitting Bull led 500 warriors down the streets of Bismarck in a parade, followed by the 75 elected delegates to the North Dakota Constitutional Convention, which convened that day.

July 4, 1919

The Grand Forks post of the American Legion was organized.

July 4, 1942

A plaque was unveiled at Whitestone Hill Battlefield State Park, near Monango, to commemorate the Indians killed in a three-day battle, September 3-5, 1863, by forces under General Alfred H. Sully.

July 4, 1962

A state historical museum was dedicated in North Dakota's oldest community, Pembina.

July 3, 1836

The territory of Wisconsin was created, including the part of North Dakota east of the Missouri River.

July 5, 1889

Fredrick B. Fancher, a Republican and Farmers Alliance member, was elected chairman of the North Dakota Constitutional Convention at Bismarck.

July 5, 1966

Raymond C. Dobson, publisher of The Minot Daily News, was elected grand exalted ruler of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

July 6, 1910

Burke County was organized. Carved out of the northwestern townships of Ward County, it was named in honor of Governor John R. Burke.

July 6, 1910

The Abbey Church at Richardton was dedicated.

July 6, 1918

During World War I, William Jennings Bryan, three-time Democratic candidate for president, delivered a patriotic address at Grand Forks.

July 5, 1876

Clement A. Lounsberry, editor-founder of The Bismarck Tribune, scored one of journalism's biggest scoops -- filing 50,000 words by telegraph on the Custer Massacre to The New York Herald.

July 5, 1876

The steamer Far West reached Bismarck with news of the Custer Massacre and the wounded from Reno's force.

July 5, 1888

The plat for the townsite of Rolla, seat of Rolette County, was filed.

July 6, 1881

The first service of the Mayville Congregational Church, the first church established in Mayville, was held in the open air.

July 6, 1873

Colonel C.A. Lounsberry publishes first issue of The Bismarck Tribune, the state's oldest newspaper in existence today, although it carried the date of July 11. Delays in setting type and fear that legal advertising would be invalidated if dated on a holiday prevented first issue from being published on July 4.

July 6, 1910

Formation of Renville County, named for pioneer trader Gabriel Renville, was recognized by executive proclamation. It had been separated from Ward County at an election on Nov. 30, 1908.

July 6, 1936

Less than five months after the coldest temperature in North Dakota history (-60 degrees at Parshall) had been recorded on February 15, the hottest temperature (121 degrees at Steele) in the state's official weather records was reported.

July 6, 1944

Alfred G. Arvold of Fargo was elected Imperial Potentate of the Shrine at the order's 70th annual convention in Milwaukee.

July 6, 1964

The Grand Forks City Council approved naming a new inter-city bridge John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial Bridge.

July 7, 1862

The first of four wagon trains led by Capt. James L. Fisk, and including 117 men and 13 women in 53 wagons, left Fort Abercrombie for the west.

July 7, 1893

Six members of the D.S. Krieder family near Cando were slain by Albert Bomberger in one of early North Dakota's celebrated murder cases.

July 7, 1934

The North Dakota Supreme Court disqualified Governor William Langer from Office. Lieutenant Govenror Ole H. Olson became governor.

July 7, 1929

Wight S. "Barney" Zimmerley of Cogswell flew a light plane from Brownsville, Texas, to Winnipeg, Manitoba, a distance of 1,725 miles in 16 hours to set a new non-stop flight record.

July 6, 1884

Langdon was designated as the seat of Cavalier County.

July 6, 1876

A special edition of The Bismarck Tribune announced the Custer massacre. News of the disaster had been brought down the Missouri by Captain Grant Marsh, piloting the steamship Far West, which carried the wounded from the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

July 7, 1864

Fort Rice was officially established 20 miles southeast of the present site of Bismarck. It was named for Brigadier General Clay Rice, killed in the Battle of the Wilderness in May, 1864. The fort was abandoned May 8, 1878.

July 8, 1870

Fort Pembina was established about 1.25 miles from the present site of Pembina, with quarters for 200 men. The name first suggested for the post, Fort George H. Thomas, was disapproved by General Sherman on the grounds that the historic town name of Pembina should be retained.

July 8, 1878

The cabin of John Hallson, first Icelandic settler at Mountain, was completed, thus beginning what was to become the largest Icelandic settlement in the United States.

July 8, 1883

The first meeting of the Cavalier County Commission was held with P. McHugh, W.H. Matthews and L.0. Norcong as commissioners.

July 8, 1942

The North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives was organized at Carrington by representatives of five co-ops, with P.J. Donnelly of Grafton elected as its first president.

July 9, 1870

At the site of the state's first settlement, Fort Pembina was started. The Army abandoned the post in 1895.

July 9, 1851

The Swiss artist Rudolph Kurz accepted employment with the American Fur Company at Fort Clark. He was to remain in North Dakota for almost a year, sketching pioneer subjects.