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THEMES
OVERVIEW
Inventions: Wilbur Steele invented a railroad car heating device, and John Crean invented a new style of Venetian blind for trailers. Henry Bolley conceived the idea to develop a crop sprayer that could be driven over the fields. Patrick Haggerty helped develop the pocket-sized radio, the integrated circuit, the hand-held calculator, the microprocessor, the digital watch, infrared night-vision equipment, airborne radar, and the laser-guided missile system.
Innovations & Discoveries: Stanley Huntley created a new genre of comedy about a cantankerous husband with an understanding wife. This type of comedy was later popularized in television with The Honeymooners and All in the Family. Henry Bolley was one of the first scientists to advocate the utilization of chemicals as a method of weed control. He also developed Bison flax, the first strain resistant to flax wilt.
Firsts – National: George Black created the “one-cent sale” where one item in a store is sold at the regular price and a second item can be purchased for a penny. Norval Baptie was one of two (along with Sonia Henie) to be inducted into the Ice Skaters Hall of Fame. Cora Smith became the first woman to scale Mount Olympus in the state of Washington.
Most, Biggest, Best, etc. – National: William Washburn was involved in the development of the Pillsbury flour mill, the largest mill in the world. He also organized the Washburn Lignite Coal Company near Wilton, North Dakota, the largest lignite mine in the world. From 1906 to 1916, Gil Dobie’s college football teams went undefeated, the most consecutive years without a loss in U.S. history. In 1931, Florence Klingensmith completed 1078 loops in her airplane, a women’s record. Montie Montana was considered the greatest trick rope artist of all time and participated in a record 61 performances (1925-1995) in the annual Tournament of Roses. Patrick Haggerty had the highest grade point average ever at Marquette University. In 1953, the Klaudt family had the top gospel recording of the year.
Firsts – U.S. Regional: Cora Smith performed the first abdominal surgery in Minnesota, Henry Bolley was the first quarterback at Purdue University, and Frank Anders was the first student to be given a scholarship at the University of Wisconsin.
Firsts – North Dakota: Joseph Rolette Jr. filed the first homestead claim, John Miller was the state’s first governor, Cora Smith was the first licensed female doctor, and Cora Klingensmith was the first licensed female pilot. Henry Bolley introduced intercollegiate football to the state, and college coach Gil Dobie was the first person from North Dakota to be elected to a major hall of fame. Earl Reineke established the state’s first radio station.
Most, Youngest, etc. – North Dakota: Woody Keeble was the state’s most decorated soldier, and John Baer, at the age of 31, was the youngest person from North Dakota to be elected to the U.S. Congress.
Firsts – North Dakota Regional: William Forbes was the first agent at the Devils Lake Indian Agency, Loyd Wheaton was the first U.S. army commander at Fort Pembina, and Frank Anders was one of the first white children born at Fort Abraham Lincoln. John Miller was the first postmaster in the town of Dwight, and Joseph Taylor was the first postmaster at Painted Woods. Taylor was also the first permanent white settler of Burleigh County. Henry Bolley was among the first faculty at the North Dakota Agricultural College, now NDSU, and Cora Smith was a member of the first graduating class at the University of North Dakota.
TRIBUTES
Counties and Cities: Rolette County and the city of Rolette are both named for Joseph Rolette Jr., an early fur trader in Pembina County, who, as a legislator in Minnesota Territory, prevented the state capital from being removed from St. Paul. The city of Steele is named for Wilbur Steele, a noted land speculator and a member of the Dakota Territorial Legislature. The town of Washburn is named after Cadawaller Washburn, brother of industrialist William Washburn.
Buildings and Facilities Honoring North Dakotans: Cora Smith Hall, a women’s dormitory at the University of North Dakota, is named in honor of Cora Smith King and the Reineke Fine Arts Center on the campus of North Dakota State University is named in honor of Earl Reineke and his wife, Marie. Gainor Field, the football field in Milnor is named in honor of Martin “Butch” Gainor. Hovde Hall, the administration building at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, is named in honor or Frederick Hovde. The Welk Resort Theater in Branson, Missouri and the Lawrence Welk Village, located 55 miles northeast of San Diego, California, are named for Lawrence Welk.
North Dakota Historic Sites: Joseph Taylor’s log cabin at Painted Woods was relocated to the town of Washburn, in 1932, where it was put on display. The homestead, near Strasburg, where Lawrence Welk grew up, was opened to the public in 1991.
Commemorations and Awards: Loyd Wheaton and Frank Anders both received the Medal of Honor from Congress, Wheaton for his action in the Civil War, and Anders for heroism displayed during the Spanish-American War. Friends of Woody Keeble are currently hoping that he will posthumously be given the Medal of Honor for his action during the Korean Conflict. Homer Wallin received the Distinguished Service Medal for putting many of the ships seriously damaged during the bombing of Pearl Harbor back into action. Loyd Wheaton received a medal from the English monarch, Queen Victoria, for saving Manitoba from a rebel invasion. For his work in helping the Allies develop rocket weapons during World War II, Fred Hovde received the President’s Medal for Merit and the King’s Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom from the British government. Lawrence Welk was the first person to receive North Dakota’s highest honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Roughrider Award. John Crean was given the Horatio Alger Award of Distinguished Americans, and Monte Montana received the Gold Boot Award for his work in movies. In sports, Norval Baptie was one of two charter members elected to the Ice Skating Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the Speed Skating Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Both Cy Tallion and Monte Montana have been inducted into the Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame. Chuck Gainor, Butch Gainor, and Steve Myhre are all enshrined in the University of North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. In music, Lawrence Welk was inducted into the International Polka Music Hall of Fame, Paul Yoder into the National Band Association Hall of Fame, and Lillian Klaudt into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
PIONEERS
Native Americans: Louise Klaudt and her children were descendents of the Hunkpapa Teton Sioux medicine man, Sitting Bull. Woody Keeble was a member of Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux.
Fur Company Employees: Both Joe Rolette Jr. and William Forbes were employed by the American Fur Company, Rolette as a trader and Forbes as a clerk. With Norman Kittson, Forbes also founded the St. Paul Outfit, a fur trading company in Minnesota Territory.
Town Founders: William Forbes helped plot St.Paul, Minnesota. In North Dakota, William Washburn founded Wilton, George Ellsbury founded Tower City, and Wilbur Steele founded Steele.
MILITARY INVOLVEMENT
Peace Broker: Loyd Wheaton is credited with stopping an invasion of Canada by Irish rebels (Fenians) from northern Dakota Territory. General Philip Sheridan wrote, “Wheaton had saved Manitoba.” The English monarch, Queen Victoria, awarded a medal to Wheaton in gratitude.
Military Forts: Loyd Wheaton was the military commander at both Fort Pembina and Fort Abercrombie. George Ellsbury served at Fort Abercrombie.
Military Conflicts: Loyd Wheaton, George Ellsbury, Joseph Taylor, A. C. Huidekoper, and Andrew Burke all served in the Union Army during the Civil War, and Wilbur Steele was hired by the Union to run trains in the South. Both Loyd Wheaton and Frank Anders served in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. During World War I, Earl Reineke was named radio code instructor, Homer Wallin trained gunners and seamen for overseas assignments, and Joseph Whelan was stationed at Camp Grant, Illinois. In World War II, Arthur Peterson and Woody Keeble served in the Army, John Crean in the Merchant Marines, Leroy Mason in the Signal Corps, and Homer Wallin and Lee Brooks in the Navy. Also during the war, Chuck Gainor was a Navy pilot, Paul Yoder played in the Army band, and Patrick Haggerty evaluated equipment for the Navy. Woody Keeble also served in the Army during the Korean conflict.
TRANSPORTATION
Oxcarts: Joseph Rolette Jr. organized the first caravan of Red River carts to carry animal skins from Pembina to St. Paul, Minnesota.
Railroads: Three of the people covered in this volume were instrumental in organizing railroads: William Washburn was co-founder and president of the Minneapolis and Pacific Railroad, which later became the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad. He later organized the Bismarck, Washburn and Fort Buford Railroad. George Ellsbury was co-founder and president of the Dakota and Great Southern Railroad, and A. C. Hidekoper helped organize the Pittsburgh, Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad. Wilbur Steele ran trains for the Union army during the Civil War and later worked as an agent for railroad companies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Frank Anders and John Baer both worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad; Anders as a shop foreman and Baer as a civil engineer.
POLITICS
Territorial Politics: Prior to the creation of Dakota Territory, two men featured in this volume served in the Minnesota Territorial Legislature: William Forbes and Joseph Rolette Jr. Two others served in the Dakota Territorial Legislature: John Miller and Wilbur Steele.
North Dakota Politics: John Miller and Andrew Burke were the first two governors of North Dakota, and John Baer served in the U.S. Congress from this state.. Thomas Whelan, Lee Brooks, and Frank Vogel all served in the North Dakota state legislature. P. W. Lanier, Hans Foss, and Thomas Whelan were unsuccessful in their bids to be elected to the U.S. Congress. In fact, Lanier ran on three separate occasions and also lost out in his bid to be elected North Dakota Attorney General. Frank Vogel was defeated in his attempt to become North Dakota Lieutenant Governor. However, he did serve as tax commissioner, highway commissioner, and manager of the Bank of North Dakota. On the county level, Joseph Taylor served as Burleigh county justice of the peace and McLean County register of deeds, and Andrew Burke served as Cass County treasurer.
Politics of Other States: William Washburn was a U. S. Congressman from Minnesota. Also in Minnesota, William Forbes was Ramsey County auditor, George Ellsbury was Winona County register of deeds, and Hans Foss was appointed chief inspector of the Minnesota grain inspection division. P. W. Lanier served in the state legislature in Tennessee.
National Politics: Thomas Whelan was appointed U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua. During World War II, Fred Hovde served as director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, and Arthur Naftalin became the U.S. budget consultant and advisor to South Vietnam. Andrew Burke served as an inspector of the U.S. Land Office, and William Washburn was a clerk with the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mayors: Arthur Naftalin was elected mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Ed Patterson was elected mayor of Bismarck.
Direct Presidential Involvement: Cora Smith worked with Woodrow Wilson on the issue of women’s suffrage, P. W. Lanier seconded Franklin Roosevelt’s nomination for U.S. President in 1932, Roosevelt appointed Fred Hovde to devise countermeasures to the bombing of London during World War II, Harry Truman appointed Thomas Whelan as U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua, Montie Montana lassoed Dwight Eisenhower during the 1953 inauguration parade, and John Kennedy invited Frank Anders to a reception at the White House for his heroic action during the Spanish-American War.
Political Issues: In the area of capital relocation, Joseph Rolette Jr. prevented the Minnesota capital from being moved from St. Paul to St. Peter, and both George Ellsbury and Wilbur Steele led movements to get the Dakota Territory capital out of Bismarck. Ellsbury pushed for Tower City, and Wilbur Steele tried to get it located in Steele. Women’s suffrage was first opposed by Wilbur Steele, but he later came to support it. Cora Smith worked to get women the right to vote in North Dakota, Minnesota, Washington, and later the entire nation. On the issue of prohibition, Hans Foss was a leading proponent and Ed Patterson a leading opponent.
THE LAW
Lawyers: Those who held law degrees were William Washburn, Stanley Huntley, A. C. Huidekoper, Aaron Beede, Gil Dobie, P. W. Lanier, and Lee Brooks. Those who practiced law in North Dakota were Beede, Lanier, and Brooks. Beede was a Sioux County judge, Lanier a U.S. district attorney, and Brooks a prominent attorney in Fargo.
Crime Fighters: Governor John Miller worked with Pinkerton detectives to expose graft and bribery used in trying to bring the Louisiana Lottery into North Dakota. P. W. Lanier had been an attorney in Memphis, Tennessee who worked against the corrupt Crumb machine in that city. Through his efforts, three Memphis mayors were forced to resign.
Noted Trials: Wilbur Steele was a juror in the most sensational murder trial during the first decade of the 20th century. Harry Thaw had murdered Stanford White, a famous architect who designed Madison Square Garden in New York City. Years earlier, when Steele was in Dakota Territory, William Thaw, the father of Harry, had hired Steele to be his agent. The jury found Harry Thaw “not guilty by reason of insanity. P. W. Lanier, as U. S. district attorney, prosecuted North Dakota Governor William Langer and eight others on the charge of soliciting and collecting money for political purposes from federal employees. Langer and four of his co-defendants were found guilty and sentenced to eighteen months in prison. Langer appealed and was eventually cleared of all charges, but he was forced to resign as governor.
AGRICULTURE
Farmers: George Ellsbury, John Miller, and Aaron Beede were all associated with bonanza farms. Ellsbury was the land agent for Charlemagne Tower in western Cass County, Miller was the manager for Jeremiah Dwight in Richland County, and Beede worked on bonanza farms in the Red River Valley. Joseph Taylor was one of the first farmers in Burleigh and McLean counties. John Sinclair owned the large Berriedale Farm in Nelson County. Thomas Whelan and Larry Steinbach operated successful farms with their brothers. The Whelan Brothers operation was in Pembina County, and the Steinbach farm was in Eddy County. Several of the people in this volume grew up on farms. Besides owning a large ranch in western Dakota Territory, A. C. Huidekoper assisted others in developing their own ranches.
Agriculture Facilitators: George Ellsbury assisted Civil War veterans in locating homestead land, John Miller and Andrew Burke were grain dealers in Duluth, Minnesota, and Henry Bolley pioneered the work of developing grains that were resistant to plant diseases. He also wrote legislation for the North Dakota Pure Seed Law.
EDUCATION
Public Schools: Paul Yoder taught music at schools in Aurora, Illinois and Evansville, Indiana. Frank Vogel was a teacher and administrator at schools in Anamoose, Underwood, and Dazey, North Dakota.
Colleges and Universities: George Ellsbury founded Tower University at Tower City, North Dakota in 1886. Aaron Beede was president of Fargo College and Fred Hovde was president of Purdue University. Henry Bolley and Frank Anders taught at the North Dakota Agricultural College (now NDSU), Cora Smith taught at the University of North Dakota, Paul Yoder was an instructor at Troy State, in Alabama, and Arthur Naftalin taught at the University of Minnesota.
OTHER PROFESSIONS
Doctors: Cora Smith was North Dakota’s first licensed female doctor. She was also a physician in the states of Minnesota, Washington, and California.
Clergy: Aaron Beede was an Episcopal priest and missionary who established churches on the Standing Rock and Turtle Mountain reservations. Lillian Klaudt, along with her husband, Reinhold Klaudt, organized revival meetings in North Dakota and the surrounding area.
Newspapermen: Stanley Huntley was editor of the Bismarck Tribune, Joseph Taylor edited the McLean County Mail in Washburn and the Dakota Democrat in Yankton, South Dakota. Hans Foss edited four Norwegian newspapers: the Roseville Posten, Dakota Bladet, Normanden, and the Nye Normanden. William Washburn was one of the founders of the Minneapolis Tribune. John Baer was a cartoonist for the Nonpartisan Leader and later the national newspaper Labor. Florence Huntley was editor of the Iowa City Republican. Beverly Hanson and Arthur Naftalin were reporters for the Fargo Forum, and Naftalin was also a reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune. He also wrote a weekly column about Minnesota politics that was carried by a number of Minnesota newspapers. Florence Huntley wrote for the Minneapolis Tribune, Washington Post, and the Hutchinson News in Kansas. Before becoming editor of the Bismarck Tribune, Stanley Huntley was a reporter for the New York Times, New York Herald, St. Louis Globe, Chicago Times, and Chicago Tribune. He later wrote a popular column for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. To earn a living as a young orphan in New York City, Andrew Burke sold newspapers on street corners.
Prolific Authors: Joseph Taylor wrote three books about his experiences in early Dakota Territory. Hans Foss wrote several best-selling novels in Norwegian, his native language. Aaron Beede published several books of poetry and a play. Florence Huntley wrote a number of pamphlets about science, spiritualism, and magic and the novel, The Dream Child. Both Stanley Huntley and Cyra McFadden, the daughter of Cy Taillon, had movies produced from their writings. McFadden’s book Rain or Shine, based on her relationship with her parents, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Bankers: Frank Vogel owned a bank in Coleharbor and was manager of the Bank of North Dakota. Both Andrew Burke and Thomas Whelan began their careers working in small town North Dakota banks.
Businessmen: Besides running several railroads, William Washburn was a founder of both General Mills and Pillsbury, and he established the Washburn Lignite Coal Company, the world’s largest coal mine. Ed Patterson owned three hotels in Bismarck: the Sheridan, McKenzie and Patterson Hotels. George Black founded the Black Store and the Store With No Name, two large merchandising stores in Fargo. Earl Reineke built large radio and television stations in Fargo, Patrick Haggerty was the director of Texas Instruments during the 1950s and 60s, and John Crean founded Fleetwood Enterprises, the country’s largest producer of recreational vehicles.
SPORTS, ARTS, AND ENTERTAINMENT
Sports: A number of college football quarterbacks are associated with people who have lived in North Dakota. Henry Bolley was the first quarterback at Purdue University, and both Gil Dobie and Fred Hovde were outstanding quarterbacks at the University of Minnesota. Bolley introduced intercollegiate football to North Dakota and was the first football coach at the North Dakota Agricultural College (NDAC), now NDSU. Dobie was the head coach at NDAC in 1906 and 1907, and the team never lost a game. Dobie then became coach of the University of Washington, and, the nine years that he was there, his teams were also undefeated. Hovde became a Rhodes Scholar and, while at Oxford, became an excellent rugby player.
Martin and Chuck Gainor, Larry Steinbach, Steve Myhra, and Lane Chandler were excellent high school football players who went on to excel in that sport in college: Steinbach at St. Thomas in Minnesota, Chandler at Intermountain College in Montana, and Myhra and the two Gainor brothers at the University of North Dakota. All except Chandler played professional football.
Norval Baptie was the world’s fastest ice skater who introduced figure skating and pairs skating to the sport. Beverly Hanson was one of the best female golfers of the 1950s. In 1955, she won the first Ladies Professional Golf Association Championship and, in 1958, was the top female money-winner in that sport. Dewey Williams was a major league baseball catcher from 1942 to 1948, and Woody Keeble was a talented pitcher who had a tryout with the Chicago White Sox. Ed Patterson was a boxer, and Cy Taillon was a rodeo rider before turning all of his attention to being a rodeo announcer. Patrick Haggerty raced his yacht, the Bay Bea, in the Admiral’s Cup.
Radio: Arthur Peterson was the first star of the longest running dramatic series when, on January 25, 1937, he began the role of Reverend John Ruthledge on The Guiding Light. Peterson played the role of Ruthledge until 1946 when the show moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, and Peterson refused to move. Peterson also appeared on a number of other daytime radio shows including Bachelor’s Children, Girl Alone, and The Story of Mary Marlin. Montie Montana co-hosted a popular radio show in Los Angeles in the early 1930s. In 1927, Lawrence Welk’s band was first featured on WNAX in Yankton, South Dakota, and, over the next 25 years, bands and orchestras fronted by Welk appeared on a number of radio shows.
In 1922, Earl Reineke established the radio station WDAY in Fargo, the first radio station in the Northwest. The Washburn-Crosby Company, started by William Washburn and his brother-in-law, John Crosby, established the powerful radio station WCCO in Minneapolis in 1924, twelve years after Washburn’s death.
Television: In 1952, Reineke established WDAY-TV, the second television station in North Dakota. The ABC network got its big boost from a couple of North Dakota natives. In 1949, its first sitcom was That’s O’Toole with Arthur Peterson playing the title role of Tinker O’Toole. In 1955, the network took off when it began a new program, The Lawrence Welk Show, which ran until 1971. This show later went into syndication and is still shown on public television.
Lane Chandler was one of the most active character actors in early television, and both he and Peterson appeared in over 50 different shows. Cy Taillon, the world’s most popular rodeo announcer also broadcast a number of rodeo events on television. In 1992, John Crean became the co-host of the popular cable show At Home on the Range, a cooking show that aired in southern California. From 1976 to 1987, Arthur Naftalin produced and hosted 500 installments of a weekly public affairs program on Minnesota Public Television. It should also be noted that the genre of comedy about a cantankerous husband and an understanding wife, popularized in The Honeymooners, All In The Family, and the cartoon series The Flintstones, was originated by Stanley Huntley.
Movies: Lane Chandler and Montie Montana both starred in cowboy movies in the early 1930s. Chandler and LeRoy Mason had also starred in non-Westerns in the early talkies, and these two actors became very popular character actors in hundreds of western movies. Arthur Peterson had a minor role in the 1948 Jimmy Stewart movie Call Northside 777, as well as other films in the 1960s and 70s. Beverly Hanson played herself in the Spencer Tracy-Katherine Hepburn film Pat and Mike. Cy Taillon doubled for the star Robert Taylor in the horse-riding scenes for the 1941 movie Billy the Kid. Norval Baptie and Lawrence Welk were the subjects of movie shorts, and Loyd Wheaton was the inspiration for two documentary films: A Charge of the Insurgents and Major-General Loyd Wheaton. Stanley Huntley’s popular syndicated newspaper column became the subject for an early film by Thomas Edison.
Theater: Arthur Peterson and his wife, Norma Ransome, were both involved in the theater in Chicago and, together, co-founded the Actors Company. From 1981 to 1991, they were regular performers for the Pasadena Playhouse in California. In 1984, they replaced Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy as the stars in The Gin Game. Later that year, Peterson toured in the one-man show Robert Frost: Fire and Ice.
Music: The Lawrence Welk Orchestra is considered the most enduring big band of all time. Beginning in 1924, until shortly before his death in 1992, Lawrence Welk fronted bands that played that music listeners thoroughly enjoyed. From the 1940s until the 1970s, the Klaudt family traveled over 100,000 miles per year, putting on concerts throughout the U.S, Canada, and Mexico. Lillian Klaudt’s renditions of “Blessed Assurance” and “Amazing Grace” became Gospel classics. Composer Paul Yoder was considered “the dean of American band composers.” During his life, Yoder published over 1,500 compositions and arrangements.
Other Entertainers: Flo Klingensmith competed in airplane races. In order to pay for her flying lessons, Flo performed stunts at air shows. She would hang by her teeth from a rope suspended from the undercarriage of the airplane. As a teenager, John Baer performed trick bicycle riding in circus acts. Montie Montana performed his trick rope acts at wild-west shows, rodeos, fairs, circus events, parades, and school lyceums.
Artists: George Ellsbury was an illustrator for Leslie’s Illustrated Magazine and Harpers, two national publications noted for their fine illustrations. John Baer began drawing cartoons in North Dakota for the Nonpartisan Leader in 1915. In 1919, he became staff cartoonist for Labor, a national paper located in Washington, D.C. Baer remained with the Labor publication for 40 years, turning out over 10,000 cartoons.
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