Home  Books Book Two Themes
THEMES
OVERVIEW
Inventions: Linc Common invented the instant orange drink Tang and the first sugar-coated cereal. Donald Townsend helped invent cookware for microwave ovens, and F. Jay Haynes invented a furniture polish.
Innovations & Discoveries: The Eaton Brothers started the country’s first “dude ranch,” and Donald Townsend is called the grandfather of the fast food industry. Smokey the Bear became the symbol of the National Forest Service because Ray Bell saved the cub from a fire and nursed him back to health. Fred Nash created a food wholesale enterprise that is now the second largest in the nation. Peter Seims began a contracting business that, at the end of the 19th century, was the largest firm in the U.S. Richard Sykes introduced the sport of rugby to the U.S., and Kent Higgins created the Century Calendar.
Firsts - National: Minnie Craig was the first speaker of a state legislature, and Coya Knutson, as a Congresswoman, introduced legislation that authorized a federal school milk program, established the student loan program, authorized money for research on cystic fibrosis, and created the tax check-off program. Felix Vinatieri was one of the first composers of comic operas in the U.S. Harry McLean became the first commander of an African-American Battalion in Canada.
Most, Biggest, and Youngest – National: By receiving 27,000 marriage proposals, Harry McLean holds the national record. By sinking a 62,000 ton Japanese aircraft carrier during World War II, submarine commander Joseph Enright destroyed the largest enemy vessel. Enlisting at the age of 14, many believe that Frank Palmer was the youngest person to serve in the Civil War.
Firsts - North Dakota: Felix Vinatieri composed the first operas, and James Foley was the first writer to regularly draw national recognition for his writing. Josiah Chance was the first winner of a large national lottery, and George Morison was the first engineer of a million dollar project in what is now North Dakota. James McPherson was the first and is still the only person born in North Dakota to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize for one of his books. General Harold Johnson became the first North Dakotan to become chief of staff of the U.S. Army. Richard Sykes built the first golf course in the state and was one of two men who introduced the growing of flax in North Dakota. Kent Higgins was the state’s first public defender.
Most – North Dakota: Samuel Holland manufactured the most automobiles in the state.
Firsts – Regional: The first land claim in Ramsey County was issued to Frank Palmer. Donald Stevenson started the first ranch in the region around the Cannonball River.
Firsts – Local: John Haggart was Fargo’s first police chief and fire marshal. John McLean was elected the first mayor of Bismarck.
TRIBUTES
Physical Sites: In North Dakota, Palmer Springs is named for Frank Palmer, and Creel’s Bay is named for Heber Creel. Frank Palmer was also responsible for having Sully’s Hill named as a national site. In Yellowstone Park, Mount Haynes is named for F. Jay Haynes and there is also the Howard Eaton Trail.
Man-made Sites: Richard Sykes created Hiawatha Lake near the town of Sykeston. Cushman Field in Grand Forks was named for Cliff Cushman
Counties: Pierce County is named for Gilbert Pierce, and McLean County is named for John McLean. From 1873 to 1881, there was also Gingras County named for Antoine Gingras, but the name was later changed to Wells County.
Cities: In North Dakota, Sykeston is named for Richard Sykes, and Stevenson was named for Donald Stevenson. Creel City, which was renamed Devils Lake, was named for Heber Creel, and Haggart, which became part of West Fargo, was named for John Haggart.
Buildings Honoring North Dakotans: Roen Hall at Oak Grove in Fargo is named for Jorgine Roen. The school of journalism at the University of Minnesota is located in Murphy Hall, named for William Murphy. Budge Hall, a dormitory on the UND campus, was named for Billy Budge. It was built in 1899 and demolished in 1981.
Historic Structures & Sites: The oldest historic man-made building in North Dakota is the home and trading post of Antoine Gingras, built in 1846-47. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home of James Foley is also preserved and is located at Buckstop Junction in Bismarck. In 2005, a monument was erected at Lindenwood Park in Fargo recognizing Joseph Enright and other submariners from North Dakota. Joseph Whistler was remembered at the outset of World War I when emplacements for heavy artillery were erected for the defense of San Diego Harbor. One emplacement was named “Battery Whistler” in his honor. Heber Creel was remembered during World War II when a large American cargo ship was built and named in his honor. Harry McLean paid a tribute to those who worked for him by erecting cairns. He had eight cairns built, seven of which are in Canada. One was placed in Washburn, North Dakota.
Statues: North Dakota’s most famous sculptor was Paul Fjelde, and his best known work is the bust of Abraham Lincoln that stands in Frogner Park in Oslo, Norway. It became a symbol of defiance against Nazi Germany during their occupation of Norway during World War II. The statue of The Pioneer Family that stands at the entrance of the Capitol Grounds was commissioned by Harry McLean. It was the work of Avard Fairbanks, whose biography was covered in Volume I.
Commemorations & Awards: General Harold Johnson received the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award as well as the Distinguished Service Cross. For his action in World War II, Joseph Enright was awarded the Navy Cross. Donald Stevenson and the Eaton Brothers, Custer Ranch have been inducted into the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame. Historian James McPherson received the Pulitzer Prize. Cliff Cushman was inducted into the North Dakota Hall of Fame and the Kansas University Hall of Fame. The city of Walhalla celebrates “Gingras Day” each year in honor of Antoine Gingras, and, from 1924 to 1948, school children in North Dakota celebrated “Foley Day” in honor of James Foley. Gilbert Pierce and Charles Buttz were honored by the U.S. Senate for their service during the Civil War.
PIONEERS
Fur Company Employees: The Hudson Bay Company employed Billy Budge and contracted with Antoine Gingras. Gingras was also part owner of the Red River and Pembina Outfit.
Native Americans: Antoine Gingras was a Metis with a French father and Chippewa mother.
Native American Wives: Antoine Gingras was married to his cousin Scholastique Trottier, who was Metis. It has also been reported that Heber Creel fathered a child with a Native American woman.
Native American Names: For their involvement with Native Americans, Joseph Whistler was given the name Eetoncha Tonka Payhay Zappa, which means “The Big Chief with the Black Hair,” and Usher Burdick was called Mata Sapa, which means “Black Bear.”
Town Founders: In North Dakota, Richard Sykes created the cities of Sykeston, Edgeley, Bowdon, Chaseley, and Arthur. Heber Creel created Creel’s City, which later became Devils Lake. Billy Budge and Usher Burdick created the city of Munich, and Charles Buttz’s brother created the city of Buttzville. John Haggart is considered the father of West Fargo, which now contains the former city of Haggart. Donald Stevenson created the city of Glencoe in North Dakota and the city of Osakis in Minnesota.
MILITARY INVOLVEMENT
Peace Brokers: In 1851, a treaty was signed with the Pembina and Red Lake Chippewa Indians at the home of Antoine Gingras. This treaty gave a one-quarter section of land to the head of each household.
Military Fort Involvement: Joseph Whistler founded Fort Stevenson and, in 1867, oversaw Fort Stevenson, Fort Rice, Fort Totten, Fort Yates, and Fort Abraham Lincoln. He later established Fort Keough in Montana. Josiah Chance supervised the troops at Camp Hancock and later served at Fort Abraham Lincoln. Felix Vinatieri was the bandmaster at Fort Abraham Lincoln, and Heber Creel served as an officer at Fort Totten and other military forts in North Dakota. Donald Stevenson and John McLean were suppliers to the military forts in what is now North Dakota.
Military Conflicts: Joseph Whistler, Felix Vinatieri, Josiah Chance, Gilbert Pierce, Charles Buttz, John Haggart, and Frank Palmer fought in the American Civil War. John Steeves, Leo Killion, and Ray Bell Served during World War II. In World War II, Harold Johnson was captured and forced on the notorious Bataan Death March, David Elman worked with the FBI to capture Nazi spies, and Tommy Tucker entertained the troops by providing free concerts. Clint Hill and Harold Johnson served during the Korean Conflict, and Johnson was chief of staff of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Cliff Cushman’s plane was shot down over Vietnam, and, six years later, he was declared dead by the U.S. Department of Defense. Bruce Peterson and Kent Higgins both served in the military, but so no action overseas.
TRANSPORTATION
Oxcarts: Antoine Gingras operated an oxcart route from Pembina to St. Paul.
Wagon Trains, Stagecoaches, Pony Express, and Ferry Boats: Donald Stevenson ran teams of wagon trains carrying people and supplies from St. Cloud to Pembina and then to the military posts throughout the northern Dakota Territory. He later set up a route between Bismarck and the Black Hills. John Haggart was a wagon train driver. Peter Seims used a wagon and team of horses to haul mail from Fargo to Bismarck and later established a stagecoach line that ran between Bismarck and the Black Hills. Billy Budge was employed by a company that ran wagons between Bismarck and the Black Hills. He was also the co-owner of a rest station for a stagecoach line that ran along the Red River. Frank Palmer was a pony express rider between military forts, and, during the winter he used a dog sled. John Haggart operated a ferry boat business across the Red River.
Railroads: John Haggart was a director of the Fargo and St. Louis Airline Railroad Company. The Northern Pacific employed Haggart as a construction worker, John McLean as a supplier of railroad timber, Howard Eaton as a hunter to supply game for its workers, F. Jay Haynes as their photographer and promoter, Harry McLean as an errand boy, George Morison as their bridge engineer, and Peter Seims as their roadbed contractor. Seims also contracted with the Great Northern for most of its roadbed construction. Harry McLean became a contractor for much railroad work throughout Canada.
POLITICS
Territorial Politics: The first member of this group in the political arena was Antoine Gingras, who served as a legislator from Pembina in the Minnesota Territorial Assembly (what is now eastern North Dakota was part of Minnesota Territory at the time) from 1851 to 1853. Gilbert Pierce was governor of Dakota Territory from 1884 to 1887.
North Dakota Politics: Billy Budge was a member of the North Dakota Constitutional Convention, which met in 1889. John Cowan was the only North Dakota executive officer to be elected to three terms in the 19th century, serving as attorney general from 1895 to 1900. Gilbert Pierce served two years in the U.S. Senate. Usher Burdick served as a U.S. Congressman from North Dakota for twenty years, as lieutenant governor, and in the state legislature. Other members of the state legislature were Donald Stevenson, Charles Buttz, John Haggart, Frank Palmer, Heber Creel, and Minnie Craig. Billy Budge was defeated in his run for governor, and Heber Creel in his run for the U.S. Congress.
Politics of Other States: Charles Buttz was a U.S. Congressman from South Carolina and Coya Knutson served in the U.S. House from Minnesota. Gilbert Pierce was a state legislator in Indiana.
National Positions: Gilbert Pierce served as U.S. minister to Portugal and financial clerk of the U.S. Senate. John Steeves was the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from 1962 to 1966. He also served as charge d’ affairs (acting ambassador to Indonesia), consul general of Hong Kong, and director general of the U.S. Foreign Service. Harold Johnson was chief of staff of the U.S. Army, Coya Knutson was liaison officer of the U.S. Department of Defense, and Clint Hill was assistant director of the U.S. Secret Service.
Mayors: John McLean was the first elected mayor of Bismarck.
Direct Presidential Involvement: Gilbert Pierce became a close friend of Benjamin Harrison while they practiced law in Indiana. Pierce later befriended Chester Arthur when Pierce came Arthur’s rescue during the New York Customs House graft scandal. Arthur appointed Pierce as governor of Dakota Territory. Josiah Chance was a bodyguard of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, and Chance’s father was minister of the church Rutherford B. Hayes attended. When Chance died, Hayes was present at his funeral. When General Benjamin Butler ordered Charles Buttz out of his district during the Civil War, Buttz appealed directly to President Lincoln to get the decision reversed. President McKinley appointed George Morison to a committee to investigate a way of linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through a canal in Central America. Morison was instrumental in helping President Theodore Roosevelt get the canal to run through Panama. Not only did Howard Eaton serve as Teddy Roosevelt’s hunting guide during a trip to the Badlands in 1881, he also helped persuade the future President to purchase a ranch next to his, near Medora, two years later. Usher Burdick worked closely with Franklin Roosevelt on many issues during the Roosevelt administration. Clint Hill was a White House Secret Service agent during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. Harold Johnson was U.S. Army chief of staff during the Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson administrations.
THE LAW
Lawyers: Those who held law degrees were Gilbert Pierce, John Cowan, George Morison, William Murphy, Usher Burdick, Leo Killion, and Kent Higgins. John Cowan was also an attorney general for North Dakota and a district judge.
Crime Fighters: As commander of the forts in northwestern Dakota Territory, John Whistler brought civility and order to Fort Totten by punishing the officers who were neglecting the Dakota Indians in their charge. John Haggart was a deputy U.S. marshal for Dakota Territory and was Fargo’s first sheriff. Billy Budge served as sheriff of Grand Forks.
Noted Trials/Hearings: Howard Eaton was a key witness in the murder trial of the Marquis de Mores. In 1911, John Cowan, as a district court judge, faced impeachment hearings in the North Dakota House. The man who presided over the hearing was the speaker of the legislative body, Usher Burdick.
AGRICULTURE
Farmers: Richard Sykes and Charles Dazey were bonanza farm owners, and Donald Stevenson and the Eaton Brothers owned large ranches. Fred Nash and John Haggart were farmers in northern Dakota Territory. Peter Seims was the best known bonanza farm sodbuster. Many of the people in this volume grew up on farms.
EDUCATION
Teachers: Josiah Chance, Usher Burdick, Minnie Craig, John Steeves, and Coya Knutson were classroom instructors. Felix Vinatieri was a music instructor in Italy before immigrating to the U.S.
County Superintendents: John Cowan and Usher Burdick were county superintendents.
College Professors: Paul Fjelde, Tommy Tucker, Joseph Enright, Harold Johnson, and James McPherson were college professors.
OTHER PROFESSIONS
Doctors: John Cowan had a medical degree but never practiced medicine in North Dakota.
Newspapermen: Gilbert Pierce and William Murphy both owned newspapers and were editors. Heber Creel owned a paper, and James Foley was a reporter and later became a city editor.
Prolific Authors of Books and/or Plays: Gilbert Pierce, Charles Dazey, James Foley, Usher Burdick, and James McPherson all published numerous works, and McPherson won a Pulitzer Prize. Heber Creel wrote a dictionary for the Cheyenne language. Several individuals in volume II wrote autobiographical works.
Bankers/Investment House Owners: Those involved in banking and investing included Richard Sykes, Charles Buttz, John McLean, Billy Budge, Usher Burdick, and Minnie Craig.
SPORTS, ARTS, & ENTERTAINMENT
Sports: Usher Burdick was a star football player for a powerful University of Minnesota team, and Cliff Cushman was an excellent athlete in high school at Grand Forks, at the University of Kansas, and in the 1960 Olympics where he won a silver medal. Richard Sykes brought the sport of rugby to the U.S. and built the first golf course in North Dakota. The mother of Virginia Bruce won the North Dakota ladies amateur golf tournament three times, and the great-great grandson of Felix Vinatieri is considered the “best clutch kicker in the history of the NFL.”
Theater: Charles Dazey and Gilbert Pierce wrote plays for the theater. Boris Karloff received much acclaim for his role in the play Arsenic and Old Lace.
Radio: Dave Elman and Tommy Tucker had popular radio programs.
Movies and Television: Boris Karloff and Virginia Bruce were both popular actors in early talking movies. Karloff also starred in two television series. Charles Dazey wrote screenplays for the silver screen.
Music: In the 1920s and 30s Tommy Tucker was the leader of a popular big band. Felix Vinatieri, Dave Elman, Tommy Tucker, and Leo Killion were composers.
|
|
|
|
