ND celebrates 123rd birthday today
November 2, 2012 at 3:46 am in Grand Forks Herald
North Dakota and South Dakota are celebrating their 123rd birthdays. The two states entered the Union on Nov. 2, 1889. North Dakota became the 39th state, and South Dakota the 40th. Continue Reading
“President Benjamin Harrison signed the admission papers for the two states on that day. North Dakota became the 39th state, and South Dakota the 40th.”
The story I heard was that Harrison did not look at which he signed first, so there is no certainty which was 39th and which 40th.
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We should have been one state but but for the involvement of the Northern pacific Railroad & its lobbyist in Bismarck, Alexander McKenzie, to prevent the territorial capitol, Yankton, SD, from becoming the capitol of a single state called Dakota. By creating the present border the RR ensured the capitol of the north part of the territory would be controlled through McKenzie’s influence in Bismarck, thus NORTH Dakota.
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When I was a little kid there was a 90 year-old guy who had worked for the Great Northern and knew Hill. The stories he told about the ruthlessness of that guy were amazing.
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Time haven’t changed much in North Dakota, the railroad wasn’t surprised that it could buy politicians, it was surprised it could buy them for so little.
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Have times changed?
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I agree completely. Dakota territory should have became Dakota state. One big state with all the resources and basically the same everything (Other than the Black Hills) I’ve actually had people in other parts of the country remark something like they’ve been throught the southern part of dakots so I don’t think it’s clear to some that we are two seperate states…..
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One interesting factoid is that the border between ND and SD is the only marked border between states. It was originally marked with engraved quartzite pillars. Through the years, most of them have disappeared from their proper locations. At least one of them was found to have been used as a mantel over a fireplace!
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A number of years ago Professor Iseminger of the UND History Dept published a study on those markers.
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I’m going to have to look that up. I have never heard this story before. Great history. Thanks guys.
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I see the study is referenced in Pink’s link below. I recall it has photos of the markers.
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I found one still standing in its original location on the border. It was on a N.D.farm south of Ft. Yates. I was driving by & saw the farmer in his front yard so I stopped to ask if he knew of any. He took into his back yard a ways & there it was, never having been moved he said. It turned out he was also @ the flag raising @ Iwo Jima & told me he witnessed the 2 flag raisings that day. The 1st was a less dramatic scene that was later restaged for the photographers. Of course a GF native was one of the men in one of the raisings that passed away a couple yrs. ago in Richfield Mn. There is a monument to him & Iwo Jima in a Richfield park.
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https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/ndnotes/Boundaries.asp
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Correction: Dang it!
https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/ndnotes/Boundaries/Boundaries.asp
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Feliz Cumpleanos Dakota del Norte
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Just a damn kid…I’ve got socks that are older.
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What about body parts?
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I get first pick.
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Happy Birthday North Dakota. You’re 123 but as youthful and vibrant as ever!
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