1861: Dakota Territory organized. President Abraham Lincoln appoints Dr. William Jayne as territorial governor.

1878: An Indian scare broke out as reports from Buford and Poplar river Indian Agency were heard. It was feared that the Missouri River, between Peck and Benton, was filled with hostiles; however, Sitting Bull was not said to be among them.

1880: A vigorous complaint arose out of Bismarck. After a continued blockade on the Northern Pacific between Bismarck and Fargo, having started on February 15, was the worst known at that time. While the winter experienced a number of blizzards, the blockade was caused by mismanagement. Snow plows had also proved inadequate to clear the tracks of ice and snow.

1882: A railroad disaster happens near Mandan. With what sounded like a broken wheel, it had become clear that something was wrong. Traveling 10-15 miles per hour, the engineer, hearing the noise, reversed steam, but it was too late, and the terrible crash occurred. Eight individuals were killed in the accident.

Evidence for the cause of the crash extended nearly a mile away from the wreck. Approaching the short curve which led to the bridge, the strain upon the car became so great that the truck was broken into numerous pieces, with some of the pieces striking the ties on the bridge and shoving them before it. Being left without support, the sleeping-car precipitated into the river, striking on its side. Sleeping car No.2 followed, with the dining-car also careening over the edge, crushing both of the sleeping cars below.

The kitchen-car followed, propped upright by the dining-car. The next two cars, the office and store-car were only partially derailed. Four bents in the bride were shattered into splinters, and the sleepers completely demolished.

Around 50 men were in the train, and it was thought that it was miraculous that even one person escaped. The only deaths came from those in sleeper No. 1, where 24 men had occupied. As the car overturned, the bedding caught fire, and while some men were able to flee, the “dying were roasted almost beyond recognition.” Trying to save those who were trapped, those who had escaped immediately found buckets and “worked like heroes to extinguish the flames,” but it was impossible.

1887: A “scientific” prize fight, between Ed Patterson, Bismarck, and George Haley, Sioux Falls, ended with three policemen being “badly pummeled.” The police had tried to interfere with the fight, but “bullies pounced upon them.” A general fight broke out, and when peace was restored, the policemen were discovered as having been badly bruised. Haley won in the fifth round.

1888: An oil boom near Mandan? The people of the little settlement of the Little Hear River, which was 14 miles south of Mandan, thought they had struck oil. Many of the residents were dreaming of good times, with some predicting that derricks would be seen on every hill in just a couple of years.

1895: Fort Lincoln is established at Bismarck, being the second military base to take the name.

1900: The Republican party in North Dakota, oppose anything but free trade with Puerto Rico.

1901: A proposed constitutional amendment to relocate the state capitol to Fargo. It created little excitement as it was acknowledged that there was no possibly of it being passed.

– A cigarette license bill passed the house. It would require all packages of cigarettes sold in the state would have to have the word poison printed on them, along with skull and crossbones, in red ink.

1904: Dr. Suess was born

1912: Several cases of typhoid caused uneasiness in Mandan over the condition of the drinking water supplied by the city’s mains. To help relieve the unease, the city’s health department was having the water analyzed by the state chemist.

1926: Two youths were given sentences of life imprisonment and hard labor, for the death of Fred Stoller, 73. William Stoller, 18, and Amon Horst, 20, pleaded guilty to beating Fred, William’s grand father, to death, and robbing him of more than $3,000. The two youths had tried to set the room on fire where Fred was killed.

– Residents on the east end Bismarck demand city grade, curb and gravel streets.

1956: Police were busy checking into a tombstone thief. A used car, which was bought in Bismarck, was found to have a tombstone in the trunk. It was apparently taken from a cemetery in Rapid City, S.D.