Dickey County
Region 2
1 Mr. and Mrs. John Geizler, Merricourt
2 Mr. Ed Davis, Merricourt
3 Mr. and Mrs. Freeman Knox, Monango
4 Mr. Fred Neuhardt, Forbes
5 Mr. and Mrs. Frank Weber (no photo), Forbes
6 Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Moore, Forbes
7 Mrs. Maude Blumer, Ellendale
8 Mrs. Mary Huff, Fullerton
9 Mr. Elmer Almquist (no photo), Fullerton
10 Mr. and Mrs. Frank Johnson, Oakes
11 Mrs. Louise Raatz, Oakes
12 Mrs. Mattie Elner, Oakes
13 Mrs. Della Woodward, Oakes
14 Clara Louise Anderson, Oakes
15 Mr. Henry Hagen, Oakes
16 Mr. and Mrs. Ivar Anderson (no photo), Oakes
17 Miss Grace Ryon, Oakes
18 Mrs. Jenny Edblom, Oakes
19 Mr. Harold Zieman, Oakes
20 Mrs. Alfred Johnson, Oakes
21 Mr. Glenn Dill, Oakes
22 Mrs. Hilda Boethling, Oakes
23 Oscar, Paul, Pearl, Helene Hample, Oakes
24 Edwin N. Leiby, Ellendale
25 Mr. Alfred Kalbus, Ellendale
Portions of the following interview applies to Dickey County:
Emma Stokes #9 Stutsman
Tape #1 Mr. and Mrs. John Geizler
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
052 – Homesteading
059 – Early history of Merricourt
074 – Early settlers and school teachers
112 – Farming methods and early childhood
134 – Merricourt businessmen
165 – Flu epidemic
176 – Large landowners in the Merricourt area
185 – Recreation
202 – Early farming methods
218 – Family and social life
266 – Gardening
297 – Water sources
309 – Dry years
319 – Food preservation
380 – Threshing
404 – Friendliness of people in former years
422 – Religion
434 – Bad winters
447 – Community leaders and social life
486 – Depression and New Deal
670 – Nonpartisan League politics
708 – Depression and New Deal
756 – Family life
831 – Life during retirement and personal philosophy
860 – Opinion of North Dakota
875 – Self-sufficiency on the farm and food storage
955 – Politics
970 –End of tape
Tape #2 Mr. and Mrs. Ed Davis
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history and homesteading
094 – River travel
105 – Family history
137 – Schooling
159 – Hardships of early farming
213 – Horse raising and selling
283 – Sale of buffalo bones
323 – Early crops
342 – Early farming methods
375 – Prices for early crops
508 – Crops during the 1930’s
675 – Marriage and description of their farm
718 – Social life and recreation
752 – History of Merricourt
923 – Politics
232 – Depression
257 – Livestock raising
444 – End of interview
Tape #3 Mr. and Mrs. Freeman Knox
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
068 – Early history of Monango
102 – Early farms in the area
123 – Railroads
136 – Gathering buffalo bones
147 – Mrs. Knox’s family history
164 – Schooling
310 – Family history
330 – Family and social life
471 – Homesteading and tree claims
505 – Nationalities in the area
520 – Homesteading and land use
560 – Early farming methods
793 – Crops affected by hail in 1914
910 – The Knox’s courtship and marriage
978 – Work crews on early farms in the area
070 – Child rearing
114 – Farming during the depression
186 – Gardening; self-sufficiency on the farm
285 – Food preservation prior to refrigeration
372 – Flour mill
433 – Comments on exodus of population from North Dakota
461 – Politics
784 – Railroad rates
863 – End of interview
Tape #4 Mr. Fred Neuhardt
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
047 – Schooling
060 – Family history
072 – Early history of Forbes
196 – Flu epidemic
233 – Businesses in Forbes
353 – Transportation
378 – Town water system
399 – Businesses in Forbes
419 – Farm machinery
557 – Family farm history
640 – History of the Forbes area
677 – Mr. Neuhardt’s work and personal history
930 – Community leaders in Forbes
956 – New Deal programs
985 – Politics and organization of Farmers Union
067 – Recreation
089 – Forbes creamery
106 – Education
128 – Railroads and transportation
144 – Depression
175 – Religion
216 – Recreation and social life
270 – Personal recollections and thoughts on Forbes and North Dakota
309 – End of interview
Tape #5 Mr. and Mrs. Frank Weber
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
050 – Homesteading
100 – Early farming methods
140 – Schooling
177 – History of the Forbes area
184 – Oxen
214 – Farming
228 – Railroad
248 – Early history of Forbes
292 – Early farm machinery
365 – Personal anecdotes
387 – Newspaper
398 – Homesteading
414 – First crops raised on homestead land and land use in general
498 – Recreation
557 – Religion
580 – Baseball teams in the Forbes area
598 – Early farming methods
620 – Raising horses
729 – Courtship and marriage
742 – The Depression
785 – Livestock raising
837 – Politics
850 – Discussion of Hutterites and neighborliness of people
876 – Hired help
894 – Threshing
917 – Social life
966 – Dairy farming
003 – Neighborliness in former years
018 – Thoughts on North Dakota
054 – New Deal programs
074 – Flour mills in the area and grain transportation
094 – End of interview
Tape #6 Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Moore
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history intermingled with description of farm chores and farm life in general
304 – Early farming methods
330 – Automobiles
362 – Early farm machinery and farming methods
418 – Farming with horses
477 – Early methods of harvesting grain
670 – Education
740 – Family farm history
760 – The Depression
916 – Politics
050 – Soil Conservation programs and New Deal programs
099 – Description of duties and problems of the local school board
291 – Recreation
361 – Family life
388 – Baseball teams and social life in the Forbes area
465 – Discussion of sizes of farms and ranches
580 – Electricity
660 – Telephone service
760 – Power plants
832 – Ellendale College
869 – End of interview
Tape #7 Mrs. Maude Blumer
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
231 – Education
327 – Family recreation
355 – Education
471 – Family hardships
490 – Description of family farm, raising livestock, and running the family flour mill
656 – Preserving food prior to refrigeration
731 – Education
850 – Marriage
866 – Ellendale fire of 1916
893 – Comments on people’s attitudes at present compared to former years
925 – Family store (Blumer and Son)
953 – Economic conditions in the 1920’s and 1930’s
980 – Competition to the family store
009 – Population decrease during the 1930’s
021 – Politics
085 – Family life
115 – Education
127 – Depression and New Deal programs
164 – Transportation
209 – Comments on Ellendale
241 – Opinion of North Dakota
300 – Family life in Ellendale
324 – Social life
370 – Religion
386 – Recreation
448 – End of interview
Tape #8 Mrs. Mary Huff
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history and homesteading
090 – Education
120 – Family farm history and accounts of family members
180 – Telephone service
232 – Electricity
266 – History of Fullerton
344 – Recreation
362 – Nationalities in the area
384 – Religion
449 – Marriage and family history
610 – History of Fullerton
623 – Public opinion regarding World War I
646 – Recreation
693 – Medicine
733 – Fullerton water system
753 – Fullerton city government
856 – Baseball games and recreation in Fullerton
911 – Fullerton Hotel and Boarding House
919 – End of interview
Tape #9 Mr. Elmer Almquist
Tape A
000 – Family and area history intermingled with description of homesteading and land use
179 – Carpenter business
227 – History of Fullerton
387 – Medicine
448 – General stores in Fullerton
477 – Nationalities in the area
521 – Timber in the area and Public Works Administration tree project
549 – Politics
581 – Mail and telephone service
603 – Politics
678 – Recreation
729 – Transportation
808 – Fullerton businesses
866 – Population decreases over the years
Tape B
000 – Introduction
020 – Population decreases (continues)
096 – Depression and New Deal
179 – Changes in farming methods
206 – Personal history
213 – Changes in the size of farms and farming methods
289 – Farming and livestock raising during the 1930’s
354 – Fullerton Businesses during the Depression
451 – Bootlegging
482 – Recreation
554 – Account of life of local barber
661 – Baseball games and recreation
801 – Education
830 – World War I
877 – Mail service; Insurance business; Account of Frank Allen
980 – Fullerton townspeople and families
017 – Personal reflections
033 – Flu epidemic of 1918
078 – End of interview
Tape #10 Mr. and Mrs. Frank Johnson
000 – Introduction
019 – General discussion
035 – Family history
061 – Description of family farm and account of early settlers in the area
127 – River boats
162 – Early settlers in the area
192 – Family history
268 – Raising livestock on the open range
293 – Personal story
303 – Farming methods
327 – Homesteaders and early families in the area
403 – Recreation and life as a young boy on the farm
466 – Fullerton area farms
514 – Mr. Johnson’s jobs as barber and carpenter
627 – Account of Carroll house in Fullerton
657 – Marriage
669 – Military service
767 – History of Fullerton businesses
817 – Early motorcycles and automobiles
940 – Account of job as US mail carrier
981- The Depression
101 – Politics intermingled with family history
136 – Morale during Depression
152 – Discussion of abandoned farms in the area
194 – Collecting arrowheads and general discussion
250 – Depression and New Deal projects
329 – General discussion and family history
348 – Politics
357 – Fullerton families and community leaders
397 – People’s attitudes at present compared to past
410 – Family structure
478 – End of interview
Tape #11 Mrs. Louise Raatz
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
066 – Schooling
090 – Family farm
104 – Religion
111 – Family history
158 – Early businesses in Lisbon and Verona
190 – Family history
214 – Family farm and general discussion
278 – Mrs. Raatz’s relatives and married life
292 – History of Verona
373 – Schooling
386 – Family recreation
420 – Towns where farm supplies were purchased
427 – Medical care
441 – Family life
492 – Farming during the Depression
565 – Morale during the Depression
634 – Politics
719 – End of interview
Tape #12 Mrs. Mattie Elner
Tape A
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
045 – Story about Abraham Lincoln
093 – Family history
265 – Father’s homestead and his job as a grain buyer
290 – Childhood recollections
432 – Land use
450 – Childhood recollections
561 – Furniture
637 – Father’s homestead and business
Tape B
728 – Introduction
731 – Father’s business (continued)
767 – Education and teaching experience
126 – Various anecdotes on individuals and personal experiences
311 – Courtship and marriage and account of her husband’s life and work
519 – Family history and account of her children
560 – The Depression
668 – Railroads
681 – Grandfather’s ancestry
692 – Account of Hample, North Dakota
731 – History of Oakes, North Dakota
750 – Robbery of threshing crew employed by Otto Elner
860 – Businesses in Oakes
872 – Family history and personal recollections of family members
905 – Politics
952 – Family recollections
175 – Thoughts on North Dakota
179 – End of interview
Tape #13 Mrs. Della Woodward
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history and homesteading
146 – Early farming methods
172 – Early settlers in the area
179 – Education
215 – Description of homestead house
246 – Early settlers in the area
257 – Gathering and selling buffalo bones
281 – Education and work done by Mrs. Woodward
340 – Teaching, married life, and husband’s family intermingled
389 – Experiences as an early teacher
603 – General discussion
618 – Harsh winter of 1888
637 – General discussion
658 – Husband’s homestead and family
724 – Observations on young people today and in past years
747 – Land use
777 – Hardships in Mrs. Woodward’s life
799 – The Depression and general discussion
833 – Education
913 – End of interview
Tape #14 Clara Louise Anderson
000 – Introduction
020 – Prairie fires
048 – Husband’s farm
059 – The Depression
088 – Blizzard of 1917
130 – Homesteading and family history
169 – Early medical care
189 – Prevalence of buffalo bones and wildfires
205 – The Depression
215 – Gardening and self-sufficiency in early years
225 – Husband’s farm
240 – Politics
252 – Farm machinery
260 – Education
272 – Water sources
278 – Grasshoppers
301 – Early farming methods
323 – Account of her home
343 – Flu epidemic
378 – Attitudes of early settlers
394 – Electricity
432 – Family history
448 – Religion
460 – Harvesting grain
500 – Fires in Ellendale
521 – Preservation of food
566 – Farm chores and activities
696 – Thoughts on North Dakota
711 – Recreation
811 – Comparison of neighborliness of people presently and formerly
934 – End of interview
Tape #15 Mr. Henry Hagen
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history intermingled with personal history and farming methods
094 – Job with Standard Oil Company
118 – The Depression and New Deal programs intermingled with accounts of experiences while working for Standard Oil Company
255 – Farming during the 1930’s
388 – Observations on present day Agricultural Experiment Stations
396 – Creameries in Oakes during the 1930’s
426 – Education
462 – Transportation and early automobiles
476 – Job with Standard Oil Company
559 – History of Ludden, North Dakota
584 – Bootlegging
681 – Businesses that closed during the 1930’s
716 – End of interview
Tape #16 Mr. and Mrs. Ivar Anderson
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
040 – Early farming methods
074 – Military service during World War I
084 – First farm after marriage
093 – Mrs. Anderson’s family history
122 – Medical care and midwives
137 – Education
145 – Early settlers in the area
186 – Mrs. Anderson’s personal history prior to marriage
209 – Education
238 – History of Grand Rapids, Minnesota
257 – Farming during the Depression
337 – Politics
374 – New Deal programs and projects in the area
389 – Creameries and flour mills
413 – Family life during the Depression
429 – Flu epidemic of 1918
444 – Family farm and dairy products made
497 – Transportation
510 – Mail delivery
522 – Early farming methods and harvesting grain
655 – Raising poultry
727 – End of interview
Tape #17 Miss Grace Ryon
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
084 – Grandfather’s farm
105 – Education
152 – Teaching
312 – Leading citizens in Oakes, North Dakota
379 – Teaching
703 – Personal recollections
793 – Teaching and education
916 – End of interview
Tape #18 Mrs. Jenny Edblom
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history and homesteading
222 – History of Oakes, North Dakota
261 – Education
283 – Personal recollections
343 – Recollections of early residents of Oakes
391 – School teachers
498 – Early Oakes businessmen
567 – Catholic school
671 – Religion
693 – Account of her husband’s life
762 – Attitudes of people during the Depression
935 – Teaching and education
986 – Politics
020 – Sports and recreation
164 – Bootlegging
178 – Family farm history
209 – Comparison of communications at present and formerly
250 – Telephone service and electricity
270 –Account of husband’s newspaper, The Oakes Times
305 – Transients and hobos on the railroad
366 – Food preservation
381 – Farming methods
404 – Use of cook car
444 – Childhood recollections
470 – End of interview
Tape #19 Harold Zieman (Oakes)
000 – Introduction
020 – General conversation
038 – Family history; Harold’s family settles in North Dakota in 1903; Father rents farm
101 – Early settlers in the area; other nationalities in the area
140 – Transporting grain and shopping during early years
175 – Description of towns in the area and of family land holdings
244 – Family life
249 – Raising livestock; Cattle feeding on buffalo grass; Cattle left to run in winter
330 – Early settlers in the area
341 – Poor crop years
351 – Family land holdings
414 – Ziemans get married and begin farming; Harold’s education
518 – Breeding cattle; Glover ranch
704 – Crops; Squaw corn
789 – Threshing
842 – Margarita’s family history
004 – SIDE TWO
004 – Mrs. Zieman goes to school in Nebraska
031 – Children’s recreation
097 – Stories about gypsies
145 – Stories about horse traders
305 – How Ziemans met
416 – Courtship
494 – Church groups opposed to movies
530 – How NPL started; A. C. Townley; Langer; Nye; Lemke; Father’s involvement in politics
605 – Reasons Langer was successful
712 – Anecdote about IWW Representative Thomas
765 – Why Nonpartisan League declined
893 – End of tape
Tape #20 Mrs. Alfred Johnson
000 – Introduction
019 – Family history
059 – Education and teaching
084 – Early businesses in Lemert, North Dakota
118 – Family history
337 – Education and teaching
678 – Marriage and courtship
698 – Recreation
737 – Comparison of people at present and formerly
773 – The Depression
799 – Early farm families in the area
888 – Raising livestock during the Depression
933 – Politics and Oakes city government
995 – Gopher bounties
020 – Religion and local cemeteries
059 – Flu epidemic and harsh winters
107 – Early settlers in the area
133 – Medical care during the flu epidemic
226 – Thought on North Dakota
309 – General conversation on her family and the Oakes area
412 – End of interview
Tape #21 Mr. Glenn Dill
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
035 – Education
063 – Business centers of the area
074 – History of Hample, North Dakota
101 – Prevalence of buffalo bones
138 – Homesteading and family life
200 – Family history
221 – Early Oakes and Ellendale and county seat fights
252 – Bootlegging
271 – College life at Ellendale
305 – Education and school teaching
366 – Early settlers in the area
413 – Education
470 – Farming methods
514 – Oakes businessmen
550 – History of banking
628 – Politics
711 – History of banking in the area
753 – Banking during the Depression
884 – Banking and politics
946 – Oakes businessmen
991 – Baldwin’s school and religion of various nationalities in the area
146 – Railroads
162 – Public morale and economic conditions during the Depression
241 – Politics, banking, and farming during the Depression
342 – Creamery businesses in the area
411 – Social life and baseball teams in Oakes
475 – Changes in popular attitudes and family life over the years
522 – Philosophy of life
570 – End of interview
Tape #22 Mrs. Hilda Boethling
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
069 – Education
079 – Recollections of early Bismarck
104 – Recollections of early Washburn
109 – Family homestead
123 – Education
131 – Family history
135 – Recollections of early Bismarck
213 – Marriage and family life
279 – Early settlers and businessmen in Oakes
379 – Recollections and anecdotes
442 – Stage coach line
469 – Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok
483 – Comments on Franklin D. Roosevelt
489 – Family history
545 – The Depression years
621 – General conversation on old-timers
Tape #23 Oscar, Paul, Pearl, and Helene Hample
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history
095 – Area flour mills
111 – Family history and history of Hample, North Dakota
177 – Early years of Hample
271 – Education
364 – Family farm and land holdings
372 – Farm machinery
400 – Family history
473 – The 1920’s
510 – Family elevator business
560 – Good and poor crop years
640 – New Deal projects
660 – Building stock ponds
671 – Politics
741 – New Deal relief programs and comments on Franklin D. Roosevelt
764 – Farming and ranching during the Depression
924 – End of interview
Tape #24 Edwin Leiby (Ellendale)
000 – Introduction
020 – Family settles in Ellendale in 1882; Importance of railroads
054 – Tornado hits area
097 – Father’s experiences working on railroad; How Mobridge was named
141 – Uses of buffalo bones; Source of money right away
188 – Experiences during “Dirty Thirties”
204 – Ellendale as center for northwest area
221 – Family history; Mother’s history; Father’s letter proposing marriage to mother; Another letter from father to mother
290 – Winter of 1888
320 – Comments on Ellendale College
341 – Battle between Ellendale and Oakes for county seat
380 – Nationalities in area as English, German, Finnish, Norwegian; Different characteristics of nationalities
469 – Leiby’s run first telephone company in Ellendale in 1892
532 – Early developers of Ellendale as Randall; B. R. Crabtree; D.E. Gear; Sanders; Bloomer
562 – Mill in Ellendale; Shipping flour all over the world
649 – Gas plant in Ellendale; Early police officer’s duty to turn lights on and off; Early coal gasification in 1900’s; Electrical plant comes to Ellendale
795 – Running drugstore; Making compounds
860 – Doctor comes from New York
927 – SIDE TWO
927 – Early buildings as opera house, courthouse, hotel
986 – Big fire in 1916-1964; Buildings burned
032 – Waterworks in Ellendale
124 – Doctors
141 – Effect of depression on businesses
205 – People leave Ellendale area; Comments on WPA tree planting project; other WPA projects in the area
233 – Comments on dominance of Republican Party in the area
270 – Comments on Moratorium on tapes in 1930’s
289 – Social functions in Ellendale; Holidays; Baseball
352 – Railroad through Ellendale; Two trains each way every day
382 – Schools; Wife’s experiences as English teacher
398 – Ellendale as first free school (tuition only) for manual training in country
444 – Thirty-five square mile trading area around Ellendale in 1940’s
460 – Family history; Wife and Father Clubs Leiby has belonged to; Comments on Ellendale
593 – Roller skating in Ellendale; Basketball
678 – United States Weather Bureau established in Ellendale in early 1900’s because Ellendale was in storm center; Weather balloons
Tape #25 Mr. Alfred Kalbus
000 – Family history
024 – Surrounding towns
037 – Family history intermingled with description of farms in early 1900’s
070 – Education
089 – Early farming methods and poor crop years
122 – Military service
145 – Farming during the Depression
245 – Predicting weather by phases of the moon
326 – Potato planting
350 – Crop planting methods
368 – Livestock raising during the Depression
434 – Politics
473 – Thoughts on Strip mining and coal gasification
550 – Soil conservation and recent farming methods
Address:
612 East Boulevard Ave.
Bismarck, North Dakota 58505
Get Directions
Hours:
State Museum and Store: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F; Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
We are closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. We are closed at noon Christmas Eve if it falls on Mon.-Thurs. and are closed all day if it falls on Fri.-Sun.
State Archives: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F, except state holidays; 2nd Sat. of each month, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Appointments are recommended. To schedule an appointment, please contact us at 701.328.2091 or archives@nd.gov.
State Historical Society offices: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F, except state holidays.
Contact Us:
phone: 701.328.2666
email: history@nd.gov
Social Media:
See all social media accounts
