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Alexander McKenzie: An honorable, yet corrupt man who helped shape North Dakota
This is the first in a series of stories in the Cowboy Chronicle about pioneer lawmen and law enforcement He fell from grace almost as far as any lawman could. Alexander McKenzie was arrested in 1901 for fraud and contempt of court and sentenced to a year in jail. Newspapers said that he was “high handed and greedy”, yet even though the “Boss of North Dakota” was left with a tarnished reputation and diminished power, 21 years later he received a state funeral with honor guards. He was the only person who ever lay in state in the old state capitol, even though the only elected office he ever held…
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2025 Inductee North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame: Dr. Victor Hugo Stickney
2025 Great Westerner Inductee North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame Dr. Victor Hugo Stickney, “The Cowboy Doctor” October 1, 1858 – July 26, 1927 See also North Dakota Horizons Magazine article and Cowboy Chronicle article posted on this website Dr. Victor Hugo Stickney was inducted into The Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City in 1966 from North Dakota In his biography for the National Cowboy Hall of Fame he was described as having lived: “one of the richest and most productive lives a man can live. He had achieved distinction in the practice of his profession. He had…
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2025 Inductee North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame: Andrew Nohle
North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame Andrew Nohle Inductee 2025 Pre- 1940’s Ranching October 1, 1858 – August 20, 1925 See also: Biography of Andrew Nohle: posted February 28, 2018 Arriving in North Dakota in 1881, Nohle first worked at a Grand Forks hotel. In 1882 Nohle began working for R.M. Prouty, L.B. Richardson and Charly Sprout. They sent him west with a small herd of cattle and the authority to make purchases along the way. He arrived at the Mouse River near the present day town of Towner, North Dakota with 260 head of cattle. Nohle operated the first cattle business in that area. Nohle also established a…
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Christmas Memories: Holiday vignettes from pioneer families and recipes from Grandma’s recipe box
Life was rugged and the day’s work was never ending for the pioneer families that homesteaded a century or more ago. Christmas though, was always a day to find a way to take the time to make merry in even some small way. Celebrations were simple then, but families had their traditions and the day was special. There were decorations, visiting, special meals, an extra kindness for a neighbor, or maybe just a few cents worth of chocolate, but one way or another the day was remembered and celebrated. Here are glimpses of those Christmas’ long ago. Along with the stories are Christmas recipes from the old recipe box, the…
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A Square Deal: the Story of William “Bill” Johnson
Published in the October 2024 edition of the Cowboy Chronicle: For Love of Country with a special dedication to Chief Warrant Officer 2, Shane Barnes Update: On April 26, 2025, Bill Johnson’s name was added to the memorial wall at the Veteran’s Park in Watford City. “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.” – Theodore Roosevelt Rural cemeteries dot the North Dakota prairies. Many of the towns they belong to have long since vanished; succumbing to the elements and dissolving in to the prairie. Along the outskirts of what little is left of Charbonneau,…
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Looking Through the Life and Lens of Frank Fiske
This article was fun to write – wait until you learn the history this man saw! Frank Bennett Fiske was an early inductee into the NDCHF. In 2001 he was inducted in the Arts and Entertainment Division for his extensive and noteworthy photography of the people of the Standing Rock Reservation. He was the first photographer inducted. Fiske’s work was mostly known to historians and collectors, but in 2021 a book with a 100 of his Standing Rock portraits was released, giving the general public a chance to see his extraordinary work. Fiske lived most of his sixty nine years on the Standing Rock Reservation. His remarkable photography was part…
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Western Artists: Preserving our History
Published in The Cowboy Chronicle December 2022. Following is a more detailed version that was not published. Stories and art have always been part of human history. The written word evokes powerful images and emotions. The visualization of a story brings new clarity and a sense of reality. When Theodore Roosevelt chronicled his life in North Dakota with the book Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, Frederick Remington was commissioned to do illustrations for the book. Roosevelt wanted the artwork to bring his experiences to life. The North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame has recognized North Dakota artists since its inception with the Arts and Entertainment category. Since then, five…
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Historic Homesteads – Minot Daily News
2021 – 2022 Edition Photos from the Martell Family archives Information provided to the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame by Mary Pat Martell Jones Charles Martell was inducted into the NDCHF in 2019
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On the Edge of History: A Profile of Medora’s Doug Ellison
“It is the romance and drama of history that still holds my interest. Growing up on a ranch was a reflection of the Old West, so that is the era that first attracted my attention. All of history is interconnected, so one theme leads to another.” Doug Ellison There has always been a certain romance to the American West. There is mystery, excitement, beauty and wide open spaces where adventure and opportunity awaits. Indeed this was true even back in the day when the west was first being settled. Men and women living in crowded tenements and working long hours in often grueling jobs, saw the west as the land…
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Sakakawea: A Good and Best Woman
Published in The Cowboy Chronicle, July 2021, Volume 25 Issue 4 Much of what we accept as historical fact is often interpretation and legend created from a few known and recorded truths. It is frequently difficult to separate fact from fiction for many of the famous historical figures in our western heritage. The passing of one such person on December 20, 1812, was sadly noted by clerk John Luttig at Fort Manuel, a short lived (1812-1813) fur trading outpost along the Missouri River in what is now South Dakota. He wrote, “This evening, the wife of Charbonneau, a Snake squaw died of putrid fever. She was a good and best…
