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Lydia Langer: The Unexpected Candidate Amid 1930’s Political Scandal and Intrigue
SCANDAL ! Back room deals and a little back stabbing to maintain positions of power. Ah, the stuff of politics. In October 1934 some involved in this kind of political dance held a forum in Watford City to woo the ranchers, farmers, and independent minded residents. Surprising many was soft spoken Lydia Langer, the state’s recent first lady, now the Republican gubernatorial candidate. Traveling with congressional contenders in pursuit of their political desires, Lydia could not be farther away from how her life was anticipated to be. It was not the 1600 miles from New York to Bismarck; she could have been across oceans living a more expected life. Lydia Cady…
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The Legacy of the Horse in the Lives of the Great Plains People
The Great Plains spread in a boundless swath of land across ten states running from Texas through North Dakota and into Canada. The Northern Plains, including North Dakota, have vast open expanses dominated by short and tall grasses. The climate is one of extremes; cold harsh winters and hot humid summers. The grasses change from a vibrant green in the spring to a sea of gold as the summer ends when land and animals prepare for the winter. Sometimes as you look across the plains, those wide open spaces of flat and rolling grasslands can seem to go on forever. The wind and sunlight will create waves in the ocean…
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The Goose and Laddie
On this particular early summer day we were all very excited. We were waiting for the “Goose”, a wonderful little train..... So there we were waiting on the old turn of the century wood railroad platform in Charbonneau. This time, we were not waiting for my sister and the Goose. Not today! Today our family’s new ranch dog was to arrive from some real big eastern city that bred collies.
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The Railroad and Settlement in Early North Dakota
As you drive around the prairies and badlands of North Dakota you will find countless ghost towns; old structures abandoned and falling victim to the weather and lack of use and upkeep. The majority of these ghost towns were once thriving railroad towns along a giant web of railroad tracks that spread across North Dakota. At the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century there was a huge wave of immigration and settlement in North Dakota. This influx of pioneers and settlers was largely due to the development of railroad lines.
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Harold Schafer, Mr. Bubble and the Legacy of Medora
He was skeptical at first, but after a night of cleaning everything in his hotel room with a sample bottle he woke the supplier up in the middle of the night and ordered two boxcars full. ... “My obligation today is to see that Medora’s greatness can be carried on after my lifetime, that it’s future can be even better than it’s past”. Clearly Harold’s dream was realized and his goals are still being met today. What a great legacy Medora continues to be for Mr. Bubble.
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Long Ago and Far Away; Memories of a Log Cabin
It all began in the rolling golden hills of the country. I chased Indian spirits through the underbrush and rode from them over the plains on my brother’s pinto pony.
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Biography of George W. Nohle
The Link children told the story about when Nohle’s cattle would get through the fences and out of one of his sections. They would chase the animals back in and then ride over to the Nohle ranch to report it. For their trouble they would earn a “shiny half dollar" which was a considerable reward in those days.
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Biography of Andrew J. Nohle
When Nohle began to establish himself the area was new and untamed. His cattle ranged up the Missouri River and over the region to the Canadian border. The Nohle Ranch became quite an achievement and an outstanding farm in the Yellowstone Valley.
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Biography of Charles Franklin Martell
In August, 1908 a young man traveled from his home in New York to North Dakota. He got off the stage operated by his uncle, George Nohle, and walked the last seven miles to his uncle’s ranch.
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The Western Trail
American cattle drives loom large in our imagination, but in reality they only lasted a short time in our history. The Chisolm Trail is iconic Americana and often what people think of when they envision an old west cattle drive. However, the lesser known Western Trail which succeeded the Chisolm was longer, carried more cattle and was traveled for more years.
