Happy 127th Birthday North Dakota
Today is a great day to celebrate. It's North Dakota's birthday. The Peace Garden State was admitted into the Union on Nov. 2, 1889.
A lot of people across the state know the story. 'The Dakota Territory' was split in two (mainly due to railroad routes), and North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted at the same time.
The papers were scrambled and it is actually not known which was signed first. North Dakota is first in the alphabet though so it is credited with being the 39th state while South Dakota is the 40th.
When North Dakota first became a state though, the party did not last very long. Certainly we know about the prohibition period in the United States in the early 1920s. However in North Dakota, prohibition came much earlier.
In December of 1889, a strict prohibition law was signed in the state and went into effect on January 1 of 1890. The sale and keeping of 'intoxicating liquors' was illegal. Oddly though, it was legal for pharmacists to sell it for 'medicinal, medical scientific or sacramental purposes.'
The first offense was between a $200 and $1,000 fine and a prison sentence of between 90 days and one year.
Prohibition was not repealed in the state until 1932.
A lot has happened in 127 years:
- Sitting Bull was killed in 1890
- Half of Fargo went up in flames in 1893
- The State Flag was designated in 1911
- The flu killed 2,700 people in 1918 (it was an epidemic across the country)
And of course there's been good stuff too from oil booms, to low unemployment rates, Roger Maris and Carson Wentz existing and a whole lot more.
It's been a fun 127 years. Here's to 127 more! Happy Birthday North Dakota!
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