Today is Canda Day. It's time for a fun North Dakota - Canada anecdote.

The year was 1884 and North Dakota was not even state yet. Neither was South Dakota. The region was just known as 'Dakota' or "The Dakota Territory.'

It was August and there were some issues along the Canadian border. According to an article in the NY Times printed on August 11, 1884 ($), a bunch of thieves from Montana and Dakota were going into Canada and stealing their horses.

Patrols were set up along the border to try and stop this but unfortunately those patrols didn't extend that far into Dakota. There was some pretty good patrols set up along the border in-between Montana and Canada however.

This particular news report details that recent bandits stole approximately $4,000 worth of stock. For what it's worth, that would be around $100,000 in today's money.

Fortunately according to the article, some of the thieves were captured a few days earlier and because of their crimes they were "strung up to a tree."

The old west was a fun time.

To our Canadian friends, I know it has taken 132 years, but we apologize for stealing your horses.

[NY Times ($)]

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