Dakota Datebook: Death of Four Bears

July 30, 2018 — Smallpox decimated the Mandan tribe in 1837. When Chief Four Bears died on July 30, artist George Caitlin wrote:

“This fine fellow...watched every one of his family die about him, his wives and his children... when he walked out, around the village, and wept over the final destruction of his tribe; his braves and warriors all laid low; when he came back to his lodge, where he covered his whole family with a number of robes, and wrapping another around himself, went out upon a hill at a little distance, where he laid for several days...resolved to starve himself to death. He remained there until the sixth day, when he had just strength enough to creep back to the village...and laying his body alongside...his family, drew his robe over him, and died on the ninth day... So have perished the friendly and hospitable Mandans.”

Oil

July 31, 2018 — It was on this date in 1955 that the state’s monthly oil production topped the one million barrel mark for the first time, when 1,000,154 barrels were produced in July of that year.

It was in 1916 that the Pioneer Oil and Gas Company began drilling the state’s first wildcat well southeast of Williston. It turned up dry, but that didn’t stop the many attempts that followed it. All told, it took 45 years for dry holes to turn into gushers. The Amerada Petroleum Corporation finally discovered oil near Tioga in April 1951. The well was named “Clarence Iverson Number 1,” and it produced over 300 barrels of oil in its first 17 hours.

An exciting boom followed, and by year’s end, two-thirds of the state was under lease. Crowds of strangers swarmed into the region, completely changing the complexion of western North Dakota with overcrowded schools, outbuildings being turned into living and office spaces, and roads wearing out – which led to a boom in the construction trade as well.

Drinking Water

August 1, 2018 — On this date in 1894, the Grand Forks City Council approved the purchase of a half block of land to create the city’s first water filtration plant – the first in North Dakota. For two years, the city had been experiencing an epidemic of typhoid fever; 10 percent of the population had contracted the disease, and 150 people had died. It turns out that a short distance upstream, Crookston was dumping its sewage directly into the Red River – from which Grand Forks got its drinking water.

Unsanitary conditions existed all across the state in those days. Every home had an outhouse that could easily contaminate water from wells. In Bismarck in 1886, untreated water from the Missouri River was being piped into homes and businesses – handy, but not great for drinking.

Many towns also had slaughterhouses, and after hog or beef butchering was completed, there was no systematic means of disposing of rotting carcasses. Runoff from these areas was infested with billions of deadly germs and bacteria – not to mention the stench, flies and maggots.

“Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from the North Dakota Humanities Council. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic.org.