Tom and I have been back in Ohio for about a month now.  We have been trying to do our usual catching up with everything and everybody.  We are now through most of the doctors’ appointments and have spent a lot of time with Mom and Dad and John and Jackie.  For some reason, it …

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Tom and I love meeting new rangers at every park we work.  We work with full-time and seasonal rangers and like it best when we can find some time to hang out after work.  At Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Park we enjoyed some after-work dinners and some fun-filled game nights. Ranger Lisa was …

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North Dakota’s history and development is inevitably tied to the Northern Pacific Railway.  Although North Dakota is “midwestern,” it was one of the last places to become a state in the contiguous US.  It only had enough population to become a state because of the Northern Pacific Railway. The Homestead Act of 1862 gave settlers …

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Last week Tom and I drove north to see Writing Rock State Historic Site.  We had planned on going to Canada, driving up to Regina, but we ran out of time and didn’t want to deal with the proof of vaccination thing.  We are vaccinated but you have to register online and then Tom was …

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I have been fascinated by the history of the Three Affiliated Tribes and the Fort Berthold Reservation ever since we came to North Dakota.  Fort Berthold Reservation is the closest reservation to us in North Dakota and I have been reading about its history all summer. The Three Affiliated Tribes are the Mandan, Hidatsa and …

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The last place Tom and I visited when we went to Bismarck a few weeks ago was Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park.  Fort Abraham Lincoln is the oldest state park in North Dakota and one of the best, as far as we are concerned. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park was established in 1907.  Considering North …

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After visiting Knife River Indian Villages, Tom and I headed to Bismarck, North Dakota.  Bismarck is located smack in the middle of the state, which is a great place for a capital.  It is the second largest city in North Dakota, with a metro population of 130,000. The capital building is the tallest building in …

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On our way to Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Tom and I made a small detour to see Killdeer Mountain Battlefield State Historic Site.  I had been wanting to see this place that precipitated the battles between the Army and the Sioux in Dakota territory. The most challenging part of visiting Killdeer Mountain …

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Last month Tom and I visited the Scandinavian Heritage Park in Minot, North Dakota.  We had to take the Prius in for its 15,000 mile service and chose a Toyota dealership in Minot for the service.  We had previously taken it to Dickinson and were pleased with that place, but we wanted to check out …

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When I was growing up I was very active in 4-H in Richland County, Ohio.  Every year we had the Richland County Fair and I always looked forward to it.  I could see my 4-H friends from all over the county, get my projects judged, and win lots of blue ribbons and some other awards. …

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