Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    North Dakota
    North Dakota
    North Dakota
    Ebook172 pages28 minutes

    North Dakota

    By Larry Aasen

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    During the early years of the 20th century, American families witnessed amazing changes in their daily lives the arrival of plumbing and electricity in their homes, the first automobiles, and thanks to the Eastman Kodak Company, the first affordable, portable, photographic instrument, the box camera. Many families purchased the box camera (for $1) and began to document their own histories. It is upon these histories that North Dakota places its focus.
    Nowhere were the changes so dramatic as on the Great Plains, and in the state of North Dakota especially. Due to the huge influx of immigrants, mostly from Scandinavia, the state s population more than doubled from 1900 to 1940, roughly the period covered in North Dakota. But this was also a time of
    hardship and struggle, as the Great Depression, the
    Dustbowl, and war took their toll on North Dakota
    families. But through hard work and perseverence, most of these families survived, and thrived, and now
    share with us the story of that time.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateAug 28, 2000
    ISBN9781439627907
    North Dakota
    Author

    Larry Aasen

    Larry Aasen, author of North Dakota Postcards, shares some very personal memories with us in North Dakota. Many of the unforgettable photographs were taken by his parents, Theodore and Clara, and tell a wonderful story of a North Dakota family through good times and hard times. As we discover from the author of this wonderful new book, there are a few things that have not changed in North Dakota through the years�politics, the weather, and the strength and support of the family.

    Related to North Dakota

    Related ebooks

    Photography For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Puckety Chute

      Mar 1, 2018

      Puckety Chute
      17 min read

    • Article

      Bringing the Dead Home

      Nov 1, 2020

      Bringing the Dead Home
      10 min read

    • Article

      The World Of Writing

      Apr 1, 2021

      The World Of Writing
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Parting

      Jul 6, 2021

      The Parting
      10 min read

    • Article

      Thomas Wolfe Memorial

      Aug 13, 2019

      Thomas Wolfe Memorial
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Dakotas

      Jun 7, 2022

      The Dakotas
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Last Frontier

      May 23, 2023

      The Last Frontier
      3 min read

    • Article

      Refracting History | Writing in the Dark

      Dec 15, 2022

      I’m writing this during a power outage, an experience befitting the winter issue of British Columbia History magazine. I’ve spent most of my life in rural areas where power outages are often measured in days, and we predict when electricity will be r

      9 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Nov 5, 2021

      Letters To The Editor
      4 min read

    • Article

      Decay

      Jan 26, 2017

      Decay
      12 min read

    • Article

      Decay

      Oct 19, 2018

      Decay
      11 min read

    • Article

      The Klondike!

      May 23, 2023

      The Klondike!
      10 min read

    • Article

      Freedom Summer

      Apr 2, 2020

      Freedom Summer
      3 min read

    • Article

      John Ogden

      Dec 12, 2018

      John Ogden
      5 min read

    • Article

      States of Wonder

      May 18, 2020

      States of Wonder
      11 min read

    • Article

      Wild

      Nov 16, 2018

      Wild
      12 min read

    • Article

      The Faraway Nearby

      Feb 27, 2020

      The Faraway Nearby
      10 min read

    • Article

      73 Lakes

      Apr 1, 2021

      73 Lakes
      7 min read

    • Article

      More than AMERICA’S DAIRYLAND

      Nov 1, 2022

      More than AMERICA’S DAIRYLAND
      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for North Dakota

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      North Dakota - Larry Aasen

      ND

      INTRODUCTION

      In this book we take a glimpse at North Dakota from 1900 to about 1940, through the lens of the old box camera that Eastman Kodak sold for $1, and which most North Dakota families owned at that time. In fact, it was about the only cheap camera on the market, and it recorded the scene, perhaps not in color or well-focused, but as these photos will show, the end result was a fairly good picture. These photos allow us to obtain a rather clear idea of what life was like in North Dakota at that time.

      The majority of these photos were taken by my father and mother, Theodore and Clara Aasen, between approximately 1920 and 1953. My mother’s camera (see page 120) still works—not a bad deal for a buck! Other photographs have been added to illustrate a particular aspect of North Dakota during that time.

      I am sure that almost every family in North Dakota has an old album around the house that contains photos very similar to these. Do not throw them away! So many of these old photos have been lost, discarded, or burned up, and much of that history is gone forever. Much has been written about this period in North Dakota, but these old photos from a box lens camera reveal a grim and real truth—a personal truth—that words cannot convey.

      To say that 1900 to 1940 was a period of change would be a great understatement. Tractors, autos, and trucks began to replace the horse and wagon; electricity and running water were becoming common, and radios and other new gadgets appeared in farm homes. The population doubled—from 319,146 in 1900 to 641,935 in 1940. One thing that hasn’t changed much is the weather—then and now, it varies widely. The images in this book will reveal many of these changes. The opinions expressed in this book are mine. I resided in North Dakota from 1922 to 1948, and return there every year.

      I want to thank the many folks who helped me with this effort, (see page 6). In closing, I want to dedicate this book to those who had faith in North Dakota in the beginning, and to those who still have faith in the future of North Dakota. Listen to the gentle whisper of the cottonwood trees, and keep the faith.

      Larry Aasen

      O BEAUTIFUL

      FOR SPACIOUS SKIES,

      FOR AMBER WAVES OF GRAIN,

      FOR PURPLE MOUNTAIN MAJESTIES,

      ABOVE THE FRUITED PLAIN

      One

      SPORTS

      Pictured above is the 1932–33 Tioga, North Dakota, girls basketball team. Girls basketball has always been popular in North Dakota. In recent years, several North Dakota teams have won national championships.

      In recent years, tourism has grown in North Dakota, thanks to good promotional activity by the North Dakota Tourism Promotion Division. Tourists can ride the trails, like those pictured here, or fish and hunt. They can also stay in quality hotels or bed and breakfast establishments, visit buffalo-raising ranches, go riding on dude ranches, vacation on working farms, or just enjoy the quiet of the wide open spaces. Tourists often comment that their favorite attraction in North Dakota is the Big Sky.

      From 1900 to 1940, pool halls were very popular places in North Dakota towns for young men and boys. Some considered these pool halls sinful places, where idle youth wasted time and smoked cigarettes. A well-known church leader in the early 1940s used his radio program to

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1