Feb. 2, 1917: Readers of the West St. Paul Booster and Dakota County Globe receive a dramatized glimpse into the wilds of the ocean. An excerpt from National Geographic describes in flourishing detail the characteristics of a killer whale (orca) pack, or "giant wolves of the sea." "A regularly spaced row of advancing long black fins swiftly cutting the undulating surface of the sea produces a singularly sinister effect. The evil impression is well justified, since killers are the most savage and remorseless of whales. The jaws are armed with rows of effective teeth, with which the animals …

Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Get our newsletter | Blog for us July 25, 1968: A dancer in the Esther Bowles Happiness Troupe chomps into a slice of watermelon on her break. The dancers are preparing for 10 performances at the Minnesota State Fair by spending their summer days at dance camp in Burnsville. This moment, and other shots from the preparations, were printed in the Dakota County Tribune. Check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul.

July 28, 1960: Forget all the summer festivals you know. Forget Eagan Funfest, Rosemount Leprechaun Days, even Lakeville Pan-O-Prog. Welcome to Ridiculous Days in Farmington, which in 1960 the Dakota County Tribune reported was expected to be "the zaniest and craziest Ridiculous Days in history." The main event behind Ridiculous Days was two days of "plain honest to goodness bargains" at local stores, where employees also dressed up in the most ridiculous costumes they could find. But highlights abounded beyond that. At the 1960 Ridiculous Days, you could expect a pig auction, street dance, …

July 18, 1952: While they might not have realized it at the time, the Minnesota delegation to the Republican National Convention in 1952 played a significant role in determining the next president of the United States. Twenty-eight Minnesotans ventured to Chicago in July that year to cast their votes, with a choice between Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Minnesota's own Harold Stassen. Their original split was 19 for Eisenhower, nine for Stassen, which likely would've propelled Ike to victory anyway, but "at the crucial moment," the nine Stassen-ers switched their votes, which clinched the …

July 11, 1968: It's been three months since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, TN, and a group of Lakeville and Farmington citizens have been holding study meetings to talk about race at the local Presbyterian church. Mrs. Lawrence Sahagian gave a report on the book "Why We Can't Wait," written by King in 1963. Her report was printed in the Dakota County Tribune, and included this passage: "How many of us would be willing to go to jail for what we believe? Why should some have to die so that others may have equality?  We (whites) don't have to --- we are free --- we don't…

July 4, 1952: This one's pretty self explanatory. The Dakota County Tribune staff took a little break for the July 4 holiday in 1952, but made sure to leave their readers with some teasers for next week's news. We at Patch won't all be skipping town (or our websites) for a full week in this day and age, so keep coming back for new content. And we hope that, beyond continuing to read our sites, you get to take some time off to celebrate Independence Day. You can check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul. Apple Valley…

June 8, 1945: Introducing... the light rail of the 1940s.  An advertisement in the Dakota County Tribune recognizes the 10-year history of The Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha 100-mile-per-hour speedliner trains, not only for their transport of passengers in the Twin Cities and throughout the Midwest, but as vehicles that improved military travel and the War effort. Hiawathas "were talked about all over the country" when service began in 1935, according to a brief history of The Milwaukee Road; the first route was Chicago-St. Paul, and expansion followed in the next handful of years. All roads, …

April 25, 1930: Readers of the West St. Paul Booster and Dakota County Globe learn more about the recently discovered ninth planet in the solar system. This yet-to-be-named planet is a fraction of the size of Neptune, and according to the graphic, is thought to be a similar diameter as earth. The dark and distant planet was eventually dubbed "Pluto," the Roman name for the Greek god of the underworld.  In the 1970s, atronomers were able to determine that the ninth planet is a fraction of the size and mass of earth.  It was all downhill from there. In 2006, Pluto was demoted from planet status…

1945: School's almost out for the summer, and so it was as well at this time in 1945, when four high schools in the coverage area of the Dakota County Tribune planned commencement ceremonies for a total 119 students. Lakeville High School topped the list, with 42 seniors, followed by Farmington with 39, Rosemount with 26 and Randolph with 12. Oh, how times have changed. On Saturday night, 444 Apple Valley High School students, 550 from Eastview and 566 from Rosemount are slated to don a mortarboard and robe and walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. See if you recognize any familiar…

June 6, 1930: Preliminary numbers are in for the 1930 Census, and Dakota County is growing. County-wide, the population increased by 5,618 over the previous 10 years, reports the West St. Paul Booster and Dakota County Globe. Most of that growth was centered in West St. Paul, South St. Paul and Hastings. Smaller towns such as Lakeville (pop. 999) Rosemount (pop. 692) and Burnsville (pop. 490) also recorded modest growth. Apple Valley was still called Lebanon, Mendota Heights had yet to be incorporated, and the village of Mendota boasted 173 residents—only 25 fewer residents than it reported …

May 18, 1945: High school students in Lakeville took part in the World War II effort from home, selling war bonds to their peers and teachers to raise $1,426. This photo from the Dakota County Tribune shows student council members in the $1,165 vehicle they decided to purchase—what their intentions were for the Jeep in the long term, however, the photo caption does not say. Pictured are student council members, from back row left: Marilyn LeVelle, Gene Tragar, Floyd Hartman, Dick Gephart; middle row: Cecelia Streefland, Milly Murphy, Marcella Dawson, JoAnn Cahill, Phyllis Yung; front row: …

Aug. 8, 1930: An architect's rendering of the proposed Golden Gate Bridge makes the front page of the West St. Paul Booster and Dakota County Globe. Construction would not start for another three years, and would not be complete until 1937. The bridge spans over the San Francisco Bay's outlet to the Pacific Ocean, and was, at the time, the longest suspension bridge ever built.  Its distinctive orange paint can be found in countless vacation photos from travelers around the world. You can check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., …

April 10, 1942: World War II is underway, and northern Dakota County's West St. Paul Booster and Dakota County Tribune runs regular updates about the warfront. Among the updates on troop activity, Victory Gardens and deployments ran this editorial cartoon, touting America's industrial prowess and "the steel in our backbones." The day prior to publication, April 9, 1942 is also recognized as the first day of the Bataan Death March in the Phillipines, which resulted in the death of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers at the hands of the Japanese.  You can check out more events, exhibits…

The 2010 U.S. Census asked citizens 10 questions. They were mainly related to the names, ages, sexes and races of the people residing within a residence. In 1930, the government wanted to know a little more about you and your household, according to a March 28 article from the Dakota County Tribune. The 24 questions included inquiries into: the value of your home, and whether it's owned or rented; whether you lived on a farm; whether you could read or write; your immigration status; your occupation; and more—like whether you owned a radio set. Some of these questions were new for the 1930 …

It's April 1930—are you still keeping your pet goldfish in a plain old glass bowl? You'd most certainly have goldfish (or want them badly) at this time, since they were quite "in the vogue," Nancy Hart writes in her "Hints for the Home" column published in the Dakota County Tribune on April 4, 1930. But in 1930, those who were really trendy were moving past the customary glass globe-shaped bowls, Hart writes. Glass jars, bowls that swung from the ceiling or were mounted on the wall, iridescent colored glass and metal stands all made goldfish displays "more attractive than they ever were …

Spring 1930: More than 80 years ago in Dakota County and the "Twin City Milk territory," the local economy was as much a focus as it is today. The staple of that economy, however, was a bit different.  Articles from April 1930 published in the Dakota County Tribune explain a movement to support local dairy farmers by buying real butter instead of butter substitutes. And it seemed to be working. April 4's "Use of Butter Increases Nearly 1000 Pounds Here" reported that the Farmington milk producers plant sold 922 more pounds of butter just one month over, with a 7,000-pound increase in the …

Feb. 14, 1930: The times are a-changin', and Tokyo, Japan, has a new "modernistic" city hall that looks much like a building that could be constructed one town over, rather than a continent away.   This image, printed in the West St. Paul Booster and Dakota County Globe newspaper, leads the front page. You can check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Avenue N, South St. Paul.

Spring 1930: Telephone lines have grown in popularity, and the Tri-State Telephone and Telegraph Company is offering the latest features: long distance calls and an "extension telephone."  In an advertisement Feb. 14, 1930 in the West St. Paul Booster and Dakota County Globe, the utility explains that having an additional telephone installed conveniently in your home or business can provide: "Privacy . . . . . . When the conversation requires confidence, the seclusion your extension telephone provides saves you every embarassment." Their campaign the following month hopes to persuade readers …