Manuscripts - ND Oral History Collection - 10157 - Rolette County

Rolette County

Region 17
1 George Mitchell, Rolla
2 Alfred Abrahamson, Rolla
3 Lodver Lo, Rural Rolla
4 Mrs. Eva Good and Mrs. and Mr. Ernest Dawson, Rolla
5 Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Fagerlund, Rural Rolla
6 Roy Drewry, Rolla
7 John A. Stormon, Rolla
8 Mr. and Mrs. Herman Wanschaffe, St. John
9 Clarence and Ora Roman, St. John
10 Earl and Alive Vrem, Rolette
11 Magda Boe, Rural Perth
12 Mr. and Mrs. Ovide Cote, Rolette
13 Mrs. Laura Law, Rolette
14 Mrs. Rebecca Cote, Dunseith
15 Fred Morin, Rolette
16 Mrs. Mildred Isakson, Dunseith
17 Eva Hiatt, Dunseith
18 Mrs. Jas. H. Penny, Rolla
19 Oscar Solberg, Rolla
20 Mrs. S.D. Johnston, Rolla
21 Leola and Leo Lajimodiere, Dunseith
22 Mrs. Jennie Schindler, Belcourt
23 Mr. Charles Cree, Rural Dunseith
24 John and Gilliam McGillis, St. John

Portions of the following interview pertain to Rolette County:
Frank Traynor, #17, Mountrail County
Thomas Bock, #5, Ransom County

Tape #16 Mrs. Mildred Isakson (Dunseith)
000 – Introduction
020 – Coming to ND in 1914 from Chicago to work as a nurse at San Haven sanatorium; General description of the institution and her duties
202 – Care of the patients and their social life; Dr. Lamont
249 – Her daily schedule of the work at the sanatorium; Effect of the flu epidemic upon the institution; The greenhouse and dairy herd; Social life for the patients and staff
476 – Church service at the sanatorium; Gardening; Governor Langer’s coercion of the staff; Getting state support for San Haven’s operation
670 – Morale of the patients; Visitors; Caring for patients
761 – Effect of the depression on the sanatorium; Salary reductions; Her retirement in 1953
808 – Her marriage and child; Popular opinion of tuberculosis as a shameful disease
844 – Changes in the nursing profession
890 – Changes in people’s attitudes; Life in ND
918 – End of interview
Comment:  Mrs. Isakson recounts the years she spent from 1914-1953 nursing at the San Haven tuberculosis sanatorium.  Anyone interested in nursing history or in the institution would find this tape useful.

Tape #18 Mrs. James H. Penny (Rolla)
000 – Introduction
020 – Family history; Grandfather comes from Scotland to Canada; Father moved to Dakota Territory; Father blacksmiths in St. John
146 – Father files on homestead near Rolla; Establishes first blacksmith shop in Rolla; Remembrance of railroad coming to Rolla; Nationalities in St. John and Rolla
204 – Parents first impressions of area; Types of homes – usually log from Turtle Mountains; Types of roofs; Mother’s family background; Maternal grandfather helps build the city of Winnipeg
254 – Nationalities around Dunseith; Cavalry at Dunseith; Military personnel establish business in Dunseith; The old armory hall in Dunseith; Saturday afternoon Cavalry practice in Dunseith
324 – Dunseith before the railroad; Dunseith stagecoach from Rolla; Area people’s early feelings toward Canada; Early social life; Early picnic ground in Dunseith; An early flourmill run by the creek in Dunseith
458 – Mother remarries after being divorced for several years; People move into area from eastern part of state; Mother had midwife for second child; Early relationship with Indians; memories of oxcarts; Scotch-Indian people in area; Scotch dialects in area; Intermingling of nationalities in area
640 – Influence of alcohol in culture; Location of step-father’s homesteads; Husband’s family history; Jim Penny begins teaching school in Willow Lake township school; Husbands affection for ND; Transfers to Dunseith School; The courtship of Mrs. Penny; Relationship between Mrs. Penny’s parents
842 – Tough times when Mrs. Penny’s mother remarries; Nothing to read in house; Walking to school barefoot, worried about wolves and bulls; Wells and water supply in the area; Stepfather has difficulty getting started
942 – Thoughts on the pioneer spirit; More on social life; Church in the granaries; Predominant religious sects in area
SIDE TWO
000 – Introduction
020 – Other folks in area hard-up as well; Janet’s life prior to her marriage; Incidents with a bull on the way to school; The pony her folks bought her to ride to school; Also proves to be a problem; More on courtship; More on dances and card parties
155 – Janet’s husband becomes county treasurer; The honor and salary of county officials; Conditions improve for early folks; Hard times come again from 1911-1916; Conversation about Janet’s children
279 – Jim becomes county auditor; A story about John Burke; Remembrances of Burke; Early successful businessmen and prominent people in Dunseith; Recollections of NPL and political speakers; Changing attitudes about politicians and government
366 – 1918 flu epidemic; Doctors in the area in the early years; Comparison of Rolla and Dunseith in early years; Socializing between country people and town people in early years; Fraternal organizations in town in early years; Cooks store in the Calvin Settlement in early days; Memorial day observation in early days; The dirty 30’s; Husband’s salary cut; People lose homes and farms; People’s attitudes during the 30’s; Flour rationing during World War II
587 – Women’s suffrage and the WCTU; Feelings about Rolla and North Dakota; Feelings about large farms; Past year’s crop and dry conditions; Early family life and changes in family life; Talk concerning children’s current behavior; Early Christmases; The way her mother made ends meet; Neighborhood seamstress; Inherited characteristics from father
890 – Being County Auditor he didn’t adhere to a political party; Political speakers
933 – End of interview
Comment:  An interesting interview of recollections of the Dunseith area.  She suffered real hardship as a child but had a good marriage and a better life as wife of a county official.

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