Rare Footage In The 1930s Shows North Dakota In A Completely Different Way

It’s not very common to find video footage of small town North Dakota from before the mid 20th century. Most of the history of these places is documented in text, photos, or simply memories. Luckily, there is some still remaining reels of films that have been kept intact and shared for everyone to see. It’s an amazing way to experience the past!

This particular video has a variety of footage from the town of Oakes, North Dakota. It was filmed primarily during the 1930s. It begins with a huge wedding and goes on to things such as a parade, a plane, and just simple every day life. The 1930s were a hard time for many people across the country, especially in farming states such as North Dakota that suffered from heavy droughts and the Dust Bowl. That didn’t seem to keep the people in this video down!

The film reels were uploaded by Youtube user Scott Foster, who has more interesting historic footage from North Dakota you can check out on his channel.

If you’re from or have been to Oakes, see what you can recognize in this video:

Isn’t that awesome? There are quite a few of the buildings and places in Oakes still standing today. One of the most notable ones you can see clearly in the video is the Grand Theater. Here is a more recent picture of it:

North Dakota is full of notable history but also the history of families that is equally important. This video was a perfect example of that. If you have family history in the Peace Garden State, share it with us – we’d love to hear!

Discover more of the state’s fascinating past through rare vintage photographs by clicking here.