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 …

Aug. 18, 1960: Before motocross races and demolition derbies, there was good old-fashioned horse racing at the Dakota County Fair in 1960, as you'll see in a photo published in a 1960 edition of the Dakota County Tribune. But some of the classics remain—bunnies and baked goods among them, as you'll see in our other photo snagged from that historical newspaper issue. Check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul.

July 25, 1968: A Burnsville 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. You can 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's 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 11, 1968: The Apple Valley Carnival in Lebanon (now Apple Valley) on July 4 draws a crowd to the patriotic festivities. A photo of the activity makes the front page of the following issue of the Dakota County Tribune. Striped tents, treats and summer wear complement the holiday atmosphere as the Lebanon Fire Department helps out.  You can check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul. Lakeville Patch will feature a local history item each week.

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 18, 1968: Grab your Ray-Bans and start your engines. It's a hot summer day, and sports cars are lining up to race in Farmington. Photos of the crowd and of course, the cars, make the front page of the Dakota County Tribune. You can check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., in South St. Paul.

Follow Lakeville Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter 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 …

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. See if you recognize any familiar surnames in the list of graduates pictured. You can check out more historical events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul.

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—shockingly, only 25 fewer residents than …

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 a total of $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; …

Aug. 8, 1930: An architect's rendering of the proposed Golden Gate Bridge makes the front page of the Dakota County Globe and West St. Paul Booster. 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 Avenue N, …

April 10, 1942: World War II is underway, and the Dakota County Tribune as well as northern Dakota County's West St. Paul Booster run 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…

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 …

Editor's note: This is a new feature where we take a look at historic clippings from old Dakota County newspapers.  Feb. 14, 1930: The times are changing, 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. What do you think of the headline? Interesting? …