North Dakota
The Pet Rock was hatched 50 years ago by a North Dakota native
It’s December 1975. You’re steering your boat-sized Buick down 13th Avenue toward West Acres (WAAAAAAY out west). You’re singing along to the No. 1 song, “Fly, Robin, Fly,” when a familiar Christmas worry creeps in.
I don’t know for a fact that my mother actually lived out this exact scene 50 years ago. But it sounds like her. (Except she’d be listening to the Carpenters or Neil Diamond — not Silver Convention.)
But I hope Joan Briggs didn’t think too long and hard about what we kids wanted that Christmas of ’75. We, like millions of Americans, had caught the fever of that year’s hottest gifts: the Pet Rock and mood rings. Both are celebrating their 50th birthdays this year.
As we mark the golden anniversary, let’s look back at why those gifts were such hits.
First up: the Pet Rock. And did you know a North Dakota native invented it?
We’ve probably all had that fleeting thought (particularly as we’re paying bills): If only I had that million-dollar idea!
Think Spanx. Snuggies. Post-it notes.
A North Dakota native named Gary Ross Dahl had one of those lightning-bolt ideas — the viral (before they called it that) Pet Rock. It would make him a millionaire in less than a year.
Gary Ross Dahl was born in Bottineau, North Dakota, on Dec. 18, 1936, to Richard “Arnold” Dahl and Lavone Ferm Dahl. Arnold was a projectionist at the Pasture Theatre. In the early 1940s, the family moved to Spokane, Washington, where Arnold got a job with a lumber company and Lavone worked as a waitress and welcomed a second child, a daughter.
According to Curt Eriksmoen, in his “Did You Know That” column from April 26, 2015, after his parents’ divorce, Gary said he became “an obnoxious brat, somewhere between a juvenile delinquent and just a bad kid.”
He joined the Marine Corps in 1954 to straighten himself out.
He obviously did — finding his way to Washington State University and eventually California, where he worked as an artist designing signs in San Diego. That later led to a job as an account executive for an advertising agency.
When he wasn’t writing ad copy, he and his wife, Marguerite, took care of enough animals to fill a petting zoo: two German shepherds, two cats, two goats, two chickens and a guinea pig.
This is where fate steps in.
Dahl was at a bar with some buddies one night, commiserating about high-maintenance pets. He quipped that the perfect pet would be … a rock. No feeding. No grooming. No mess. No allergies. Just pure, geological companionship.
Sure, it was a joke. But the light bulb went on — and Dahl was on his way to making millions.
He got to work packaging his new “pet,” placing a smooth stone atop a bed of packing material inside a cardboard box complete with air holes — for “breathing.” Each rock came with “The Care and Training of Your Pet Rock,” a wonderfully deadpan manual that taught owners how to command their rock to “sit,” “stay” and “roll over” (best taught on a hillside).
The Pet Rock debuted in August 1975 and immediately became a cultural phenomenon. A few months later, Dahl’s wife was telling reporters they’d already sold 60,000 of them. By Christmas, more than a million had been “adopted” nationwide.
Ten years before they brought us the hugely popular Santa Bear, the folks at Dayton’s Department Store were all in on the Pet Rock. Gift buyer Ed Hovis called it the “smash stocking stuffer for 1975.”
Here in Fargo-Moorhead, shoppers flooded into the West Acres Dayton’s, picking up their new “pets” for just $4.
Absolute seasonal silliness, to be sure. Still, in 1975, the Pet Rock seemed to delight people as much as dog and cat videos do today.
In The Forum, one columnist wrote that while the shopping crowd looked grim and foot-weary, “every person at the Pet Rock display was smiling from ear to ear.”
But not everyone was amused.
The Duluth News Tribune’s letters section erupted into figurative rock-throwing, with one writer peppering his letter with gems like: “The real rocks are in the purchaser’s skull,” “I bet in this country, with the right promotion and a box and ribbon, human waste could be sold,” and “People who put this item out, those who buy it and those who advertise it are all sick.”
Sounds like someone needed a pet rock to snuggle.
Another letter fought back that it was just for fun and “a form of social commentary, something of which we have far too little.”
By early 1976, the craze faded, despite Ross offering shoppers red, white and blue bicentennial rocks.
He tried to make lightning strike twice that Christmas of ’76 by offering the equally silly “Original Sand Breeding Kit,” which allowed “buyers to grow their own desert wasteland.”
It didn’t hit. But it didn’t really matter. That single year — 1975 — made Dahl a millionaire.
He remained active in the world of advertising, later co-authoring “Advertising for Dummies,” which surely would include a chapter on how the power of one odd idea, packaged with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek charm, can set you up for life.
Dahl always insisted, “I packaged a sense of humor for a very bored public.” And it’s hard to argue that a sense of humor might be one of the best Christmas gifts of all.
Gary Ross Dahl died March 23, 2015, at age 78. In one final, fitting twist, his obituary appeared in many newspapers on April 1 — April Fools’ Day.
And yes, if you’re wondering, the Pet Rock never really went extinct. You can still buy one on Amazon today for $29.95 — proving that inflation affects even imaginary pets.
For a man who once sold the world a rock in a box, maybe Dahl’s greatest legacy is simpler than all the numbers: for one strange, silly season in 1975, he reminded us that laughter itself is sometimes the perfect Christmas gift.
Next week: The other Christmas fad of 1975 — the mood ring — and does the one I wore in sixth grade still work?
What did Christmas shopping look like more than 50 years ago?
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North Dakota
Local North Dakota health units to recognize National Public Health Week with statewide walking event
BISMARCK — In recognition of
National Public Health Week
, all 28 local public health units across North Dakota will participate in “Stroll N Roll North Dakota,” a statewide walking event designed to promote physical activity and social connection. Local public health units are inviting community members to lace up their walking shoes and move together.
“Stroll N Roll North Dakota” will take place throughout the day on Wednesday, April 8. Individuals of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate at a time that works best for them. Walking, biking, rollerblading and the use of wheelchairs, strollers or other mobility devices are all welcome. While there is no minimum time requirement, adults are encouraged to aim for 30 minutes of activity, consistent with recommendations from the American Heart Association. This statewide event is sponsored by the
North Dakota State Association of City and County Health Officials
(ND SACCHO), a group that helps coordinate local public health efforts across the state.
Each year, National Public Health Week takes time to celebrate the impact of public health and highlight priority issues that can improve the nation’s well-being. The theme for 2026 is “Ready. Set. Action!” and will focus on how the work of public health improves the lives of residents, provides safeguards for families and strengthens communities. “Stroll N Roll North Dakota” complements this message by promoting physical activity, which supports heart health, mental health, chronic disease prevention and social connection.
Contact your local public health unit at
https://www.ndsaccho.org/local-public-health-units/
for details.
Participants are encouraged to share photos and use the hashtag #StrollNRollND on social media.
BISMARCK — The North Dakota Supreme Court heard arguments on Thursday, April 2, over a lawsuit challenging voter-approved
term limits for state lawmakers.
The lawsuit, filed in late January, claims the Legislature violated the state constitution when it passed a resolution creating a ballot measure during the 2025 session, just four years after voters approved term limits.
In 2022, North Dakota residents approved capping term limits to eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate. Supporters of the original amendment say it included a clause barring the Legislature from making constitutional changes to term limits.
“Those term limits may only be altered by a measure proposed by the people rather than the Legislative Assembly. And yet a few years later, the Legislative Assembly is doing what they are prohibited from doing,” said Zachary Wallen, lawyer for the petitioners.
Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune
During the 2025 session, lawmakers narrowly approved an amendment that would allow them to decide in which chamber they want to serve their 16 years. That plan requires voter approval.
“The people are voting on this, they have an opportunity to speak their voice on this,” said Brian Schmidt, lawyer for the North Dakota Legislature.
Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune
Justice Jon Jensen questioned whether a second vote was appropriate. “The public did speak on this. The public spoke on it when it passed the original constitutional amendment and they said ‘Legislature, you don’t even get to propose a change.’ They have already spoken on it. You want a second shot, or a second bite at the apple, not a first one, a second,” Jensen said.
Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune
A central question is whether the Supreme Court has the authority to issue an opinion in the case before the amendment process is complete.
“This court has said it will not pass (judgment) on the constitutionality of a proposed amendment until that process is complete. The process is not complete yet,” Schmidt said.
The Secretary of State’s office wants the Supreme Court to issue an opinion by the end of June so the office has enough time to prepare for the general election in November.
Grand Forks County Commissioner Terry Bjerke and former Minot Republican Sen. Oley Larsen filed the lawsuit.
Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune
Matt Henson is an Emmy award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Prior to joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the main anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years.
IRVINE, Calif. — Collin Boltz had an elevated role on the Dickinson Mavericks during the 2025-26 season. He was playing more minutes and set career highs across the board with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 22 games.
But he was only scratching the surface once his season ended in mid-February. Boltz was getting ready to compete at the 2026 Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth Tier II 16U National Tournament for Team North Dakota.
It was a week-long tournament in Irvine, Calif., and he helped the program win its third Tier II 16U 1A title after cruising past Team Wyoming 9-0 in the championship game back on Sunday, March 29.
It was the third time in the state’s history that it took home a national championship trophy.
“At the beginning, we were kind of nervous. The semi-final game was [we won] 4-2 and the team that we played in the championship beat them by three,” Boltz said. “So we were thinking that they were going to be a little better. But once we got that first goal, we just hammered them.”
Courtesy / Collin Boltz
USA Nationals is one of the biggest youth hockey tournaments in the country, ranging from players ages 14 and under, all the way to the prep level for both boys and girls. All national teams hold tryouts in May and the final roster is made up of some of the best players in the state in both the east and west regions.
“That was a team that I’ve wanted to try out for a long time, and my parents finally let me try out,” Boltz said. “I wanted to see competition from other places and maybe get some exposure, and just play more hockey.”
Boltz tried out for the Tier I team, but didn’t make the final roster. However, he earned a spot on the Tier II squad and played a critical bottom-six role. One of the first things he noticed was how the pace of play was much slower than high school.
Courtesy / Collin Boltz
In five games, he tallied two points (one goal, one assist) and played heavy minutes as a third-line winger. His goal came against the Portland Jr. Winterhawks on March 27 in a dominant 8-0 victory. North Dakota was a very deep team with lots of scoring depth, and that was one of the biggest keys to winning the championship.
“It was great. We played well the whole time. We won every game. It was kind of nice because there was only one game a day, so you had the rest of the time to play on the beach or something,” Boltz said. “Just getting to travel around to new places, playing [against] different kids and playing with different kids too.”
The best aspect of Boltz’s game has always been his hard and heavy shot. That’s what caught the eyes of the coaching staff and why he was selected as one of 20 members to make the team. But he’s not afraid to go in the corners and play the body to get the puck.
“When he hits the net, there’s a good chance it goes in, and then he plays a pretty heavy game too down in the corners and when he’s attacking the puck,” Team North Dakota head coach Jared Cowden said. “His play style definitely caught the eyes of a few people who were on the evaluating staff.”
Dickinson has had a few players compete at nationals. Former Dickinson High defenseman Kaeden Krieg played for Team North Dakota Tier I 16U back in 2023. It meant a lot to Boltz to be the lone representative of his team and school.
“It’s pretty cool. But I think I have a feeling that some of our players, if they tried out, they could probably be on the team too,” Boltz said.
Now heading into his junior season, Boltz is hoping to use this experience to take another step in his development.
“I think it just helps you realize my competition and what I need to do to be better than the other kids that I play,” Boltz said. “It just tells me how much more I need to train during the summer.”
Jacob Cheris covers a variety of high school and college sports. A graduate of Penn State University’s class of 2023, with a degree in broadcast journalism, he covered Penn State Men’s Hockey for three years. Jacob also covers Big Ten Hockey for College Hockey News.
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