Dakota Datebook

Anna Held

March 16, 2021 — Anna Held, born Helene Anna Held in Poland in 1872, was a popular name in Hollywood gossip in the early 1900s. She was a star of great consequence, a woman of her own whims. It was said that she had some talent, but it was her figure and her persona-magnified by her common-law, showman husband, Florenz Ziegfield-that brought her the greatest fame.

Anna Held had lived in corsets from childhood, and had an extraordinary hourglass shape-in fact, her measurements were said to be 36-1836. She had a creamy complexion, which Ziegfield claimed came from milk baths she took twice a week.

Anna Held and Ziegfield didn't stay together forever, but Anna didn't need him to be a shining star. And on this date in 1904, North Dakotans had a great deal to discuss about her.

Anna Held and her entourage were traveling west on the Northern Pacific. During the journey, they heard a murderer by the name of Rozum was being transported on the train. He was a renowned man, and many people wanted to get a look at him. Anna was no exception. During a stop in Bismarck, she and her pet dog disembarked from her special coach to join the throng of people passing through the murderer's car to see the famed man.

But after returning to her railcar and resuming the trip west, Anna realized her dog was missing!

The papers reported, "there was mourning when it was discovered that the pet canine was lost and that selfsame afternoon, Anna dispatched an unimportant member of her company back to search for the dog." The reporter quipped, "better an incomplete cast than a lost dog."

The person who went back for her dog was successful, and he triumphantly took the dog west on the night train, catching up with Anna and her entourage, and allowing the famous star and pet to be happily reunited.

And the moment was recorded for safe-keeping in the annals of Bismarck's history; as the reporter added: "In the future, when the history of Bismarck is written, let it be set down among other notable occurrences, that Anna Held once lost a dog within the limits of the city."

“Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from the North Dakota Humanities Council. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic.org, subscribe to the “Dakota Datebook” podcast, or buy the Dakota Datebook book at shopprairiepublic.org.