TOWNS - PLACES

In 1864, a huge land grant was given to the Northern Pacific Railroad Company by the United States Congress to enable the railroad company to build a railroad to the Pacific. The Northern Pacific Railroad could make or break a town.   In 1908, they planned on building a line from Mandan to Manning which would follow the Knife River.   They went so far as to survey town sites and name them.   This brought businesses and people to these townsites.   Towns like Emerson and Manning were thus born.   When the railroad later changed its location north along Spring Creek from Mandan to Killdeer, these towns died and others like Werner, Dunn Center, and Killdeer emerged.   One town along the original route did survive.   Manning had been saved because it had won the county seat in 1908 and has kept it ever since. The railroad was built in 1914 and demolished in Killdeer in 1986.

1916 Dunn County Atlas
Township and Town Land Plats
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Towns - Townships - Post Offices
Acorn The rural post office established 4 November 1914 with Ramona Bailey as Postmaster. Located in the northeast quarter of section 20, Township T148, Range R97, on the west bank of the Little Missouri River. The nut of the native oak trees in the area provided the name. The post office was discontinued 31 May 1918 with mail to nearby Schafer.
Bailey The rural post office established 8 September 1905 with Jedekiah B. Smith as Postmaster. Located in the sod dugout house of rancher J. W. Bailey in the southwest quarter of section 32, Township F146, Range R93, about six miles northeast of Dunn Center. Some say it was named for Dr. S. W. Bailey. The post office was discontinued 31 March 1916 with mail to nearby Dunn Center.
Baldt The farm post office established 2 October 1911 with Olive Baldt as Postmaster, and named for her husband, John P. Baldt. It was located in the northwest quarter of section 22, Township T146, Range R94, seven miles north-northwest of Dunn Center. Closed 31 March 1913 with mail to Bailey
Brooks The rural post office established 31 March 1908 on the Brooks farm on the south bank of Jims Creek with Emma M. Brooks as the Postmaster. Located in the west half of section 14, Township T145, Range R95 just north of Killdeer. Named for the Postmaster's husband, Walter P. Brooks. The post office was discontinued 30 April 1915 with mail to Killdeer.
Collins The rural post office established 6 July 1905, Section 32, Township T144, Range R92, about eight miles south-southwest of Halliday. It was named for Ben Collins, who came here in 1904 from Wisconsin. His wife, Jane, was the Postmaster. After Ben Collins' death in 1920, she moved to Oregon, where she died in 1941. The post office closed 15 January 1914 with mail to Marshall.
Connolly See Emerson.
Dodge
Dunn The rural post office established 2 June 1909 with John S. Johnson as Postmaster. It was located in the north half of section 12, Township T144, Range R92, four miles west of Dodge, and named for its county. Mr. Johnson, a native of Sweden, came to America in 1887. The post office closed 15 January 1914 with mail to Loring.
Dunn Center
Edgar The rural post office established 23 December 1908 in the ranch home [Township T143 Range R96, Section 28] of Edgar E. Palmer, near Crooked Creek, where the mail stage stopped daily for the noon meal and changing of horses. It was discontinued 15 July 1913 and mail sent to Fayette.
Elm Grove The rural post office established 10 February 1908 in the southeast quarter of Township T148 Range R97 Section 32. Descriptive of its location in a grove on the banks of the Little Missouri River. The original postmaster was Una Case Fleek (Mrs. Howard H. Fleek). The Flecks moved to California in 1913. The post office was then located in the home of Charles L. Butler, an acting Postmaster, in Township T147 Range R96, Section 28. On 4 December 1913 it was moved to Township T147 Range R97 Section 2 the home of Postmaster Ida Mae Bartlett Thorp (Mrs. Dorsey Thorp). It was closed on 31 March 1915 with mail to Oakdale.
Emerson The village first located in Township T143 Range R94 Section 19, was known as Connolly for William Connolly, an area rancher. The post office was established 27 August 1908 with Erasmus O. Baker as Postmaster. On 30 March 1909, Connolly with C. L. Melby and J. W. Bailey donated the land for a townsite, who some say, was then named for Ed Emerson who operated an inn and eating place. A peak population of 90 was in the 1920 census. It flourished until the railroad was built from Mandan to Killdeer. By 1917 most of the businesses moved to towns along the railroad and by 1930 census the population was 15. The post office was discontinued on 15 November 1933 with mail to Gladstone. Nothing remains of Emerson except the cemetery.
Fayette Founded in 1896 by Frank Arthur Little and named for Dr. Fayette D. Kendrick of St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota who was in his sheep business with Little. Part of this old village can still be seen. It was located near the Southeast 1/4 of Section 26 in Township T144 Range R97, about 9 miles West of Manning. A miniature replica of Fayette is on display at the Dunn County Museum. Fayette was the second post office in Dunn County. It was established on 5 May 1898 in Little's living room with his wife, Isabell S. French Little, as the first Postmaster. She served until 31 January 1940 then the Postmaster became Anna Fisher until it was discontinued 31 July 1956. In the fall of 1900 Little erected the oldest sod post office in the United States and in 1956 it was still one of the very few original sod buildings in use in North Dakota.
Pre-1900 Pioneer Postmasters
Glen Laurel The post office was established 8 February 1911 with Henry B. Schaffner as Postmaster, who gave it a descriptive name from the area. Mr. Schaffner owned six full sections of land in the township, and it is thought that the post office was housed in a rural school in the south half of Section 15, Township T142, Range R91, thirteen miles south of Dodge. The post office was discontinued 31 December 31 1912 with mail to Hebron.
Gorder The rural post office was established 18 June 1908 with Martin Gorder as Postmaster, who declined the appointment, and the order was rescinded 3 October 1908. It is thought that Gorder was the same man as the Martin Goarder who settled in the southwest quarter of section 4, Township T145, Range 94, Decorah Township five miles northwest of Dunn Center, in 1905.
Halliday
Hanks The rural post office was established 2 August 1909 in the home of the postmaster, David Hanks; discontinued 15 October 1912 with mail sent to Halliday. The townsite history begins with the arrival of the branch line of the Great Northern in 1916. The townsite was named for W. F. Hanks, a Powers Lake rancher and banker, who was connected with the townsite company of the railroad.
Hartinger The rural community in Township T142, Range R95, was named for William Hartinger, who lived in Section 28, nine miles southeast of Manning. When the post office was established 24 June 1909, the name was changed to Libby Butte.
Hirschville The post office was established in 5 January 1911 with Casper Hirsch as Postmaster. It was located in Section 2, Township T141, Range R94 about 15 miles southwest of Marshall and southeast of Manning. It was closed on 15 September 1920 with mail to Taylor.
Independence This settlement was founded in 1885 in Section 11 of Township T149 Range R91 on the west bank of the Missouri River. The founder, Lean Wolf, Chief of the Gros Ventre, named it to signify independence from the other tribes at Fort Berthold. A Christian Day School was built here in 1894 by the Congregational Church, and St. Anthony's Catholic Church was built in 1912. John Stahl operated a ferry here 1927-1942. The planned Garrison Dam closing in 1953 caused the Congregational Church and Cemetery to be moved to higher ground leaving the original location in present day underwater as it was totally inundated by the newly created Lake Sakakawea.
June The post office was established 17 June 1907 in the home of Postmaster Lewis Y. June. It was discontinued 29 February 1908 with mail to Rockspring.
Killdeer and Kildeer
Kniferiver or Knife River The post office of Kniferiver established on the north bank of the river in the south half of Section 32 in Township T143 Range R93, fourteen miles south of Dunn Center. It appears to owe it's name as the valley was one of the more important sources of flint used by Indians for knives, arrow points and other implements. The first post office name was spelled as one word when established 25 September 1907 [Note: there were Kniferiver/Knife River Post Offices in other state counties as well which the Post Office did not normally allow] with Lewis L. Fixen, Postmaster. On 22 July 1911 Postmaster Robert Tesch changed the spelling to the more popular two-word form after government spelling regulations had been relaxed. The post office closed 15 January 1914 with mail to Emerson.
Libby Butte The Hartinger post office name was changed to Libby Butte on 24 June 1909 when it was established on the ranch land of Postmast Elizabeth (Libby) Hewson at Section 22 of Township T142 Range95. It was then re-located to Section 10 of Township T142 Range R95, the home of new Postmaster Charles W. Jones. It was discontinued 15 March 1917 with mail to Emerson. There was a reported population of ten in 1920..
Loring This post office was established 13 April 1909 with Charles Jacobson as Postmaster. It was first located in the northeast quarter of Section 6 in Township T143 Range R91 and then in 1910 it was moved three miles northeast to the southwest quarter of Section 20 Township T144 Range R91, the home of new Postmaster Clarence N. Lee, who came here from Norway in 1903, and was a state legislator 1927-1931. Loring is a High German name meaning famous in war, said to be derived from Lorraine. Some have speculated that it may have been named for Loring Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was named for Charles M. Loring, a pioneer promoter of parks in that city. The post office closed 31 January 1916 with mail to Dodge.
Manning
Marshall This community was originally a Post Office in the northwest quarter of Township 142, Range 92, Section 12 on property of John Kyseth on the Knife River about fifteen miles south of Halliday but was not organized until 1908. The post office was established 24 July 1901 with John Kyseth as Postmaster, and it has been located at that location and other locations in Sections 14 and 10. It was named for Thomas Frank Marshall, United States Representative from North Dakota (1901-1909) who was instrumental in securing this post office. The community's most famous native son is Bradley Jay Gjermundson, several times a national saddle bronc rodeo champion and for many years a national rodeo participant, who was born in Richardton, Stark County in 1959, but calls Marshall his home and the main street in Marshall is named Rodeo Road. In 1980 there were eight people residing.
Melby A small community in Section 4, Township T144 Range R94. The post office was established 22 January 1907 with Carl Ludwig Melby as Postmaster, in his home near Spring Creek He was a school teacher, and later served as Dunn County's first Superintendent of Schools. On 7 May 1914 the post office was relocated to the new Northern Pacific Railroad townsite of Dunn Center, two miles to the north-northwest.
Mohawk This was the last of the three planned townsites, the others being Pembroke and Juniper in McKenzie County, on a proposed Great Northern Railroad extension from Watford City to New Rockford. Right-of-way negotiations stalled just east of Watford City, and plans for the line were dropped. Mohawk would have been located in Section 12, Township T148 Range R97. The name is attributed to settlers from Mohawk, New York, which was named for the Algonquin name for their enemy, the Iroquois. The name means cannibals, referring to the Iroquois custom of eating the bodies of captured adversaries. The railroad extension had been planned in 1916, and by 1920 plans for Mohawk were abandoned.
Mountain Range Estates This rural housing development founded in the 1970's in Section 25, Township T146 Range R97, twelve miles west-northwest of Killdeer. The name notes its location on the west slope of the Killdeer Mountains.
New Hradec This community was founded in 1898 in Section 29, Township T141 Range R96. The majority of the settlers were of Bohemian descent, and they named their new home for Hradec, Czechoslovakia, which bears a name meaning castle; hence New Hradec. The post office was established 8 February 1908 with Edward Kasal as Postmaster, and closed 15 December 15 1914 with mail to Dickinson. It reopened 2 August 1917. Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church (the heart of this community) was built in 1898 and was the first church built in Dunn County. New Hradec was established in 1887 by Bohemian immigrants from the city of Czechograd in the Crimea, Ukraine; they had emigrated from Hradec Králové to the Crimea in 1861 prior to coming to the United States. These Bohemians populated much of the area northwest of Dickinson, and are the only documented Bohemians from the Crimea to have settled in America. The community was originally named "Novy Hradec", Czech for "New Castle"; this was later changed to New Hradec. The settlers founded the Saints Peter and Paul Church in 1898; the current church building was constructed in 1917 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The congregation platted the community in the same year.
Northrup The rural post office established 10 February 1909 with John Northrop [His surname in records is spelled Northrop and Northrup] as Postmaster on his brother Orson's farm located in the southwest quarter of Section 15 of Township T145, Range R96 [sometimes called Richloam Township]. Closed 28 February 1914 with mail to Fayette.
Nuita A small settlement in Section 33, Township T148, Range R81. At one time two churches (Roman Catholic and Congregational) and a day school were built. The Catholic church moved several miles southeast to high ground when Lake Sakakawea was created. Nuita in Indian language means Mandan.
Oakdale
Paulson A settlement in 1894 in Section 3, Township T142 Range R93, Myron Township about sixteen miles north of Taylor, at one of the few natural crossings of the Knife River. Settled by Erland Overlie Paulson (1858-1928). His home became a popular stopping place for food, water, and lodging, and the immediate area was widely known by his surname.
Pelton's Folly Walter Payton's Burial, Tombstone Photo
Minnie Payton's Burial, Tombstone Photo, Portrait
Rand The farm post office established 17 May 1892 with George E. Rand as Postmaster. Located in Section 2, Township T143 Range R96, two miles west of Manning. It was closed 25 January 1896 with mail to Dickinson. There is record of a George E. Rand in Stark County, 1908, in the Bureau of Land Management Landowner Records but is gone prior to 1914.
Pre-1900 Pioneer Postmasters
Renville This country store established in 1909 in Section 30, Township T144 Range R93, seven miles south-southwest of Halliday, held the post office established 8 February 1911 with Sten Williams as Postmaster. Many of the area settlers came from Sacred Heart, Renville County, Minnesota, which was named for Joseph Renville (circa 1799-1846), a pioneer trader, scout, and trapper. Mr. Williams later moved to Arthur, and the facility was taken over by Andrew J. Johnson. The post office closed 30 April 1918 with mail to Dunn Center.
Rockspring The rural post office was established 8 March 1898 in Section 29, Township T143 Range R94, ten miles southeast of Dunn Center. Ole Petterson (1846-1911) was the Postmaster, and E. O. Baker operated a general store at the site. The post office closed 31 March 1913 with mail to Emerson. The name noted the cold water springs coming from rocks near the store. Rocksprings, Rock Spring and Rock Springs are erroneous spellings.
Pre-1900 Pioneer Postmasters
Saint Martin Primarily a Roman Catholic settlement centered around Saint Martin's Catholic Church in Section 20, Township T143 Ramge R91, seven miles south-southwest of Dodge. The post office was established 18 April 1908 in the home of Postmaster Joseph Jacobs, a native of South Russia who came here in 1897 the order was rescinded 25 November 1908.
Sennef The rural post office was established 24 August 1915 with Charles E. Senff as Postmaster at his home in Section 4, Township T141 Range R91, about sixteen miles south of Dodge. It is thought the variation in the spelling was intentional in an effort to assure the correct pronunciation. The name, nevertheless, was often misspelled with Senf, Sennf, and Sneff being the most frequently encountered versions. The post office closed 30 December 1916 with mail to Marshall.
Twin Buttes This Indian agency settlement was for the southern portion of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. It was founded in the 1953 in Section 26, Township T147 Range R91 when the backwaters of the Garrison Dam had inundated the old river bottom villages. Many residents and businesses originally located on the river bottom relocated here.
Vada This rural post office was established 14 September 1910 with Mrs. Louisa Powers as Postmaster. It was located in Section 6, Township T146 Range R96, thirteen miles northwest of Killdeer. It was closed 30 September 1912 with mail to Oakdale. It is said it was named for Vada, Kentucky, but the latter place did not exist until the 1930's
Werner The Northern Pacific Railroad (NPRR) townsite was founded in 1914 in Section 19, Township T145 Range R92, near Spring Creek, six miles west of Halliday. Local settlers wanted to name it Three Springs, but NPRR townsite agent Lee C. Pettibone named it instead for John Steinman Werner (1862-1932), who came to North Dakota in 1883 from New York, and was the banker in Mr. Pettibone's hometown of Dawson. The village incorporated in 1917 and the established 15 May 1919 with Agnes D. Bessire as Postmaster. A peak population of 213 was reported in 1930, but the town declined after that, counting just 21 residents in 1970. The post office closed 3 June 1966 with mail to Halliday. The city charter was dissolved 1 November 1971. Arthur Kummer's service station was the last business in town, closing with his death in 1970, and Robert Odum was the last mayor.
Whetstone This rural community about ten miles west of Killdeer, was settled primarily by Norwegians, who built the Dovre Lutheran Church (Whetstone Chapel) in 1916 in Section 24, Township T145 Range R97, along the Killdeer-Grassy Butte wagon trail and mail route. The Whetstone and Schwartz General Merchandise Store was opened in 1916, it was built in partnership with Jack F. Whetstone of Killdeer. Named for J. F. "Jack" Whetstone, the first mayor of Killdeer, the community reported a population of 10 in 1920. Others say it was named for Whetstone Buttes [Adams County, North Dakota], a high range of hills visible for miles that are topped by a peculiar sandstone formation which is so hard that pieces from it were used by Indians and pioneers to sharpen the edges of their tools and weapons. The church was used on a regular basis until 1941, when it became affiliated with Saint John's Lutheran Church of Killdeer under the name Whetstone Chapel. The cemetery, christened Haven of Rest in 1959, remains to mark the site of Whetstone.
Willmen This rural post office was established 1 December 1913 with Oscar B. Hanson as Postmaster. It was located in Section 18, Township T142 Range R97, thirteen miles southwest of Manning near the source of Crooked Creek, and named for the Postmaster's son, Cyrus Willmen Hanson. It was discontinued 15 December 1938 with mail to Dickinson.
The original listing above was created by a former County Coordinator on an old server (as was the "Places" list below). Updates were generated from "North Dakota Place Names" by Douglas Wick, "Origins of North Dakota Place Names" by Mary Ann Barnes Williams, and updates and editing by Mike Peterson. Send any updates to Mike Peterson at County Coordinator eMail address at bottom of this page.


Places
Fort Berthold Indian Reservation Established for the Arikara, Mandan, and Hidatsa Tribes by the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. These three tribes were joined together to form the Three Affiliated Tribes. Even though Lake Sakakawea splits the Reservation into five parts, it occupies six counties: Dunn, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Mountrail, and Ward. It is in the northern most part of Dunn County.
Killdeer Battlefield The site of the 1864 battle between the local Sioux and troops lead by General Alfred Sully.
Killdeer Mountains Located north and west of Killdeer. It got its name from Native Americans who called this the place where they kill deer. It encompasses approximately 14 square miles with an elevation of about 3,300 feet.
Lake Ilo A man-made National Wildlife Refuge created in 1939. Located about two miles SW of Dunn Center. Many Native American artifacts found during its construction are on display at the Dunn County Museum in Dunn Center.
Lake Sakakawea Formed by the Garrison Dam which was built in 1953. It has approximately 600 miles of shoreline.
Little Badlands Sometimes referred to as the "brakes". Located about 11 miles S of Manning.
Little Missouri State Park In the North Dakota Badlands in northern Dunn County.
Medicine Hole During the 1864 Battle of the Killdeer Mountains, the Native Americans were able to escape to the badlands by going down into one of the three tunnels.
North Dakota Badlands Northern part of Dunn County.
The Lost Bridge Built in 1929, a 20 foot wide, three span truss bridge over the Little Missouri River which connected two cattle trails. Finally, in 1953 an approximate 9 mile stretch of road was graded from the bridge south toward Killdeer. It is located about 22 miles N of Killdeer on Hwy 22 but is used now only as a point of interest and recreation site.