 Emmons County namesake, James A. Emmons, was born at Guyandotte, Cabell County, Virginia on 29 December 1843.  He was the son of James and Nancy Dunkle Emmons. His known siblings were brothers George, Charles, and Columbus and sisters Anna Emmons Littlefield and Ida Emmons Drury.
The Emmons family migrated east to Missouri and stayed there for many years before settling in Nebraska.
James went to Bismarck in 1872 as the post trader at Camp Hancock and in that same year, 18 September 1872, married Nina Burnham at what is now Yorktown Township, Dickey County. Nina was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 29 December 1852. Her mother died in childbirth and she was raised by a relative, Hanna Burnham Brittingham.
James became a steamboat captain on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and an early Bismarck merchant and entrepreneur. He was involved in establishing the Bismarck Sun newspaper in 1880 as well as serving on the County Commissioners in Bismarck. In 1883 he was the force involved in getting a mail route from Bismarck to Deadwood, Lawrence County, South Dakota which further involved opening large tracts of land between Cannon Ball, Sioux County and Fort Lincoln, Mandan County. In 1885, James and Nina left North Dakota. They moved back and forth between Colorado and Nebraska and eventually settled in Pawnee County, Oklahoma. James was involved in politics there also. Bismarck 1893 Article.
Nina died in Pawnee County on 7 July 1916 and she is buried in the IOOF Cemetery, Maramec, Pawnee County. Obituary.
James died in Pawnee, Pawnee County on 11 June 1919 and is buried with Nina. Obituary.
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