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A brief description of many McHenry County settlements and links to larger and/or currently active places. It attempts to chronicle 102 known places in the county. A large percentage are rural post offices; a few had their own buildings, many were housed in country stores, most were located in the home of the postmasters, but a precious few continued to thrive and grow. Many of the below descriptions are from North Dakota Place Names by Douglas Wick and Origins of North Dakota Place Names by Mary Ann Barnes Williams but the information is not limited to those publications.
Pictures of Small North Dakota Towns has contemporary pictures of several McHenry County Towns.
Alta. You may see this on maps in the southwest quarter of section 9 in Township 156 Range 77 but it is not an established town. Published by H. M. Gousha Company, it is a copyright town inserted to protect against unauthorized copy by competitors.
Amy. This was a farm post office established April 21, 1904 with Tabitha B. Collins as Postmaster. It was located in the northwest quarter of section 26-158-79, Little Deep Township midway between Bantry and Deering, on the farm of her husband, James E. Collins. Her father, Eli Harmon, lived just to the northwest in the southeast quarter of section 22-158-79, and served as the mail carrier. The post office closed October 31, 1907 with mail to Saline. The name, of Latin origin meaning beloved, was chosen to honor the daughter of Rev. C. M. Rees, the local Methodist minister.
Anamoose. Also a Township T151 Range R75.
Balfour. Also a Township T152 Range R77.
Bantry. Also a Township T158 Range R77.
Bergen.
Berwick. Also a Township T156 Range R75.
Bjornson. Township T151 Range R80. In 1940 the population was 149.
Brown. Township T152 Range R80. In 1940 the population was 156.
Brush Lake. Spelling is noted as one word and two words. This rural post office [spelling in post office is one word mandatory] was established April 24, 1900 in the kitchen of Henry R. W. Bentley (1854-1942) as Postmaster, he as Postmaster, and named for nearby Brush Lake, so called because the shore was lined with brush. The one-word spelling was necessary to comply with government spelling regulations. Bentley had established a general merchandise store on his farm with a blacksmith shop. It was located in the southeast quarter of section 7-151-76, Spring Grove Township four miles west of Drake, and closed September 15, 1902 when the Drake post office was established. The lake itself was later renamed for Mr. Bentley, a native of Michigan who came here in 1885.
Buffalo Lodge Park. This townsite was platted in Section 24-156-79, Egg Creek Township five miles northeast of Granville. It was located just south of Buffalo Lodge Butte on the southwest shore of Buffalo Lodge Lake, but failed to develop other than as a summer grazing headquarters for some 25 to 30 ranchers.
Carder. This was a farm post office established May 19, 1891 with Alfred Booker House as Postmaster. It was located in the southeast quarter of section 23-158-76, Poplar Grove Township eight miles east of Bantry, and just west of the Lane post office, which it replaced/renamed. The origin of the name is unknown. It closed June 30, 1903 with mail to Towner.
Caughey. This was a farm post office established February 15, 1901 with Andrew Caughey as Postmaster. It was located in the southwest quarter of section 23-153-78, Lake Hester Township four miles southwest of Karlsruhe. Emil Bredeson, who lived one mile southwest of the post office in the southwest quarter of section 27-153-78, was the mail carrier. The post office was discontinued June 15, 1906 with mail to Bergen.
Chicota. This was a rural post office established July 31, 1902 with Arthur C. Kampson [or Hampson] as Postmaster. It was located in the southwest quarter of section 9-157-80, Deering Township two miles northeast of Deering. The name came from Chicota, Texas, which was first called Center Springs. It was renamed Chicota when the post office was established in 1880. Col. W. E. Wilkins submitted three names to postal officials, one of which was Checotah, the name of an Indian who had served with the Colonel in the Confederate Army. The name was accepted with a change in the spelling. The post office at CHICOTA, North Dakota closed May 15, 1903 with mail to Granville.
Cliffdale. This was a farm post office established July 11, 1901 with Adam A. Black, a native of Ohio who came here in 1900, as Postmaster. It was located in the southwest quarter of section 32-158-77, Bantry Township three miles southwest of Bantry. The name is descriptive, although seemingly not for this location. The post office authorization was rescinded August 10, 1901.
Copperdahl Hill. Township T155 Range R76.
Cottonwood Lake. Township T151 Range R78. In 1940 the population was 119.
Deep River. A 1910 Township T150 Range R79 and a village. Spelling is noted as one word and two words. This was a rural post office established March 23, 1901 with August J. Buchholz as Postmaster. It was located in the southwest quarter of section 20-159-79, Deep River Township eight miles west of Upham, and named for nearby Deep Creek. The post office, which used the then mandatory one-word spelling, closed September 15, 1909 with mail to Upham.
Deering.
Denbigh. A 1910 Township T150 Range R77 and a townsite. This Great Northern Railroad station was founded in the 1890's in the southeast quarter of section 20-156-77. The Railroad named the Denbigh Township. Some say it was named for Denbigh, Wales, the birthplace of the explorer Henry M. Stanley. Others say it was named for Basil Fielding, the Earl of Denbigh (1719-1799), an aide to Kings George II and George III. It is also said to be named by John Steinbrecker a pioneer merchant for his former home Densiof, South Russia. Still others say it was named after Denbigh, Virginia. The post office was established 12 May 1900 with James A. Pendroy as Postmaster. The elevation is 1523, and a population of 250 was reported in 1920, with a decline to just 37 in 1960. The post office, Zip Code 58732, closed 29 April 1988.
Dogden. This rural post office operated June 30, 1890 to November 13, 1897 in McLean County. It was reestablished March 4, 1898 with Matilda J. Jones as Postmaster in the southwest quarter of section 32-151-79, Olivia Township in McHenry County, about seven miles north-northwest of the original location. On February 12, 1900 it moved one mile southeast to the home of new Postmaster Frank B. Park in the northwest quarter of section 4-150-79, Butte Township once again in McLean County.
Drake.
Egg Creek. 1910 Township T150 Range R79. In 1940 the population was 137.
Ely. This was a rural post office established 9 March 1888 with Frederick W. Schroeder (a large landowner at the location) as Postmaster. It was located in the northeast quarter of section 1 in Meadow Township on the northeast bank of the Mouse River (named Souris in Canada), and named for John Allen Ely, who came here in 1885 from Missouri. He settled in Sections 23, 25, and 26 of Mouse River Township. By 1910 he did not reside in McHenry County. He served in the territorial legislature in 1887, and was influential in getting the three northern tiers of townships (157, 158, and 159) added to McHenry County. The post office closed 15 December 1891 with mail to Wines.
Falsen. This Great Northern Railroad station was founded in 1912 in Section 31-154-78, Falsen Township (Township T154 Range R78) between Simcoe and Karlsruhe. The post office was established March 10, 1913 with Oliver H. Wolhowe as Postmaster. The area was largely settled by Germans from Kandel and Selz, South Russia. The origin of FALSEN is unknown, and on March 1, 1925 it was changed to Verendrye.
Funston. This was a Soo Line Railroad station in Section 3-152-75, Schiller Township between Drake and Orrin about nine miles north of Anamoose. A population of 18 was reported as late as 1940, but little development ever took place here. It was named for H. S. Funston, Soo Line Railroad Land Commissioner at the time, although some believe it was named by a Mr. Ruehl for Gen. Frederick Funston, a Spanish-American War hero.
Genoa. This was a Great Northern Railroad station built in Section 5-154-80, North Prairie Township four miles south of Norwich, and probably named for Genoa, Italy, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. A population of 10 was reported in 1920, but it became a ghost town shortly after that.
Gilmore. Township T157, Range R78. Population was 105 in 1940 and 15 in 2017.
Gorman. Township T155, Range R75. Population was about 186 in 1940.
Granville. Also a Township T155 Range R79.
Gravel Pit. This place appears on a circa-1905 North Dakota map as a station on the Soo Line Railroad between Velva and Voltaire, approximately in the northeast quarter of section 36-153-80, Velva Township. Its name would seem to be self-explanatory as to its purpose.
Grilley. Township T158, Range R80. Population was about 195 in 1940.
Guthrie. This was a Great Northern Railroad station founded in 1910 on the Surrey cutoff line in the northeast quarter of section 10-152-76, Strege Township, five miles north of Drake. It was named for Archibald Guthrie, head of the Saint Paul, Minnesota firm doing the grade work during the construction of this line. Guthrie is a Celtic name meaning war serpent, and is derived from Guthrum, an early Danish king who invaded England. The post office was established January 18, 1911 with Robert H. Schatz as Postmaster. The elevation is 1588, and for a few years Guthrie became a thriving little settlement, claiming a population of 100 as late as 1930. The post office closed June 30, 1946 with mail to Drake, although a population of 24 was reported here in 1960, and it remained on most maps into the 1970's.
Hackett Falls. In 1881 Edmund Hackett established a saw mill at a point on the Souris (Mouse) River and a settlement grew around it known as Souris City. Souris is the French word for mouse. The French explorers named it that for there were so many field mice in the basin and along the banks. By 1882 it was renamed Hackett Falls. It was promoted by Edmund Hackett, the first mayor of Bismarck. It was located in Section 31-156-76, Newport Township six miles southwest of Towner. Mr. Hackett was a professional carpenter, and built many of Bismarck's first buildings. Besides serving as mayor, he served in the territorial legislature, and after coming to McHenry County, served as a county commissioner. The "falls" part of the name noted the nature of the river at this location. A brief flurry of activity took place in 1882, mostly promotional, but the site declined when it became obvious that the Northern Pacific Railroad would never reach the area. Remains of a saw mill are still [1989] recognizable here.
Hendrickson. Township T154, Range R79. Population was about 181 in 1940.
Henrico. This place appears on a state map included in an atlas published by John Thomas in 1922, although the map is probably about twenty years older. It is shown just south-southwest of Velva in Velva Township (153-80), and is thought by local residents to be a copyright town inserted to protect against unauthorized copy by competitors, although the name seems to be coined from the name of the county.
Hoosier. On August 8, 1902 postal officials authorized the Shigley post office in the southeast quarter of section 18-158-77, Bantry Township two miles west-northwest of Bantry, to change its name to Hoosier, the request having been made by local settlers who had come from Indiana, "The Hoosier State." The new name never saw actual usage, and on December 12, 1902 the name was changed to Milroy.
Hougom. Township T157, Range R76.
Kaluga. This was a Soo Line Railroad station in Section 30-152-75, Schiller Township between Drake and Funston. It was named for the Russian city and district of Kaluga, just southwest of Moscow. No development occurred. Kuluga is an erroneous spelling.
Karlsruhe. Also a Township T153 Range R77 (formerly named Regstad).
Kief
Kongsberg. This village was founded in 1900 as Olivia on the Soo Line Railroad in Sections 32 and 33-151-79, Olivia Township midway between Ruso and Butte. When the post office was established January 15, 1916 with Rudolf Christiansen as Postmaster, the name was changed to Kongsberg at the suggestion of local elevator manager I. L. Berg, taking the name from his hometown in Norway. Other sources indicate a city from England. Although the Olivia name saw occasional use into the 1970's, Kongsberg became the official name. The population never exceeded 50, and the post office closed April 30, 1958 with mail to Voltaire.
Kottke Valley. Township T156, Range R80. Population in 1940 was 163.
Lake George. Township T153, Range R76. Population in 1940 was 281.
Lake Hester. Township T153, Range R78. Population in 1940 was 217.
Land. Township T151, Range R77. Population in 1940 was 162.
Lane. This was a farm post office established February 13, 1886 with Omar C. Lane, who came here in 1885, as Postmaster. Lane is an Old English name meaning from the rural road. It was located in the southwest quarter of section 24-158-76, Poplar Grove Township nine miles east of Bantry. On May 19, 1891 it moved one mile west, changing its name to Carder.
Layton. Township T158, Range R78. Population in 1940 was 181.
Lebanon. Township T153, Range R79. Population in 1940 was 216.
Lilla. This was a farm post office established January 25, 1901 with Jennie H. O'Brien as the first and only Postmaster. It was located on the farm owned by her husband, Donophan O'Brien, in the northeast quarter of section 23-152-76, Strege Township four miles north-northeast of Drake. Mr. O'Brien was a native of Ireland, coming to America in 1885, while Mrs. O'Brien was born in Minnesota of Welsh ancestry. The post office was discontinued June 30, 1904. The origin of the name is unknown. Several sources and accounts refer to this post office as Lillian, but all post office records show the name as Lilla.
Linusville. This was a rural post office and country store in the southeast quarter of section 2-153-77, Karlsruhe Township eleven miles north-northeast of Balfour on the north shore of a small lake. The post office was established March 23, 1904 with Linus Peterson, originally spelled Pettersen, as Postmaster. It closed March 31, 1909 with mail to Balfour.
Little Deep. Township T158, Range R79. Population in 1940 was 179.
Martha. This was a farm post office established April 7, 1903 with Robert H. Thom as Postmaster. His home in the northeast quarter of section 24-153-76, Lake George Township nine miles north of Drake, had been used as a mail drop as early as 1900. The choice of the name is unexplained, but it is an Aramaean name meaning mistress. The post office closed October 14, 1905 with mail to Drake.
Meadow. Township T159 Range R78 and settlement. This was a farm post office established June 21, 1899 with Klemet K. Hage as the first and only as Postmaster. It was located in the northeast quarter of section 10-159-78, Meadow Township two miles north of Upham, and named for the township, which was named to describe the locale. The post office closed August 31, 1905, being replaced the following day by the post office at the new Great Northern Railroad townsite of Upham.
Meddow. Enoch Mower (1859-1939) settled in the Towner area in 1889, coming from his native New Hampshire. About 1894 he moved to Meadow Township (159-78) in the vicinity of present-day Upham, and on September 5, 1896 he was appointed as Postmaster of the Meadow post office, but the order was rescinded October 17, 1896. The name is assumed to be a spelling error on postal records. Another post office spelled Meadow operated in this area 1899-1905 prior to the founding of Upham. Mr. Mower left this township, settling about two miles north of Towner.
Midway. This was a rural stopping point on North Dakota Highway 14, midway between Towner and Drake at the junction of the county road going west to Verendrye. It was in the southeast quarter of section 17-154-76, and appeared on maps as late as the 1960's. Some believe it was a copyright town inserted to protect against unauthorized copy by competitors.
Milroy. The Shigley post office was established May 27, 1901 in the southeast quarter of section 18-158-'77, Bantry Township two miles west-northwest of Bantry. Postmaster John F. Shafer received authorization to change the name to Hoosier on August 8, 1902, but that order was rescinded. On December 12, 1902 the name was changed to Milroy, supposedly to honor General Robert Huston Milroy (1816-1890), a hero of the Mexican and Civil Wars who had been Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Washington Territory 1872-1885. A village in Minnesota was also named for Gen. Milroy in 1902. On July 10, 1905 the post office was relocated to the new Great Northern Railroad townsite of Bantry, assuming that name.
More of Milroy. This was a Great Northern Railroad station founded about 1907 in the northwest quarter of section 7-157-76, Milroy Township seven miles southeast of Bantry. It was named for the old rural post office which had relocated to Bantry in 1905. The new Milroy post office was established December 31, 1909 with James E. Bruton as Postmaster in his grocery store. Very little development occurred, and the post office closed September 30, 1915 with mail to Bantry. Two elevators remained at the site in 1922, but Milroy is now a vacant townsite.
Mouse River. Township T159 Range R77. Also the name is for a rural post office established December 17, 1884 with Robert W. Davidson as Postmaster. It was located in Section 26-153-80, Velva Township one mile southeast of Velva, and named for the Souris, or Mouse, River on which it was located. The river had been called Inyan-hdoka-wakpa by the Indians, meaning river of the rock, but was renamed to note the large number of field mice along its banks. On March 22, 1886 the post office was renamed Nichols, with the original Nichols post office taking the name Mouse River.
More of Mouse River. This post office was established January 25, 1886 as Nichols. On March 22, 1886 it switched names with the original Mouse River post office with Palmer G. Potter continuing as the Postmaster. When settlement began two miles to the west in Section 22-153-80, Velva Township the post office moved there, taking the name Velva on November 18, 1893.
Newport.
Nichols. This was a rural post office established January 25, 1886 with Palmer G. Potter as Postmaster. It was located in the northwest quarter of section 25-153-80, Velva Township two miles east of Velva at what is thought to have been the site of SCRIPTOWN, the original county seat. The origin of the name NICHOLS is unknown. On March 22, 1886 this post office switched names with the nearby Mouse River post office, with Mr. Potter continuing as Postmaster in his store, which curiously was called the New Store at Scriptown. Potters Lake, just east of this site, was named for Mr. Potter.
More of Nichols. The original Mouse River post office was established December 17, 1884 with Robert W. Davidson as Postmaster. On March 22, 1886 it switched names with Nichols, with Mr. Davidson continuing as Postmaster. This second Nichols post office operated only until September 14, 1886, when it closed with mail to the new Mouse River post office.
Nomad. This place is shown on road maps of 1936 and 1940 published by the H. M. Gousha Company, and appears to be about thirteen miles north of Granville in Saline Township (T157-R79). The name means wanderer, and it is believed to be a copyright town inserted to protect against unauthorized copy by competitors.
Norfolk. This was a Great Northern Railroad station founded in 1913 in Section 13-152-76, Strege Township six miles northeast of Drake, and named for Norfolk County, England by Great Northern Railroad officials. An elevator was built, and a population of 10 was reported in 1920, but development stagnated at that point.
Normal. Township T158 Range R75. Population in 1940 was 159.
North Prairie. Township T154 Range R80. North Prairie Lutheran Church. Population in 1940 was 195.
Norwich. Township T155 Range R80 and city. This Great Northern Railroad station was founded in 1901 in Section 17-155-80, Norwich Township and named for Norwich, England to please stockholders from that country. The English city dates from about 700 A. D., was the site of an early-day mint, and appears in 1002 A. D. as Northwic. While Americans generally pronounce the name Nor'-witch, the English say Nor'-idge. The post office was established February 14, 1901 with Frederick Blocher as Postmaster. The elevation is 1531, the Zip Code is 58768, and a peak population of 200 was claimed in 1920, although the count has been well under 100 for the last fifty years. The population of the Township was 236 in 1940.
Oakland. This was a rural post office established April 5, 1892 with Carrie B. Deming as Postmaster. It was located in the southwest quarter of section 33-159-76, Willow Creek Township seven miles northeast of Bantry, near the Stevens Ranch on the east bank of the Souris River. The name is thought to be descriptive. The post office closed June 15, 1912 with mail to Towner.
Odin. Township T152 Range R78. Population was 209 in 1940.
Olivia. Township T151 Range R79 and settlement. This was a pioneer settlement founded in 1900 in Sections 32 and 33-151-79, Olivia Township midway between Butte and Ruso just inside the McHenry County line. It was named by settlers from Olivia, Minnesota, which was named in 1881 by civil engineer Albert Bowman Rogers for a female depot agent in Ortonville, Minnesota. Olivia is a Latinized name symbolizing peace. The townsite was platted in 1913 by the Tri-State Land Co. on the Soo Line Railroad. The post office was established January 15, 1916 as Kongsberg, and this gradually became the generally accepted name, although the local general store operated under the name Olivia Cash Store until 1973.
Owens. This was a rural post office established March 27, 1907 with William A. Bokovy as Postmaster. It was located in the northeast quarter of section 24-151-78, Cottonwood Lake Township three miles northwest of Kief, and named for site owner David T. Owens, although some sources say it was named for W. P. Owens, said to be a promoter of the Kief townsite. The post office closed November 30, 1907 with mail to Drake.
Pendroy.
Poplar. Township T158 Range R76.
Pratt. Township T159 Range R80 and post office. This was a rural post office established October 1, 1900 with William H. Pratt as Postmaster. The township was also named for him when it organized in 1902. It was located in the southwest quarter of section 28-159-80, Pratt Township about thirteen miles west of Upham, and closed April 30, 1907 with mail to Eckman. The population of the Township was 120 in 1940.
Rangeley. This was a Great Northern Railroad townsite founded in 1912 on the Surrey cutoff line, and probably named for Rangeley, Maine, which was named for Squire Rangeley of Yorkshire, England, who owned the site when it was founded in 1825. It was located in the west half of section 30-153-76, Lake George Township seven miles southeast of Karlsruhe. Rangeley had a depot, a store run by the Myhre family, and an elevator, which was closed in 1960 and torn down in 1965, but no post office. It reported populations of 10 in 1920, and 8 in both 1930 and 1940. Rangely is an erroneous spelling.
Red Cross. Township T157 Range R75.
Regstad. Township T153 Range R77. Renamed to Karlsruhe after 1910.
Riga. Township T156 Range R78. Township and settlement. This Great Northern Railroad station was founded in 1901 in the northwest quarter of section 33, Riga Township between Granville and Denbigh. The post office was established June 27, 1902 with Jens G. Springer as Postmaster, and closed March 30, 1918 with mail to Granville. A population of 30 was reported in 1920, but only two houses mark the site today. The name came from the capital city of Latvia, which at that time was part of the Czarist Russian province of Livonia. The population of Riga Township in 1940 was 136.
Rising. This was a Great Northern Railroad loading station built in Section 8-156-80, Kottke Valley Township between Deering and Granville. No development took place here, and the origin of the name is unknown.
Rose Bush. Township T154 Range R76.
Rose Hill. Township T155 Range R78. Population in 1940 was 54.
Round Lake. Township T153 Range R75. Population in 1940 was 149.
Saline. Township T157 Range Range R79 and post office. This was a farm post office established 11 July 1901 with Elizabeth B. Huston as Postmaster. It was located in the northeast quarter of section 7-157-79, Saline Township seven miles east-northeast of Deering near Deep Creek. One version of the name origin is that it notes the existence of salt in the area, which was an important commodity for the early settlers, both as a food preservative and as a salt lick for their cattle. Another version is in the death notice of Richard Gaines a pioneer settler, was that a large group from Saline County, Missouri settled here in March 1900. The post office closed 31 March 1909 with mail to Deering. Mount Carmel Methodist Camp was located near this site from 1907-1956 at a place called Grogan's Grove.
Schiller. Township T152 Range Range R75. The population in 1940 was 335.
Scriptown. This pioneer townsite was promoted in 1881 by Johnson Nickeus, a prominent Jamestown attorney, who named it hoping that it would become a valuable site when the Northern Pacific Railroad arrived. This never happened, but the town did have a brief moment of glory. Although it was little more than a couple log buildings, Scriptown was named as the county seat when McHenry County organized in 1884, holding that honor until Towner was founded in 1886. Allan Mitchell "managed" the log cabin court house, and George Cameron, the first Superintendent of Schools, had a two-room log hotel. C. M. Sivyer was the storekeeper. Within a few years the site was abandoned in favor of nearby Velva. Although some ruins were existing as late as the 1920'x, the exact site of Scriptown is not positively known, the best guess being in the northwest quarter of section 25-153-80, Velva Township two miles east of Velva. Scripton is an erroneous spelling.
Sedan. This was a farm post office established May 12, 1905 with Felix Eberle as Postmaster. It was located in the northwest quarter of section 8-153-77, Regstad Township three miles northeast of Karlsruhe, and named for Sedan, Kansas, which was named for Sedan, France, the site of a famous battle of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 which led to the formation of the French Republic. The post office closed May 31, 1909 with mail to Balfour.
Shigley. This was a farm post office established May 27, 1901 with John F. Shafer as Postmaster at his home in the southeast quarter of section 18-158-77, Bantry Township two miles west-northwest of Bantry. The origin of the name is unknown. On August 8, 1902 a name change to Hoosier was authorized, but the order was rescinded before it could be implemented. On December 12, 1902 the name was changed to Milroy.
Simcoe. This Great Northern Railroad station was built in the southeast quarter of section 18 of Hendrickson Township [T154 R79] seven miles south-southwest of Granville, and named by railroad officials for Simcoe, Ontario Canada, which was named for John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), a British veteran of the Revolutionary War who was later Lt. Governor of Upper Canada. He is credited with opening up large areas of Canada for settlement, although his tactics earned him many enemies. The post office was established 14 September 1910 with Martin J. Bredvold as Postmaster, and closed 31 January 1954 with mail to Granville. A small village developed, but the population was never much more than 20.
Smokey Lake. Township T154 Range R75.
Souris City. It was sometimes called Hackett Falls.
Spring Grove. Township T151 Range R75.
Star. A Township and a farm post office. Township T155, Range 77. The post office was established 12 May 1898 with Ole A. Melhouse as Postmaster at his home in the southeast quarter of Section 22 in Star Township. It was named for The Turtle Mountain Star, a newspaper published at Rolla, after postal officials had rejected the name Norway. In 1902 it moved one-half mile southeast to the home of new Postmaster John Brooten in the northwest quarter of Section 26. It then to the southeast quarter of section 28 of new Postmaster Theodore Rom. The post office closed 31 August 1911 with mail to Denbigh.
Strege. Township T152 Range Range R76. In 1940 population was 278 including Guthrie.
Towner.
Upham.
Velva.
Verendrye. This Great Northern Railroad station was founded in 1912 in Section 31 Falsen Township [T154 R78] on the Surrey cutoff line midway between Simcoe [see above] and Karlsruhe. It was originally named Falsen, but on 1 March 1925 the name was changed to Verendrye to honor Pierre de la Verendrye (1685-1749), the French explorer who in 1738 led the first party of white men into what is now North Dakota. The village never exceeded 100 in population, and the post office closed 5 November 1965 with mail to Bergen.
Villard.
Voltaire.
Wagar. Township T157 Range R77. This was a rural post office established July 25, 1898 with Anson Peters as Postmaster in his grocery store located in the northeast quarter of section 27-157-77, Wagar Township six miles north-northeast of Denbigh. It was named for the Wager family, many of whom lived in the township. The patriarch was James Wagar (1869-1958), a native of Ontario, Canada, who came here in 1893. Mr. Peters moved to Alberta, Canada, and the post office closed March 31, 1903 with mail to Denbigh. It reopened May 20, 1903 with Oscar Wager as Postmaster at his home in the southeast quarter of section 23-157-77, two miles southwest of the original site, closing November 30, 1905 with mail again to Denbigh.
Wallace. This was a rural settlement in the southeast quarter of section 17-154-78, Falsen Township seven miles northwest of Karlsruhe. George H. McKay ran a general store at the site in 1886, which was about the extent of its development. The origin of the name is unknown.
Water Tank. This site is shown on maps circa 1910-1925 just west of Towner in the northeast quarter of section 10 & northwest quarter of section 11-156-76, Newport Township. It consisted of a large Great Northern Railroad service facility, including coal docks, an engine stall, and the water tank which was in Section 11.
Willow Creek. Township T159 Range R76. In 1940 the population was 164.
Wines. This was a farm post office established February 25, 1888 with Frederick Melhof Postmaster in his country store located in the southeast quarter of section 22-159-77, Mouse River Township ten miles northeast of Bantry. Some say it was named for the vines growing along the Souris River in the area, while others say that local Icelandic settlers coined the name from Vinland, the Viking name for America. The post office closed February 28, 1902 with mail to Ely. Mr. Melhof moved his store to Upham in 1906.
Original Listing Contributed by The USGenWeb Project McHenry County, North Dakota Archives. Updates came from North Dakota Place Names by Douglas Wick and Origins of North Dakota Place Names by Mary Ann Barnes Williams, and further updates and editing by Michael Alden (Dino) Peterson. Send any updates to Mike Peterson.
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