Richland County Township History: Colfax

Taken from History of Richland County Book Page 142

Colfax is a small town located twenty-five miles to the north and west of Wahpeton in Richland County. The origin of Colfax dates back to July 2, 1864 when Congress granted lands to the Northern Pacific Railroad Company for the construction of a railroad and a telephone line from Lake Superior to Puget Sound.

Schuyler Colfax, Vice-President of the United States under President U.S. Grant, purchased the west half of Section 29, Township 135, Range 49 and other lands containing 3,120 acres all in Colfax. Garborg and Nansen townships for a consideration of $15,600 (or $5.00 per acre) on August 10, 1878. Mr. Colfax platted the first addition to Colfax on June 17, 1881. Colfax townsite was surveyed by J.S. Stack the same year, the plat being laid out with the railroad as a base and therefore not following the points of the compass. Silas Maxwell, owner of land east of the railroad, sold this tract of land to Horace B. Crandall on January 15, 1881. On March 19, 1881 he filed the plat of the original townsite of Colfax. It was in 1882 that the name of the town was officially designated Colfax. Mr. Schuyler Colfax would periodically travel to the area to check his land holdings.

Hattie A. and Israel M. Hay, husband and wife, platted Tyner's Addition to Colfax, which is also located on part of the W !/2 of Section 29, Township 135, Range 49 on April 26, 1887. This is north of the original townsite.

Colfax was nicknamed "The Fountain City" because of the many artesian wells in the village and vicinity, one of which was 130 feet deep and had a flow of 300 gallons a minute.

Colfax was incorporated as a village in 1954.