# The New International Encyclopædia/North Dakota

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​NORTH DAKO′TA. A north central State of the United States, lying between latitudes 45° 55′ and 49° N., and between longitudes 96° 25′ and 104° 3′ W. It is bounded on the north by the Canadian provinces of Assiniboia and Manitoba, on the east by Minnesota, on the south by South Dakota, and on the west by Montana. Its boundaries are straight lines, except the eastern border, which is formed by the Red River of the North. Its shape is that of a rectangle, with an extreme length east and west of 360 miles, and a breadth of 210 miles. The area is 70,795 square miles, of which 70,195 cover the land surface. North Dakota ranks fourteenth in size among the States.
Topography. The eastern part of the State is the perfectly level bed of the ancient Lake Agassiz, now traversed by the Red River and its tributaries. It lies about 1000 feet above sea-level, and merges westward into the rolling prairies of the central region. In the north the land rises to a height of over 2000 feet in the small forest-covered plateau known as the Turtle Mountains. This range extends about 20 miles south of the Manitoba boundary. Southwestward the prairies rise toward the grassy Plateau du Coteau du Missouri, which has an elevation of 2000 feet near the centre of the State, and rises gradually to 3000 feet in the extreme southwestern corner. There are no great altitudes above the general level. In the central region there are rounded, grassy, and boulder-crowned hills of glacial drift; and in the southwest isolated conical buttes capped with sandstone become more and more frequent until the rough and rocky ‘bad lands’ of the southwestern corner are reached.
The principal rivers lie from 100 to 300 feet below the surrounding plains, and are lined with bluffs. The western half of the State is traversed in a winding southeast course by the Missouri River, which enters on the western boundary and leaves the State near the middle of the southern boundary. Its chief tributaries from the State are from the right and drain the southwestern plateau. They are the Little Missouri, Knife, Heart, and Cannon Ball rivers. The Yellowstone also joins the Missouri in North Dakota immediately east of the Montana boundary line. The northern portion is drained by the Souris or Mouse River, which flows southeast from Canada and re-enters that country in the opposite direction after making a long narrow loop toward the centre of the State. From this central section the James River flows southward into South Dakota, where it joins the Missouri. The remaining eastern portion is drained by the Red River of the North, chief of whose numerous tributaries is the Sheyenne. Scattered over the central and eastern plains are numerous lakes, the largest of which is Devil's Lake, an irregular body of water 32 miles long and 1 to 5 miles wide, with wooded shores.
* COPYRIGHT, 1891 AND 1903, BY DODD, MEAD & COMPANY.
AREA AND POPULATION OF NORTH DAKOTA BY COUNTIES.
Population. :
| County | Map Index. | County Seat. | Area in square miles. | 1890. | 1900. |
| Barnes | G 3 | Valley City | 1,506 | 7,045 | 13,159 |
| Benson | F 1 | Minnewaukon | 1,380 | 2,460 | 8,320 |
| Billings | B 3 | Medora | 6,150 | 170 | 975 |
| Bottineau | E 1 | Bottineau | 1,137 | 2,893 | 7,532 |
| Bowman | .... | ... | .... | 6 | .... |
| Buford | .... | ... | .... | 803 | .... |
| Burleigh | E 3 | Bismarck | 1,680 | 4,247 | 6,081 |
| Cass | H 2 | Fargo | 1,752 | 19,613 | 28,625 |
| Cavalier | G 1 | Langdon | 1,512 | 6,471 | 12,580 |
| Church | .... | ... | .... | 74 | .... |
| Dickey | G 3 | Ellendale | 1,146 | 5,573 | 6,061 |
| Dunn | .... | ... | ..... | 159 | ..... |
| Eddy | F 2 | New Rockford | 648 | 1,377 | 3,330 |
| Emmons | E 3 | Williamsport | 1,550 | 1,971 | 4,349 |
| Flannery | .... | ... | ..... | 72 | ..... |
| Foster | F 2 | Carrington | 641 | 1,210 | 3,770 |
| Garfield | .... | ... | ..... | 33 | ..... |
| Grand Forks | H 1 | Grand Forks | 1,432 | 18,357 | 24,459 |
| Griggs | G 2 | Cooperstown | 730 | 2,817 | 4,744 |
| Hettinger | .... | ... | ..... | 81 | ..... |
| Kidder | F 3 | Steele | 1,398 | 1,211 | 1,754 |
| Lamoure | G 3 | Lamoure | 1,148 | 3,187 | 6,048 |
| Logan | F 3 | Napoleon | 980 | 597 | 1,625 |
| McHenry | E 1 | Towner | 1,468 | 1,584 | 5,253 |
| McIntosh | F 3 | Ashley | 1,000 | 3,248 | 4,818 |
| McKenzie | .... | ... | ..... | 3 | ..... |
| McLean | D 2 | Washburn | 3,348 | 860 | 4,791 |
| Mercer | C 2 | Mannhaven | 1,930 | 428 | 1,778 |
| Morton | D 3 | Mandan | 4,740 | 4,728 | 8,069 |
| Mountraille | .... | ... | ..... | 122 | ..... |
| Nelson | G 2 | Lakota | 990 | 4,293 | 7,316 |
| Oliver | D 2 | Sanger | 727 | 464 | 990 |
| Pembina | H 1 | Pembina | 1,134 | 14,334 | 17,869 |
| Pierce | F 1 | Rugby | 1,008 | 905 | 4,765 |
| Ramsey | F 1 | Devils Lake | 1,200 | 4,418 | 9,198 |
| Ransom | H 3 | Lisbon | 864 | 5,393 | 6,919 |
| Renville | .... | ... | ..... | 99 | ..... |
| Richland | H 3 | Wahpeton | 1,445 | 10,751 | 17,387 |
| Rolette | F 1 | Rolla | 943 | 2,427 | 7,995 |
| Sargent | H 3 | Forman | 864 | 5,076 | 6,039 |
| Sheridan | .... | ... | ..... | 5 | ..... |
| Stark | C 3 | Dickinson | 6,002 | 2,304 | 7,621 |
| Steele | H 2 | Sherbrooke | 720 | 3,777 | 5,888 |
| Stevens | .... | ... | ..... | 16 | ..... |
| Stutsman | F 2 | Jamestown | 2,296 | 5,266 | 9,143 |
| Towner | F 1 | Cando | 1,048 | 1,450 | 6,491 |
| Traill | H 2 | Hillsboro | 872 | 10,217 | 13,107 |
| Wallace | .... | Grafton | ..... | 24 | ..... |
| Walsh | G 1 | ... | 1,308 | 16,587 | 20,288 |
| Ward | C 1 | Minot | 6,690 | 1,681 | 7,961 |
| Wells | F 2 | Fessenden | 1,296 | 1,212 | 8,310 |
| Williams | B 1 | Williston | 3,512 | 109 | 1,530 |
| Standing Rock Indian reservation | D 3 | ... | ..... | ..... | 2,208 |
| Unorganized territory | .... | ... | ..... | 511 | ..... |
​Climate, Soil, and Vegetation. North Dakota has a typical continental climate characterized by enormous extremes of temperature, which, however, the dry atmosphere renders bearable, healthful, and invigorating. The mean temperature for January is 3°, and for July 70°. The extremes have a range of nearly 155° for the year, a maximum having been recorded as high as 114°, while a minimum of 40° below zero is not rare. The average annual rainfall of 17.29 inches would scarcely suffice for the needs of agriculture were it not for the fact that fully three-fourths of the precipitation falls during the growing season (April to September). In the western half of the State, however, the rainfall is insufficient for successful agriculture. The deep alluvial deposits of the Red River Valley are of inexhaustible fertility, and are conspicuously favorable to wheat-growing. The glacial drift of the prairies forms, in addition, an excellent subsoil, but toward the west it grows poorer and more scanty, especially in the southwest. Forest growth is found only along the river banks, and on the Turtle Mountains in the north, and in some sections of the Red River Valley. The remainder of the State is a treeless prairie covered with numerous species of ​grasses and other forage plants. The principal trees are cottonwood along the rivers, and oak, elm, birch, ash, and poplar in the Turtle Mountains.
Geology and Mineral Resources. The rock formations of the State include the Archæan, Cambrian, Silurian, Cretaceous, and Tertiary systems. The Dakota sandstone of the Cretaceous system is an important member, being the chief water-bearing stratum on which the artesian wells of North Dakota depend. Most of the rocks, however, are covered by a deposit of glacial drift, composed of sand, gravel, and clay. In the Red River Valley there is a thick layer of alluvium deposited by Lake Agassiz, whose ancient shore-lines have been traced all around the valley. The central and western portions of the State are underlaid with extensive beds of lignite, which is being more and more utilized. The production in 1901 amounted to 166,601 tons, valued at $214,151. Clay is the only other mineral utilized to any considerable extent, though some building-stone is available, and lime, salt, and a little iron are found.
Agriculture. Although stock-raising made considerable progress in the decade 1870-80, the putting of the land under plow was almost wholly the work of the succeeding decades. The number of acres included in farms doubled from 1890 to 1900, and amounted in the latter year to 34.6 per cent. of the total area. Of the farm area, 62.1 per cent. was improved. During the same decade the average size of farms increased from 277.4 acres to 342.9 acres—a larger average than is found in any other State. In 1900, 1346 farms contained over 1000 acres each. Excepting that of the ‘bad lands,’ in the southwest, the soil is not only unusually fertile, but also easily tilled. Its composition is fortunately such as to favor the retention of moisture. Nevertheless, there are occasionally severe droughts.
Everywhere wheat is the dominant crop. In 1899 it constituted 56 per cent. of the total crop area. In the same year the per capita acreage of wheat, 13.9 acres, was larger than in any other State. The Red River Valley, which extends entirely across the eastern end of North Dakota, is perhaps the most famous wheat-producing region in the world. In the six counties bordering the Red River almost half of the total area is devoted to wheat. Oats is the next most important cereal. The cultivation of flax increased during the decade 1890-1900 from a few thousand acres to an acreage exceeding that of any other State. Barley is most extensively produced in the northeastern counties and corn in the southeastern. Potatoes yield abundantly and are an important crop. But very little fruit is raised.
The following table gives the acreage of the leading crops for the census years indicated:
1890 :
| Wheat | 4,451,231 | 2,709,421 |
| Oats | 780,517 | 402,855 |
| Flax | 773,999 | 43,724 |
| Barley | 287,092 | 109,400 |
| Corn | 42,373 | 11,954 |
| Rye | 27,995 | 1,568 |
| Hay | 1,410,534 | 558,720 |
| Potatoes | 21,936 | 18,262 |
Stock-Raising. The prairie lands afford excellent pasturage, and large areas of wild salt and prairie grasses are annually cut for winter feed. With the exception of mules, all kinds of domestic animals showed large gains from 1890 to 1900. Cattle and horses are the most important varieties.
The following table, taken from the census, shows the relative prominence of the principal varieties of farm animals:
1890 :
| Dairy cows | 125,503 | 88,289 |
| Neat cattle | 531,931 | 193,585 |
| Horses | 359,948 | 130,931 |
| Mules and asses | 6,976 | 8,709 |
| Sheep | 451,437 | 136,413 |
| Swine | 191,798 | 92,213 |
Manufactures. But little manufacturing is carried on besides the so-called neighborhood industries. In 1900 the wage-earners numbered 2398, and the total value of the product was $9,183,114, of which $4,134,023 represented the flour and grist-mill output.
Transportation. In 1870 the combined mileage of the railways in what is now North and South Dakota was only 65 miles. In 1890 North Dakota alone had 2116 miles, which figure had increased in 1900 to 2810. The eastern part of the State is well supplied with railroad facilities. The Great Northern crosses the northern part, and the Northern Pacific the southern part. In addition, the Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Sault Ste. Marie enters the State at the southwest corner and extends in a northwest direction entirely across the Commonwealth. These three lines with their branches constitute the greater part of the total mileage. All three have connections with the Canadian system of railroads, the two former by way of the Red River Valley. There is a railroad commission empowered to alter tariffs, to make rules and regulations, and to hear and decide complaints subject to the revision of the courts. The Red River is navigable part of the year, but is not extensively used.
Banking. Until the organization of the State there was very little banking within its confines. In 1873 the first private bank commenced operations. The first incorporated bank opened in 1878 as a national bank. At the time of admission to Statehood there were 30 national and 8 State banks. One of the first measures of the Legislature in 1890 was to pass a stringent banking law prohibiting private banking; creating the office of Superintendent of Banks; and providing for reports and examinations. Under the security of this law many State banks were organized, and the number of national banks diminished somewhat. In 1892-93 the reputation of the North Dakota banks was seriously injured by the long list of failures of the so-called ‘Mears Banks,’ organized by E. Mears according to the Territorial law, and therefore not amenable to the new regulations. The last of these banks went into liquidation in 1896, and the reputation of the banks of the State was restored. The condition of the banks in 1902 is shown in the following table:
State banks :
| Number | 49 | 163 |
| Capital | $2,076,000 | $1,782,000 |
| Surplus | 329,000 | 223,000 |
| Cash, etc. | 794,000 | 917,000 |
| Deposits | 9,772,000 | 9,326,000 |
| Loans | 9,218,000 | 5,840,000 |
​Government. The State Constitution was adopted in October, 1889. A proposed amendment must receive the approval of a majority of the members elected to two successive legislative assemblies, and of a majority of the qualified electors at a popular election. Voters must be either citizens, or civilized Indians who have severed their tribal relations two years before election. Voters must also have resided in the State one year, in the county six months, and in the precinct ninety days. The Legislature may prescribe penalties for failing, neglecting, or refusing to vote at any general election. The capital of the State is Bismarck.
Legislative. The Senate must consist of not less than 30 or more than 50 members; the House of Representatives of not less than 60 or more than 140 members. The Senators are elected from districts of contiguous undivided counties for a term of 4 years. The Representatives are elected at large from the Senatorial districts for a term of 2 years. Both receive $5 per day and mileage. Sessions are biennial, beginning on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January, and are limited to 60 days.
Executive. The Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commissioner of Insurance, three Commissioners of Railroads, an Attorney-General, and a Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor are elected every two years. The Governor can veto all bills or any item of any appropriation bill, but his veto is overridden by a two-thirds vote of both Houses. An unreturned bill becomes a law after three days. The Governor may call extra sessions, and, in conjunction with a board of pardons, may exercise the pardoning power.
Judiciary. There is a Supreme Court of three judges elected by the State at large for the period of 6 years. There are 6 district courts, a judge being elected in each district for 4 years. The Legislature can increase the number. A clerk of the district court is elected in each county for 4 years. County court judges are elected for 2 years. The Legislature provides by law for the election of justices of the peace and police magistrates.
Local Government. General laws provide for organizing new counties and changing county lines. There must be, however, at least 24 Congressional townships and 1000 inhabitants in each county. Changes in boundaries must be approved by popular vote of the counties affected. Township organization is also provided for by a general law. Every two years the counties elect a register of deeds, auditor, treasurer, sheriff, and attorney. Other county, township, and district officers may be provided for by law.
Other Legal Provisions. Trusts or combinations controlling the price or cost of exchange of articles are unlawful. The importation, manufacture, sale, or gift of intoxicating liquors is prohibited. The legal rate of interest is 7 per cent., though 12 may be allowed by contract. Judgments outlaw in 10 years, notes in 6 years.
Finances. The small public debt was created mainly in 1884-89, before admission to Statehood, for purposes of construction of public buildings. It bore 6 per cent., but was refunded after 1890 in 4 per cent. bonds. At the time of admission the debt was $689,000, and the Constitution prohibits any increase of this debt by more than $200,000. The income of the State is derived from a general property tax limited by the Constitution to 4 mills, from a tax on corporations and railroads, and from sale of public lands. All the proceeds from the last source must go into the permancnt school fund. On June 30, 1902, the State had a balance on hand in the treasury of $562,582.81. The total receipts from June 30, 1900, to June 30, 1902, were $3,126,435.08, and the expenditures for the same period amounted to $2,740,278.27. The bonded indebtedness on June 30, 1902, was $722,300.
Militia. The number of men of militia age in 1900 was 80,191. The militia in 1901 numbered 718.
Population. The population of North Dakota by decades is as follows: 1870, 2403; 1880, 36,909; 1890, 182,719; 1900, 319,146. North Dakota at the first two censuses was a part of the Territory of Dakota. The increase in the last decade amounted to 74.7 per cent. The counties along the Red River are the most densely populated. But few people are located in the western half of the State. There is a larger per cent. of foreign-born than is found in any other State. In 1900 this element of the population numbered 113,091, and there was a still larger number of native whites of foreign parents, these two elements almost equaling four-fifths of the total population. The Canadians and Swedes are the chief foreign nationalities represented. Only two towns had more than 4000 inhabitants in 1900: Fargo, 9589; and Grand Forks, 7652. The State sends two members to the National House of Representatives.
Religion. The principal Protestant denomination is the Lutheran. It represents about one-third of all the church members. The Roman Catholics form over one-seventh of the total population. The other denominations, in order of importance, are Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, and the Congregational.
Education. The Constitution provides for a free public school system under the supervision of a board of commissioners consisting of the Governor, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the president of the State University. The system of high schools is under the control of local boards of education, city superintendents, and State high school boards; and there are a State normal school and institutions for higher education. The proportion of illiteracy in 1900 was 5.6 per cent., being the highest (with the exception of Missouri) in the North Central division of States. This proportion ranges from 0.9 per cent. for the native white population, to 6.7 per cent. for the foreign white, and to 59.2 per cent. for the colored. The 2641 common schools (245 graded) had in 1900 an enrollment of 77,686, and an average daily attendance of 43,560. The length of the school term in 1900 was 155.7 days, as against 113 days in 1890. The average monthly salaries of male and female teachers in 1900 were $41.72 and $36.80 respectively.
The total income for school purposes in 1900 was $1,456,496, the revenue being derived principally from local taxes, from the permanent school fund, and from the sale and rental of school lands. The expenditure per pupil, based on average attendance, was $35.03—the highest ​expenditure found among the North Central States and a figure exceeded in but few States. Under the enabling act admitting the State of North Dakota to the Union, the 16th and 36th sections of every township were granted for the maintenance of the common schools. The State thus acquired about 2,300,000 acres. In 1900 North Dakota had 27 public high schools with a total attendance of 1130. Normal education is provided by two public schools (at Mayville and Valley City) and one private normal school. The institutions for higher education are the University of North Dakota, at Grand Forks; Fargo College (Cong.), at Fargo; Red River Valley University (M. E.), at Wahpeton; and the Agricultural College, at Fargo.
Charitable and Penal Institutions. The State maintains a school for the deaf at Devil's Lake, an asylum for the insane and a school for the feeble-minded, both at Jamestown, and a soldiers' home at Lisbon. The State penitentiary is located at Bismarck.
History. The whole territory of Dakota was a part of the Louisiana Purchase, and was for a long time unorganized. Lewis and Clark in their expedition of 1804-06 spent the first winter near Mandan. British subjects had posts for the fur trade within the territory, and Lord Selkirk, considering it British territory, built a fort near Pembina in 1810. Previously, about 1780, French Canadians had settled at this place. Frémont in 1839) explored much of the country, and Lieutenant Warner in 1855 made a report on the region for the Government. The Sioux Indians in 1851 ceded a portion of their lands to the Government and they were opened for settlement. The part east of the Missouri River was first attached to the Territory of Minnesota in 1849. The part west, together with much of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, became part of Nebraska Territory in 1854. On March 2, 1861, the Territory of Dakota was organized.
The Indians were hostile and population was sparse until after 1866. With the growth of population came agitation for Statehood, and the Territory was divided into two (see South Dakota), and on February 22, 1889, Congress authorized the calling of conventions to form constitutions. The convention for North Dakota met at Bismarck July 4, and formed a constitution. It was ratified in October, together with a prohibition article which was submitted separately. On November 2d President Harrison declared the State admitted. Politically the State has been Republican from its admission, with the exception of one election (1892), when a fusion of the Farmers' Alliance with the Democrats gave them control.
GOVERNORS OF NORTH DAKOTA :
| John Miller | Republican | 1889-91 |
| Andrew H. Burke | “ | 1891-93 |
| E. C. D. Shortridge | Democratic-Independent | 1893-95 |
| Roger Allin | Republican | 1895-97 |
| Frank A. Briggs | “ | 1897-99 |
| Frederic B. Fancher | “ | 1899-1901 |
| Frank White | “ | 1901 — |
Consult: the report by the Commissioner of Immigration; Hagerty, The State of North Dakota: An Official Statistical, Historical, and Political Abstract (Aberdeen, S. D., 1889); Beadle, Dakota (Saint Paul, 1889).