Origins of North Dakota place names

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: North Dakota State Library 2014
• Subjects: Cleary; Postville; Rennie
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/16547

chewan and Alberta were opened for settlement, this town was often called "Gateway to the Great Northwest." Townsite officials retained the meaning of this phrase when they named the town. A considerable part of the traffic, by air as well as otherwise — to Canadian Northwest passes through its customs offices. The post office was established Oct. 16, 1893 with Horace Prairie, postmaster. (7, p. 276; 38, vol. 2, no. 5, p. 13; 76; 80) POSTVILLE: See FLAXTON. POWERS LAKE: Named for John Powers, pioneer rancher, who homesteaded on the lake shore. The post office was established Feb. 23, 1902 with John C. Hoff, postmaster. The village incorporated in 1910; as a city in 1935. (10, p. 780; 51, 9/11/40; 76; 80) RELIANCE: Origin not known. RENNIE: A post office established Aug. 21, 1903 with Syver O. Johnson, postmaster; discontinued Oct. 15,1909. Origin of name not known. (80) RIVAL: A Soo Line R.R. town that was founded on Sec. 33-34 Portal Twp. as a rival to the Great Northern R.R. town of Lignite. The post office was established May 17, 1907 with Chester L. Teisinger, postmaster; discontinued May 17, 1909. (10, p. 781; 80) SMISHEK: A post office in Cleary Twp., Sec. 35 was established June 28, 1906 with Joseph J. Smishek, postmaster; discontinued Sept. 16, 1910 and mail sent to Villa. (80) SPIRAL: A Soo Line R.R. spur loading station on Sec. 25, Bowbells Twp. Origin of the name not known. It may have been suggested by the spiral outline of the railroad track. STAMPEDE: A post office established in Sec. 3 of Fay Twp. with John G. Peterson, postmaster. Origin of name not known. (80) STRANGE SIDING: A Soo Line railroad siding which was removed in March 1958. Origin of name not known. (12, 4/3/58) THORSON: A post office established Oct. 27, 1905 with Ole A. Olson, postmaster; named for D. H. Thorson, local homesteader. Post office was discontinued June 30, 1912 and mail sent to McGregor in Williams County (80) VANVILLE: A rural post office in Sec. 23, named for its township, was established Nov. 13, 1905 with Frank E. Drinkwater, postmaster. The township was named Van-ville for a family of Van Vorsts, who filed on ten homesteads in Vanville Twp. (80) 46 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.