Origins of North Dakota place names

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: North Dakota State Library 2014
• Subjects: Fridtjof; Nordland
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/16772

first lots were sold at auction July 11, 1905 by C. A. Campbell for the railroad townsite company which platted the site. Christ Menge took up residence here four days before the lot sale, and took charge of the three lumber yards already staked out and stocked with lumber hauled by team from Bisbee. The Soo Line track laying was completed on Nov. 18 of that year, with ceremonious driving of the last spike by a railroad official where east and west track-laying crews met, about two miles west of Mylo. Jens Johnson opened up the first store in which the post office was established Oct. 18,1905 with Thomas H. Blose, postmaster. The village incorporated in 1907. (21; 36, pp. 141, 237; 76; 80) NANSON: A G.N.R.R. station established on Sec. 23, Rice Twp. land formerly owned by Olaf Nordland was first named SELDEN, for John Selden, English statesman. Because of the similarity to another place name in the state, it was renamed Nanson, for Dr. Fridtjof Nan- son, the Norwegian explorer and naturalist. The post office was established Dec. 11, 1905 with Olaf H. Johnson, postmaster. Nanson was a thriving little city until 1925, but not much remains now. (10, p. 774; 36, p. 242; 76; 80) OPEN: Ole Oden opened a post office in his log shack in Sec. 35, Holmes Twp., about 1895, which operated but a short time and was discontinued. (36, p. 245) PENNYHILL: In the late 1890s, Beric Cote filed on land in Sec. 14, South Valley Twp., built a cabin here in which the post office was established Nov. 14, 1900 with Dugald McKellar, postmaster. Cote operated the blacksmith shop nearby. The post office was named for the long range of bordering hills extending eastward into Pierce County. They are very barren and void of trees, supposedly named by Father Campeau of Willow City, who made a trip through them in pioneer days during a hot, dry summer. He remarked to his companion, "I can't see how anyone could make a penny in those hills — Pennyhills, that should be a good name for them." (36, p. 240; 80) QUAY: A short-lived rural post office established April 21, 1890 with Ole W. Martin, postmaster; discontinued April 29, 1892 and mail sent to Rolla. Origin of name not known. (80) ROLETTE: WILLOW CREEK was the name of the post office here by the stream of the same name, near the west line of the county before the village came into existence, was named, like the county, for Joseph Rolette, who was well known as a fur trader, legislator, commissioner, postmaster, customs official and frontiersman. He was born at Prairie du Chien, Wis., on Oct. 23, 1820, entered the employ of the American Fur Co., at Pembina in 1840, established a Red River cart route from here to St. Paul, and died in Pembina, May 16, 1871. 271 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.