Historical of Bottineau County
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HISTORICAL OF BOTTINEAU COUNTY HATE DUE •+• F 64£ . B6 B69 C. 1 Bottineau County Historical Society. Historical highlights of Bot t i neau Count y NORTH DAKOTA STATE LIBRARY BISMARCK 58505 MAY - 3 1985' NORTH DAKOTA STA1L I IIIHAMY NORTH DAKOTA BOOK OR AUTHOR 3 3105 00005 3338 HISTORICAL OF BOTTINEAU COUNTY North Dakota S>»t© (Thr-anr bismarsk. I- QUALITY PRINTING SERVICE DIVISION OF BISMARCK TRIBUNE COMPANY BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA BISMARCK TRIIUI FOREWARD It is frequently said of local residents, that we know more of national history than of our own; that we seldom stop to consider the remarkable development of our region. While in a general way we often boast of our county and its growth, we are unable to tell what it has been or what has produced it; nor can we recall the names of those who had a vital role in its progress. The following pages are devoted to a brief review of some of the interesting people and events that have shaped the destiny of Bottineau County. Undoubtedly there are omissions and some errors, both human and technical, and in no way does this volume represent a complete work. It is hoped that further interest will be stimulated through these pages, making it possible to continue the history-hunting process. HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF BOTTINEAU COUNTY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A very great debt is due the historians of the past who were faithful to the preservation of records, journals, and events of the moment, and to the unknown curators of various archives in the United States and Canada who graciously responded to requests. To Alexander Burr, whose treatment of several subjects relative to Bottineau County history which have been preserved in the North Dakota State Historical Society quarterly publications. To Leonard B. Lien, for notes on various subjects pertaining to local history collected during an assignment for the W P A history project in 1937 -1940. To Izadore Smith, retired from North Dakota State Park Field Services for loaning a number of out-of-print magazines dating from 1895 -1904. To Mrs. Freeman Thorlifson and Dyann Martinson for many hours at the typewriter. To John Leno and Douglas Trengen for reproducing photographs, often on short notice. To Thomas Koehmstedt for precision map work. To Olga Kittleson for assistance in collating the township histories. To the many people who have contributed histories and photographs for this Volume. To the committee at large: Kenneth Johnson, Banks Sieber, Guy and Aimer Lindberg, for assistance in many ways. Hazel Jostad, president Aimer Lindberg, vice-president Frances Hall, secretary Milo Shelton, treasurer Marian Trengen, chairman of publication THE BOTTINEAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1977 PHYSICAL FEATURES OF BOTTINEAU COUNTY Before the last great ice sheet moved down from Canada, the area in which Bottineau County lies was nearly level. During that time there occurred a period of erosion in which the area we think of as the Souris loop (from the Turtle Mountains west and southwest to Minot) lost huge amounts of material to the rivers flowing through it. The Turtle Moun tains were not greatly affected by this erosion, leaving them as a cut-off remnant of the old high plain. As one goes westward to the Missouri escarpment beyond the Souris loop, the same underlying material is encountered as that found under the Turtle Mountains. The last glacier covered all of Bottineau County, extending on down to a point just beyond the Missouri River. This tremendous mass of ice had vast quantities of soil and rock particles which had been carried down from the north. As the glacier began to melt, glacial lake Souris was formed. It covered the central and southern parts of the county and extended up into Canada. The southeastern, northeastern The Souris Lake Bed. and western parts of the county were shoreline and beach of old lake Souris. The deepest part of the lake was around the portion of the county, and around Maxbass and west of Omemee, Gardena and Kramer areas. Those parts of the Westhope. county that were neither flooded nor beach have a mantle of In the Turtle Mountain area the soils are more or less glacial till overlying them. (This includes the Turtle heavy textured. Bottineau clay loams and Rolette clays are Mountain area.) This is the material that was churned up the main soil types. into the ice, and it simply remained after the ice melted. It is The drainage of Bottineau County is entirely within the a mixture of various size soil particles, pebbles, stones and Hudson Bay system. The Souris River empties into the boulders. Assiniboine River, which in turn empties into the Red River Soils as we know them today develop from their parent of the North, and thence into the Hudson Bay. The drainage material and from the result of climatic conditions. Bot system of the county is peculiar in that all the streams tineau County is a cool, semi-arid area in which grass was the flowing into the Souris River have somewhat of a southerly predominant vegetation before the land was cultivated. (The direction of flow, but the Souris River flows north. A portion Turtle Mountains are an exception to the rest of the county. of the streams have their source in the Turtle Mountains. They were forested.) The soils developed in the county During periods of high rainfall and heavy snow melts, the belong to the great group of soils known as chernozems. They water comes rushing out of the mountains with a great are dark grayish brown to black in color. The county lies on velocity. As these crests approach the level prairies below, the western edge of this great soil group. the stream channels become less defined and the water To consider the soils in greater detail, there are principally spreads out over large areas. These floods cause con four main types of soil in the county. Of these, the Barnes siderable damage to the soil and private property. During type is the predominate one and is probably the most periods of dry weather the undefined stream channels are desirable type. It is found wherever the land was not covered formed in certain areas. The drainage pattern, especially in by the glacial lake or shoreline, thereby placing it primarily the more level central area of the county, is incomplete in in the north, northeastern and southwestern part of the that there are many large, level slight depressions which county. The topography is rolling. Many potholes are found. have no drainage outlet. The topsoil is medium textured and dark brown in color. It becomes lighter brown down through the subsoil. The per MINERAL RESOURCES meability (ability to take in water) of this soil is good. It is In reference to the natural resource report of North Dakota usually called loam. published January 4,1937, Bottineau County did not produce The next three soil types of major importance in the county coal of any kind. Gold was discovered in parts of Bottineau have been affected markedly in their development by glacial County in 1934. The expedition was conducted by the School of lake Souris. The first of these we shall consider is the Gar Mines of the University of North Dakota. As a result it was dena soils. These were developed from material that settled determined that there was not enough gold to justify com out of the shallow portions of the lake. They are about the mercial operations. This gold was carried into Bottineau same texture as the Barnes series, but have no stones in County by glaciers from the Canadian provinces of them. They are usually higher in organic matter than Bar Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Mineral Resources Report nes, and the subsoil is darker brown. These soils are found on to the Governor and the 25th Legislative Assembly, State of gently sloping land. They have good permeability. North Dakota, January 4, 1937 determined that Bottineau Fargo clay is found in what was the deepest portions of the County was not rich in minerals and only had few traces of old lake. It is very heavy. It can hold great amounts of water, gold and oil. Since that time (1937) numerous oil wells have but it is slow to take it in. The topography is nearly level. The been developed. The exploration period is still on. Exact topsoil is dark grayish brown. It generally is high in organic extent of oil resources is not know, but it appears to be of matter and quite productive. Because these soils are nearly considerable amount. level and are slow to take in water, flooding problems often exist after periods of heavy rains or fast snow melt. The Ulen soil types are light textured, sandy soils, brown in WATER FEATURES color. Permeability is very rapid, but water storing capacity The two main rivers are the Souris and Deep rivers. The is poor, making these soils quite droughty. These soils are Souris divides the county on a north-south line running found along the old beach lines of the glacial lake, or where through the center of the county. The Deep River cuts streams have entered the lake, mainly in the southeastern through the northwest corner. In the Turtle Mountains in the (5) northeast corner of the county is Lake Metigoshe, which is widely known for its private recreational facilities. The . A5SINI80IA ; frrrrtor, •,>•>•",.: I water in both of the rivers is reduced in flow during the lo *s-j Stltirt by /»• Hudson* I summer months because of the small amount of runoff from Bay 0>.IBV>) ISH the area.