fl.M. JiUvn*. - <£u*tte> J&J^ 7 AREA FACT SURVEY dfumomed fy TOPLI Lffil (giKMM, m mm TM POWER ©©HIF^MVT F 644 .T85 T86 1969 Turtle Lake Commercial Club. Turtle Lake North Dakota NORTH DAKOTA STATE LIBRARY 604 EAST BOULEVARD AVE. BISMARCK, ND 58505-0800 NORTH DAKOTA STATE LIBRARY NORTH DAKOTA BOOK OR AUTHOR 3 3105 00266 4454 TURTLE LAKE, NORTH DAKOTA Population - 900 COMMUNITY FACT SURVEY Sponsored By TURTLE LAKE COMMERCIAL CLUB In Cooperation With Area Development Department Otter Tail Power Company This information was compiled with the hope that it would be of interest and value to industries, commercial concerns, and professional people who are considering Turtle Lake as a potential location. Every effort was made to insure this brochure as being as complete and factual as possible. For further information concerning Turtle Lake, please direct inquiries to: Pres ident Gordon Olson Commercial Club OR Service Representative Turtle Lake, North Dakota Otter Tail Power Company Underwood, North Dakota North Dakota State Library 604 E. Boulevard Bismarck, ND 58505-0800 19(59 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction i Table of Contents ii Letter of Greeting - Commercial Club 1 Aerial View - Turtle Lake 2 Letter of Greeting - Board of City Commissioners 3 General Information 4 Climate 5 Agriculture 6-7 Municipal Services 8-10 Tax Structure 11 Community Facilities 12-18 Community Services 19-20 Transportation & Fuels 21 Electric Power 22 Communications 23-24 Labor 25-27 Market Information 28 Trade Area Map 29 Business Development 30 North Dakota Financing & Tax Advantages 31 Plat Map Showing Sites, Water & Sewer Lines, & Points of Interest 32 ii I urtle Lake L^ommercial LJub WORKING FOR A I TURTLE LAKE BETTER COMMUNITY I NDRTH DAKDTA The Turtle Lake Commercial Club is happy to be able to prepare this booklet. It is an attempt on our part to tell you some of the assets of our community. Turtle Lake s greatest asset is its people. Our progressive community reflects the efforts and determination of the people. At a time when small towns are fighting a battle for survival, we have grown in size each year. We have faced this danger of being swallowed up by the large cities head on, and are proving our right to exist as a center of trade for our area. The desire to continue to exist grows out of the hearts of the citizens of this community, who have found it a good place to live and to raise their families. The business community knows that the people of this area are good people to do business with, and deserve a first-rate shopping center. We hope in the future industry will find our city and realize the tremendous resource of men and women we have available. The people of this community are accustomed to giving a day's work for a day's pay. As you read this booklet, you will discover how love for a community takes the form of action. Our people have been busy developing their town. New buildings and con­ tinued remodeling of existing buildings make for an attractive and prospering business community. Our modern hospital is in the process of adding more beds to facilitate better medical care for the community. Our two medical doctors, practicing out of our new medical clinic, have made Turtle Lake the medical center of the area. New church buildings, a new high school, and attractive residential areas are all the results of people working together to improve their community. Our newly paved streets certainly add to the neatness and cleanliness of our town. Recreation facilities in our community provide our people with opportunities to play together as a family. In the future we will truly become the "Hub City of the Lake Region," as a lake chain with facilities for boating, swimming, camping, and picnicking will develop as a part of the Garrison Diversion Project. We will have several lakes within twenty miles of Turtle Lake to further our claim that Turtle Lake is a good town in which to live. Turtle Lake is in the center of excellent migratory waterfowl hunting and fishing. Turtle Lake is growing. The large number of new homes built here in the last two years is the best indication we have of the fact that we are not standing still or going backwards. We want you to know about Turtle Lake because we think you will like it. We sincerely invite you to visit us and see our fair city. If we can be of any service to you, please let us know. Our most sincere thanks to Otter Tail Power Company and the Turtle Lake Study Club for their help in the preparation of this booklet. Yours truly, Warren K. Olson President REPRESENTING 45 BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MEN SERVING THE 'HUB CITY OF THE LAKE REGION* i AERIAL VIEW OF TURTLE LAKE CITY OF TURTLE LAKE — MCLEAN COUNTY — TURTLE LAKE, N. DAK. As President of the Board of City Commissioners, and on behalf of the City Commissioners and the citizens of Turtle Lake, I wish to extend greetings and the invitation to visit our city, the "Hub City of the Lake Region." We are proud to have a town that is steadily growing, and one that can offer many services that will fit the needs of anyone desiring to locate within our city; also, a very cooperative City Commission that works in harmony with the various boards and organizations for the betterment of our town. We have just recently completed a major street paving and water main project that has added greatly to the neat appearance of the town, which is reflected in the increase of new buildings con­ structed during the last few years. With the Garrison Diversion becoming a reality, the recreational and industrial advantages that will be offered to the city should make this one of the faster growing communities in the state of North Dakota. Sincerely yours, a L rest Harold Hanson, President Board of City Commissioners GENERAL INFORMATION LOCATION McLean County is located in west central North Dakota. The city of Turtle Lake is situated in the eastern section of the county on North Dakota State Highway #41, two miles north of the junction with North Dakota State Highway #7. The city is 60 miles south­ east of Minot, 60 miles north of Bismarck, and 20 miles east of the Garrison Reservoir. BRIEF HISTORY The establishment of a post office on the south shore of Turtle Lake marked the beginning of what is now a thriving community. Rumors of the extension of a branch line of the Northern Pacific Railroad caused several more business places to be established near the post office in 1903. Additional land was purchased in 1905, and the original townsite was platted. Shortly after, Turtle Lake became the western terminal of the finished railroad branch. This lent impetus to the selling of lots, and many new buildings were constructed. An interesting sidelight of the development of Turtle Lake was that a free lot was promised to the first baby born in town. Since then, Turtle Lake has sustained a rather stable rate of growth and today is a trade center for a large agricultural area. ELEVATION AND The elevation of Turtle Lake is 1,899 feet above sea level. TOPOGRAPHY The area around Turtle Lake lies near the western edge of the Altamont Moraine and in a natural basin. Drainage during high water years is generally from west and north to Turtle Lake, then south through Turtle Creek to the Missouri River. The terrain is rolling and contains relatively large marshes and lakes. These wetlands consist of three marsh areas, two shallow lakes, one deep slough, and several small isolated potholes and marshes. POPULATION Growth pattern for Turtle Lake is as indicated: Current Estimate (1968) 900 1960 (U. S. Census) 792 1950 (U. S. Census) 839 1940 (U. S. Census) 632 The population of McLean County in 1960 was 14,030. CLIMATE TEMPERATURE Annual mean temperature 40.6° F. Annual mean maximum temperature 52.9° F. Annual mean minimum temperature 28.3° F. PRECIPITATION Annual average precipitation is 16.05 inches, of which 74 per cent falls during the growing season. MONTHLY DATA MONTH AVERAGE TEMPERATURE PRECIPITATION January 5.9° F. .68 inches February 12.6° F. .45 March 22.3° F. .60 April 42.4° F. .90 May 55.0° F. 1.91 June 62.2° F. 4.01 July 69.8° F. 2.19 August 68.8° F. 2.30 September 56.9° F. 1.37 October 46.1° F. .68 November 26.9° F. .64 December 18.3° F. .32 FROST DATA Average date of last frost in spring May 21 Average date of first frost in fall September 19 Average length of growing season 127 days Source: U. S. Weather Bureau AGRICULTURE GENERAL The backbone of the economy in the Turtle Lake area is agricul­ AGRICULTURAL ture. The trade segment in Turtle Lake realizes this and outlines DATA an annual program of promotion and cooperation in the development of agriculture. The agricultural industry includes both livestock and grain. Wheat is the most important single crop, with about one-third of the area income derived from wheat production. The latest North Dakota U. S. Agricultural Census reports that there were 1,525 farms in McLean County, with an average per farm value of land and buildings of $51,991. Total land in the Turtle Lake trade area is about 550,000 acres. CROP PRODUCTION IN TRADE AREA Hard red spring wheat 1,440,000 bushels Durum 1,600,000 bushels Flax 300,000 bushels Barley 1,000,000 bushels Oats 1,000,000 bushels Sugar beets 800 tons Rye 200,000 bushels Corn silage 30,000 tons LIVESTOCK The major livestock enterprises consist of both beef breeding and feeding, plus dairy operations.