Minnewaukan City

Benson County, North Dakota

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Minnewaukan City Hall is located 170 Main Street East, Minnewaukan, ND 58351; phone: 701‑473‑5735.

Minnewauken as described in 1909 [1]

Minnewaukan, the county seat, is a prosperous village with a population of over 500. The name in Indian signifies "spirit water" and was originally applied by the aboriginal inhabitants to the lake now called Devils Lake, the sinister perversion of the original Indian being an incorrect interpretation by the white man. The village is situated on the Leeds branch of the Northern Pacific railway at the northwesterly point of the Indian reservation. It was founded in 1883 and the first house built was erected by Major Larson. In January, 1884, a newspaper was established by James W. Sheppard, who arrived on January 4th of that year, after an exciting race with E.F. Sibly, who was acting for H.C. Hansbrough. The first issue of the paper — the North Dakota Siftings — was issued February 9th.

Minnewaukan was incorporated as a village in 1838 and contains six elevators, a feed mill, general stores, one newspaper, a $40,000 courthouse, a high grade schoolhouse and all the other adjuncts of a modern community, including cement sidewalks and an electric light and water works system.

  1. North Dakota Agricultural Department, North Dakota Magazine, Year Book, 1909, Volume 4, No. 1, February 1910, Bismarck.

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