While the shape of North Dakota has been the same since 1889, its puzzle pieces have changed a bit. North Dakota had fifty-three counties at statehood. Some were organized and some still awaited a proper county government, and there was a variety of names and shapes not on the map today, particularly out west.
Among those were Buford and Flannery counties.They were created in 1883 after dividing Wallette County in Dakota Territory’s far northwest corner. Today, Divide and Williams counties cover that spot on the map.
These changes raised some questions for early local officials, like Williams County State’s Attorney Joseph DeNoyer, who, asked for an attorney general’s opinion regarding railroad taxes that were due to Buford and Flannery counties that had since become Williams County.
On this date in 1892, North Dakota Attorney General Clarence A.M. Spencer wrote to DeNoyer after thorough research that Williams County could collect the railroad taxes. After all, Buford and Flannery no longer existed. “As Williams County comprisesold Flannery and Buford unorganized counties,” he wrote, “it is nothing more than right that it should receivethe money due said old counties.”
Counties continued to evolve until 1907 when state law only allowed counties to be created from unorganized territory or the division of organized counties.Over the years, some counties were eliminated and later restored, like McKenzie, Dunn and Bowman,partly for lack of settlement.
Some of the counties no longer on the map are: Wynn,Howard, Allred, Wallace, Garfield, Stevens and Villard.
One great example of gerrymandering in North Dakota is the gooseneck of Ward County to stop Kenmare from becoming a county seat.
Sioux, Slope and Grant counties were the last ones created or organized in North Dakota, just over one hundred years ago. For all the changes, there’s the same number of counties today as there were at statehood in 1889: fifty-three.
Dakota Datebook by Jack Dura
Sources
North Dakota Attorney General. (1892). Biennial report of the attorney general to the governor of North Dakota for the year ending October 31, 1892. Tribune, State Printers and Binders: Bismarck, ND
North Dakota Department of State. (2015). North Dakota Blue Book 2015-2017. North Dakota Department of State: Bismarck, ND
https://www.ndaco.org/about-counties/county-histories/
