On this date in 1914 the Washburn Leader explained that the town of Washburn had a rather inauspicious beginning. In the summer of 1882, the steamer Rosebud was in Bismarck loading for a trip to Fort Benton. Waiting to be placed on board was a square white box addressed for delivery in Washburn. The clerk initially refused to receive the box and allow it to be loaded. The reason was simple: no one knew where Washburn was. Neither the clerk nor anyone else on the docks had ever heard of it. The crew finally agreed to accept the cargo. But it rode to Fort Benton and back – and seemed to have found a home on the Rosebud.
One morning the whistle blew, and the clerk was called up on deck. He wanted to know if there was a problem. The pilot pointed to the riverbank and said, “There’s your darned town of Washburn.” And, sure enough, there it was. Nailed to two big trees was a white sign with hand painted black lettering that read “Washburn.” So the steamboat landed.
A man came down to the river and offered to take possession of the box. The mystery of Washburn was solved when he explained that the sign hadn’t been nailed in place until the steamboat had already passed by on the first trip. When the box was offloaded it tipped over and the contents spilled out. It was a full-sized old-fashioned spinning wheel shipped all the way from the old country. It was, in fact, the cause of a bitter family dispute. Two sisters were fighting over who could keep that family heirloom.
The man who paid for the sign was the town’s founder, John Satterlund. Founded in 1882, Washburn is the oldest city in McLean County. It became the county seat in 1883. It’s named for General Cadwallader C. Washburn, a prominent soldier and businessman. He had also been a Congressman and the governor of Wisconsin. Satterlund had known Washburn and named the new town in his honor.
Today Washburn is home to the North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. It offers many leisure opportunities including biking, hiking, hunting, fishing, and boating.
Dakota Datebook written by Carole Butcher
Sources:
Washburn Leader. “When Washburn First Took Its Place on Map.” 24 April 1914. Washburn ND. Page 1.
Washburn, North Dakota. https://www.washburnnd.com/ Accessed 3/20/2019.
