Pickering Township is a civil township

Civil township

A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...

 in Bottineau County

Bottineau County, North Dakota

-Major highways:* U.S. Highway 83* North Dakota Highway 5* North Dakota Highway 14* North Dakota Highway 43* North Dakota Highway 60* North Dakota Highway 256-National protected areas:*J...

 in the U.S. State

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of North Dakota

North Dakota

North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

. As of the 2000 census

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

, its population was 213.

History

Pickering Township was organized sometime between 1910 and 1920 from Vinge School Township and the western portion of Bottineau School Township.

Reportedly, in 1883 Norwegian settlers from Polk County

Polk County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 31,369 people, 12,070 households, and 8,050 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 14,008 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile...

, Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, established the first Norwegian settlemetn in Bottineau County

Bottineau County, North Dakota

-Major highways:* U.S. Highway 83* North Dakota Highway 5* North Dakota Highway 14* North Dakota Highway 43* North Dakota Highway 60* North Dakota Highway 256-National protected areas:*J...

 near Carbury

Carbury, North Dakota

Carbury is a ghost town and unincorporated community in Bottineau County in the U.S. State of North Dakota. It is located along North Dakota Highway 14 in the eastern part of the county, east of Souris, North Dakota. The town is virtually abandoned, and the 2000 Census did not record a population....

 in present-day Pickering Township. Other Norwegians followed in 1886.

Geography

Pickering Township is located in Township

Public Land Survey System

The Public Land Survey System is a method used in the United States to survey and identify land parcels, particularly for titles and deeds of rural, wild or undeveloped land. Its basic units of area are the township and section. It is sometimes referred to as the rectangular survey system,...

 162N, Range 76W. North Dakota Highway 14 is a primary highway in the township, and the city of Bottineau

Bottineau, North Dakota

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,336 people, 979 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,230.0 people per square mile . There were 1,114 housing units at an average density of 1,063.4 per square mile...

, which is the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

, is located in the southeast corner of the township.

Carbury Dam is a public fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 area located 1 miles (1.6 km) south and 1 miles (1.6 km) west of Carbury

Carbury, North Dakota

Carbury is a ghost town and unincorporated community in Bottineau County in the U.S. State of North Dakota. It is located along North Dakota Highway 14 in the eastern part of the county, east of Souris, North Dakota. The town is virtually abandoned, and the 2000 Census did not record a population....

. It is managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.