Schafer, North Dakota
Encyclopedia
Schafer is an unincorporated area
and the former county seat
of McKenzie County
, North Dakota
, United States
. It faded into obscurity after the county seat was moved south to Watford City
, and is now a ghost town
.
The farm of Albert and Lulia Haven was located just to the north of Schafer, and it was there, in 1930, that Charles Bannon is believed to have murdered them both, along with their four children; for this he became the last man in the state of North Dakota to be lynch
ed. The only remaining sign of the town is the old county jail
, from which Bannon was dragged by the lynch mob on the night of his death.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
and the former 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....
of McKenzie County
McKenzie County, North Dakota
-Major highways:* U.S. Highway 85* North Dakota Highway 22* North Dakota Highway 23* North Dakota Highway 58* North Dakota Highway 68* North Dakota Highway 73* North Dakota Highway 200* North Dakota Highway 1806-National protected areas:...
, 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....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It faded into obscurity after the county seat was moved south to Watford City
Watford City, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,435 people, 619 households, and 378 families residing in the city. The population density was 964.8 people per square mile . There were 790 housing units at an average density of 531.2 per square mile...
, and is now a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
.
The farm of Albert and Lulia Haven was located just to the north of Schafer, and it was there, in 1930, that Charles Bannon is believed to have murdered them both, along with their four children; for this he became the last man in the state of North Dakota to be lynch
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
ed. The only remaining sign of the town is the old county jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
, from which Bannon was dragged by the lynch mob on the night of his death.