Sims, North Dakota
Encyclopedia
Sims is a ghost town
in Morton County
, North Dakota
, United States
. The town was founded in 1883, and Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was constructed the next year. Today, the church has been restored and still worships every other Sunday. The church parsonage has also been restored and is home to the Sims Historical Society Museum.
In October 2008, First Lady
Laura Bush
visited Sims and toured its church during a trip to North Dakota.
recorded a population of just 86 people. The population fluctuated over the years with an estimated 98 people in 1940.
The post office was founded in 1883 and closed in 1947, with mail routed through Almont, North Dakota
, to the south.
Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was built in 1884 as a combination church and residence. A new church was built in 1896 next to the parsonage. It is reportedly North Dakota's oldest Lutheran church west of the Missouri River
. The congregation still has roughly 50 members, even though they do not live in Sims. Locals report, however, that the town does have one remaining resident, a former pastor's wife who died between 1916 and 1918. Dubbed the "Gray Lady Ghost," her spirit is reported to haunt the old parsonage next door, wandering the rooms and playing the organ.
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...
in Morton County
Morton County, North Dakota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,303 people, 9,889 households, and 6,932 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile . There were 10,587 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...
, 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...
. The town was founded in 1883, and Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was constructed the next year. Today, the church has been restored and still worships every other Sunday. The church parsonage has also been restored and is home to the Sims Historical Society Museum.
In October 2008, First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
visited Sims and toured its church during a trip to North Dakota.
History
Coal mining in the area and the town's brickyard helped Sims grow to a population of more than 1,000 people. However, the 1910 CensusUnited States Census, 1910
The Thirteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau on April 15, 1910, determined the resident population of the United States to be 92,228,496, an increase of 21.0 percent over the 76,212,168 persons enumerated during the 1900 Census...
recorded a population of just 86 people. The population fluctuated over the years with an estimated 98 people in 1940.
The post office was founded in 1883 and closed in 1947, with mail routed through Almont, North Dakota
Almont, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 89 people, 43 households, and 22 families residing in the city. The population density was 33.8 people per square mile . There were 63 housing units at an average density of 23.9 per square mile...
, to the south.
Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was built in 1884 as a combination church and residence. A new church was built in 1896 next to the parsonage. It is reportedly North Dakota's oldest Lutheran church west of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
. The congregation still has roughly 50 members, even though they do not live in Sims. Locals report, however, that the town does have one remaining resident, a former pastor's wife who died between 1916 and 1918. Dubbed the "Gray Lady Ghost," her spirit is reported to haunt the old parsonage next door, wandering the rooms and playing the organ.