Wahpeton, North Dakota
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Carver
Jonathan Carver was an American explorer and writer. He was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts and then moved with his family to Canterbury, Connecticut. He later married Abigail Robbins and became a shoemaker. He is believed to have had seven children.In 1755 Carver joined the colonial militia at...
in 1767. He explored and mapped the Northwest at the request of Major Robert Rogers
Robert Rogers (soldier)
Robert Rogers was an American colonial frontiersman. Rogers served in the British army during both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution...
, commander of Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac was an 18th century French, and later British, fort and trading post in the Great Lakes of North America. Built around 1715, it was located along the southern shore of the strategic Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, at the northern tip of the lower...
, the British fort at Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village...
, which protected the passage between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Carver's mission was to find the Northwest passage, the imagined waterway to the Orient which Rogers was convinced existed. While Carver failed in his search, the passing years saw many fur traders and explorers pass through the area.
More than one hundred years after the Carver expedition, a United States Government surveying party passed through the Wahpeton area. J. W. Blanding, a member of the expedition, was so impressed by the fertile river valley that he returned to his Wisconsin home determined to move his family and belongings to the Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
. Blanding so influenced other Wisconsin settlers that many of them arrived and homesteaded in the Wahpeton area before Blanding could return.
The first settler was Morgan T. Rich. His plow turned the first furrow of rich black bottomland in 1869. When other settlers arrived, they formed a tiny community and named it Richville, commemorating both its founder and the fertile quality of the soil.
In 1871, a Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was opened. At the same time, the town's name was changed to Chahinkapa, an Indian name meaning "the end of the woods." Two years later, the county was organized and called Chahinkapa County. Later that year the county was renamed Richland County and the town of Chahinkapa renamed Wahpeton, an adaptation of the Dakota
Dakota language
Dakota is a Siouan language spoken by the Dakota people of the Sioux tribes. Dakota is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the Lakota language.-Dialects:...
name of the local population of Dakota
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
Indians, the Wakhpetonwan. The name meant "leaf dwellers," and was adopted when they lived in the vicinity of Lake Mille Lacs before they were displaced by the Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
.
Growth of the village of Wahpeton was quite slow during the first few years, but growth was spurred in 1872 when the St. Paul and Pacific Railway (now the Great Northern) extended a line into Breckenridge, Minnesota, a tiny community just across the Bois de Sioux River from Wahpeton. This created a booming business in flatboat
Flatboat
Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with (mostlyNOTE: "(parenthesized)" wordings in the quote below are notes added to...
building in both communities. Flat boats could carry freight directly from the railroad down river to northern North Dakota and all the way to Winnipeg, Canada, via the Red River of the North.
The railroad line opened up the area to many more settlers. Germans
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
, Bohemians, Scandinavians, and Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
moved to Richland County to file homesteads. In 1874, Jacob Morvin and Joseph Sittarich opened the first retail store in the county. By 1876 the traffic between Wahpeton and Breckenridge had grown to where the local ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
could not handle it and a bridge was built across the Bois de Sioux River connecting the two towns.
Another flurry of growth occurred in 1880 when the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railroad crossed the river and pushed its tracks on toward the north-west. By 1883 the population of Wahpeton was estimated to be as high as 1,400 people.
In 1888, the Northern Light Electric Company (NLEC) was organized, making Wahpeton among the first cities in North Dakota to be electrified. In 1909, NLEC became the first customer of the newly founded Otter Tail Power Company
Otter Tail Power Company
Otter Tail Corporation is an energy company based in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Its main subsidiary is the Otter Tail Power Company.As of 2007, Otter Tail Power Company serves at least 423 towns at retail and delivers power to about 14 municipal utilities...
. In 1913, the owner of NLEC, C. B. Kidder, sold his company to Otter Tail Power and became its first general manager. In 1927, Otter Tail Power built what was then its largest power plant at Wahpeton and it was named Kidder Station. The plant was removed in 1977; the site is now a park.
In 1889, the Red River Valley University
Red River Valley University
Red River Valley University was a private liberal arts college located in Wahpeton, North Dakota, and affiliated with the Methodist Church. The university opened in 1893, and operated independently until 1905, when limited funds forced the closure of the Wahpeton campus...
was established in Wahpeton; it later became the North Dakota State College of Science
North Dakota State College of Science
The North Dakota State College of Science is a 2-year public college in Wahpeton, North Dakota and part of the North Dakota University System...
.
In 1904, the United States Government established the Wahpeton Indian School (now called Circle of Nations School) for the education of Native American children from northern Minnesota, North Dakota and northern South Dakota.
Economy
Wahpeton is the home of several large manufacturing plants, including Woodcraft Industries, Inc., WCCO Belting, Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative, and CargillCargill
Cargill, Incorporated is a privately held, multinational corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Founded in 1865, it is now the largest privately held corporation in the United States in terms of revenue. If it were a public company, it would rank, as of 2011, number 13 on the Fortune 500,...
.
Imation Corporation had operated a production facility in Wahpeton but it was closed in 2009.
On May 14, 1991, Wahpeton voters approved a 1% city sales and use tax, the proceeds of which are to be dedicated solely to economic development of the City of Wahpeton and Richland County, North Dakota by means of business and industrial expansion including job creation, job retention, business and industrial diversification, and the creation, fostering and maintenance of business and trade activities and facilities. The tax would become effective July 1, 1991 and sunset in five years. On June 14, 1994, voters approved to extend the sales tax 10 years to June 30, 2006. And again on October 14, 2003, voters approved broadening the use and extending the 1½% sales tax to June 30, 2026.
K–12
The city of Wahpeton is served by Elementary School, Wahpeton Middle School, and Wahpeton Senior High School. A private school, St. John's Elementary School, is also located in Wahpeton.High school championships
- State Class 'A' footballNorth Dakota High School Activities AssociationThe North Dakota High School Activities Association is the governing body for North Dakota high school athletics and fine arts. In many athletics, the state's teams are divided into Class A and Class B . One exception to this is football, which is divided into four divisions: AAA, AA, A, and 9-man...
: 1930, 1971
- State Class 'A' boys basketballNorth Dakota High School Activities AssociationThe North Dakota High School Activities Association is the governing body for North Dakota high school athletics and fine arts. In many athletics, the state's teams are divided into Class A and Class B . One exception to this is football, which is divided into four divisions: AAA, AA, A, and 9-man...
: 1941, 1944, 1954, 1979
- State Class 'A' girls basketballNorth Dakota High School Activities AssociationThe North Dakota High School Activities Association is the governing body for North Dakota high school athletics and fine arts. In many athletics, the state's teams are divided into Class A and Class B . One exception to this is football, which is divided into four divisions: AAA, AA, A, and 9-man...
: 1986
- State Class 'A' volleyballNorth Dakota High School Activities AssociationThe North Dakota High School Activities Association is the governing body for North Dakota high school athletics and fine arts. In many athletics, the state's teams are divided into Class A and Class B . One exception to this is football, which is divided into four divisions: AAA, AA, A, and 9-man...
: 1985, 1986
- State Class 'A' girls golfNorth Dakota High School Activities AssociationThe North Dakota High School Activities Association is the governing body for North Dakota high school athletics and fine arts. In many athletics, the state's teams are divided into Class A and Class B . One exception to this is football, which is divided into four divisions: AAA, AA, A, and 9-man...
: 1991
- State Class 'A' wrestlingNorth Dakota High School Activities AssociationThe North Dakota High School Activities Association is the governing body for North Dakota high school athletics and fine arts. In many athletics, the state's teams are divided into Class A and Class B . One exception to this is football, which is divided into four divisions: AAA, AA, A, and 9-man...
: 2007
- State Class 'A' girls indoor track & fieldNorth Dakota High School Activities AssociationThe North Dakota High School Activities Association is the governing body for North Dakota high school athletics and fine arts. In many athletics, the state's teams are divided into Class A and Class B . One exception to this is football, which is divided into four divisions: AAA, AA, A, and 9-man...
: 1999
Recreation and culture
The area attracts outdoorsman and hunters, as it is located in the midst of the Central FlywayCentral Flyway
The Central Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Great Plains in the United States and Canada. The main endpoints of the flyway include central Canada and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration route tends to narrow considerably in the Platte River and...
, thus providing excellent migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
waterfowl hunting.
The Bois de Sioux Golf Course is the only golf course in the United States with half the course is in one state and half in another.
Near the golf course is Chahinkapa Park, which houses playgrounds, baseball, softball, and football fields, miniature golf, and tennis. During the summer the large swimming pool is also open. Chahinkapa Park is also home to Chahinkapa Zoo
Chahinkapa Zoo
Chahinkapa Zoo is an zoo in Wahpeton, North Dakota. Opened in 1933 on land that had been purchased in 1903, it is the first zoo built in North Dakota. It is open May through October and by appointment during the winter...
.
The Richland County Historical Society Museum features Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
artifacts and displays of pioneer life. Near Wahpeton is Fort Abercrombie
Fort Abercrombie
Fort Abercrombie, in North Dakota, was an American fort established by authority of an act of Congress, March 3, 1857. The act allocated twenty-five square miles of land on the Red River in Dakota Territory to be used for a military outpost, but the exact location was left to the discretion of...
and the Circus Monument, erected in memory of circus workers killed by lightning there in 1897. Circus performers hold a memorial service at the monument whenever they perform in the area.
The Carmelite Monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, located in the bend of the Wild Rice River, is a few miles from Wahpeton.
On Thursday afternoons from June through October, the Twin Towns Gardeners' Market is held on the lawn of the Leach Public Library.
Other Wahpeton area attractions include "Wahpper" the World's Largest Catfish, located at Kidder Dam, and the Bagg Bonanza Farm
Frederick A. and Sophia Bagg Bonanza Farm
Frederick A. and Sophia Bagg Bonanza Farm, also known as Bagg Bonanza Farm or F. A. Bagg Farm, is a bonanza farm in Richland County, North Dakota.It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2005....
, a 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) historic bonanza farm with farm buildings and machinery.
Notable people
- Sam AndersonSam AndersonSam Anderson is an American actor.-Early life:Anderson was born in Wahpeton, North Dakota. He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. During the 1970s, Sam taught drama at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California.-Career:Anderson is perhaps best known for his roles...
, actor. - Louise ErdrichLouise ErdrichKaren Louise Erdrich, known as Louise Erdrich, is an author of novels, poetry, and children's books featuring Native American heritage. She is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance...
, Native American author. - Woodrow W. KeebleWoodrow W. KeebleMaster Sergeant Woodrow Wilson Keeble was a U.S. Army National Guard veteran of both World War II and the Korean War...
, World War II and Korean War era Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient. - Porter J. McCumberPorter J. McCumberPorter James McCumber was a United States Senator from North Dakota. Born in Crete, Illinois, he moved with his parents to Rochester, Minnesota the same year. He attended the common schools and taught school for a few years, and graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan at...
, former senator. - Steve MyhraSteve MyhraSteve Myhra was a professional American football player who played offensive line and placekicker for six seasons for the Baltimore Colts....
, former placekicker for the Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
.