Chapter IV: Highways and Trails (12)

CARSON, =90.5 m.= (2,289 alt., 356 pop.), is a compact little town on the slope of a hill, dominated by the large, white frame courthouse at the high end of the main street. It is named for two early settlers, Frank Carter and Simon Pederson.

Left from Carson an unimproved county road leads to the HEART RIVER, =12 m.=

Right on the south bank of the stream to a good camping place, =1 m.= The river, free from rocks at this point, is deep enough for swimming.

Across the river (L) to the G. A. Johnson home. On a slight rise in the pasture back of the house is a row of evenly spaced piles of four or five stones, about one-fourth mile long, placed at a right angle to the brink of the hill. This is believed to have been an Indian BUFFALO RUN, in which the Indians placed banners of red cloth or buckskin between the piles, then drove the hunted buffalo toward them. The animals, frightened by the banners, would swerve toward the crest of the hill where in their rush they would stumble down the incline and fall easy prey to the arrows and spears of the hunters.

At =103.5 m.= is the junction with ND 31, a graveled highway.

Right on this highway to the DOG TOOTH BUTTES (R), =2 m.= From a distance their outlines indicate that they are well named. These buttes were a landmark on the Bismarck-Deadwood trail during the Black Hills gold rush from 1876 to 1884. The stagecoaches with their four-horse teams, and the lumbering ox teams pulling heavily loaded freight wagons, passed just SE. of here, leaving deep ruts which are still visible where ND 31 crosses them immediately S. of the buttes.

At =6 m.= on ND 31 is RALEIGH (2,038 alt., 202 pop.), a German community, originated as Dog Tooth Post Office on the Bismarck-Deadwood trail. Purebred livestock is raised on many of the farms in this vicinity.

Left at =8 m.= are THREE BUTTES. From the tallest of these peaks a far-reaching view is presented. On a clear day Mandan, 50 m. to the NE., is visible.

FLASHER, =108.5 m.= (1,905 alt., 346 pop.), its residence district scattered over the south slope of a hill and its business street at the foot, is a Russo-German community named for Mabel Flasher, niece and secretary of William H. Brown, head of the land company that owned many of the town sites along the N. P. Ry. branch.

At =126.5 m.= is the junction with ND 6 (_see Side Tour 8C_), 26 m. S. of Mandan (_see Tour 8_).

TOUR 5

Junction US 81--Cavalier--Rolla--Belcourt--Dunseith--Bottineau--
Mohall--Crosby--(Scobey, Mont.). ND 5.

Junction with US 81 to Montana Line, 329 m.

Soo Ry. branch roughly parallels route from Flaxton to Montana
Line; G. N. Ry. branches touch route at intervals between junction
US 81 and Lignite, and branch parallels route between Lignite and
Crosby.

Graveled roadbed entire route.

Usual tourist accommodations in principal towns.

This route, paralleling the international boundary 10 to 15 miles to the north, passes through some of the oldest and some of the newest towns in the State. In the eastern section, where the country is more productive and settlement first began, are towns established in the 1870's, while in the western area, where occupation was slower, are a number of towns founded in the twentieth century. The route begins in the low, level wheatlands of the Red River Valley, at one time the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz, and soon doubles its altitude by rising 800 feet upon the broad, rough, less thickly settled Drift Prairie, which stretches away approximately two-thirds of the distance across the State. This wide section, which includes the wooded Turtle Mountains and the level bottom of another glacial lake, Lake Souris, was once a hunters' paradise--a prize which involved the Chippewa Indians, who long held it, in frequent conflict with their enemies the Sioux. With the coming of the whites the region saw new rivals, as the XY, North West, and Hudson's Bay Companies struggled savagely and often bloodily for domination of the fur trade. Most of the Chippewa in the State now live on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, through which the route passes.

Over the bed of ancient Lake Souris, west of the hills, once roamed hordes of buffalo; later, during early white settlement, this region was the feeding ground of great numbers of horses and cattle. After crossing the Souris (Mouse) River twice and the long, narrow Upper Des Lacs Lake, the route ascends 300 to 400 feet to cross the Missouri Plateau, an open, rugged country, marked here and there with the homes of ranchers and farmers, and pitted by the strip mines extracting the huge lignite coal deposits that underlie the plateau.

HAMILTON, =0.0 m.= (_see Tour 1_), is R. of ND 5 where it branches W. from US 81 (_see Tour 1_).

At =5 m.= is the junction with ND 18, a graveled highway.

Right on this highway to the junction with a graveled spur, =5 m.=; R. on this spur is BATHGATE, =8.5 m.= (828 alt., 292 pop.), pleasantly situated in a bend of the TONGUE RIVER. At the southern side of town on a 40-acre tract of meadow and hayland are the buildings of the STATE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND, established in 1908. Thirty-five to forty children attend each year for a nine-month period.

CAVALIER, =9 m.= (894 alt., 850 pop.), Pembina County seat, was named for Charles Cavileer, one of the first white men to make a home within the borders of the present State. Usage has changed the spelling of the name. The town was established in 1875 by settlers who came overland from Missouri in a train of 10 covered wagons. The members of the train intended settling in Manitoba, Canada; but, not liking the country there, they returned to the United States, two of the families founding the Tongue River Settlement, which later became Cavalier. They came from Canada by way of Pembina over the old Fort Totten Trail, which ran where Main St. now passes and was one of several trails used by trappers, hunters, and traders as they journeyed between the hunting grounds and the trading posts. Over these trails often moved long caravans of creaking, fur-laden Red River oxcarts, on their long trek to St. Paul. Some trains are said to have contained as many as 1,500 carts.

The jog in Cavalier's Main St. results from the fact that the land for the street, contributed by two men who owned adjoining farms, did not meet exactly. This complication was not discovered until after some buildings had been erected, but by that time it would have been too costly to change the route.

AKRA (Icelandic, _fields_), =14 m.= (980 alt., 30 pop.), is near the southern edge of the Pembina Mountains (_see Side Tour 5A_), whose wooded height ahead abruptly marks the western edge of the level Red River Valley and the eastern edge of the Drift Prairie. The town is one of a group of communities comprising what is believed to be the largest Icelandic settlement in the United States (_see below_).

At =16 m.= is CAMP COMFORT, an acre of beautifully wooded grounds (_good camping and picnicking facilities_). Camp Comfort marks the point at which the old Hunters Trail of fur-trading days crossed the Tongue River.

HALLSON, =18 m.= (1,020 alt., 10 pop.), founded in 1878 and named for Johan Hallson, the first settler, is the oldest of the Icelandic settlements (_see below_). At Hallson is the junction with ND 32, a graveled highway.

Left on this highway is MOUNTAIN, =5 m.= (1,030 alt., 250 pop.), so named because of its elevation. It is one of the larger Icelandic towns. A log church here, built in 1886, is said to be the oldest Icelandic church on the North American continent. When the Icelanders first came to America in 1874, they settled at Gimli, Man., Canada. Later, possibly because the rough topography of the country reminded them of the fjords and cliffs of their native land, they colonized here near the headwaters of the Little Tongue River. At present their settlement includes the towns of Hallson, Mountain, Akra, Svold, Hensel, and Gardar. From the first they have engaged in diversified farming and therefore have usually known a fair degree of prosperity. An artistic and deeply imaginative people, perhaps due to the Celtic infusion received when their Norwegian ancestors fled to Ireland upon the ascendency of Harald the Fair-Haired, they still retain many of their old Icelandic traditions and arts, and their folklore is replete with weird and highly colored sagas. They take great pleasure in preserving their native culture, and often present plays and pageants showing the dress and customs of Iceland.

Icelanders are particularly adept in gold and silver filigree work and in hand-carving. Almost every home has its treasures brought from far-off Iceland--beautifully hand-carved riding whips adorned with silver and gold ferrules, toys and spoons made from cow-horn, and bread boards carved with leaves and grapes.

The little community has produced many distinguished men, among whom are Sveinbjorn Johnson (1883-), professor at law in the University of Illinois and former State supreme court justice (1922-28); Stephen G. Stephenson, poet honored by the Icelandic Government; Emil Walters (1893-), whose paintings have been shown at Eastern art centers; and Vilhjalmur Stefansson (1879-), scientist and explorer.

Recently large deposits of fuller's earth have been discovered near Mountain. It is estimated that approximately 5,000,000 tons lie in one 200-acre plot. This clay is used for reclaiming motor oil and for purifying animal and vegetable oils. The deposit in this area lies along the valleys of streams from the Canadian boundary to about 10 m. S. of Mountain and W. for an unknown distance.

At =20 m.= is the junction (R) with ND 32 (_see Side Tour 5A_). At this junction is OAK LAWN HISTORIC SITE, a small park owned by the State historical society, in which is a weathered old LOG CHURCH, built in 1885 and for many years a landmark in the area.

At =23 m.= is the junction with a county road.

Left on this road is CONCRETE, =1 m.= (1,100 alt., 40 pop.), named by Mrs. Webster Merrifield, whose husband, for many years president of the State university at Grand Forks, was one of the owners of the cement mines once operated here near the source of the Tongue River. At the height of production 500 bbl. were turned out per day, but operations were discontinued when a cheaper type of cement was imported.

Left at =43 m.= is a small AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTAL STATION, a substation of the State agricultural college at Fargo.

LANGDON, =44 m.= (1,612 alt., 1,221 pop.), became Cavalier County seat in 1884, through the efforts, it is said, of a dozen bachelors who, working hard and changing names and apparel often on election day, voted all the sod shacks--whose owners were either absent or not taking time to vote--for miles around. Originally called McHugh for a prominent early settler, the town later adopted the name of Langdon in honor of the man who made the survey for the local branch of the G. N. Ry. and who presented the village with a bell for the school soon to be built.

An unusual enterprise in Langdon is the Haymow Theater, a children's organization which has presented plays annually for more than a quarter of a century. Children of some of the first members of the company are now taking part in the plays. Performances are held (_adm. 10c_) during the summer in the loft of the R. T. BURKE BARN (_for directions inquire at post office_).

CLYDE, =69 m.= (1,618 alt., 275 pop.), is named for the Clyde River in Scotland.

At =86 m.= is a junction with ND 4 (_see Tour 2_), which to =92 m.= unites with ND 5.

ROLLA, =108.5 m.= (1,817 alt., 852 pop.), forms the eastern gateway to the lakes and hills of the TURTLE MOUNTAINS, a rolling plateau rising 300 to 400 ft. above the surrounding country. It stretches 40 m. to the W. and about 30 m. N. and S., and is bisected by the international boundary. The mountains were named by the Indians, to whom their outline suggested the form of the sacred turtle. Rolla is the Rolette County seat, and its name is believed to be a contraction of the county name. At Rolla in 1889 was established the short-lived Rolla University, which opened its doors to 45 students, and closed them when lack of funds became pressing. During 15 years of his young manhood John Burke (1859-1937), three times Governor of the State (1907-13), former United States Treasurer (1913-21), and former chief justice of the State supreme court (1935-37), lived in Rolla. Here is the office of the secretary of the International Peace Garden, Inc. (_see below_), where most of the business of the corporation is transacted.

At Rolla is the junction with ND 30, a graveled highway.

Right on this highway is ST. JOHN, =8 m.= (1,944 alt., 372 pop.), named for the parish in eastern Quebec from which came the Rev. John Malo, early missionary to the Indians. The town is a port of entry from Canada and is the oldest white settlement on the eastern edge of the mountains. Because of its position near some of the most attractive lakes of the region, it has a fair tourist trade during the summer months. St. John's Day, honoring St. John the Baptist, patron saint of the French Canadians who settled the region, is celebrated June 24.

Left from St. John on ND 43, a graded dirt highway, to the junction with a county road, =9 m.=; R. here =0.5 m.= to ST. CLAUDE STATE PARK, established to commemorate the founding of one of the first permanent white settlements in the Turtle Mountains. The colony grew up about a school and church inaugurated by Father Malo in 1882. As it developed it gradually moved S. and became the town of St. John.

At =13 m.= on ND 43 is the junction with a county road; R. here =1.8 m.= to the frame buildings of a STATE GAME AND FISH RESERVE, an 800-acre tract containing OAK, GRAVEL, and LONG LAKES. Five hundred acres are fenced to confine herds of elk, deer, and buffalo. Impure water in the lakes, caused by the recession of the water level, has necessitated the abandonment of the fish hatchery near Gravel Lake. In the MUSEUM across the road from the hatchery is a good mounted display of the game birds, fish, and wild animals of the Turtle Mountains.

On ND 43 is LAKE UPSILON, =14.5 m.=, largest lake on the eastern side of the mountains, named for its resemblance to the Greek letter "Y." It is one of the most attractive and most popular lakes of the Turtle Mountains group.

Above: Blockhouse of Fort McKeen]

_Photos by Russell Reid_]

_Photo by Russell Reid_]

BELCOURT, =115.5 m.= (1,619 alt., 6,334 pop., including Indian reservation), agency headquarters for the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, lies in a shallow valley on the southeastern border of the hills. It was named for the Rev. George Antoine Belcourt, a priest prominent in the establishment of the community. The Indians, about 95 percent of whom are of mixed Chippewa Indian and French blood, make their homes in crude cabins on small farms out in the reservation. Academic and vocational training for the children is provided by the large consolidated school in Belcourt. The Chippewa are woods Indians who when first encountered by the whites dwelt in the region of the Great Lakes. From here they pressed W., often warring with their enemies the Sioux, until ultimately their hunting grounds included the Turtle Mountain region. With the white occupation of the West their range in North Dakota was reduced until finally it was limited to this small and crowded reservation of 72 sq. m. (_See_ INDIANS AND THEIR PREDECESSORS.)

Each year the Indians hold a sun dance (_June_; _approx. 5 m. NE. of Belcourt_; _no set date or place_). The ceremony lasts for several days. At the fairgrounds in Belcourt an Indian fair is conducted (_Oct._).

Since 1896 the week of St. Ann has been the occasion of a retreat at Belcourt for the people of the mountains, for whom St. Ann is the patron saint. Many of the Indians bring their tipis in which they live during the retreat. The week is culminated with the feast of St. Ann (_July 26, if it falls on Sun. or on Sun. following that date_). On the feast day a procession is held, with hundreds participating. Many cures--none, however, authenticated by the Roman Catholic Church--have been attributed to the shrine at the Belcourt church.

DUNSEITH, =131 m.= (1,715 alt., 484 pop.), scattered over level land at the edge of the Turtle Mountains, is the southern entrance to these hills. Its name means _city of peace_, and was selected to honor the first white man in the vicinity and also the city of Dunseith in Scotland. The town is the terminus of a G. N. Ry. branch from the main line at York (_see Tour 6_).

The Dunseith Gristmill was built on Willow Creek in 1887 of lumber hauled from Devils Lake by ox teams. It continued to grind for several years after steam boilers and modern machinery had come into general use, but in 1913 it was damaged by fire and has never been repaired.

Dunseith may have a buried treasure somewhere in the foothills. In 1893 its Turtle Mountain Bank was robbed, and the robber had time to bury his loot in the hills before he was shot by a posse. The stolen money was never found, and the bank was forced to close.

At Dunseith is the junction with ND 3, a graveled highway.

Right on this highway to the junction with a graveled road, =2 m.=

Right on this road to SAN HAVEN, =0.5 m.=, State tuberculosis sanatorium, situated in a 2,500-acre game reserve on the southern slope of the mountains overlooking a vast expanse of prairie.

North from the junction with the graveled road, ND 3 runs over ridges and past little lakes, into the Turtle Mountains, whose hills are the habitat of hundreds of deer in addition to many varieties of song and game birds.

On ND 3 is the INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDEN, =12.5 m.=, a memorial to the peace which has prevailed between this country and Canada for more than 120 years. The garden lies partly in North Dakota and partly in Manitoba. On the international boundary stands a stone cairn with a plaque bearing a pledge of peace:

"To God in His Glory
We two Nations do pledge ourselves
That so long as men shall live
We will not take up arms against one another."

A formal garden, one mile square, is planned (1938) on the International Line. It will center about a peace fountain around which a circular garden plot will form a visible ring of friendship between the two nations. The memorial has attracted wide attention because of its noble purpose, and several foreign countries have expressed a desire to aid in its development. It is rededicated with appropriate ceremonies each year (_1st wk. in Aug._).

To the S. and W. of the hills and also in the northeastern section of the State a great number of the settlers were of Scottish descent, and each year in connection with the ceremonies at the Peace Garden a Highlanders' Frolic is held with old-fashioned Scotch music, dances, and games.

West of Dunseith for 50 m. the route has not a single curve or jog.

At =138 m.= is the junction with a partly improved dirt road.

Right on this attractive road to BUTTE ST. PAUL PARK, =3 m.=, plainly marked by Butte St. Paul (2,500 alt.), highest point on the southern edge of the Turtle Mountains. A steep climb up the eastern slope leads to the 15-foot stone cairn commemorating the work of the Rev. G. A. Belcourt, missionary to the Indians, who on his first visit in 1853 placed a wooden cross where the cairn now stands. From the top of the butte a beautiful scene stretches away to the tree-covered plateau on the N. and E. and to the prairies on the S. and W.

BOTTINEAU, =148.5 m.= (1,645 alt., 1,332 pop.), was named for Pierre Bottineau (c. 1812-1895), most noted of Dakota guides (_see_ HISTORY). It lies beside tree-bordered OAK CREEK on a gently rolling plain. Most of its settlers were of Scottish descent, but the western end of the mountains was long nicknamed Little Norway, and until recent years Norwegian was heard there more often than English. From 1883-84 a stagecoach line connected the town with the nearest railroad point, Devils Lake (_see Tour 6_), =120 m.= to the SE., whence settlers hauled supplies with oxen.

Originally Bottineau was situated a mile farther N. When the G. N. Ry. survey was made, it became evident that the permanent site would be farther S. Business houses were soon moved, but the Bottineau County Courthouse could not be legally moved without recourse to legislation. Accordingly, one morning the building was found reposing in the new settlement. As no one was supposed to know how the transfer had been effected, no one could be prosecuted, and the expense of returning the building to its former site provided a convenient and practical argument against that action.

A catastrophe long remembered by the early residents of Bottineau was a huge prairie fire in 1886 that swept 500 sq. m. of territory NW. of town, destroying hay and buildings.

The Indians of the region were not hostile to the white settlers, but there were Indian scares now and then, and the white men were inclined to be cautious. An old French settler living near Bottineau tells the story of being lost with two companions. They asked some Indians for directions, and were invited to a meal, which they accepted to avoid giving offense. They were almost enjoying the meal, when an old squaw, who had been stirring the stew which they had been eating, urged hospitably, "Dig down deep; pup in bottom."

The STATE SCHOOL OF FORESTRY, in the northeastern part of Bottineau on Oak Creek, offers a two-year junior college course in forestry. In the botanical garden or arboretum are about 30 varieties of foreign trees, obtained on a reciprocal basis from other countries, to be tried out in this climate. Plantings established under direction of the school are found on farms in every county in the State. The annual output of the nursery at the present time (1938) is about 500,000 seedlings.

At Bottineau is the junction with a graveled highway called the Lake Road, which leads NE. into the hills to Lake Metigoshe, one of the State's best-known summer resorts.

Right on this road, at the southern approach to the bridge over Oak Creek, to the junction with a trail, =1 m.=

Left on this unusually delightful 5-mile trail, along the western bank of the creek. At about =0.5 m.= is the junction with a less well-defined trail; L. here on the western side of the creek to a stone cairn marking the SITE OF THE FIRST WHITE MAN'S HOME IN BOTTINEAU COUNTY and the original site of the town of Bottineau, =1 m.= Farther on the country becomes hilly, and at =2.3 m.= a faint wagon trail leads R. through a wire gate down to the GORGE, a pleasant spot where the creek flows through a heavily wooded ravine, an excellent place for picnicking. Crossing the stream, the trail follows the eastern side of the creek back toward town. At =2.5 m.= is the STATE GAME FARM, temporarily (1938) used as the Bottineau Country Club; here is a junction with the Lake Road (L) which may be followed S.; along the side of the creek, a much more attractive route, at =4 m.= the trail joins the Lake Road following the creek to the CCC DAM, =4.3 m.=, just N. of the WILLOW VALE DAIRY FARM. Here the trail crosses to the western side of the stream and rejoins the trail on which it began.

Right on the Lake Road to the 640-acre LAKE METIGOSHE STATE PARK, =14.5 m.= In the park lodge is the HENRY KLEBE COLLECTION (_open_) of Turtle Mountain fossils, Indian artifacts, and geologic formations.

Left on the Lake Road =15 m.= to the center of activity on LAKE METIGOSHE, largest and scenically one of the most attractive of the Turtle Mountain lakes. It has 70 m. of shore line and extends across the border into Canada. Its name comes from _metigoshe washegum_ (Chippewa, _clear water lake surrounded by oaks_). There are six resort parks (_stores_, _hotels_, _cottages_, _bathing beaches_, _boat landings_; _12-mile motorboat trip crosses into Canada, not permissible to land on Canadian side_). About 1 m. from shore is MASONS' ISLAND, where Masonic groups hold annual summer meetings. The Congregational Conference of North Dakota has a summer Bible camp on the lake, and the Great Plains Area of the Boy Scouts of America holds an annual encampment here.

West of Bottineau the route proceeds over the extraordinarily level country formed by the bed of glacial Lake Souris. At =156.5 m.= is the junction with ND 14, a graveled highway.

Left on this highway is KRAMER, =9 m.= (1,460 alt., 190 pop.), believed to have been named for one of the surveyors of the Soo Ry., which passes through the town. The Kramer Equity Cooperative Elevator, with a capacity of 110,000 bu., all under one roof, is one of the largest cooperative elevators in the State.

Right from Kramer =2 m.= on an improved county highway to a junction with a road; L. on this road to the junction with another road, =3 m.=; R. here to a permanent CCC CAMP, =4 m.=, whose workers construct dams on the Souris River and work on the LOWER SOURIS MIGRATORY WATERFOWL REFUGE, an area of 48,000 acres, largest project of the U. S. Biological Survey in North Dakota (1938).

At =13 m.= on ND 14 the route crosses the Mouse or Souris River, remnant of Lake Souris. At =14.5 m.= are the headquarters of the refuge, where the ADMINISTRATION BUILDINGS are. The 100-foot observation tower is used in studying bird life (_open, children must be accompanied by adults_).

UPHAM, =18 m.= (1,461 alt., 257 pop.), is believed to have been named by the G. N. Ry. town site company. Left from Upham at =22 m.= on an improved county road to the largest dam being constructed on the lower Souris Refuge, a retaining dike approximately 3 m. long.

At =165.5 m.= the highway dips slightly and crosses the Souris River, here resembling a canal, and running almost bank full. At =175 m.= is a junction with US 83; between this point and =192 m.= the two roads coincide (_see Tour 3_).

MOHALL, =202 m.= (1,646 alt., 676 pop.), seat of Renville County, was named for M. O. Hall, publisher of the first newspaper. Platted in 1903 as the terminus of the railroad, its growth for the first few months was rapid. The Renville County _Tribune_ of December 3 of that year said that the G. N. Ry. agent estimated that during the preceding week 125 carloads of material had been shipped into the new town, in addition to 175 cars lying on sidetracks along the line and billed for Mohall. Four tracks were crowded with cars and eight dray lines were kept busy transferring the material to the lumberyards and points of construction. One hundred and seventy-five carpenters were employed, and then the demand was only half met. At that time the place had nine grain buyers.

Dick Grace, motion picture stunt flier, lived here for a time.

A CCC CAMP with an enrollment of about 200 adjoins the town. At present (1938) its members are assigned to work on the Upper Souris Migratory Waterfowl Refuge (_see Tour 7_).

At =205 m.= the route passes between two farms lighted by natural gas from wells drilled on the premises. Although natural gas in large quantities has been found in Montana, and a number of small wells have been opened in North Dakota, there has never been a sufficient amount in this State to form the basis for a permanent commercial enterprise.

At =214 m.= the route leads down into the mile-wide Souris valley. The stream here is lined with box elder, elm, and small fruit trees.

At =215 m.= is the junction with a graveled county road.

Right on this road to the 480-acre MOUSE RIVER PARK (_boating_, _swimming_, _roller skating_, _golf_; _store_, _dining hall_, _auditorium_, cottages), =2 m.=

At =229.5 m.= is a junction with US 52, a graveled highway, which unites with ND 5 between this point and =257 m.= (_see Tour 7_).

At =258 m.= is the junction with a graveled county highway.

Left on this road is LIGNITE, =1 m.= (1,979 alt., 217 pop.), which was to have been named Kincaid, for an agent of the G. N. Ry., but through an error of the town site company was given the name intended for the neighboring town, a lignite mining center, which was consequently named Kincaid.

At =8 m.= BIG BUTTE (2,200 alt.), a large grassy hill, covers about two sections of land, rising more than 200 ft. above the surrounding prairie. At the foot of the butte was once a spring of excellent water, frequented by Indians passing along the old White Earth Trail from the Turtle Mountains to the Missouri River. Circles of stone and Indian mounds are found on the northern side of the butte. In early days there was a ranch with 300 head of horses near the spring, but the owner lost all his stock to smugglers. Somewhere in the vicinity of Big Butte may be the hiding place of $40,000. A story, not generally credited, relates that in the late 1870's a Hudson's Bay Co. paymaster, on his way to pay employees of the company at the several trading posts in the territory, was robbed of this amount near Estevan, Canada. The robber was apprehended in the neighborhood of Big Butte, but not before he had found a place to cache his loot. Taken to Portal, he died under torture while an attempt was being made to force his secret from him. On the tanned side of his fur coat was found a diagram believed to show the hiding place of the treasure, which has since been the object of many searches. The accidental unearthing of a stone bearing the inscription "1877" inspired fresh digging. At another time the Royal Mounted Police of Calgary are said to have sent men to the locality in an attempt to recover the money. So far, however, all efforts have proved unsuccessful. Some believe the treasure was found and taken away; others think it is still in the vicinity of Big Butte; and a few skeptics disdain the idea that it was ever buried here at all.

At =268.5 m.= is the junction with a graveled road.

Right on this road is COLUMBUS, =0.5 m.= (1,930 alt., 516 pop.), clumped together on the flat prairie. First settled in 1902, it was moved to the railroad in 1906 when the Soo Ry. was extended through this part of the State. The first postmaster, Columbus Larson, gave his Christian name to this town, and his surname to the next town W.

At =269.5 m.= is a junction with ND 40, a graveled highway.

Left on this highway =3 m.= to a junction with an improved road; R. here to the MONTANA-DAKOTA POWER PLANT, =2 m.=, in the heart of the lignite coal field. The plant was opened 1928, and today is a $300,000 enterprise, supplying electrical energy to the towns of northeastern Montana and northwestern North Dakota.

At =4 m.= on ND 40 is a junction with a second improved road; L. here to the TRUAX-TRAER LIGNITE STRIP MINE, =4.5 m.=, the oldest strip mine in North Dakota. The big shovels which have been stripping the earth overburden since 1919 have piled ridges of earth so vast that they resemble miniature mountains. The eight-cubic-yard shovel saw service in the construction of the Panama Canal. It is supplemented by another of four-cubic-yard capacity. About 150,000 tons of coal are taken out annually. Huddled on a small piece of unbroken ground between the artificial buttes are the frame homes and store buildings of the little community of miners.

At =273 m.= is the junction with a graveled spur.

Left on this road is LARSON, =0.5 m.= (1,931 alt., 89 pop.), a small Scandinavian town, named for the first postmaster of Columbus.

West of Larson the route ascends the hills of the Missouri Plateau. At =278 m.= is the junction with a graveled road.

Left on this road to the BAUKOL-NOONAN COAL MINE, =1 m.=, third largest lignite strip mine in the State. The mining operations cover an area of 1,040 acres adjacent to the town of Noonan, and the lignite vein, which lies beneath a 30-foot overburden, averages 7 to 9 ft. in thickness. The huge, molehill-like hummocks of earth tossed up by the giant steam shovels spread fanwise from a central, electrically operated tipple. Loading and screening facilities at the tipple permit the filling of four cars at the same time, each with a different grade of coal. The daily output of the mine, which runs full time during the fall and winter months, is approximately 100 cars. During the 1935-36 season more than 170,000 tons of coal were taken out.

NOONAN, =279 m.= (1,959 alt., 423 pop.), named for an early settler, has its white buildings scattered over the northern slope of a small hill. When the town was platted in 1906, contracts stipulated that buildings should be painted white in order that the community might live up to its advertised name of the _White City_.

CROSBY, =292.5 m.= (1,962 alt., 1,271 pop.), dominated by the dome of the Divide County Courthouse at the northern end of Main St., was named for a member of the town site company of Portal (_see Tour 7_). It sprang up at the junction of the Soo and G. N. branch lines, a strategic rail position that soon established it as a focal point for trade in the northwestern corner of the State.

Straight ahead (N) from the fairgrounds on a graveled road to the CROSBY CITY RECREATION PARK (_swimming pool_, _golf course_, _tennis and horseshoe courts_, _ski jump_, _camping ground_), =5 m.=, developed along the Canadian border.

At =301.5 m.= is a junction with US 85 (_see Tour 4_), which unites with ND 5 to =311 m.=

FORTUNA, =315 m.= (2,190 alt., 196 pop.), a Scandinavian community, named for the Roman goddess of fortune, was established in the summer of 1913 when the branch line of the Soo Ry. was extended from Ambrose, N. Dak., to Whitetail, Mont. The day lots were sold, temporary business houses, which had been squatting a mile from the present site at a post office called Norge, were put on wheels and rolled away to the new town by night.

Right from Fortuna on a county road to the DEWITT SPRING, =1 m.=, whose flow fills a two-inch pipe of water the year around. It has furnished water for Fortuna since the founding of the village.

At =329 m.= the route crosses the Montana Line, 66 m. E. of Scobey, Mont.

SIDE TOUR 5A

Junction ND 5--Walhalla--Leroy. ND 32, ND 55, and an unimproved
road.

Junction ND 5 to Leroy, 25 m.

Branch of G. N. Ry. touches at Walhalla.

Graveled roadbed except for 0.5 m. outside Leroy.

Accommodations in Walhalla.

This route runs through the Pembina Mountains, a scenic region rich in historical associations. From Walhalla, one of the oldest towns in the State, the route turns east to the settlement of the metis, descendants of those French-Chippewa who conducted the famous Pembina hunts of the middle nineteenth century.

ND 32 branches N. from ND 5 at Oak Lawn Historic Site (_see Tour 5_), =0.0 m.=

At =8 m.= the graceful wooded PEMBINA MOUNTAINS are visible on the horizon. The nearest elevation, 250 or 350 ft. higher than the country to the E., is known as Second Pembina Mountain, and is a portion of the Pembina Escarpment, a high ridge extending from Canada through North Dakota into South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota. In the southern part of North Dakota it is known as the Coteau des Prairies. First Pembina Mountain, lying SE. of Second Mountain, is the prehistoric delta of the Pembina River, formed when that stream drained the melting ice sheet into Lake Agassiz (_see_ NATURAL SETTING _and Tour 1_). First Pembina Mountain has an average height of 150 ft., and its eastern edge shows the various shore lines of Lake Agassiz as it receded in post-glacial times.

To the first white explorers and trappers the Pembina Mountains were known as the Hair Hills, coveted hunting ground held by the Chippewa, whose ownership was often hotly contested by the Sioux. During the early nineteenth century white and half-breed hunters roamed the hills, gathering furs to be loaded on lumbering, squeaking oxcarts and sent to eastern trading posts.

It was in this vicinity that Charles Cavileer (_see Tour 5_), one of the most prominent settlers of the State, in the 1860's while making a trip with a party from Pembina to Devils Lake, saw a herd of buffalo like a black cloud on the horizon. The party immediately arranged their carts in a semicircle and prepared for an onslaught. The bison came on with a rumble like thunder, the rumble became a roar, and the earth trembled; but when they reached the carts the herd parted and swerved on either side, upsetting only the outside row of the improvised stockade. Not until the second day could the journey be resumed, and even then there were buffalo in sight for another day. The herd was believed to number two or three million, and in its wake was an area, several miles in width, entirely devoid of vegetation.

At =9 m.= (L) are the SAND SLIDES, where steep sand and gravel slopes form a precipitous funnel-shaped valley down to the PEMBINA RIVER. This stream once drained prehistoric Lake Souris into Lake Agassiz, and its rushing waters cut into the Pembina Mountains, creating the present canyon 350 to 450 ft. deep.

At =12 m.= (R) is WALHALLA (966 alt., 700 pop.), attractively situated in the wooded river valley on the slope of Second Pembina Mountain. In 1848 Father G. A. Belcourt established St. Joseph's Mission here for the Chippewa Indians. By 1860 the settlement had become an important fur trading post, with a population of 1,800; but good furs became scarce, the bison virtually disappeared, and by 1871 "St. Joe" was inhabited only by a priest, the U. S. customs inspector, and some 50 metis or half-breeds, who remained only as long as the hunting was good. The town revived, and was platted in 1877 and renamed Walhalla, for the palace of immortality in Norse mythology.

The old bell in the Catholic church belfry, known as the ANGELUS BELL, was brought to Father Belcourt's mission when it was opened, and was the first church bell erected on the plains of North Dakota. It was cast in 1845, and a wreath of raised figures around the top represents science, art, music, mechanics, and astronomy. The bell is believed to have been brought down the Red River by boat, thence to St. Joseph by oxcart. Its tone is similar to that of the old mission bells of California.

Right from Walhalla crossing the railroad tracks on a graveled road; L. on a graveled road to a METIS SETTLEMENT, =4 m.= Here, in the foothills of the Pembina Mountains, live descendants of half-breed French Canadians and Indians of earlier days. The metis are found throughout the northeastern corner of North Dakota (_see below_). In this particular settlement they operate small farms, gaining their livelihood by selling garden produce, berries, and cordwood. The graveled road turns L. at =5 m.=, to Leroy (_see below_), =7 m.=

Also at =12 m.= is WALHALLA STATE PARK (L), on the eastern slope of the Pembina Mountains. The wooded 5-acre tract contains the SITE OF ALEXANDER HENRY, JR.'S TRADING POST, a temporary depot established in 1801, one of the first posts in present North Dakota; also the KITTSON HOUSE, erected in 1851-52 as a trading post and warehouse under the supervision of Norman Kittson, who became the first postmaster in North Dakota. This building was originally built nearby and was moved to the park in 1915. Often locally designated as Old Settlers' Park, the area is the scene of the annual meeting and picnic of the Pembina County Old Settlers' Association (_July_).

Left from the park on a winding graveled road to the PROTESTANT CEMETERY, =0.4 m.=, where are buried two missionaries killed by Indians in the early 1850's and hence known as the Martyrs of St. Joe. At =1.4 m.=, at the summit of the mountain, LOOKOUT POINT affords a fine view of the deep Pembina River valley below and the Red River Valley farming area, dotted with villages and farmhouses, which stretches away in the distance. The point is the property of several Masonic lodges in this area, and they hold an annual picnic here.

At =15 m.= on ND 32 is the junction with ND 55, on which the route continues. At =22 m.= is the junction with a graveled road. After crossing the Pembina River, the highway at =25 m.= enters LEROY (890 alt., 100 pop.). The inhabitants of the town are chiefly metis and their log cabins are scattered in the timber along the river. From the time the Hudson's Bay Co. began operations in 1670, French Canadians migrated westward, intermarrying with Chippewa women. Their children were known as metis or mixed-bloods. Inheriting the characteristics of both the Indian and the French-Canadian woodsman, the metis became adept voyageurs, and their part in the early fur trade of the Middlewest was very important. They were excellent hunters, trappers, and couriers, and it is said they loved the "musical" sound of the Red River oxcarts which, with their unlubricated wooden axles and hubs screeching across the plains, brought furs E. from the trading posts.

When this region began to be settled the metis were the first mail carriers, since their stamina and knowledge of the frontier made them "brave and bold, and the most reliable men to be had."

The early metis of North Dakota, ancestors of the present metis, enjoyed life with true appreciation. They were fond of good dress, and their clothes were made of the finest imported merinos, cashmeres, and broadcloths, bought at the trading posts. The men wore black broadcloth redingotes, long and double-breasted and trimmed with large brass buttons. At the collar was a _capuchon_ or hood, which was never worn but served merely as an adornment. A bright sash about the waist, beaded moccasins, and a beaded tobacco pouch, used much as a French courtier used his snuff box, completed the costume. The women wore the tight basque and flowing skirt, and, in summer as well as winter, a half dozen gaily colored petticoats, which created quite a dazzling array when the wearer stooped to tie the lace of a beaded moccasin. A black silk kerchief was tied about the head, and over this went a large square of black broadcloth which wrapped about the entire body and served as a cloak.

The metis were, and still are, fond of music and dancing. Their songs came down from their French ancestors or were learned from the mission priests. One favorite was _Au clair de la lune_ (_By Moonlight_) and another was _Marlbrouck s'en va-t-en guerre_ (_Marlborough Goes to War_). Square dances, the Red River Jig, Pair O' Fours, and Reel O' Cats were favorite dances, and some of them are still performed.

The most important event in the year for the metis, in the first half of the last century, was the Pembina buffalo hunt. For this, white and metis hunters would meet at Pembina on an expedition which sometimes took them as far as Fort Union on the Missouri (_see Side Tour 6B_). Not only men, but also women and children, went on the hunt, and even the priest went along to counsel and advise. Equipment was carried in stridently creaking oxcarts. It was like a good-sized town on a tour. On the hunt of 1840, probably the largest ever held, there were 1,630 people and 1,210 oxcarts, and the cost of the expedition has been estimated at $120,000. The camp was organized under a chief, with 10 captains under him, and 10 soldiers under each captain to enforce the camp regulations. For a first violation the saddle and bridle of the offender were cut up; for a second, his coat was destroyed; and for a third, he was flogged. A thief, even if he stole something of no greater value than a buffalo sinew--a common article of barter in the Red River country--was publicly cried "thief." Hunting was not always good; hot weather or storms delayed parties, and sometimes prairie fires were encountered. Eventually encroaching civilization put an end to the buffalo hunts, but while they were held, and when they were successful, the hunters lived in plenty. The 1840 expedition took home more than a million pounds of meat in their oxcarts.

The main food of the early metis was pemmican, or dried buffalo meat, but wild game was also plentiful. _Galette_, an unleavened bread made by mixing flour with water, salt, and shortening, was preferred to white man's bread.

Great respect for old age, and deep affection for relatives characterize metis family relationships. Concerning birds and animals, they have many unusual beliefs: a hungry beast coming to the door is regarded as a sign of poverty, a woodpecker pecking at a window is said to be a sign of death in the family, and snakes are believed to be symbols of quarrels and enemies.

TOUR 6

(Duluth, Minn.)--Grand Forks--Devils
Lake--Minot--Williston--(Glasgow, Mont.). US 2.

Minnesota Line to Montana Line, 390.5 m.

G. N. Ry. roughly parallels entire route, Farmers' Line between
Devils Lake and Webster.

Graveled roadbed except for about 110 m. of short stretches
hard-surfaced.

Accommodations in principal towns.

This route reveals a cross section of the agricultural life of the State. In the east the flat, fertile lands of the narrow Red River Valley, which formed the bottom of glacial Lake Agassiz, blend into the uneven, farm-dotted surface of the broad Drift Prairie, bordered on the west by the rougher, more sparsely settled grazing areas of the Missouri Plateau. The route touches on Devils Lake and crosses the level loop of the wooded Mouse River, a region at one time covered by Lake Souris, another extinct creation of the glacial epoch. Midway across the State is the geographic center of North America. The western half of the route is through a rich, though largely undeveloped, lignite coal area, formed ages ago by the inundation of prehistoric forests.

GRAND FORKS, =0.0 m.= (834 alt., 17,112 pop.) (_see_ GRAND FORKS).

_Points of Interest:_ University of North Dakota, Wesley College.

At Demers Ave. and 5th St. is a junction with US 81 (_see Tour 1_), which unites with US 2 to the intersection of Skidmore Ave. N. and N. 16th St.

West of Grand Forks US 2 passes through the western half of the Red River Valley, part of the bed of ancient Lake Agassiz.

At =9 m.= is the junction with a county dirt road.

Left on this road to tiny OJATA, =1 m.=, the remains of a once thriving boom town known as Stickney. In its heyday it was a railroad terminus, and for a time rivaled Grand Forks in trade. Since the site is swampland, each heavy rain makes it a quagmire, and residents, considering the first name too literal, soon changed it to Ojata. The place declined when the railroad was extended W. At one time a farmer acquired the entire village in exchange for a stallion.

At =20 m.= is the junction with a county graveled road.

Right on this road to TURTLE RIVER STATE PARK (_swimming_, _picnicking_, _camping_), =3 m.=, where a picturesque ravine, cut by the once swift-flowing waters of the TURTLE RIVER, offers a pleasing variation to the level surrounding country. The river is named for the many small terrapin found on its banks. Just W. of the entrance are 15 tumuli (mounds) built by prehistoric Indians. Excavations by Dr. A. E. Jenks of the University of Minnesota have yielded copper instruments, an ivory pipe, and other artifacts. Unlike the mounds in other parts of the State (_see Side Tours 8A and 8B_), these have been plowed over and cultivated until they are only small humps on the prairie. The few tumuli opened have been easily excavated because they lie in a gravel deposit.

ARVILLA, =21.5 m.= (1,019 alt., 150 pop.), was named for the wife of a bonanza farmer. The GRAND FORKS COUNTY FARM AND HOSPITAL, a large brick structure, is situated just across the railroad track on a 136-acre tract adjoining the town on the S. The Arvilla Academy and North Dakota Conservatory of Music, the first private college in the State to maintain a music department, was founded in 1886 by Rev. John Allen Brown, Presbyterian pastor at Arvilla. Miss Sadie P. Brown, daughter of the founder, and a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music, headed the music department. The existence of the academy was brief, for the building was destroyed by fire in 1893 and was never rebuilt.

The CRYSTAL SPRINGS STOCK FARM, =23.5 m.=, consisting of 2,480 acres along the Turtle River, was a bonanza farm and then a stock farm, but now is known for the spring water bottled here for commercial purposes. In its early days the 20-room house, now standing empty with its venetian shutters flapping in the wind, was the scene of a social life that rivaled the surrounding bonanza acres in expansiveness and amplitude. H. T. Hersey, a Minnesota millionaire, became interested in wheat farming and built the house. His wife installed a full staff of servants, and many parties were held for eastern friends. On several occasions James J. Hill stopped his special train here to visit the Herseys, and once a special train carrying members of the State legislature stopped while its passengers were entertained at this prairie palace. Eventually Hersey tired of his role of gentleman farmer and sold his farm to James Streeter, prominent Larimore real estate dealer and farmer.

LARIMORE, =28 m.= (1,135 alt., 979 pop.), was named for N. D. Larimore, stockholder and business head of the Elk River Valley Farm, which was once the world's largest farm under single management. Most of the bonanza farms were divided into a number of tracts, each under a foreman, but the Elk River Valley Farm had all operations centralized. Its huge proportions attracted the St. Louis World's Fair Foreign Commission, which visited the farm in 1904, at which time there were 11,000 acres under cultivation. From this visit a great influx of northern Europeans resulted, leading to the breaking up of the bonanza farms and the sale of small farms to the new settlers.

The CITY PARK (_wading pool_, _tennis courts_, _tourist camp_) is in the same block as the city hall.

At =32.5 m.= the highway crosses the Turtle River, near a dam built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (_swimming_, _picnic grounds_).

McCANNA, =38 m.= (1,142 alt., 100 pop.), was named for S. A. McCanna, owner of the MCCANNA FARM (R), now the largest in the western part of Grand Forks County. Large modern buildings adjacent to the town on the NW., and the use of modern farm methods make it one of the show places in the area.

NIAGARA, =44.5 m.= (1,443 alt., 207 pop.), was named for Niagara County, N. Y. Because of uncertainty as to where the railroad would pass, the town was first built on skids 1 m. E. of the present site, and was moved when the railroad came in 1882.

PETERSBURG, =51.5 m.= (1,524 alt., 310 pop.), named for a pioneer clergyman in the community, has a population predominantly Norwegian, as has MICHIGAN CITY, =57.5 m.= (1,520 alt., 433 pop.), platted on land of the James Lamb family, who were among early arrivals in the vicinity and have continued to be prominent in local affairs. The town was named in honor of the native State of many of its first settlers. In the early 1880's an error in billing sent here an entire trainload of iron ore intended for Michigan City, Ind. The village officially retains its original name, but local usage has abridged this to "Michigan."

MAPES, =62.5 m.= (1,530 alt., 56 pop.), once a prosperous grain shipping center, was named for Emery Mapes, one of the men who worked out the formula for the nationally known Cream of Wheat.

At =67.5 m.= is the junction with ND 1, a graveled highway (_see Side Tour 8B_).