Wells County, North Dakota

Template:Infobox U.S. countyWells County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,982.<ref name="QF">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its county seat is Fessenden.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Short description Template:Coord Template:Use mdy dates

HistoryEdit

The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on January 4, 1873. Its government was not organized at that time, nor was it attached for administrative or judicial purposes to another county. It was named Gingras County; this name continued until February 26, 1881, when the name was changed to Wells County, named for Edward Payson Wells, a Jamestown banker, early promoter of the James River Valley, and member of the legislature in 1881.

The county government was organized on August 28, 1884, with Sykeston as the county seat. In 1894 the county seat was transferred to Fessendon.<ref name="ND Counties">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The county boundary was altered in 1883 when a parcel was transferred to Foster County, and again in 1885 when it received land from Foster County. Its boundary has remained unchanged since 1885.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The center of population of North Dakota is located in the extreme southeastern corner of Wells County, about Template:Convert southeast of Sykeston.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:Map of Wells County, N.D., 1911.jpg

Outline map of Wells County, North Dakota, 1911

GeographyEdit

The James River flows east-northeasterly through Wells County. The county terrain consists of rolling hills with occasional protuberances, dotted with lakes and ponds in its SW portion.<ref name=WCND>"Wells County ND". Google Maps. Accessed February 21, 2019.</ref> The terrain slopes to the east and north; its highest point is a protuberance near the southwestern corner, at Template:Convert ASL.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Ihe county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.5%) is water.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Major highwaysEdit

Template:Div col

File:US 52.svg U.S. Highway 52
File:ND-3 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 3
File:ND-15 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 15
File:ND-30 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 30
File:ND-91 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 91
File:ND-200 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 200
County 1<ref name=WCND/>
County 5
File:Wells County Route 52 ND.svg Wells County Route 52

Template:Div col end

Adjacent countiesEdit

Template:Div col

Benson County - north
Eddy County - east
Foster County - east
Stutsman County - southeast
Kidder County - south
Sheridan County - west
Pierce County - northwest

Template:Div col end

Protected areasEdit

Source:<ref name=WCND/>

Karl T. Frederick State Game Management Area
Upland State Game Refuge

LakesEdit

Source:<ref name=WCND/> Template:Div col

Big Slough
Crystal Lake
Egg Lake
Lake Ontario
Silver Lake
Sorenson Lake

Template:Div col end

DemographicsEdit

Template:US Census population

2020 censusEdit

As of the census of 2020, there were 3,982 people.

2010 censusEdit

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,207 people, 1,943 households, and 1,223 families in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 2,481 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 98.9% white, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.0% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 65.9% were German, 25.9% were Norwegian, 6.7% were Irish, and 1.8% were American.

Of the 1,943 households, 19.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.1% were non-families, and 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age was 51.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,136 and the median income for a family was $52,400. Males had a median income of $38,442 versus $25,597 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,531. About 6.1% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decadeEdit

<timeline> Colors=

 id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
 id:darkgrey  value:gray(0.8)
 id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1)
 id:barra value:rgb(0.55,0.0,0.0)

ImageSize = width:600 height:300 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:13300 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = late ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:3325 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:1663 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo

BarData=

 bar:1890 text:1890
 bar:1900 text:1900
 bar:1910 text:1910
 bar:1920 text:1920
 bar:1930 text:1930
 bar:1940 text:1940
 bar:1950 text:1950
 bar:1960 text:1960
 bar:1970 text:1970
 bar:1980 text:1980
 bar:1990 text:1990
 bar:2000 text:2000
 bar:2010 text:2010
 bar:2020 text:2020
 bar:2022 text:present

PlotData=

 color:barra width:25 align:left

 bar:1890 from: 0 till:1212
 bar:1900 from: 0 till:8310
 bar:1910 from: 0 till:11814
 bar:1920 from: 0 till:12957
 bar:1930 from: 0 till:13285
 bar:1940 from: 0 till:11198
 bar:1950 from: 0 till:10417
 bar:1960 from: 0 till:9237
 bar:1970 from: 0 till:7847
 bar:1980 from: 0 till:6979
 bar:1990 from: 0 till:5864
 bar:2000 from: 0 till:5102
 bar:2010 from: 0 till:4207
 bar:2020 from: 0 till:3982
 bar:2022 from: 0 till:3930 color:darkblue

PlotData=

 bar:1890 at:1212 fontsize:S text:1212 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1900 at:8310 fontsize:S text:8310 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1910 at:11814 fontsize:S text:11814 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1920 at:12957 fontsize:S text:12957 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1930 at:13285 fontsize:S text:13285 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1940 at:11198 fontsize:S text:11198 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1950 at:10417 fontsize:S text:10417 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1960 at:9237 fontsize:S text:9237 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1970 at:7847 fontsize:S text:7847 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1980 at:6979 fontsize:S text:6979 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1990 at:5864 fontsize:S text:5864 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:2000 at:5102 fontsize:S text:5102 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:2010 at:4207 fontsize:S text:4207 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:2020 at:3982 fontsize:S text:3982 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:2022 at:3930 fontsize:S text:3930 shift:(-14,5)

TextData=

 fontsize:S pos:(20,20)
 text:Data from U.S. Census Bureau

</timeline>

CommunitiesEdit

Bremen
Chaseley
Dover<ref name=WCND/>
Emrick<ref name=WCND/>
Heaton (ghost town)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Template:Div col end

TownshipsEdit

Template:Div col

Berlin
Bilodeau
Bremen
Bull Moose
Cathay
Chaseley
Crystal Lake
Delger
Fairville
Forward
Fram
Germantown
Haaland
Hamburg
Hawksnest
Heimdal
Hillsdale
Johnson
Lynn
Manfred
Norway Lake
Oshkosh
Pony Gulch
Progress
Rusland
Saint Anna
Silver Lake
South Cottonwood
Speedwell
Sykeston
Valhalla
Wells
West Norway
West Ontario
Western
Woodward

Template:Div col end

PoliticsEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Wells County official website
Northern portion of Wells County, North Dakota DOT
Southern portion of Wells County, North Dakota DOT

Template:Geographic Location

Template:Wells County, North Dakota Template:US state navigation box Template:Authority control

Wells County, North Dakota

Contents

HistoryEdit

GeographyEdit

Major highwaysEdit

Adjacent countiesEdit

Protected areasEdit

LakesEdit

DemographicsEdit

2020 censusEdit

2010 censusEdit

Population by decadeEdit

CommunitiesEdit

CitiesEdit

Census-designated placeEdit

Unincorporated communitiesEdit

TownshipsEdit

PoliticsEdit

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit