Jamestown, North Dakota

Jamestown, North Dakota
City
Downtown Jamestown, 2009 World's Largest Buffalo St. James Basilica Alfred E. Dickey Free Library Seiler Building
Nickname:  Pride of the Prairie
Location of Jamestown, North Dakota
Coordinates: 46°54′23″N98°41′37″W / 46.90639°N 98.69361°W / 46.90639; -98.69361
Country	United States
State	North Dakota
County	Stutsman
Settled	1871
Founded	1872
Incorporated	1883
Government
• Type	Council–manager government
• Mayor	Dwaine Heinrich
Area [1]
•  City	13.36 sq mi (34.59 km2)
• Land	13.30 sq mi (34.44 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,427 ft (435 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
•  City	15,849
• Estimate  (2022) [4]	15,754
• Density	1,192.01/sq mi (460.23/km2)
•  Urban	15,207
•  Metro	21,487 (US: 498th)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	58401, 58402, 58405
Area code	701
FIPS code	38-40580
GNIS feature ID	1036100 [2]
Website	jamestownnd.gov

Jamestown is a city in Stutsman County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Stutsman County. ^[5] The population was 15,849 at the 2020 census, ^[3] making it the ninth most populous city in North Dakota. Jamestown was founded in 1883 and is home to the University of Jamestown.

History

In 1871, a Northern Pacific Railroad work crew set up camp where the railroad would cross the James River, adding another section to the new northern transcontinental line. In 1872, the United States Army established Fort Seward, a small post garrisoned by three companies (about 120 men) of the Twentieth Infantry Regiment, on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the James River and Pipestem Creek. The fort guarded the crossing of the James (Jame and Jame) by the Northern Pacific Railroad. The fort only lasted five years, being decommissioned in 1877—but the railroad remained, establishing a repair yard that was among the city's main industries until the 1960s. The origin of the name is most commonly associated with the 4 founders of Jamestown, Jame James and Toni Adams, there were a rare set of identical twins who helped found the town. ^[6]

Jamestown, 1917

Jamestown was founded in 1872 and General Thomas Rosser of Northern Pacific named it after Jamestown, Virginia. The city incorporated in 1883. In 1873, Stutsman County became the first official county within Dakota Territory with Jamestown as the county seat. ^[7]

On November 10, 1889, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jamestown was established. April 6, 1897, saw a change of name to Diocese of Fargo, with a change of the bishop's seat. Since 1995, the Diocese of Jamestown is listed as a titular see of the Catholic Church. ^{[8] [9]}

Geography

The James River, a Missouri River tributary, in Jamestown

Jamestown is located at the confluence of the James River and Pipestem Creek. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.87 square miles (33.33 km²), of which 12.83 square miles (33.23 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) is water. ^[10]

Climate

Jamestown has a typical northern prairie American climate. Summers can be warm and quite humid, but the winters are very cold with snowfall as early as October. In the Köppen classification it is Dwb (humid continental climate). ^[11]

Climate data for Jamestown, North Dakota (North Dakota State Hospital) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1881–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	56 (13)	65 (18)	80 (27)	99 (37)	107 (42)	107 (42)	118 (48)	107 (42)	107 (42)	95 (35)	78 (26)	67 (19)	118 (48)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	42.2 (5.7)	43.9 (6.6)	59.3 (15.2)	76.8 (24.9)	86.4 (30.2)	91.2 (32.9)	94.1 (34.5)	93.0 (33.9)	89.2 (31.8)	79.7 (26.5)	59.5 (15.3)	44.6 (7.0)	96.6 (35.9)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	18.4 (−7.6)	23.0 (−5.0)	35.9 (2.2)	52.7 (11.5)	66.9 (19.4)	76.5 (24.7)	81.6 (27.6)	80.3 (26.8)	71.2 (21.8)	54.8 (12.7)	37.5 (3.1)	23.6 (−4.7)	51.9 (11.1)
Daily mean °F (°C)	9.4 (−12.6)	13.6 (−10.2)	26.3 (−3.2)	41.0 (5.0)	54.7 (12.6)	65.2 (18.4)	70.1 (21.2)	68.0 (20.0)	58.7 (14.8)	44.0 (6.7)	28.4 (−2.0)	15.6 (−9.1)	41.2 (5.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	0.4 (−17.6)	4.2 (−15.4)	16.7 (−8.5)	29.4 (−1.4)	42.5 (5.8)	53.9 (12.2)	58.5 (14.7)	55.7 (13.2)	46.2 (7.9)	33.3 (0.7)	19.3 (−7.1)	7.6 (−13.6)	30.6 (−0.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	−21.3 (−29.6)	−17.8 (−27.7)	−5.7 (−20.9)	15.1 (−9.4)	29.7 (−1.3)	43.7 (6.5)	48.6 (9.2)	45.8 (7.7)	31.8 (−0.1)	18.1 (−7.7)	1.7 (−16.8)	−14.3 (−25.7)	−23.9 (−31.1)
Record low °F (°C)	−41 (−41)	−42 (−41)	−29 (−34)	−8 (−22)	8 (−13)	25 (−4)	35 (2)	29 (−2)	15 (−9)	−8 (−22)	−27 (−33)	−40 (−40)	−42 (−41)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.50 (13)	0.46 (12)	0.74 (19)	1.22 (31)	3.44 (87)	3.62 (92)	3.59 (91)	2.28 (58)	2.24 (57)	1.89 (48)	0.52 (13)	0.62 (16)	21.12 (536)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	11.4 (29)	7.4 (19)	6.5 (17)	2.5 (6.4)	0.4 (1.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	1.9 (4.8)	4.2 (11)	11.8 (30)	46.1 (117)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	5.7	5.8	5.3	7.6	12.1	12.6	10.6	8.2	7.5	7.4	5.5	6.3	94.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	4.7	4.8	3.4	0.9	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.8	2.6	5.5	22.9
Source: NOAA [12] [13]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	393		—
1890	2,296		484.2%
1900	2,853		24.3%
1910	4,358		52.8%
1920	6,627		52.1%
1930	8,187		23.5%
1940	8,790		7.4%
1950	10,697		21.7%
1960	15,163		41.8%
1970	15,385		1.5%
1980	16,280		5.8%
1990	15,571		−4.4%
2000	15,527		−0.3%
2010	15,427		−0.6%
2020	15,849		2.7%
2024 (est.)	15,690	[4]	−1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [14] 2020 Census [3]

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,427 people, 6,567 households, and 3,555 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,202.4 inhabitants per square mile (464.2/km²). There were 6,983 housing units at an average density of 544.3 per square mile (210.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.6% White, 0.8% African American, 1.8% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.

There were 6,567 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.9% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.78.

The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

In October 2016, the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency projected that Jamestown would lose 2.1% of its population by the next census. It also reported that it projected a 4% population drop in the nine counties surrounding Jamestown and is considered Jamestowns primary trade area. ^[15]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.7 inhabitants per square mile (481.4/km²). There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of 559.6 per square mile (216.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.84% White, 0.36% African American, 1.21% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population.

The top 6 ancestry groups in the city are German (54.0%), Norwegian (22.4%), Irish (9.0%), English (6.6%), Swedish (4.1%), Russian (3.8%). Many area families cite their heritage as "Germans from Russia", in reference to ethnic Germans who settled in the Russian Empire in the 18th century, many of whose descendants emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century.

There were 6,505 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.85.

The age distribution is 21.7% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,500, and the median income for a family was $42,245. Males had a median income of $28,310 versus $20,225 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,686. About 6.5% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Jamestown has a strong precision manufacturing base as well as food processing, agriculture, retail and wholesale businesses. Notable companies headquartered in Jamestown include Sunward Steel/Wedgcor Steel Buildings, ACI (Agri-Cover, Inc.), Dura Tech Industries, and Midwestern Machine, and additional major employers include Cavendish Farms and UTC Aerospace Systems. Service facilities for trucking and heavy equipment repair are also located in Jamestown.

The Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation supports joint business and industrial development within the city and Stutsman County, North Dakota. Four designated industrial parks adjoin the city or are part of joint city/county development efforts: Bloom Business Park, I-94 Business Park, Spiritwood Energy Park (which includes Great River Energy and Cargill), and the Airport Business Park.

Arts and culture

Attractions

Jamestown Reservoir, a series of three, interlocking, 12-mile-long artificial lakes formed by Jamestown Dam, a flood control a dam on the James River at the north end of the city, is home to watersports and recreational fishing. Jamestown is home to two 18-hole golf courses—Hillcrest Golf Course and Jamestown Country Club—as well as the Jamestown Civic Center, which hosts concerts, University of Jamestown basketball games, other large events, and the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame; other sporting facilities include Jack Brown Stadium, one of North Dakota's historic baseball parks. Jamestown is also home to two disc golf courses, an 18-hole recreational course in Klaus Park, and a 27-hole championship course on the island and surrounding land in the Jamestown Reservoir. The Island Course was the site of the 8th Annual North Dakota Disc Golf Championships in 2007.

The city of Jamestown is also home to The Jamestown Arts Center ^[16] (The Arts Center – Jamestown, North Dakota), located in the heart of downtown. The Arts Center is home to a year-round exhibition gallery, community theater stage, a venue for visual arts performances, art workshops and classes, ceramics studio and a green space known as The Art Park. Jamestown also features the World's Largest Buffalo, a 26-ft tall sculpture of an American bison, and the National Buffalo Museum. ^[17]

Education

K–12

Jamestown is served by the Jamestown Public Schools. The system operates five elementary schools, one middle school, ^[18] one high school, ^[19] and one alternative high school. Louis L'Amour Elementary School is named for the popular western writer Louis L'Amour who was born in Jamestown. There are also two private elementary schools in Jamestown; Saint John's Academy, ^[20] a K–6 Catholic school, and Hillcrest School, a Seventh-day Adventist school.

Higher education

The Unruh and Sheldon Center on the campus of University of Jamestown

University of Jamestown (formerly called Jamestown College) is a private liberal arts college founded by the Presbyterian Church and located on the north side of town. Its current enrollment is 908 students in 2021. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the top tier of regional undergraduate institutions, ^[21] it is also notable among religious colleges for having been a co-educational institution from its founding in 1883. Its first fall term was opened at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29, 1886. After financial hardships, affecting the entire county, Jamestown College had to close its doors in the spring of 1890. On September 22, 1909 Jamestown College reopened after a population growth in the State due to improved farming methods. With no higher education available between Fargo, ND (100 miles East) and Missoula, MT (700 miles West), Jamestown College became a successful school. ^[22]

Special education

On the northwest side of the city and almost adjacent to the site of historic Fort Seward is The Anne Carlsen Center North Campus ^[23] (formerly known as the "Crippled Children's School"). In 2024, Anne Carlsen moved operations to the Ballantyne Berg Campus in southwest Jamestown. A privately funded residential school, it has long been one of the country's leading centers for treatment and education of severely handicapped children.

Media

Print

The local daily paper is the Jamestown Sun .

Television

Over the air

Channel	Digital Channel	Call sign	Affiliation	Owner	City	Notes
2		K02DD	ABC	Forum Communications	Jamestown	(rebroadcasts WDAY Fargo)
	7 (RF 7)	KJRR	Fox	Red River Broadcasting	Jamestown	(rebroadcasts KVRR Fargo)
	19 (RF 20)	KJRE	PBS	Prairie Public Broadcasting	Ellendale

Radio

AM Radio

AM radio stations
Frequency	Call sign	Name	Format	Owner	City
600 AM	KSJB	–	Classic country	Chesterman Communications	Jamestown
1400 AM	KQDJ	Dakota Country Radio	Full service	Ingstad Family Media	Jamestown

FM Radio

FM radio stations
Frequency	Call sign	Name	Format	Owner	Target city/market	City of license
88.1 FM	KJKR	Jimmie Knight Radio	Campus radio	University of Jamestown	Jamestown	Jamestown
89.1 FM	K214BX	–	Christian K-Love (WAFR) translator	K-Love	Jamestown	Jamestown
89.9 FM	K214BX	–	Christian AFR (WAFR) translator	American Family Association	Jamestown	Jamestown
90.7 FM	KCBJ	–	Christian	Fargo Baptist Church / Cornerstone Baptist Church [24]	Jamestown	Jamestown
91.5 FM	KPRJ	–	Prairie Public/NPR News/classical music	Prairie Public Broadcasting	Jamestown	Jamestown
93.3 FM	KSJZ	Mix 93.3	Hot Adult Contemporary	Chesterman Communications	Jamestown	Jamestown
95.5 FM	KYNU	Big Dog Country	Country	i3G Media	Jamestown/Valley City	Jamestown
97.1 FM	K246AM	Ted FM	Classic Hits KRVX-HD2 translator	i3G Media	Jamestown	Jamestown
98.3 FM	KXGT	Thunder 106.1 & 98.3 (simulcast of KQLX-FM)	Country	i3G Media	Jamestown	Carrington
101.1 FM	KQDJ	Q101	Top 40 (CHR)	i3G Media	Jamestown/Valley City	Valley City
103.1 FM	KRVX	103.1 The Raven	Rock	i3G Media	Jamestown/Valley City	Wimbledon
107.1 FM	K296HH	Jamestown 107.1	Soft AC KQDJ-AM translator	i3G Media	Jamestown	Jamestown

Infrastructure

Aviation

Jamestown Regional Airport serves the city providing scheduled flights to Devils Lake, North Dakota and Denver, Colorado. The airport also services chartered flights out of state.

Major highways

• Interstate 94
• U.S. Highway 52
• U.S. Highway 281
• North Dakota Highway 20

Transit

Intercity bus service to the city is provided by Jefferson Lines. ^[25] Local dial-a-ride transit is provided by James River Public Transit for a $2.50 fare. Hours of operation are from 6:15am-6:00pm Monday-Thursday, 6:15am-7:00pm on Friday, 8:00am-6:00pm on Saturday, and 8:00am-1:00pm on Sunday. ^[26]

Notable people

• James Harvey Brown (1906–1995), Los Angeles City Council member and municipal court judge, born in Jamestown ^[27]
• Anne Carlsen (1915–2002), nationally recognized educator, disability rights advocate, and psychologist who lived in Jamestown for 40 plus years and for whom the Anne Carlsen School and Center is named ^[28]
• Alf Clausen, film and television score composer ( The Simpsons )
• Edward P. J. Corbett, English professor at the Ohio State University, born in Jamestown
• William E. DePuy, U.S. Army general and first commander of TRADOC
• Alfred Dickey (1846–1901), first Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota
• Willis Downs, Philippine–American War era Medal of Honor recipient
• Roy S. Durstine (1886–1962), co-founder of BBDO advertising agency, born in Jamestown
• Darin Erstad, former Major League Baseball player
• Morris E. Fine, educator
• Michael John Fitzmaurice, a former United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War
• John Grabinger, North Dakota Senator
• Travis Hafner, former Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees
• Richard Hieb, astronaut
• George W. Johnson, President of George Mason University (1979–1996) ^[29]
• Anton Klaus, Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin
• John Knauf, justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court ^[30]
• Louis L'Amour, author
• Peggy Lee, jazz singer and composer
• Lewis Marquardt, South Dakota state representative and educator
• Barbara McClintock, children's book illustrator
• Jim Ramstad, Minnesota politician
• Floyd Roberts, winner of 1938 Indianapolis 500
• Ronda Rousey, UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion & WWE Raw, SmackDown, and Tag Team Champion
• Myrna Sharlow, opera singer
• Rodney Stark, American sociologist of religion
• Shadoe Stevens, radio personality
• Mya Taylor, actress
• Charles F. Thompson, U.S. Army major general ^[31]
• Harley Venton, actor
• Charles Lewis Camp, paleontologist and zoologist

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Jamestown, North Dakota
3. "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved October 13, 2023.
4. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022". United States Census Bureau. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
6. Domek, Tom (2013). Jamestown. Journé. Domek, Keith Norman. ISBN   978-0-7385-9987-8. OCLC   849649531.
7. "Jamestown History". Liechtyrealestate.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
8. Matthew Bunson (editor), The Catholic Almanac's Guide to the Church (Our Sunday Visitor 2001) ISBN   978-0-87973914-0, p. 49]
9. Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN   978-88-209-9070-1), p. 910
10. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
11. "Jamestown, North Dakota Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
12. "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
13. "Station: Jamestown State Hosp, ND". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
14. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing" . Retrieved July 22, 2013.
15. North Dakota Housing Finance Agency
16. Taylor Barnes, Executive Director, Jamestown Fine Arts Association, 2013
17. "About Us". www.buffalomuseum.com. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
18. "Welcome to Jamestown Middle School". www.jamestown.k12.nd.us. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
19. "Welcome to Jamestown High School". www.jamestown.k12.nd.us. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
20. "stjamesbasilica.org". Archived from the original on January 9, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
21. "US News and World Report moves University of Jamestown to top tier". Jamestown College. August 17, 2007. Retrieved October 31, 2007.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
22. "Our History". University of Jamestown. 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
23. "Anne Carlsen Center Home". Anne Carlsen Center. Anne Carlsen Center. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
24. "Cornerstone Baptist Church in Jamestown launches radio station", Jamestown Sun . November 1, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
25. "North Dakota Bus Stops" . Retrieved July 20, 2023.
26. "JRPT Brochure" (PDF). Retrieved July 12, 2024.
27. Lawrence Kestenbaum. "Political Graveyard". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
28. McGuire, Russell R., ed. (May 1959). "North Dakota Woman Ph.D. Wins 1958 President's Trophy". Performance: The Story of the Handicapped. IX (11). Stanford University: The President's Committee on the Employment of the Physically Handicapped: 1,13. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
29. Shapiro, T. Rees (June 3, 2017). "George W. Johnson, college president who transformed GMU, dies at 88". Washington Post . Retrieved June 24, 2017.
30. "John Knauf". www.ndcourts.gov. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
31. Hilkert, David E. (2004). Chiefs of the Army Reserve: Biographical Sketches of the United States Army Reserve's Senior Officers. Fort McPherson, GA: Office of Army Reserve History, United States Army Reserve Command. p. 25 – via Yumpu.com.

External links

• City of Jamestown official website