Wells County, North Dakota

Wells County
County
Wells County Courthouse (Fessenden, North Dakota)
Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota
North Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 47°35′N99°40′W / 47.58°N 99.67°W / 47.58; -99.67
Country	United States
State	North Dakota
Founded	January 4, 1873 (created) August 28, 1884 (organized)
Named for	Edward Payson Wells
Seat	Fessenden
Largest city	Harvey
Area
• Total	1,290 sq mi (3,300 km2)
• Land	1,271 sq mi (3,290 km2)
• Water	19 sq mi (50 km2)  1.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,982
• Estimate  (2022)	3,930
• Density	3.1/sq mi (1.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	At-large
Website	www.wellscountynd.com

Wells County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,982. ^[1] Its county seat is Fessenden. ^[2]

47°35′N99°40′W / 47.58°N 99.67°W / 47.58; -99.67

History

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. ^[3] 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. ^[4]

The center of population of North Dakota is located in the extreme southeastern corner of Wells County, about 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Sykeston. ^[5]

Outline map of Wells County, North Dakota, 1911

Geography

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. ^[6] The terrain slopes to the east and north; its highest point is a protuberance near the southwestern corner, at 2,182 ft (665 m) ASL. ^[7] Ihe county has a total area of 1,290 square miles (3,300 km²), of which 1,271 square miles (3,290 km²) is land and 19 square miles (49 km²) (1.5%) is water. ^[8]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 52
• North Dakota Highway 3
• North Dakota Highway 15
• North Dakota Highway 30
• North Dakota Highway 91
• North Dakota Highway 200
• County 1 ^[6]
• County 5
• Wells County Route 52

Adjacent counties

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

Protected areas

Source: ^[6]

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

Lakes

Source: ^[6]

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

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	1,212		—
1900	8,310		585.6%
1910	11,814		42.2%
1920	12,957		9.7%
1930	13,285		2.5%
1940	11,198		−15.7%
1950	10,417		−7.0%
1960	9,237		−11.3%
1970	7,847		−15.0%
1980	6,979		−11.1%
1990	5,864		−16.0%
2000	5,102		−13.0%
2010	4,207		−17.5%
2020	3,982		−5.3%
2022 (est.)	3,930	[9]	−1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [10] 1790-1960 [11] 1900-1990 [12] 1990-2000 [13] 2010-2020 [1]

2020 census

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

2010 census

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 3.31 people per square mile (1.28 people/km²). There were 2,481 housing units at an average density of 1.95 units per square mile (0.75/km²). 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 decade

Communities

Cities

• Bowdon
• Cathay
• Fessenden (county seat)
• Hamberg
• Harvey
• Hurdsfield
• Sykeston

Census-designated place

• Heimdal

Unincorporated communities

• Bremen
• Chaseley
• Dover ^[6]
• Emrick ^[6]
• Heaton (ghost town) ^[14]
• Manfred
• Wellsburg

Townships

• 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

Politics

Wells County voters have been Republican-leaning for several decades. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

United States presidential election results for Wells County, North Dakota ^[15]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,815	80.56%	405	17.98%	33	1.46%
2020	1,893	79.74%	442	18.62%	39	1.64%
2016	1,796	75.37%	419	17.58%	168	7.05%
2012	1,654	69.53%	673	28.29%	52	2.19%
2008	1,468	61.76%	841	35.38%	68	2.86%
2004	1,654	64.58%	858	33.50%	49	1.91%
2000	1,610	66.80%	661	27.43%	139	5.77%
1996	1,192	46.89%	962	37.84%	388	15.26%
1992	1,171	40.16%	888	30.45%	857	29.39%
1988	1,901	58.65%	1,317	40.64%	23	0.71%
1984	2,426	69.20%	1,036	29.55%	44	1.25%
1980	2,660	73.91%	746	20.73%	193	5.36%
1976	1,941	51.53%	1,742	46.24%	84	2.23%
1972	2,519	64.42%	1,297	33.17%	94	2.40%
1968	2,266	59.92%	1,265	33.45%	251	6.64%
1964	1,875	44.76%	2,314	55.24%	0	0.00%
1960	2,641	58.24%	1,885	41.57%	9	0.20%
1956	2,912	66.87%	1,434	32.93%	9	0.21%
1952	3,709	77.89%	1,016	21.34%	37	0.78%
1948	2,385	59.83%	1,492	37.43%	109	2.73%
1944	2,529	61.59%	1,557	37.92%	20	0.49%
1940	3,335	63.74%	1,878	35.89%	19	0.36%
1936	1,263	23.84%	3,114	58.78%	921	17.38%
1932	1,062	21.50%	3,823	77.40%	54	1.09%
1928	2,364	52.39%	2,123	47.05%	25	0.55%
1924	1,644	44.40%	138	3.73%	1,921	51.88%
1920	3,202	85.71%	456	12.21%	78	2.09%
1916	1,226	58.58%	810	38.70%	57	2.72%
1912	356	23.58%	494	32.72%	660	43.71%
1908	1,243	68.07%	535	29.30%	48	2.63%
1904	1,330	80.90%	209	12.71%	105	6.39%
1900	966	69.90%	388	28.08%	28	2.03%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Wells County, North Dakota

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "County History". Official Portal for North Dakota State Government. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
4. "Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies". Dakota Territory Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2006. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
5. "2010 Census Centers of Population by State". United States Census Bureau, Geography Division. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
6. "Wells County ND". Google Maps. Accessed February 21, 2019.
7. ""Find an Altitude/Wells County ND" Google Maps (accessed February 21, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
8. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
9. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". Census.gov . Retrieved April 6, 2023.
10. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
12. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (April 20, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
13. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
14. "Ghosts of North Dakota". Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
15. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 13, 2018.

External links

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