Eastedge, ND is in south-central North Dakota, in southern Barnes County, about twenty miles south of Valley City. The railroad construction camp that once existed here was named “Eastedge,” a name descriptive of its location on the east edge of the Sheyenne River Valley. Eastedge is near two other places we’ve photographed — Kathryn and Nome.
It was May 1st when we visited Eastedge, a date that normally prompts visions of spring sunshine and flowers, but on this day, the weather was unusually cold and misty with a blustery wind that chilled us to our bones. We were unsure of what we would find when we arrived at Eastedge.
Some might argue the weather was an appropriate harbinger of what was to come — just as we arrived, snowflakes started to fall, and we shortly discovered Eastedge is a true ghost town with only two homes standing on the former townsite, and an unnerving backstory.
After we posted these photos, Shawn Bjerke recently wrote us to say:
My Grandmother walked to school in the one room school house at Eastedge. I also remember her telling me that the last resident of Eastedge committed suicide in the late 60’s or early 70’s! Maybe its a true ghost town!
The small white home on the Eastedge townsite was moved here from another location, and several people have told us that the person who moved the house to the site was killed in the process when he touched an overhead powerline. This home is going through a slow-motion collapse and was in considerably worse shape when we returned six years later.
The remains of the old concrete railroad loading dock, below, are the only other remains on-site.
//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
The tracks remain, but they’ve been out of service for many years.
Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
Get Notified
[mc4wp_form id=”59817″]
//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Ghosts of North Dakota 
Eastedge ND has got “the look” that would be produce spine tingling “edge” to a good horror movie, or at least a good Hitchcock-type toe curler…wow, now I just read about the suicide…someone call Steven Spielberg…
LikeLike
Picture #5, it sure looks like someone is in that upstairs window!
LikeLike
I thought the same exact thing when I looked at the picture the first time
LikeLike
I was thinking that also.
LikeLike
I would love to go where this pic was taken. I live in Nome and don’t remember ever seeing this house around here.
LikeLike
Have you been to Eastedge, Nikki? That’s where these photos were taken.
LikeLike
My dad went to junior high there. Every year when we went to ND to visit the relatives, we would go take a look at the school there (1950-60s) It was still in pretty good condition at the time, but has since been torn down. Never saw the homes though.
LikeLike
Haven’t been on the river road out of Lisbon, ND for about 15 years, but the last time I did the Eastedge elevator was still there
LikeLike
The last time I took the river road out of Lisbon, ND the Eastedge elevator was still on the west side of town.
LikeLike
I found out about this town through this website and I decided to visit just hours ago. As far as I could see with a spotlight (it was dark by the time I got there), the elevator was not there, only the two abandoned houses.
LikeLike
My Mom gave me some old stock certificate and one was from Eastedge Farmers Elevator CO dated September 3rd 1919, It belong to my Grandfather. I was born in North Dakota and never been in Eastedge. I thought that was interesting. They lived on a farm in the close to the Preston Lutheran Church.
LikeLike
My Dad worked for the elevator around 1953.
LikeLike
grew up half mile from eastedge nw. i and two of my brothers bruce and lynn went through eight grade at the school there. the two houses i think are the one on the hill was called the peterson house old people lived there. the other house is the rodlin house moved from a farm two miles from nw. the owner ole was electricuted trying to lift power lines over the roof upon moving the house to the present location. mrs rodlin used to cook noon meal for the school for several years. us kids would take turns going to pick up the food.
in 1954 our dad vincent bought the elevator and associated building and ran the elevator for two years before selling out to peavy elevator and went to work for them at the nome location.
the ramp shown was used to load and unload machines etc from the rail cars.
there was at one time three different elevator companies in eastedge. the general store/ postoffice burned down in 1952 when it lost the postadress.
the elevator the last one was moved by hownhouse clan that live in the valley some 10 miles from lisbon.
LikeLike
marilyn what was your maiden name.
LikeLike
My maiden name was Kish. My parents were Ray and Gladys Kish. Dad ran the elevator for a short time, and my Mom worked at the store for Eskelson’s (spelling). I attended school in Enderlin.
LikeLike
Marilyn I and my two brothers lived with your parents for a couple of weeks while my parents took a vacation in the mid winter don’t remember year but about the 52-54 time frame. I think it was the fall of 54 when dad bought the elevator which included the house you lived in. at that time the elevator was closed for a while by then I think. long time ago now.
in 53-54 there was 1-8 grades. was highschool in earlier years I don’t remember when it was discontinued but it was about that time.
you had wonderful parents we very much enjoyed living with them. keith
LikeLike
I was amazed to see this picture…in the 50’s I lived in this house. My parents moved to Eastedge, where my Dad ran the elevator, and my Mom worked for the owners of the store. They only lived there for one year. I went to highschool in Enderlin.
LikeLike
marilyn what was your maiden name.
LikeLike
Interesting to find familiar names associated with some of these towns. I attended school in Eastedge for seven years and was there the day the store burned down. We lived about 2 1/2 miles away. I walked or rode horse to school – and usually carried a gun with me to hunt rabbits or gophers. Strange how things have changed – for the worse in many cases. Keith – we had a lot of good times in those days. With the store and elevator gone the town started to die. The school closed in 1957 and was torn down some years later. Doug Eidsvig – eidsvigd@msn.com
LikeLike
I don’t remember a school in Eastedge…what grade levels were taught there around 1953-1954?
LikeLike
My Dad, Norman Johnson, ran the Eastedge elevator in the 1940s and early 50s. We lived in the “elevator house” and went to school in Eastedge until our third year of high school, when we transferred to Enderlin High School. It is so good to see these pictures and read notes from names I recognize. Thanks to whoever put this together. My father died in 1952. My parents owned the red Owl grocery store in Eastedge and my mother, Gladys Johnson, was the postmistress.
Kathy Schulz
LikeLike
My grandparents, Palmer and Cora Revland, lived there and ran the store in the early to mid 1940s. They moved to Fargo in 1946. My sister and I loved to take the train from Fargo to visit them. It was a beautiful place then, cozy, and our grandfather made us a swing in an enormous tree that made us feel like we could fly. I think that tree, what’s left of it, must be the one in the photo. Grandpa Revland had the Red Owl store in Fort Ransom before they moved to Eastedge. Wow. This is not a happy ending to a wonderful memory. Catherine Revland
LikeLike