Chaseley was a NPRR railroad town founded in 1902. It was named by Richard Sykes for the estate of an associate in England. It’s peak population was said to be around 125 in 1920.
Our trip to Chaseley was a spur of the moment stop that we hadn’t planned to make, so we took a few photos and moved along to our next location.
Unless we somehow missed it, this home appeared to be gone when we returned in 2017.
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The building shown above was used as the grocery store in Chaseley for a time. When we visited in 2017, it looked to be in considerably better shape.
By the time we returned to Chaseley in 2017, the home shown in the photo above was gone.
What do you know about Chaseley, North Dakota? Please leave a comment.
Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
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Ghosts of North Dakota 
Chaseley was one of the latest towns in ND to be electrified. I have in my files where the power company now serving the town asked the state utility commission in 1940 for permission to build an electric distribution system.
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The top picture is the old Dance hall. It was the Dance Capital of North Dakota at one time! My dad now owns the building!
The Second picture is a Picture of my Grandma’s house. My dad and his other 5 siblings were raised in there. A very gorgeous house inside. We still use the house every hunting season! Very surprised to not see the old post office or school house or the old store on here!!! Lots of great old pictures to be taken in that town. grew up there and we still farm there! 24 years and going!
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My Grandfather Barry Wyman was a newlywed RR manager at Chasley ND in 1902. He operated a hardware store there too (photo available). Houses were ordered by catalog from Sears, then sent by Railroad. The business area of town burned in a fire, in early1900’s. From my mother’s stories of her Chasley ND hometown.
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The third picture down was the old church parsonage, which was inhabited by Mary Czech when I grew up there in the 70’s and 80’s. She said the railroad went as far west as Bowdon, and people got off and walked 6 more miles and settled Chaseley. Like Dennis said, fire ( two separate occasions) knocked out multiple businesses and after the last one, people didn’t rebuild. There was a good grocery store till the late 80’s and a gas station/implement and parts dealer there till the later 90’s. It was the arguably best place anywhere to grow up. Many people who worked at the Chaseley Garage lived in the house on the bottom picture at one time or another. I grew up in the yellow house. ( Yes, that’s all I ever used for directions when people came to visit, and it worked.)
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My Dad went to visit Mary Czech sometime in the 80 s, to get more info on his parents homestead there, starting in 1897, arriving first in Bowden having come from Roanoke, Va. by train to join his sister and brother in law. They started with a sod hut and built a 1 room “house”, then a 2 story house on the property. I wish I still had some of her info…. I might have if I go back thru the boxes! Per my family history book, Mary, as a 6 yr old, was asked to play with the oldest child while my dad’s number 2 sister was born. The Land grant was ratified for that family in 1906. Mary wrote to my aunt that the town was platted the summer of 1902 but did not really exist until 1905. The first school in section 26 was built in summer 1901, a half mile south of the future Chaseley platt. My great Aunt Lucy was the first school teacher there. They left the state in 1903, eventually moving to Bowden in 1904 and establishing a blacksmiths shop.
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I remember going to the Chasely Garage as a kid with my dad to get Allis Chalmers (?) parts. My dad recently mentioned that an old neighbor purchased a new 145 Versatile 4WD tractor from a dealer in Chasely in the 70’s. The tractor is still being used by his sons.
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The Chaseley Garage was a Minneapolis Moline dealer owned by Art Emerson.
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I have many good memories of Chaseley. I didn’t grow up there, but spend alot of time with my grandparents, who lived there. At the age of probably 5 or so I went to the dances with my parents in the dance hall across the street from the bar that my grandfather Henry Heintz owned. I spent alot of time playing with friends in the neighborhood and I remember every fourth of July, one of the residents bought boxes of fireworks that were displayed at dark. Good times and good memories.
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You are right Jess, a great place to grow up.
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The church parsonage is no longer. When growing up Mary Czeck lived there. The little house has had no one living there for several years.I remember the dance hall and walking to town to watch. I grew up on the farm on the hill to the north. On hot days helping Dad we stopped at the old bar Dad for a cold one and me orange pop. My mom still lives on the farm on the hill the little lane to town is no more. A great place to grow up and live.
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Chaseley, ND is my home town. I grew up there and looking back there was no greater place to raise a family. The community was very close back then and folks loved, respected and looked out for all of their neighbors, unlike today when your lucky if you even know your neighbors. That’s what growing up in a small town/community is all about..
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any relation to hansons that lived north of there?
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claudia, r u any relation to the hansons that lived north west of there?
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Linda, since Claudia didn’t get back on the site. I will reply. To my knowledge we were not related to any Hanson’s northwest of Chaseley. Glenn Hanson who lived south and west of Chaseley was my dad’s brother, Norman another brother lived in Bowdon, Stanley on the Oregon and Verna his only sister lived in Idaho.
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I am searching for family of Randi (Fremo) and Sven Hanson of the Boyd, mn. area. I believe their son, Ludwig, may have moved to the Chasely,ND area?I believe he had a son named Lester?
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Grew up south of Chaseley. My mother grew up in Chaseley and met my Dad at the old dance hall in the 2nd photo. Have many fond memories of the old grocery store.
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I grow up on our farm two miles southwest of Chaseley and attended grade school in Chaseley and graduated in 1954. It was a great place to grow up and the people were really great. In 2018 myself, Norman Weckerly, Sandra Carson Springer, Tyler Jones and Corey Hart restored the Stone Spring House that is located next to the Hurd Roundhouse. I have pictures of the Champion 1954 Chaseley basketball team and the 1948 grade classe 1 – 4. If you want one my e-mail is dcarson@amerytel.net.
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Does anyone remember relatives talking about Olive Olstad and her family. They lived 3 miles north of town, Mom thinks it might have been the Wright farm, maybe in the 30’s. She talked about taking the train to Bowdon.
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