Backoo, North Dakota was founded in 1887 along the Great Northern railroad line, about five miles northwest of Cavalier, however little development occurred and the population never exceeded fifty. The post office in Backoo operated from September 26th, 1887 until October 11th, 1988. Terry and I visited in 2009 and got these photos of one of the last remaining structures from the pioneer settlement that was Backoo, a little country school.
This schoolhouse now sits among a loose cluster of farmsteads and rural businesses. It is prominently posted “No Hunting”.
Backoo’s little country school isn’t far from several other places we’ve photographed, including the Tyner Pioneer Cemetery, Dresden’s former church, and Olga, North Dakota.
There’s a slowly collapsing garage on the site, too.
Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
Ghosts of North Dakota 
My grandfather Wilfred Beaudoin had the general store in Backoo. My grandparents lived in the house next to it. The train stopped in front of the store. I remember being there in the 1950’s and early 1960’s.
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Fascinating! The last photo makes it look like the grass around the school has been cut. Is that right?
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Yes, the community keeps the grass mowed.
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I’ll bet that on a dark quiet night you can hear the teeter totter squeek as tho “in use”.
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My grandmother was born there around 1900. Campbell’s and later Maxwells were the last names! Thanks for the photos!!
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I was a student at this school when it closed in 1962. I remember the Beaudoin Store very well and it also contained a pool table. The men would also play cards and checkers in the pool table room in back. It was the social gathering place for the men in town.
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The Beaudoin store had a back room with a pool table and was the social gathering place for the men in the town, It also had a large table for playing cards and a small table where there was usually a game of checkers going on. I was a student when the school closed in1962.
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Check out Backoo on Facebook for more photos and information about the community.
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I remember playing in that building when I was younger with Jimmy (fear, four, five six) Fehr. Not many people know this but there is a basketball hoop inside and I used to dunk on top of kids in there. I have credit this place for my alien like leaping ability. What a wonderful place!! Alley-oop!!!!
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