Kloten is in Nelson County, situated about forty miles south of Highway 2, about halfway between Devils Lake and Grand Forks. Accurate population figures are difficult to find. Kloten’s population was reported at a suspiciously round number of 150 for many years, however our census records going back as far as 1960 do not include population reports for Kloten.
Nathan Mastrud contributed these photos of Kloten with the following comments:
Sign leading to Kloten reads “Dead End” but it still carried us through town. Maybe around 6-10 households remain in Kloten. Some of them were hard to tell if the were inhabited or not because most of the the yards were mowed …even the yards of houses that appeared abandoned. Also few of the remaining ones appeared to have a never ending yard sale.
The Kloten grain elevator still looms over the west side of town and a church still remains.
A Fire Hall bell was begging to be rung but a few dogs and the fear of shotguns advised otherwise.
Photos by Nathan Mastrud & Punchgut Studio, original content © copyright Sonic Tremor Media
Ghosts of North Dakota 
We lived in Kloten in the 1950`s. My father, Lee Johnson, ran the elevator. I have many fond memories. The Kloten church was awesome.
Connie Johnson
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My late parents, Lloyd D and Ruth E Flem, were schoolteachers in Kloten from about 1938-40. (Dad was also HS principal and coach.) I (B 2/7/39) was a Kloten resident until family moved to WA June 1940.
Any Kloten seniors recall my parents?
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Does anyone on this thread still live in Kloten? If so I’m visiting the town and taking lots of pics this fall. I’d love to connect!!!!!
Jason Steffens (mom is Karen Larson)
612 306 7797
jassteffens@gmail.com
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This is Dennis Hillesland, son of Charles Hillesland. Our farm was 21/2 miles from Kloten, next to Jacobson’s farm. I graduated in 1956 along with Maxine Torfin and Allyn Thompson… I have lost two of my good friends from school, Allyn and Ardell Naas. I keep in touch with Tollef Hansen who is four years older than me. I just got back from ND , visiting my sister Audrey who lives in Valley City..I did not get to tour Kloten this time but went through there about 4 years ago and it was sad to see.. No school, no gym and essentially a ghost town. Sister Audrey had a few of Bill Krogh’s Kloten newspapers and I brought them home to read.  Please include me with the e-mails.
Dennis
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Dennis this is Dennis Jacobson, Give me a call I live in Salt Lake City, 801-268-2309
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Dennis
Yes, it is very sad. I visited Kloten last year (2017) and became very tearful while reflecting life back in the 1950 and 1960″s. My father ran the grain elevator there for many years. Life was so different then. Sledding, horse back riding, brown bag lunches, chocolate milk from the cafeteria. Children’s laughter and cric let’s chipping. We always will love our memories of Kloten.
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Never been there but hope to visit and at least see my ancestral family home. My family settled there in the very early 1900’s. I have heard so much about how it once was. I know it will be sad to see what is left now.
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This summer, 5 of the Oregon Loilands visited Kloten for the first time. We were so happy to see where our family first settled after leaving Setesdal, Norway back in the late 1800s. My only disappointment was not being able to see or visit (take photos of) the farm of Halvor & Anna Loiland that later became known as the Gilbertson farm (home Henry & Josephine Gilbertson). Later, when returning to Fargo, we were able to search Google Earth & see that yes, the buildings are still in existence amongst the trees we could see from the road. If anyone currently has access to this farm and is willing to take photos of the remaining buildings (interior as much as possible too) I would be very grateful.
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Hi Scott, I just spent several days in Kloten (3 separate trips) hunting waterfowl with various family members and friends. My brother Marc and I own the Ree house on the northwest corner of town. We have been going to Kloten since we were kids, the 1960’s. Yes it has changed a lot. My cousins Kurt and Eric Ree live in CA and make the trip every fall. My son and my nephew are carrying on the tradition as well. The elevator is still there, but that is the only business. The train went through this past Thursday at 4:00am blowing the whistle for what seemed like an hour. We went to visit our grand parents graves south of town at the Ottawa Church. They still have a service every Sunday and the building is immaculate.
Its a great area. We love it there. We plan to go this spring for some painting projects and fish Stump Lake. You should try to visit. You will find the whole area appealing.
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