Tag Pembina County

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The Other Oldest Standing Structure in North Dakota

Troy Larson 2 Comments

We’ve previously posted about Gingras Trading Post, which holds a share of the claim to “the oldest standing structure in North Dakota,” dating back to the days of the fur trade, before the homesteading era brought European settlers en masse.

That place, Gingras Trading Post, is reportedly the oldest standing structure in the state *still on its original foundation. This place, Kittson Trading Post, is reportedly older by a smidge, but it was moved to this location in Walhalla at a later date. The inscription on the monument tells the rest of the story.

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Tyner, North Dakota Cemetery

The Haunting and Deserted Tyner Cemetery

Troy Larson 46 Comments

Tyner’s derelict pioneer cemetery is all that remains of a rural settlement in Pembina County once known as Tyner. Cemeteries are not something we usually feature as an entity all their own, primarily because there are plenty of websites out there which focus on cemeteries and family history already. However, Terry visited Tyner Cemetery in August of 2012 to photograph the headstones for some of his wife’s family — the McCurdy’s — and was moved by the solitude of the site.

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Gingras Trading Post

Oldest Standing Structures in North Dakota: Gingras Trading Post

Troy Larson 4 Comments

Long before the arrival of the settlers brought by the Homestead Act of 1862, this part of North Dakota was a center of commerce in the fur trade. The Metis people, a mixed-race culture of Native Americans and French, English, and Scottish explorers, lived and traded in this area throughout the 18th and 19th centuries (French explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, arrived in what is now North Dakota in 1738).

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Fort Abercrombie

11 North Dakota Attractions You Can Visit for Free

Troy Larson 9 Comments

One of the things we’ve always loved about photographing North Dakota’s abandoned places and roadside attractions is that it feels like an alternative form of tourism–that is to say, most of these places are interesting and fun to visit, but there are generally no crowds and no admission fees.  However, when you have the kids in the car, or Grandma and Grandpa tagging along on a day trip, sometimes you need something a little more family friendly, with fewer rusty nails to step on (and cheap is always good). So, gas up the family truckster. Here are eleven North Dakota attractions you can visit for free.

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Concrete, North Dakota

Church and Sunflowers in Concrete, North Dakota

Troy Larson 4 Comments

Sometimes when we’re out on the road, we’ll run across a place and snap a few photos with the intention of getting the photos posted on the site, but then real life intervenes and by the time we get around to posting the photos, we’ve lost track of where we took them (we use GPS these days to avoid that problem). These photos are a perfect example. Terry shot these in 2006 but they got lost in the shuffle and it was only recently that we remembered they were taken in Concrete, North Dakota.

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Hamilton, North Dakota is in Pembina County and is home to the Pembina County Fair.  It still has a substantial population and is in no danger of becoming a ghost town any time soon — according to the 2010 Census, there are 61 residents.  But there are some cool abandoned structures to photograph, most notably, the Hamilton Baptist Church.

We visited Hamilton on a day when the skies were filled with haze which diffused the otherwise bright summer sun and created a somewhat dreamy effect.

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Hamilton, North Dakota

Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC

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Hamilton, North Dakota

Troy Larson 15 Comments
Hensel, North Dakota

Hensel, North Dakota: A Town with Two Names

Troy Larson 78 Comments

We made a quick stop in Hensel during our visit to Pembina County in 2006.  Due to time constraints we were unable to explore Hensel as thoroughly as we would have liked, but we did capture these photos.

Hensel, North Dakota

Hensel is located in Pembina County, about eight miles southwest of Cavalier.  As of 2010, Hensel had a population of 45.

Hensel, North Dakota

We were unable to find a reference to Hensel in the 2010 North Dakota Census, and we assumed it had been delisted. However, after a comment from Curtis in the comment thread below, we did some searching and discovered Hensel has been legally known as “Canton Village,” “Canton City,” and just “Canton” at various times. A Google Maps search reveals Canton City and Hensel to be the same place.

The original Post Office building reportedly stood in a settlement known as Hensel, a short distance away, but it was moved to Canton City and retained its name (Hensel Post Office located in Canton City). Although the town is still officially Canton, roadsigns and many maps read “Hensel”, and locals consider Hensel the name of the town.

Hensel, North Dakota

The Hensel Hall was sealed up, so we assumed it hadn’t been used in some time. The art deco design on the front of the building, built in 1940, brings to mind images of the time in which it was built.

Hensel, North Dakota

Hensel, North Dakota

Hensel, North Dakota

Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media

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