At one time, there was a “town” near Hurricane Lake, in the northeast corner of Pierce County, about 7 miles northeast of York, North Dakota. It was a “town” because it had a post office, but in reality it never had a sizable population. Hurricane Lake was founded early in relation to many of the towns we visit — in the 1880s — and was a stage coach stop, never having had the benefit of a railroad line to boost development. There was a hotel at the north end of Hurricane Lake to serve travelers on the stage line, but the post office shut down in 1905 and today there is nothing left of the original Hurricane Lake. At present, the area is home to the Hurricane Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and this crumbling church and still-used cemetery are the only man-made signs of the settlers who once lived in the vicinity of Hurricane Lake.
Tag Pierce County
A Slow-Motion Disaster in Ghost Town Aylmer, North Dakota
If you didn’t know better, it would be easy to look at these photos and assume this place was struck by a powerful prairie tornado. Grain bins are ripped open, the roof of the former bar has caved-in, and the building leans at a precarious angle. Pieces of several structures have blown down and lie decaying in the grass some distance away with their rusty nails pointed skyward, waiting for an unsuspecting explorer to test their tetanus shots with an errant step. Nobody would blame you for believing Dorothy and Toto just blew away minutes before, but the reality is, it’s been a slow-motion disaster in ghost town Aylmer, North Dakota.
Continue reading “A Slow-Motion Disaster in Ghost Town Aylmer, North Dakota”
Tunbridge Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church
Tunbridge Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church is in Pierce County, about five miles west of Rugby, North Dakota, or ten miles west of another place we recently visited, Meyer Township School #1.
This church is particularly beautiful, and you can see it from US Highway 2 if you find yourself traveling in the area. I’ve driven by it a dozen times and always said “I’ll stop next time.” This time, I finally did.
Continue reading “Tunbridge Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church”The Derelict Beauty of Meyer Township School Number 1
It’s been closed since 1959, but Meyer Township School Number 1 still stands, right off US Highway 2, just a couple miles east of Rugby, North Dakota. It’s a frequently photographed place due to its highly visible location right next to the highway–just as I was leaving, someone else was pulling in to get some photos of their own.
Continue reading “The Derelict Beauty of Meyer Township School Number 1”A Lonesome View on Barton Street
Originally called Denney, this unincorporated community was founded along the Great Northern Railroad in 1887. The name was changed to Barton in 1893. Barton is in Pierce County, about twelve miles northwest of Rugby. In the 2010 Census, it was listed as having 20 residents.
Continue reading “A Lonesome View on Barton Street”Defining what exactly constitutes a “ghost town” can sometimes be tricky. In our years of exploring North Dakota’s abandoned places, we’ve often encountered former towns where the townsite itself is empty, but there’s a farm about half a mile down the road. Sometimes a former town like Sims, North Dakota has an active church, but nobody actually lives on the town site. And still other times, we will hear objections from people who feel as though we’ve misrepresented their town, or somehow labeled it a ghost town because it appears on this website, in which case we clarify that this site is about ghost towns and abandoned places, like the former First National Bank and Barber Auditorium in Marmarth, North Dakota, a town with a population numbering more than a hundred.
Continue reading “20 True Ghost Towns: Population Zero”20 True Ghost Towns: Population Zero
These photos of Silva, in Pierce County west of Devils Lake, were taken in April of 2006. In 2014, a site visitor reported the population of Silva had sunk to 3 residents. This church is Silva Lutheran. We’re told the first wedding conducted in this church was the ceremony of Oliver and Elaine (Dokken) Solheim, December 29th, 1941.
These photos are extras which have been in our archive and are being posted here for the first time. Â You can see our previous Silva post here.
Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
More from Silva, ND
R. David Adams contributed these photos of Orrin, ND, a near ghost town in Pierce county, west of Fillmore. Â We checked census records going back to 1920 and found no listing for Orrin. Â As we’ve seen time and time again, Orrin began it’s final decline with the closure of the elevator, which happened in 1965. Â The school shown below, and the last store, closed in 1972.
According to North Dakota Place Names by Douglas Wick, the population was just 35 in 1984.
Photos by R. David Adams
Original Content copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
Orrin, ND
Sara Schindler of Harvey contributed these photos of Aylmer with the following comments:
Aylmer sits about 40 miles south/southwest of Rugby ND (or just northeast of Anamoose ND) along the Burlington Northern Railroad. It is currently home to two residents. Aside from the residence, there sits a former general store (the larger building), a garage or storage shed, an abandoned home, and another building that was possibly some kind of blacksmith or other repair shop (there are also a few grain bins and a large machine shed). The general store building has moved off it’s foundation and the basement is filled with water so probably won’t stand much longer.
Photos by Sara Schindler, original content copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
Aylmer, ND
Silva, North Dakota
Pierce County
Inhabited as of 4/06
Silva was founded in 1912 as a Soo Line Railroad settlement. It reportedly reached a peak population of 125 in 1920 and has been on the decline ever since.
Silva’s most famous former resident would be Julius Thompson who at one time was the world’s tallest man at eight feet, seven inches. Thompson died in 1955.
In the late nineties, North Dakota State University did a study on statewide population decline and featured photos of Silva on the cover of the finished report. Unfortunately, the buildings no longer stand as they were burned due to infestation.
Present-day Silva appears to be home to a dozen or so residents, and perhaps 4 to 6 abandoned structures. The church, sans bell tower, stands alone on the east edge of town, with most of the remaining structures on the other side of the road leading into town.
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The vault is the only remnant of the bank today.
Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
See also: More from Silva, North Dakota