TOWNS, TOWNSHIPS, VILLAGES

The primary source for this page information is "Origins of North Dakota Place Names," by Mary Ann Barnes Williams, Washburn, McClean County, North Dakota, published in January 1966. Updates are added by Mike Peterson from the research of many historical documents. Some of the below dates are from when the sites were part of Foster County. Eddy County was created from the northern portion of Foster County on 9 March 1885. Send any updates to Mike Peterson.

BRANTFORD. A townsite platted in 1912 on Section 35, Pleasant Prairie Township. This Great Northern Railroad Station was named by the railroad officials for Brantford, Ontario, Canada, the former home of their president, James J. Hill. A post office was established here by 1917.

BRENNER. A post office in Township 150, Range 64 (Hillsdale Township), Section 35. It was named for B. F. and Ernest W. Brenner, pioneer settlers. It was established 4 October 1880 with Ernest W. Brenner, postmaster. Ernest was renamed postmaster 4 October 1886 after the Township transferred to Eddy County. It was disestablished on 23 April 1887 with mail function moved to New Rockford. Ernest was one of the first Foster county commissioners, appointed on 27 September 1883. In 1869 Ernest was the postmaster while at Fort Totten, Dakota Territory.

BUELL. Never more than a ghost town. In the spring of 1884, a group of land investors along the James River failed in their attempt to establish this townsite. Origin of the name is not known.

DALLAS. A rural post office in Section 23, Pleasant Township, established 17 July 1906 with William A. Coleman, postmaster; discontinued 15 October 1907 and mail sent to Tiffany. Named for a local landowner, Dallas L. Draper, who came from Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa, settling here in 1902, later became a resident of Jamestown, Stutsman County, North Dakota.

DIVIDE. The name is derived from its geographical site at the divide of drainage to the James River and to the Sheyenne River. The Divide townsite is on Section 32, Gates Township. The post office was established 27 September 1907 with John Moe, postmaster; discontinued 15 March

DUNDAS. A Great Northern Railroad loading station in Section 14, Superior Township, named for Dundas, Ontario, Canada by local land owners from there.

DUNN. See NEW ROCKFORD.

DUNN'S CREEK. See NEW ROCKFORD.

EDDY. A short-lived post office named for its county established 21 July 1887 with John J. Anderson, postmaster; discontinued 7 October 1887. The county was named for Ezra Booth Eddy, founder of the First National Bank of Fargo and for many years an active factor in the development of the Red River Valley.

FERDINAND. A rural post office established 27 June 1906 with Pssquale DeFiore, postmaster; discontinued 31 May 1907 and mail sent to MORRIS. Origin of name not known.

FREEBORN An early post office in the northeastern part of the county, south of Free People's Lake, named in honor of the pioneer settlers, who being outside Fort Totten Indian Reservation limits, and not connected with the army or fort, were called "free people" and their children "free born"; and too, there were settlers here from Freeborn County, Minnesota, who may have had a part in naming the place. The post office was established 6 October 1890 with Simon Anderson, postmaster; discontinued 6 October 1908 and mail sent to HAMAR.

GARRISON. See NEW ROCKFORD.

GATES. See SHEYENNE.

HAMAR. Named by early residents from Hamar, Hedemark, Norway. The post office on Section 3, Freeborn Township, was established 18 August 1906 with Erland Christofferson, postmaster.

MORRIS. Named for Thomas P. Morris, an early pioneer, along with his family, of Eddy County in Section 20, Township 150, Range 63 (Eddy Township). He was appointed postmaster when the post office was established on 13 February 1886. It was discontinued 31 October 1908 and mail sent to TIFFANY.

MUNSTER. A loading station on the Great Northern Railroad in Section 17, Minister Township. It was named for the Munster School District which was organized 3 October 1884. Origin of the name Munster not known.

NEW ROCKFORD.

ROCKFORD, ROCKY FORD, ROCKVILLE. See NEW ROCKFORD.

SHEYENNE.

TIFFANY. Named for B. C. Tiffany, then register of the U. S. Land Office at Grand Forks. Tiffany was established in 1882 by 60 families principally, from Chautauqua County, New York. The post office on Section 29, Township 149, Range 64 was established 23 October 1882 with Cyrus H. Culver, postmaster. The first Eddy County Postmaster for Tiffany was Harry E. Gardner on 25 September 1885. It was discontinued 31 August 1917 and mail sent to BRANTFORD.

TOMLINSON. A post office in Section 17, Township 149, Range 66 established 22 June 1883 with Alva D. Tomlinson, postmaster. Discontinued 12 November 1885. Tomlinson owned 1,120 acres and had one of the oldest and best farms in Eddy County.