COUNTY HISTORY
Grant County was officially formed on November 28, 1908, through an act of the North Dakota State Legislature. Prior to its establishment, the area was part of two larger counties: Morton and Hettinger. The division was facilitated to better administer the rapidly growing population and agricultural development.
The county was named in honor of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States and commanding general during the Civil War. The name was chosen to reflect the American ideals of courage, integrity, and leadership that Grant embodied.
The first settlers to make their homes in what would become Grant County were primarily of German and Scandinavian descent. Arriving in the late 1880s, they were drawn by the promise of fertile farmland and the opportunity for a fresh start. Among them were the Anderson, Braun, and Zimmerle families, who would go on to become influential figures in the early community. These pioneers braved harsh conditions, including brutal winters and isolation from more established settlements, to carve out a living from the land. They initially focused on subsistence farming, but as the railroad reached the area in the early 1900s, they began to grow cash crops like wheat and corn.