Histories

• The Evolution of Hettinger County
• Border Changes
• Photos

Photos

John Vachon photos taken February, 1942, in Hettinger County, courtesy of the Library of Congress

The Evolution of Hettinger County

The area of land that is now within the present boundaries of Hettinger County was at one time part of the vast tract of land claimed by France through the explorations of La Salle in 1682. In 1762, at the close of the French and Indian War, it passed into the hands of Spain. It was later ceded back to France, and finally the United States acquired title to Louisiana, as it was called, from France.

Since then, the Hettinger County area has been a part of the following territories: Louisiana in 1803, Missouri in 1812, Nebraska in 1854, and the Dakota Territory in 1861. In 1889, it became part of the state of North Dakota. (see maps.html)

In 1854 when the land that is now Hettinger County was in Nebraska Territory, the land east of the Missouri was part of Minnesota Territory.

In 1871, when North Dakota east of the Missouri River was composed of two large counties -- Buffalo and Pembina -- the region west of the river was unorganized Indian Territory. A year later, a large part west of the Missouri was divided into counties.

When the Northern Pacific Railroad was to be built, unsettled and unsurveyed territory was divided into counties to give the impression of a well-settled region and thus aid in the sale of bonds. On a territorial map, the region that is now Hettinger County is included in Stark County.

In 1883, Stark County was divided into Stark and Hettinger.

In 1887, Hettinger County lost some territory to Morton County.

In 1891, the North Dakota Legislature approved legislation to annex Hettinger County into neighboring Stark County, but the law was vetoed by Governor Eli C. D. Shortridge.

Annexation was attempted a second time in 1895, when the legislature passed legislation expanding the boundaries of Stark, Billings and Mercer Counties, subject to approval by the counties' voters. The vote was approved annexation went into effect November 3, 1896, and Hettinger County was eliminated. However, Wilson L. Richards, a cattle rancher in one of the annexed counties, sued to overturn the annexation because he and other landowners were now subject to taxation by Stark County. The case went to the North Dakota Supreme Court, which ruled the law unconstitutional on May 18, 1899. The annexation remained in effect, however, due to a replacement law approved by the legislature March 9, 1899 in anticipation of the court's decision. The second annexation law was overturned by the North Dakota Supreme Court in 1901 because the annexation was not referred to the voters of the affected counties as required by the North Dakota Constitution.

The Legislature passed a third annexation law in 1903, this time submitting it to the voters Stark County and the unorganized counties of Dunn and Hettinger for approval. The annexation was approved by 502 votes in Stark County and 65 votes in Hettinger County, but it failed by 1 vote in Dunn County. Stark County claimed the annexation vote valid, since the legislation required a majority of the aggregate votes cast. However, the North Dakota Constitution required a majority vote in each affected county subject to annexation, so the state of North Dakota sued stark county on the grounds that the enabling legislation was unconstitutional and that the "no" vote in Dunn County meant the annexation failed. The North Dakota Supreme Court ruled the 1903 law unconstitutional in 1905, which ended further attempts at annexation.

In 1907, Adams County was apportioned off from the original Hettinger.

A proclamation of the organization of Hettinger County was made by Governor John Burke on April 17, 1907. Until that date, Hettinger remained attached to Stark County for judicial purposes.

The county seat was placed at Mott.

Placenames in the county include: Acklin, Alden, Alton, Bentley, Berry, Budapest, Burt, Cedar, Chase, Church, Coalbank, Coal City, Edton, Graber, Havelock, Hettinger, Hoosier, Horswill, Howser, Inez, Jordan, Kennedy, Liberty, Mayflower, Millizen, Mott, New England, New England City, Opgrand, Regent, Roper, Rosenfeld, Schutz, Spalding, Stanwick, Strehlow, Thirtymile, Watrous, Willa.

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Contributed by Unknown

Border Changes

DATE	HETTINGER WAS A PART OF ...
1789	Louisiana Colony (Spain)
1803	Louisiana Territory (Louisiana Purchase)
1812	Missouri Territory
1854	Nebraska Territory
1861	Dakota Territory
1879
1880
09 Mar 1883	Hettinger created by Dakota Territory in present North Dakota from Stark; Hettinger not fully organized, not attached.
10 Mar 1885	Hettinger lost to Villard (extinct).
18 Feb 1887	Hettinger lost to Morton.
1888
02 Nov 1889	Hettinger became a county in the state of North Dakota.
02 Mar 1891	The North Dakota Legislature approved legislation to annex Hettinger County into neighboring Stark County, but the law was vetoed by Governor Eli C. D. Shortridge.
1895
03 Nov 1896	Hettinger lost all territory to Stark; Hettinger eliminated. Act was overturned by the North Dakota Supreme Court, 24 May 1901.
24 May 1901	Hettinger re-created from Stark when the North Dakota Supreme Court overturned the act of 9 March 1899 and confirmed its decision of 18 May 1899 that overturned act of 3 November 1896. Hettinger implicitly gained part of a Non-County Area between 46 degrees north latitude and the southern boundary of North Dakota, and lost a small area along its western boundary when the line was shifted from 103 degrees west longitude to the line between ranges 98 and 99, so that the county boundaries would run on federal land survey lines.
10 Mar 1903	Hettinger attached to Stark for judicial purposes.
13 Mar 1903	Legislature authorized Stark to gain all of Hettinger; gain did not take effect [no change]. Act was overturned by the North Dakota Supreme Court during the 1905 session.
__ Dec 1905	The North Dakota Supreme Court overturned the act of 13 March 1903 by which Stark was authorized to gain all of Hettinger [no change].
17 Apr 1907	Hettinger lost to creation of Adams.
19 Apr 1907	Hettinger fully organized, detached from Stark.

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