AMIDON

Amidon, North Dakota straddles US 85, 35 miles south of I‑94, and 24 miles north of Bowman, almost directly south of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. In 2000 the official population was 26, which made it the smallest county seat in the United States.

It is located in the NW¼ Section 25, Township 135N, Range 101W (East Sand Township)

Latitude 46.482N, Longitude -103.321W.

IN THE BEGINNING

Amidon was founded in 1910 and named after a Fargo District Judge, Charles F. Amidon. On May 13, 1911, the post office was established and in 1915 Amidon incorporated as a village, and was given temporary custody of the county seat of Slope County, which was formed in 1914 when it separated from Billings County. The booming community had stores, banks, and newspapers, and now the county seat, much to the ire of the citizens of Bessie, Chenoweth, DeSart, Marmarth, Midway, Mineral Springs, and Slope Center. An election was held in the fall of 1916 to officially determine the seat, but only Amidon, Bessie, Marmarth, and Slope Center were on the list. Marmarth won, but due to some inconsistencies in the votes from Marmarth, Amidon was declared the winner, retaining the county seat. The county set up its offices inside the Community Church until October 18, 1917, when the real courthouse was completed. In 1918 Amidon re‑incorporated as a city.

The church was still used for services and was occupied by Congregational, Presbyterian and Church of God congregations. In 1976 it was still in use as the Church of God.

AMIDON - YESTERDAY

In its early days, Amidon had a Ford automobile dealership (The Amidon Garage), ballroom, two banks (both on Main Street – one was the Slope County State Bank), Amidon Barber Shop, blacksmith, Inman’s Bowling Alley/pool hall with upstairs dance hall, several churches (Catholic, Community – see above & Lutheran), Landquist’s Drug and Confectionery Store (had a soda fountain and the library), Grange Service (gas) Station, three general stores, two grocery stores (one with the post office inside), Solberg Hardware store, Amidon Hotel, Ireland’s Livery Stable, Slope Lumber Co. lumber yard, two newspapers (Farmers' Press & the Slope County News), two print shops, two real estate offices, The Hub Restaurant (closed in 1950s), school, Grand Theater (motion pictures – torn down in 1970), Silvius’ Undertaking Parlor/mortician, as well as the courthouse. There was also a doctor, tailor and two title & abstract offices. The population peaked at 162 in 1930, after which Amidon began to decline. In 1940 the population was 141, in 1970 – 54, and in 1980 – 43.

AMIDON - TODAY

Today the city of Amidon still contains the attractive, but simple courthouse, two churches* (In 1995, these included the Lebanon Lutheran Church – built in 1963), the “Country Store & Cafe” and "White Butte Trading Company" store, antique shop, library/school (Amidon Elementary School – 11 students), senior center, and a number of homes, 50% of which appear abandoned. Scattered across the townsite are many unoccupied structures, and big gaps in its downtown core. As mentioned above, Amidon also has the dubious distinction of being the smallest county seat in the country. The post office is ZIP code 58620.

(NOTE: There were no churches listed in 2005)

Most maps only show two towns in Slope County –

Marmarth with a population of 140

and Amidon with a population of 26.

This was our Ghost Town of the Month for Nov 2005.

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM^.

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