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Trails to the Past of North Dakota is excepting any donations of genealogy materials that you may have such as marriage announcements, news articles, old obituaries, births, (you do not need the birth certificate) just the information, and biographies. If you have any of these items please contact me Marie Miller the North Dakota State Administrator.
Fort Totten
Located on the southeastern edge of the town of Fort Totten, this site preserves a military post built in 1867 and used continuously as a military reservation until 1890 when it became a boarding school for Indian children. The brick buildings, which replaced an earlier log fort, appear much as they did when built of locally made brick in 1868. Original buildings are now being used to house museum exhibits.
Fort Totten served American Indian policy from 1867 to 1959. Constructed as a military post, it became an Indian boarding school, Indian health care facility, and a reservation school. Initially, the fort policed the surrounding reservation. The soldiers enforced the peace, guarded overland transportation routes, and aided Dakota (Sioux) who lived near Devils Lake after 1867. Fort Totten was decommissioned in 1890.
On January 5th, 1891 the former post became the property of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The post served as an Indian boarding school until 1959. Academic and vocational training prepared Indian youth for life off the reservation. Enrollment sometimes topped 400. After independent tribal government was established, a community school operated in the buildings from 1940 to 1959.
Fort Totten became a North Dakota State Historic Site in 1960 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Sullys Hill National Game Preserve and much of the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation are located within the county.
The cities of Benson County are Brinsmade, Esmond, Knox, Leeds, Maddock, Minnewaukan (which is the County Seat), Oberon, Warwick, and York. Fort Totten is a census designated place, other communities are St. Michael and Tokio.
Townships of Benson County
Albert
Arne
Aurora
Beaver
Broe
Butte Valley
East Fork
Eldon
Esmond
Hesper
Impark
Iowa
Irvine |
Isabel
Knox
Lake Ibsen
Lallie
Leeds
Lohnes
McClellan
Minco
Mission
Normania
North Viking
Oberon
Pleasant Lake
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Rich Valley
Riggin
Rock
South Viking
Twin Lake
Twin Tree
Warwick
West Antelope
West Bay
Wood Lake
York |
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Adjacent Counties
Towner County (north)
Ramsey County (northeast)
Nelson County (east)
Eddy County (southeast)
Wells County (southwest)
Pierce County (west)
The information on Trails to the
Past © Copyright may be used in personal family history research, with source citation. The pages in entirety may not be duplicated for publication in any fashion without the permission of the owner. Commercial use of any material on this site is not permitted. Please respect the wishes of those who have contributed their time and efforts to make this free site possible.~Thank you!
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