Amidon ( ) is a city in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Slope County,

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

, United States. Amidon was the smallest incorporated county seat at the 2000 census. When the 2020 census reported its population as 24, it became the second-smallest incorporated county seat after

Brewster, Nebraska Brewster is a village in, and the county seat of, Blaine County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 17 at the 2010 census. History The town was laid out in 1884 by George Washington Brewster who had homesteaded the land there. It was ...

, with a population of 17. In 2000, Amidon had 26 people to Brewster's 29. There are two other unincorporated county seats that are smaller:

Mentone, Texas Mentone () is an unincorporated small town in, and the county seat of Loving County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 19 in 2010, almost a quarter of the county's 82 people at the time. Mentone was, until recent years, the least-popu ...

(population 19), the county seat of Loving County, and

Gann Valley, South Dakota Gann Valley is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Buffalo County, South Dakota, United States. The town had a population of 14 as of the 2010 census. It is the smallest unincorporated county seat in the United States. Descriptio ...

(population 14), the county seat of

Buffalo County, South Dakota Buffalo County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,948. Its county seat is Gann Valley which, at 14 people, is the least populous county seat in the United States. The county was created ...

. Located on U.S. 85 approximately 31 miles (50 km) north of Bowman, it is the closest city to

White Butte White Butte is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of North Dakota. At an elevation of 3,506 ft (1,069 m), it is a prominent butte in Slope County, in the Badlands of the southwestern part of the state. It is located east of U.S. ...

Namesake

Amidon is named after Charles F. Amidon, federal judge for the

United States District Court for the District of North Dakota The United States District Court for the District of North Dakota (in case citations, D.N.D.) is the United States District Court or the Federal district court, whose jurisdiction is the state of North Dakota. The court is headquartered out of ...

History

Amidon was founded in 1910 at the anticipated terminus of a

Milwaukee Road The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States fr ...

branch line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industri ...

that diverged from the railroad's Pacific Extension in

McLaughlin, South Dakota McLaughlin ( Lakota: ''matȟó Akíčita or Makáȟleča''; "Bear Soldier") is a city in northeastern Corson County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 663 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city on the Standing Rock Indian Reser ...

. The line was ultimately never built farther west of

New England, North Dakota New England is a city in Hettinger County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 683 at the 2020 census. New England was founded in 1887, predating all other settlements in Hettinger County by many years. The name recognizes that many ...

, making Amidon one of the few surviving North Dakota cities never to have been served by a rail line. The original county courthouse was built in 1915. It was also the last county seat in the state to get electricity when Slope Electric Cooperative extended their distribution lines into Amidon in 1950. Distance from Amidon

Geography

Amidon is located at (46.483042, -103.322251). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 20 people, 11 households, and 7 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 17 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 100.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

. There were 11 households, of which 9.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, and 36.4% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 27.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.82 and the average family size was 2.29. The median age in the city was 64 years. 10% of residents were under the age of 18; 0.0% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 50% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 26 people, 14 households, and 9 families residing in the city. The

was 41.2 people per square mile (15.9/km²). There were 17 housing units at an average density of 26.9 per square mile (10.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 100.00%

. There were 14 households, out of which 14.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were

living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 28.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.86 and the average family size was 2.33. In the city, the population was spread out, with 15.4% under the age of 18, 19.2% from 25 to 44, 38.5% from 45 to 64, and 26.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,188, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $16,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,765. None of the population and none of the families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Amidon has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Education

Residents were within

Central Elementary Public School District 32 Central Elementary Public School District 32 was a school district headquartered in Amidon, North Dakota. Within Slope County, it operated Amidon Elementary School, a one room schoolhouse. See copy at''Grand Forks Herald'' In 2005 it had four st ...

, which operated Amidon Elementary School. The district was scheduled to dissolve on July 1, 2020.

References

External links

Ghost Towns in North Dakota

Photos of Amidon
{{Authority control Cities in North Dakota Cities in Slope County, North Dakota County seats in North Dakota Populated places established in 1911 1910 establishments in North Dakota