Arena is an extinct town in

Burleigh County Burleigh County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 98,458, making it the second-most populous county in North Dakota. Its county seat is Bismarck, the state capital. The county was named fo ...

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. The

GNIS The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...

classifies it as a populated place. Arena was founded in January 1906 and never had a population of more than 150. It withered during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, and, as of 2018, all that remained was St. John's

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

Church, an old wooden school house moved to the town in the 1970s for voting, multiple abandoned homes, a railcar, and several outbuildings. A post office called Arena was established in 1906, and remained in operation along with a general store until 1996 when the building was robbed and torched by vandals. Burnt remains of the store can still be found while exploring the area where the building stood, now occupied by a house on blocks which was moved to the town in mid 2016. This house actually fueled some speculation, people believing that whoever owned it would move in, being the first person to live in Arena for almost 35 years. However, this was proved false a year later when a visitor found the town still completely abandoned, no signs of anyone planning to live there (no utilities, uncut grass). In the late 1990s, early 2000s the school was razed by George Pehl, the reason is said to be because the building was a "hazard", photo comparisons seem almost like someone was scavenging bricks from the building before it was razed. When this was told to the county school district, all they said was "Thanks!" Arena was named to note its location in a shallow valley surrounded by hills – a natural arena. Postcards from approximately 1924 show several businesses such as a hardware store, farmer's store, general merchandising, and a pool hall. It is also noted that at one time there were five cream buying stations and a large grain elevator here, which is still located at the townsite.

References

{{Burleigh County, North Dakota Geography of Burleigh County, North Dakota Ghost towns in North Dakota Populated places established in 1906 1906 establishments in North Dakota