Fort Totten is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in Benson 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. The population was 1,243 at the 2010 census. Fort Totten is located within the

Spirit Lake Reservation The Spirit Lake Tribe (in Santee Dakota: ''Mniwakaƞ Oyate'', also spelt as ''Mni Wakan Oyate'', formerly known as Devils Lake Sioux Tribe) is a federally recognized tribe based on the Spirit Lake Dakota Reservation located in east-central Nor ...

and is the site of tribal headquarters. The reservation has a total population estimated at 6,000. Although not formally incorporated as a city, Fort Totten has the largest population of any community in Benson County.

Geography

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 CDP has a total area of , of which is land and (2.77%) is water.

Demographics

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 2000, there were 952 people, 230 households, and 200 families residing in the CDP. 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 124.2 people per square mile (47.9/km²). There were 255 housing units at an average density of 33.3/sq mi (12.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 0.84%

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 ...

, 0.11%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 98.84% Native American, and 0.21% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.74% of the population. There were 230 households, out of which 54.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.7% 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, 43.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.0% were non-families. 10.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.14 and the average family size was 4.23. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 49.4% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 12.1% from 45 to 64, and 2.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 18 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $15,395, and the median income for a family was $15,774. Males had a median income of $20,179 versus $19,063 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 CDP was $5,165. About 51.2% of families and 53.0% of the population 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 ...

, including 57.8% of those under age 18 and 50.0% of those age 65 or over. By 2010, the population in Fort Totten had increased to 1243."Fort Totten, North Dakota"
2010 U.S. Decennial Census

Education

Much of the community is in the

Fort Totten Public School District 30 Fort Totten Public School District 30 is a school district headquartered in Fort Totten, North Dakota. It directly operates Four Winds Community High School (FWHS). It is a part of the Four Winds Community School group, in association with the K-8 ...

. A portion is in the Oberon School District.

Sites of interest

* Fort Totten State Historic Site is a fort built after the American Civil War by the United States Army to protect European-American settlers in the area. It was also used as the site of the Devil's Lake Indian Agency (the original name of the reservation). Later the fort was adapted for use as an Indian boarding school, one of several run by the federal government via the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Today it is preserved as a state historic site, and it is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The structure has been adapted for use as a

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

and a community theatre. *

White Horse Hill National Game Preserve White Horse Hill National Game Preserve (Dakota language, Dakota: , formerly known as Sullys Hill National Game Preserve) is a National Wildlife Refuge and nature center located on the shore of Devils Lake (North Dakota), Devils Lake in Benson Co ...

is a

National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to c ...

commissioned by

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. 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, Elm Creek has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Fort Totten, North Dakota
/ref>

External links

History of Fort Totten
United States Department of the Interior, 1950

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Benson County, North Dakota Census-designated places in North Dakota Seats of government of American Indian reservations