Gascoyne is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in Bowman 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 21 at the 2020 census.

History

The city was founded in 1907 and known originally as Fischbein before the name was changed to Gascoyne on March 25, 1908. The new name came from a construction foreman on the

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 ...

transcontinental rail line A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous railroad trackage, that crosses a continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single ...

that was built through the city, though an alternate explanation suggests that the name refers to the large deposits of

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

found in the area. Reserves of

lignite Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...

coal are also found in the area, and Gascoyne was the site of a coal mine for much of the 20th century. The most active period for the mine occurred between 1975 and 1995, when about 2.5 million tons of lignite were produced per year, primarily for the Big Stone Power Plant near Big Stone City, South Dakota. The mine began ceasing production in 1995, and was shut down completely in 1997. In 2001,

Westmoreland Coal Company Westmoreland or Westmorland may refer to: Places *Westmoreland County, New South Wales, Australia *Westmorland County, New Brunswick, Canada *Westmorland Parish, New Brunswick, Canada *Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica *Westmorland, New Zealand, a subu ...

purchased the mine with an intent to resume mining and construct a 500

megawatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units, International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), ...

power plant on site. These plans were later suspended in 2008 due to environmental concerns.

Geography

Gascoyne is located at (46.118380, -103.081202). 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 16 people in 9 households, including 5 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 10 housing units at an average density of . The racial makup of the city was 100.0% White. Of the 9 households 11.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, and 44.4% were non-families. 44.4% of households were one person and 11.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.78 and the average family size was 2.40. The median age was 63.5 years. 12.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 0.0% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.1% were from 25 to 44; 18.8% were from 45 to 64; and 43.8% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 62.5% male and 37.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 23 people in 9 households, including 8 families, in the city. The population density was 23.3 people per square mile (9.0/km). There were 15 housing units at an average density of 15.2 per square mile (5.8/km). The racial makup of the city was 100.00% White. Of the 9 households 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.1% were non-families. No households were one person and none had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.50. The age distribution was 30.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 34.8% 65 or older. The median age was 60 years. For every 100 females, there were 130.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.6 males. The median household income was $23,750 and the median family income was $23,750. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $13,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,206. There are 18.2% of families living 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 ...

and 30.3% of the population, including 50.0% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

References

External links

Information about Gascoyne from Ghosttowns.com
{{Authority control Cities in Bowman County, North Dakota Cities in North Dakota Populated places established in 1907 1907 establishments in North Dakota