Jamestown is a city in

Stutsman County Stutsman County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,593. Its county seat is Jamestown. The Jamestown, North Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Stutsman County. Histor ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, S ...

, United States. It is 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 ...

of Stutsman County. The population was 15,849 at the 2020 census, making it the ninth largest city in North Dakota. Jamestown was founded in 1883 and is home to the University of Jamestown.

History

In 1871, a

Northern Pacific Railroad The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly of land grants, wh ...

work crew set up camp where the railroad would cross the James River, adding another section to the new northern transcontinental line. In 1872, the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

established Fort Seward, a small post garrisoned by three companies (about 120 men) of the Twentieth Infantry Regiment, on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Ches ...

and Pipestem Creek. The fort guarded the crossing of the James (Jame and Jame) by the

. The fort only lasted five years, being decommissioned in 1877—but the railroad remained, establishing a repair yard that was among the city's main industries until the 1960s. The origin of the name is most commonly associated with the 4 founders of Jamestown, Jame James and Toni Adams, there were a rare set of identical twins who helped found the town. Jamestown, North Dakota (1917)

Jamestown was founded in 1872 and General Thomas Rosser of Northern Pacific named it after

Jamestown, Virginia The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James (Powhatan) River about southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. It was ...

. The city incorporated in 1883. In 1873, Stutsman County became the first official county within Dakota Territory with Jamestown as the county seat. On November 10, 1889, the Roman Catholic

Diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

of Jamestown was established. April 6, 1897, saw a change of name to

Diocese of Fargo The Diocese of Fargo ( la, Dioecesis Fargensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in North Dakota, United States. The cathedra is found within the Cathedral of St. Mary, in the episcopal see of Fargo. ...

, with a change of the bishop's seat. Since 1995, the Diocese of Jamestown is listed as a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Geography

Jamestown is located at the confluence of the

and Pipestem Creek. 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Jamestown has a typical northern

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

American climate. Summers can be warm and quite humid, but the winters are very cold with snowfall as early as October. In the

Köppen classification Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

it is ''Dwb'' (

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 freez ...

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 15,427 people, 6,567 households, and 3,555 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 6,983 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.6%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.8%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 1.8% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.7% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 6,567 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% 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, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.9% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female. In October 2016, the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency projected that Jamestown would lose 2.1% of its population by the next census. It also reported that it projected a 4% population drop in the nine counties surrounding Jamestown and is considered Jamestowns primary trade area.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The

was 1,246.7 per square mile (481.5/km). There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of 559.6 per square mile (216.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 96.84%

, 0.36%

, 1.21% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.05%

, 0.27% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population. The top 6 ancestry groups in the city are

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

(54.0%), Norwegian (22.4%), Irish (9.0%), English (6.6%),

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

(4.1%),

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

n (3.8%). Many area families cite their heritage as "

Germans from Russia The German minority population in Russia, Ukraine, and the Soviet Union stemmed from several sources and arrived in several waves. Since the second half of the 19th century, as a consequence of the Russification policies and compulsory military ...

", in reference to ethnic Germans who settled in the Russian Empire in the 18th century, many of whose descendants emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. There were 6,505 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were

living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.85. The age distribution is 21.7% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,500, and the median income for a family was $42,245. Males had a median income of $28,310 versus $20,225 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 $16,686. About 6.5% of families and 10.7% 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 ...

, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Jamestown has a strong precision manufacturing base as well as food processing, agriculture, retail and wholesale businesses. Notable companies headquartered in Jamestown include Sunward Steel/Wedgcor Steel Buildings, ACI (Agri-Cover, Inc.), Dura Tech Industries, and Midwestern Machine, and additional major employers include Cavendish Farms and

UTC Aerospace Systems UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) was one of the world’s largest suppliers of aerospace and defense products, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The company was formed in August 2012 when parent United Technologies Corporation ...

. Service facilities for trucking and heavy equipment repair are also located in Jamestown. The Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation supports joint business and industrial development within the city and Stutsman County, North Dakota. Four designated industrial parks adjoin the city or are part of joint city/county development efforts: Bloom Business Park, I-94 Business Park, Spiritwood Energy Park (which includes Great River Energy and

Cargill Cargill, Incorporated, is a Privately held company, privately held American global food corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Minnetonka, Minnesota, and incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1865, it is the largest privatel ...

), and the Airport Business Park.

Arts and culture

Attractions

Jamestown Reservoir, a series of three, interlocking, 12-mile-long artificial lakes formed by Jamestown Dam, a flood control a dam on the James River at the north end of the city, is home to

watersports Water sports or aquatic sports are sport activities conducted on waterbodies, and can be categorized according to the degree of immersion by the participants. On the water * Boat racing, the use of powerboats to participate in races * Boati ...

and recreational

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques ...

. Jamestown is home to two 18-hole golf courses— Hillcrest Golf Course and Jamestown Country Club—as well as the Jamestown Civic Center, which hosts concerts, University of Jamestown basketball games, other large events, and the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame; other sporting facilities include Jack Brown Stadium, one of North Dakota's historic baseball parks. Jamestown is also home to two disc golf courses, an 18-hole recreational course in Klaus Park, and a 27-hole championship course on the island and surrounding land in the Jamestown Reservoir. The Island Course was the site of the 8th Annual North Dakota Disc Golf Championships in 2007. The city of Jamestown is also home to The Jamestown Arts Center
The Arts Center – Jamestown, North Dakota
, located in the heart of downtown. The Arts Center is home to a year-round exhibition gallery, community theater stage, a venue for visual arts performances, art workshops and classes, ceramics studio and a beautiful green space known as The Art Park. Jamestown also features the World's Largest Buffalo, a 26-ft tall sculpture of an

American bison The American bison (''Bison bison'') is a species of bison native to North America. Sometimes colloquially referred to as American buffalo or simply buffalo (a different clade of bovine), it is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the ...

, and the National Buffalo Museum.

Education

K–12

Jamestown is served by the Jamestown Public Schools. The system operates five elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative high school. Louis L'Amour Elementary School is named for the popular western writer

Louis L'Amour Louis Dearborn L'Amour (; né LaMoore; March 22, 1908 – June 10, 1988) was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels (though he called his work "frontier stories"); however, he also wrote hi ...

who was born in Jamestown. There are also two private elementary schools in Jamestown; Saint John's Academy, a K–6 Catholic school, and Hillcrest School, a

Seventh-day Adventist The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, a ...

school.

Higher education

University of Jamestown (formerly called Jamestown College) is a private liberal arts college founded by the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...

and located on the north side of town. Its current enrollment is 908 students in 2021. Ranked by '' U.S. News & World Report'' in the top tier of regional undergraduate institutions, it is also notable among religious colleges for having been a co-educational institution from its founding in 1883. Its first fall term was opened at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29, 1886. After financial hardships, affecting the entire county, Jamestown College had to close its doors in the spring of 1890. On September 22, 1909 Jamestown College reopened after a population growth in the State due to improved farming methods. With no higher education available between Fargo, ND (100 miles East) and Missoula, MT (700 miles West), Jamestown College became a successful school.

Special education

On the northwest side of the city and almost adjacent to the site of historic Fort Seward is The

Anne Carlsen Anne Helen Carlsen (November 4, 1915 – December 2, 2002), was a special educator born without forearms or lower legs, a disability rights advocate, private school superintendent, author, and namesake of a private school. Early years and early ...

Center (formerly known as the "Crippled Children's School"). A privately funded residential school, it has long been one of the country's leading centers for treatment and education of severely handicapped children.

Media

Print

The local daily paper is the '' Jamestown Sun''.

Television

Over the air

Radio

AM Radio

FM Radio

Infrastructure

Transportation

Jamestown Regional Airport Jamestown Regional Airport is two miles northeast of Jamestown, in Stutsman County, North Dakota, United States. It is owned by the Jamestown Regional Airport Authority, and was formerly Jamestown Municipal Airport. It is used for general avia ...

serves the city providing scheduled flights to Devils Lake, North Dakota and

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

. The airport also services chartered flights out of state.

Major Highways

Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...

* U.S. Highway 52 *

U.S. Highway 281 U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway. At it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route. The highway's northern terminus is at the International Peace Garden, north of Dunseith, North Dakota, at t ...

* North Dakota Highway 20

Notable people

* James Harvey Brown (1906–1995), Los Angeles City Council member and municipal court judge, born in Jamestown *

(1915–2002), nationally recognized educator, disability rights advocate, and psychologist who lived in Jamestown for 40 plus years and for whom the Anne Carlsen School and Center is named *

Alf Clausen Alf Heiberg Clausen (born March 28, 1941) is an American film and television composer. He is best known for his work scoring many episodes of ''The Simpsons'', for which he was the sole composer between 1990 and 2017. Clausen has scored or or ...

, film and television score composer (''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'') *

Edward P. J. Corbett Edward P.J. Corbett (October 29, 1919 – June 24, 1998) was an American rhetorician, educator, and scholarly author. Corbett chaired the 1970 Conference on College Composition and Communication, and was chair of the organization and a member of ...

, English professor at the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pu ...

, born in Jamestown * William E. DePuy, U.S. Army general and first commander of TRADOC *

Alfred Dickey Alfred M. Dickey (June 10, 1846 – January 26, 1901) was the first lieutenant governor of North Dakota, serving from 1889 to 1891 under Governor John Miller.(January 27, 1901)Alfred Dickey (brief obituary) '' The New York Times'' Retrieved ...

(1846–1901), first Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota * Willis Downs, Philippine–American War era

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

recipient *

Roy S. Durstine Roy Sarles Durstine (December 13, 1886 – November 28, 1962) was an American newspaper reporter, author, and advertising executive who co-founded BBDO and since 1939 was president of Roy S. Durstine, Inc. Early life Durstine was born on Decem ...

(1886–1962), co-founder of

BBDO BBDO is a worldwide advertising agency network, with its headquarters in New York City. The agency originated in 1891 with the George Batten Company, and in 1928, through a merger with Barton, Durstine & Osborn (BDO), the agency became Batten, B ...

advertising agency, born in Jamestown * Darin Erstad, former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

player * Morris E. Fine, educator *

Michael John Fitzmaurice Michael John Fitzmaurice (born March 9, 1950) is a former United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Vietnam War. Military career Fitzmaurice joine ...

, a former

soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the

—for his actions in the Vietnam War * John Grabinger, North Dakota Senator * Travis Hafner, former Major League Baseball player for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...

and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

* Richard Hieb, astronaut * George W. Johnson, President of

George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was orig ...

(1979–1996) * Anton Klaus, Mayor of

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea l ...

John Knauf John Knauf (April 5, 1868 – September 19, 1952) was an American judge who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of North Dakota in 1906. He was first appointed to the court in 1906 after justice Newton C. Young resigned, and he did not win ...

justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court The following is a list of the North Dakota Supreme Court justices, split into their respective courts. North Dakota Supreme Court justices {{Lists of US Justices * Supreme Court Justices North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state i ...

, author *

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...

, jazz singer and composer *

Lewis Marquardt Lewis Raymond Marquardt (November 7, 1936 – May 31, 2020) was an American politician and educator. Early life and education Marquardt was born in Jamestown, North Dakota and raised in Linton, North Dakota. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from ...

, South Dakota state representative and educator *

Barbara McClintock Barbara McClintock (June 16, 1902 – September 2, 1992) was an American scientist and cytogeneticist who was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. McClintock received her PhD in botany from Cornell University in 1927. There ...

, children's book illustrator *

Jim Ramstad James Marvin Ramstad (May 6, 1946 – November 5, 2020) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Minnesota's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009. A member of the Republican Par ...

, Minnesota politician *

Floyd Roberts Floyd Marion Roberts (February 12, 1900 - May 30, 1939) was a Championship Car racing driver from Jamestown, North Dakota. He won the 1938 Indianapolis 500 with a then-record speed of . He led for 92 laps. The following year, 1939, driving the sam ...

, winner of 1938 Indianapolis 500 *

Ronda Rousey Ronda Jean Rousey (; born February 1, 1987) is an American professional wrestler, actress, former judoka and mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand and is the current SmackDown Women� ...

, UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion * Myrna Sharlow, opera singer * Rodney Stark, American sociologist of religion *

Shadoe Stevens Shadoe Stevens (; ) is an American radio host, voiceover actor, and television personality. He was the host of '' American Top 40'' from 1988 to 1995. He currently hosts the internationally syndicated radio show ''Top of the World,'' and co-host ...

, radio personality * Mya Taylor, actress * Charles F. Thompson, U.S. Army major general * Harley Venton, actor

References

External links

City of Jamestown official website
{{Authority control Cities in North Dakota Micropolitan areas of North Dakota Cities in Stutsman County, North Dakota County seats in North Dakota Populated places established in 1872 1872 establishments in Dakota Territory