Leith ( ) is a city in

Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States *Grant County, Arkansas *Grant County, Indiana *Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky *Grant County, Minnesota *Grant County, Nebraska *Grant Co ...

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 28 at the 2020 census.

History

Leith was founded in 1910 along 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 separated from the railroad's Pacific Extension in McLaughlin,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

, and ran to

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 ...

. The name was given by railroad officials and comes from the harbor town of

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

near

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. This line was abandoned in 1984, isolating Leith, as none of the primary highways in the area were constructed to go through the city.

White nationalists

In 2012, after moving to Leith,

Craig Cobb Paul Craig Cobb is a white nationalist and white supremacist who created the video sharing website Podblanc. He states "my race (human categorization), race is my religion", and advocates "racial holy war" in accordance with the tenets of the Cre ...

began buying up land, at one point, reportedly owning at least 12 plots of land. Cobb has expressed a desire to turn the town into a

white nationalist White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara. ''Hate Crimes''. Greenwoo ...

community. As a reaction to Cobb, some locals have advocated to disincorporate Leith back into

proper. In November 2013 Cobb was arrested and charged with three counts of terrorizing stemming from an incident in which he confronted another town resident with both a shotgun and a rifle. Today, Cobb no longer owns any buildings in Leith. He deeded six properties back to the town at no charge and sold off a few others. Three are still owned by other white supremacists, but they have shown little inclination to take up where Cobb left off. After two men suspected of ties to Cobb were elected to the city council in June 2018, mayor Ryan Schock circulated a petition to disincorporate Leith. The Grant County commission subsequently cleared the way for a referendum on July 23, 2018 on dissolving the city. However, due to concerns that the original date was earlier than Century Code (state statutes) permitted, the vote was moved to November 6, the day of the

2018 midterm elections The 2018 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. These midterm elections occurred during Republican Donald Trump's term. Democrats made a net gain of 41 seats in the United States House of Representatives, gaining a majo ...

. As of September 2022, the city of Leith is still listed on the website of Grant County.

Geography

Leith is located at (46.358871, -101.636202). 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 , of which is land and is water. Leith is located approximately southwest of

Carson, North Dakota Carson is a city in and the county seat of Grant County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 254 at the 2020 census. History Carson was laid out in 1910 when the Northern Pacific Railway was extended to that point. The city's name i ...

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, 8 households, and 5 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 18 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.8%

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 ...

and 6.3%

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 ...

(each person makes up 6.3% of the population). There were 8 households, of which 12.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.60. The median age in the city was 55 years. 12.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 0.0% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 31.4% were from 45 to 64; and 31.3% 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 28 people, 14 households, and 7 families residing in the city. The

was 22.7 people per square mile (8.8/km). There were 21 housing units at an average density of 17.0 per square mile (6.6/km). The racial makeup of the city was 100.00%

. There were 14 households, out of which none had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were

living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 42.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.75. In the city, the population was spread out, with 10.7% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 28.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $12,031, and the median income for a family was $21,250. Males had a median income of $16,250 versus $13,750 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 $8,171. There were 55.6% of families and 51.2% of the population 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 ...

, including 100.0% of under eighteens and 20.0% of those over 64.

References

External links

City page on the Grant County, ND website

''Welcome to Leith'' documentary trailer
{{Authority control Cities in North Dakota Cities in Grant County, North Dakota Populated places established in 1910 1910 establishments in North Dakota White supremacy in the United States