Wells County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,982. Its

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 st ...

Fessenden Fessenden may refer to: People * Fessenden (surname) * Larry Fessenden (born March 23, 1963), an American actor, producer, writer, director, film editor, and cinematographer * Fessenden Nott Otis (1825-c. 1900), American pioneer in the medical fie ...

History

The

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...

legislature created the county on January 4, 1873. Its government was not organized at that time, nor was it attached for administrative or judicial purposes to another county. It was named Gingras County; this name continued until February 26, 1881, when the name was changed to Wells County, named for Edward Payson Wells, a Jamestown banker, early promoter of the James River Valley, and member of the legislature in 1881. The county government was organized on August 28, 1884, with Sykeston as the county seat. In 1894 the county seat was transferred to Fessendon. The county boundary was altered in 1883 when a parcel was transferred to

Foster County Foster County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,397.{{{cite web , title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Foster County, North Dakota , url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/foste ...

, and again in 1885 when it received land from Foster County. Its boundary has remained unchanged since 1885. The

center of population In demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to different geogr ...

of North Dakota is located in the extreme southeastern corner of Wells County, about southeast of Sykeston. Map of Wells County, N

Geography

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 Chesapea ...

flows east-northeasterly through Wells County. The county terrain consists of rolling hills with occasional protuberances, dotted with lakes and ponds in its SW portion."Wells County ND"

Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...

. Accessed February 21, 2019. The terrain slopes to the east and north; its highest point is a protuberance near the southwestern corner, at 2,182' (665m) ASL. Ihe county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.5%) is water.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 52 *

North Dakota Highway 3 North Dakota Highway 3 (ND 3) is a major north–south state highway in North Dakota, United States, that spans the entire state. It travels from South Dakota Highway 45 (SD 45) at the South Dakota state line, south of Ashley n ...

North Dakota Highway 15 North Dakota Highway 15 (ND 15) is a east–west state highway in central North Dakota. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 52 (US 52) in Fessenden and the eastern terminus is at Interstate 29 (I-29) and US 81 near Thompson. ...

* North Dakota Highway 30 * North Dakota Highway 91 *

North Dakota Highway 200 North Dakota Highway 200 (ND 200) is a major east–west state highway in North Dakota, United States. It runs from Minnesota State Highway 200 at the Minnesota border near Halstad, Minnesota to Montana Highway 200 near Fairview, Montana. A ...

* County 1 * County 5 * County 52

Adjacent counties

* Benson County - north * Eddy County - east *

- east * Stutsman County - southeast *

Kidder County Kidder County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,394. Its county seat is Steele. History The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on January 4, 1873, with areas partit ...

- south * Sheridan County - west * Pierce County - northwest

Protected areas

Source: * Karl T. Frederick State Game Management Area * Upland State Game Refuge

Lakes

Source: * Big Slough * Crystal Lake * Egg Lake * Lake Ontario * Silver Lake * Sorenson Lake

Demographics

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 5,102 people, 2,215 households, and 1,453 families in the county. 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 4.01/sqmi (1.55/km²). There were 2,643 housing units at an average density of 2.08/sqmi (0.80/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 99.12%

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 ...

, 0.14%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

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 ...

, 0.24% Native American, 0.24%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.25% from two or more races. 0.29% of the population were

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. 59.5% were of

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 **Ge ...

and 24.1%

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

ancestry. There were 2,215 households, out of which 25.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% 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, 4.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 32.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.85. The county population contained 22.50% under the age of 18, 4.60% from 18 to 24, 22.70% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 26.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,894, and the median income for a family was $39,284. Males had a median income of $27,277 versus $16,810 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 county was $17,932. About 10.30% of families and 13.50% 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 11.10% of those under age 18 and 17.90% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 4,207 people, 1,943 households, and 1,223 families in the county. The population density was 3.31/sqmi (1.28/km²). There were 2,481 housing units at an average density of 1.95/sqmi (0.75/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.9% white, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.0% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 65.9% were

, 25.9% were

, 6.7% were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, and 1.8% were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

. Of the 1,943 households, 19.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.1% were non-families, and 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age was 51.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $40,136 and the median income for a family was $52,400. Males had a median income of $38,442 versus $25,597 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,531. About 6.1% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the

, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

* Bowdon * Cathay *

(county seat) * Hamberg *

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

* Hurdsfield * Sykeston

Census-designated place

Heimdal Heimdal is a borough in the city of Trondheim in the municipality of Trondheim in Trøndelag county, Norway. It covers the western and southwestern parts of the municipality. The village area that is also called Heimdal is located in the southe ...

Unincorporated communities

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

* Chaseley * Dover * Emrick * Heaton (ghost town) *

Manfred ''Manfred: A dramatic poem'' is a closet drama written in 1816–1817 by Lord Byron. It contains supernatural elements, in keeping with the popularity of the ghost story in England at the time. It is a typical example of a Gothic fiction. Byr ...

Townships

* Berlin * Bilodeau * Bremen * Bull Moose * Cathay * Chaseley * Crystal Lake * Delger * Fairville * Forward * Fram * Germantown * Haaland * Hamburg * Hawksnest * Heimdal * Hillsdale * Johnson * Lynn * Manfred * Norway Lake * Oshkosh * Pony Gulch * Progress * Rusland * Saint Anna * Silver Lake * South Cottonwood * Speedwell * Sykeston * Valhalla * Wells * West Norway * West Ontario * Western * Woodward

Politics

Wells County voters have been Republican-leaning for several decades. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

References

External links

Wells County official website

Northern portion of Wells County
North Dakota DOT
Southern portion of Wells County
North Dakota DOT {{authority control 1884 establishments in Dakota Territory Populated places established in 1884