Belden is a

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

located in Sikes Township in Mountrail County,

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, ...

, United States. It is located along

North Dakota Highway 8 North Dakota Highway 8 (ND 8) is a north–south state highway in North Dakota, United States. The highway is split into two segments. The southern segment is long and travels from Lake Sakakawea near Twin Buttes to South Dakota Hig ...

between Stanley and the former town of Van Hook. The village was founded in 1904, and was reportedly named for W. L. Belden, North Dakota's

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

who was stationed at

Fort Berthold Indian Reservation The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is a U.S. Indian reservation in western North Dakota that is home for the federally recognized Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes. The reservation includes lands o ...

at the time.

History

Belden was founded in 1904 by

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

settlers when the area was still part of Ward County. The village never exceeded a population of more than 25. The post office was established in 1904 as well, and operated continuously until 1986 with the ZIP code of 58715. The Belden Store was considered a local landmark. Today, Belden has a population of about 20, with a couple of young families growing the number over the past decade.

References

Finnish-American culture in North Dakota Ghost towns in North Dakota Populated places in Mountrail County, North Dakota Populated places established in 1904 1904 establishments in North Dakota Mountrail County, North Dakota {{NorthDakota-geo-stub