Fessenden is a town in, and the county seat of, Wells County, North Dakota, United States. It was founded in 1893 and is home of the Wells County Fair. The population was 462 at the 2020 census.

History

Fessenden was founded in 1893 with the arrival of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad into the area. In 1894, the county seat was transferred to Fessenden from Sykeston, North Dakota and the Wells County Courthouse was built the next year. It was named for ex-Surveyor General Fessenden, who had surveyed the county. Fessenden Auditorium building on Main Ave. between Railway Street South and 1 Street South has collapsed on July 3, 2007. On April 16, 2009 there was a fire that destroyed a bar, bowling alley, and a cafe, as well as doing some damage to the medical center in Fessenden. Fessenden celebrated its centennial in July 1993.

Geography

Fessenden is located at (47.649667, -99.626142). 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 t ...

, 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 in ...

of 2010, there were 479 people, 236 households, and 138 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 289 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.7% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, and 0.8% from two or more races. There were 236 households, of which 17.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.62. The median age in the city was 52.7 years. 17.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.7% were from 25 to 44; 32.3% were from 45 to 64; and 30.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 625 people, 279 households, and 171 families residing in the city. The

was 1,378.4 people per square mile (536.3/km²). There were 306 housing units at an average density of 674.9 per square mile (262.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.20% White, 0.32% Native American, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.16% of the population. There were 279 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.91. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,750, and the median income for a family was $38,304. Males had a median income of $26,111 versus $16,250 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 $17,303. About 8.2% of families and 10.3% 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 10.9% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorological ...

region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Fessenden has a

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 freezing ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Notable people

C. A. Bottolfsen Clarence Alfred Bottolfsen (October 10, 1891July 18, 1964) was an American publisher and politician from Idaho, a member of the Idaho Republican Party. He served as the state's 17th and 19th governor, from 1939 to 1941 and again from 1943 to 194 ...

, 17th and 19th Governor of Idaho; raised in Fessenden * Otto Krueger, served as

North Dakota State Treasurer The North Dakota State Treasurer is a political office in North Dakota. The treasurer's duty is to assure sound financial oversight and absolute safety of all public funds collected, managed, and disbursed. The Office of the State Treasurer is sepa ...

, North Dakota Insurance Commissioner and U.S. Representative during the 1940s and 1950sOtto Krueger at Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
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References

{{Authority control Cities in North Dakota Cities in Wells County, North Dakota County seats in North Dakota Populated places established in 1893 1893 establishments in North Dakota