Hillsboro is a small city in Traill County,

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 ...

. 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 st ...

of Traill County. The population was 1,649 at the 2020 census. Hillsboro was founded in 1881. Hillsboro sits in the fertile

Red River Valley The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...

. Local

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

has dominated the area's economy from the beginning. With its location on

Interstate 29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

, halfway between the two metropolitan centers of

Greater Grand Forks "Greater Grand Forks" (officially the Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area) is the name used by some people to designate the twin cities of Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota, together with their surrounding a ...

and

Fargo–Moorhead Fargo–Moorhead, also known as the FM area, is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota; Moorhead, Minnesota; and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota–Minnesota border, on op ...

, Hillsboro has seen steady population growth in recent years and has become somewhat of a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

History

The area along the Goose River that is now Hillsboro was first settled by

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 ...

and

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settlers around 1870. In 1880, the present day site of Hillsboro was founded under the name "Comstock". Local

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

tells of the residents of nearby Caledonia, North Dakota turning away a shabby

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

because of his appearance. This man was then offered hospitality by residents in the tiny settlement of Comstock. The man turned out to be

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

baron

James J. Hill James Jerome Hill (September 16, 1838 – May 29, 1916) was a Canadian-American railroad director. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwes ...

. Hill was so impressed by the kindness showed to him by the residents of this small community that he decided to place his Great Northern Railway there instead of in Caledonia. The name of Comstock was platted as "Hill City" in September 1880 in honor of Mr. Hill. The city was then renamed "Hillsboro" in 1883 after it was discovered that there was already a " Hill City" elsewhere in

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 ...

, now a part of

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 ...

. The routing of the railroad through Hillsboro gave the young city the motivation to attempt to have the

moved there from Caledonia, which had been the seat of Traill County since its organization in 1875. The ensuing contest grew bitter and heated, with Caledonians arming themselves, posting guards in the town, and organizing a committee for defense. Hillsboro residents took to calling the defense committee Tigers of the Jungle and Irreconcilables. Caledonia went as far as to bring in a professional campaign speaker, Col. W. C. Plummer, to campaign on behalf of the town. His speeches were well-attended but, despite these efforts, Caledonia lost the county seat to Hillsboro in a 1,291 to 218 vote. The Traill County Courthouse was built in Hillsboro in 1905. In 2006, Hillsboro celebrated its 125th birthday.

Geography

Hillsboro is located at (47.403960, −97.060531). Hillsboro sits on the banks of the Goose River in eastern

. Located in the center of the fertile

, the area around Hillsboro is prime

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

land and very flat. 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 , all land.

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 meteorologic ...

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, Hillsboro 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.

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 1,603 people, 687 households, and 418 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 763 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.9%

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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 1.5% Native American, 0.6%

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 ...

, 3.0% 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 0.9% from two or more races.

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 were 5.5% of the population. There were 687 households, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% 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, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.2% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the city was 40.5 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,563 people, 679 households, and 414 families residing in the city. The

was 1,460.6 people per square mile (564.0/km²). There were 727 housing units at an average density of 679.4/sq mi (262.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.82%

, 0.19%

, 2.05% Native American, 2.11% from

, and 0.83% from two or more races.

of any race were 4.93% of the population. There were 679 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were

living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.92. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,516, and the median income for a family was $42,357. Males had a median income of $30,607 versus $19,769 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 $17,976. About 6.6% of families and 9.2% 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 9.4% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The economy of Hillsboro, like so many other small, rural towns in North Dakota, is heavily dependent on

. When local farmers have a bad harvest, the Hillsboro economy can also suffer. In turn, when the harvest is good, Hillsboro usually prospers. One of the more obvious effects the agricultural community has had on Hillsboro is found at the American Crystal Sugar

sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wi ...

plant directly north of town. The large plant, located on

U.S. Highway 81 U.S. Route 81 or U.S. Highway 81 (US 81) is a major north–south U.S. highway that extends for in the central United States and is one of the original United States Numbered Highways established in 1926 by the American Association of Stat ...

, has been responsible for both an increase in population and a steady stream of available jobs during the last few decades that it has been open. In addition, the local agriculture-based factories of Degelman Industries and Total Ag Industries has spurred a recent demand for a local workforce. In recent years, Hillsboro has become a

for the

and Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan areas. This has led to an increase in both population and home construction. The local business community has also been growing with the recent addition of new businesses including 3R Floral, Sundae Brew, and Goose River Brewing. Although not the once bustling downtown area (centered at the intersection of Caledonia Avenue and Main Street) it once was, Hillsboro's downtown has become a new area of development.

Education

The Hillsboro Public Schools system provides residents with an elementary school and a high school. Hillsboro High School's athletic teams are known as ''The Burros'', which makes their mascot the

donkey The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a ...

. The high school offers

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

classes either as

Online Classes Educational technology (commonly abbreviated as edutech, or edtech) is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning. When referred to with its abbreviation, edtech, it often refers ...

, dual credit classes in school, or through

Lake Region State College Lake Region State College (LRSC) is a public junior college in Devils Lake, North Dakota. It was founded in 1941 as an extension of the public school system and first known as Devils Lake Junior College and Business School. Several name changes ...

, depending on the class. These classes are worth college credit at most in-state colleges and universities. As of 2015, they also offer AP

Calculus Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithm ...

I through the May-Port CG school system over

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

, done by Jonathan Fugleberg. In 2003, 40% of students met or exceeded grade-level standards in Math, and 76% of students met or exceeded grade-level standards in English, above-average when compared to the state average of 39% and 61%, respectively. In 2012, Hillsboro joined a cooperative agreement in all sports with Central Valley School in rural

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.

. The schools remain separate for fine arts competitions.

High school championships

* State Class 'B' boys basketball: 1973, 1974, 1977, 1981, 2017, 2018 * State Class 'B' girls basketball: 1984 * State Class 'B' volleyball: 2000, 2006 * State Class 'B' boys baseball: 1967, 1968 * State Class 'B' girls gymnastics: 1977, 1981 * State 9-man football: 2008 * State 11-man 'A' football: 2017 * State 11-man '2A' football: 2019 * State Class 'B' Girls Cross Country: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018mtec State Class B Results
/ref>

Culture

Recreation

The city of Hillsboro operates a large park on the north side of town. Woodland City Park sits on the banks of the Goose River. It offers a public swimming pool and scenic views of a dam on the river. For many years, there was also a group of

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

living in a penned in area of the park, though they no longer reside there. The Goose River Golf Club sits directly north of town. Hillsboro also has railroad park along side its Main Street to the East, containing a historic railroad caboose and a statute of the local high school mascot, the burro. Railroad Park has become an area of focused improvement by the City Commission, with projects planned to revitalize this green space.

Media

The local paper is the weekly ''

Hillsboro Banner The ''Hillsboro Banner'' is a weekly newspaper published in Hillsboro, North Dakota in the United States. The ''Banner'' is the oldest weekly newspaper in the state of North Dakota. It was first published in 1879 and became the official newspap ...

''. The ''Banner'' has been published continuously since 1879, making it the oldest weekly newspaper in the state of

. Hillsboro has no radio stations of its own. Nearby stations include KMAV 105.5 FM and KMSR 1520 AM in nearby Mayville and KRJB 106.5 FM in

Ada, Minnesota Ada ( ) is a city in Norman County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,740 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat. Minnesota State Highways 9 and 200 are two of the main routes in the city. History Ada was laid out in 1874 an ...

. Residents have access to radio stations and network affiliates from both

Grand Forks Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...

and

Sites of interest

* The Amos and Lillie Plummer House, a historic 1897 mansion that has been converted to a museum and restored to its turn of the century elegance * Traill County Courthouse, a historic building near the center of the town, with a large dome on top, with paintings on the interior. There is a bust of Abraham Lincoln located nearby * Pioneer Museum, museum complex featuring: :*Centennial Building, military, school, and

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...

collections :*Pioneer Building, agriculture collection :*St. Olaf Chapel, church that resembles small, rural Churches that typify the Red River Valley :*Log Cabin, a

log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers. Eur ...

built on the banks of the

Red River of the North The Red River (french: rivière Rouge or ) is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota, it fl ...

in the 1870s

Transportation

Residents of Hillsboro have easy access to major population centers via

. The Interstate runs on the western edge of the community and there is an interchange (Caledonia Avenue) that connects the Interstate to Hillsboro.

runs through the community and also connects Hillsboro to

and Fargo. Like so many towns in the

American Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

, Hillsboro's streets are aligned in the grid pattern. In Hillsboro, routes that run north to south are called ''streets'' and routes that run east to west are called ''avenues''. The

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

, eventual successor to the Great Northern, continues to maintain tracks in Hillsboro that see a variety of freight trains every day as well as

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

's ''

Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...

'', which passes through without stopping in the early morning hours. The Hillsboro Municipal Airport is a small airport south of town with a landing strip which provides an area for crop dusters or small private airplanes to stop. However, residents have to travel either to

or Fargo in order to take regularly scheduled flights to major airports.

Notable people

* John H. Carkin, Oregon lawyer and politician *

Randy Lemm Randy D. Lemm is an American politician and farmer serving as a member of the North Dakota Senate from the 20th district. Elected in November 2018, he assumed office in January 2019. Education Lemm earned a Bachelor of Science degree in anim ...

, member of the

North Dakota Senate The North Dakota Senate is the upper house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, smaller than the North Dakota House of Representatives. Per the state constitution, North Dakota is divided into between 40 and 54 legislative districts appor ...

* Elmore Y. Sarles, 9th

governor of North Dakota The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of North Dakota and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The Constitution of North Dakota specifies that "the executive power is vested in the governor" in Secti ...

Development

Since October 2019, there has been some construction going on west of Interstate 29. This construction will result in a new subdivision and housing development of Riverwalk.

References

External links

City of Hillsboro official website

''Hillsboro Banner'' website

Hillsboro Public Schools website

Hillsboro, North Dakota :the first hundred years (1981)
from th
Digital Horizons website
{{Authority control Cities in North Dakota Cities in Traill County, North Dakota County seats in North Dakota Populated places established in 1880 1880 establishments in Dakota Territory