Author’s Note: additional information from ndtourism.com
My dear reader, I am sure that you are familiar with the complaints of living in the state of North Dakota—especially those of us who were born and raised here. Common complaints include: the harsh weather, the bleak flat lands of the prairie, and the lack of things to do. However, there are still things about this beautiful state to love, even if they are small, unimportant things. So, I wanted to share some fun facts about North Dakota that I have learned over the years.
To begin, North Dakota is home to the geographical center of North America. The town of Rugby, North Dakota is the one that claimed the title back in the day and has a monument commemorating its status. However, more recent calculations have actually placed the center of North America to be in (ironically and in a moment of funny serendipity) Center, North Dakota. Either way, North Dakota remains at the center of the North American continent.
My second fun fact about North Dakota is actually regarding its induction to statehood. Both North Dakota as well as South Dakota were inducted into the union in 1889 by President Benjamin Harrison as the 39th and 40th states. However, it is not actually known which state was signed in first and North Dakota is really only considered the 39th state because it comes first alphabetically.
The third fun fact is that the state of North Dakota actually has many different nicknames. The most well-known is likely the Peace Garden State, named for the Peace Gardens on the Canadian border, signifying peace between the two nations. Another name is based more on the history of the state: the Roughrider State. Named after Theodore Roosevelt, who cited his time in North Dakota as being extremely influential in his life and his presidency. Probably the least heard of the nicknames, North Dakota is also sometimes known as the Flickertail State, after the prairie dogs (and specifically their quick, little tails) that can be found across the state.
The fourth fun fact also deals with a name for the state. Many are probably familiar with the joke that rather than having a North and South Dakota, the two states should just be combined into one giant Dakota. However, there was a genuine motion to change the name of North Dakota to “Dakota,” while South Dakota kept its name. The motion was (obviously) shut down and the state kept its original name, but it is just funny to imagine trying to rename an entire state.
The fifth and final fun fact is technically a series of fun facts; it is some tourist attractions across the state. Jamestown, North Dakota, is home to the World’s Largest Buffalo, which stands looming at the top of a hill. The World’s Largest Holstein Cow resides in New Salem. Lastly, the Enchanted Highway is a series of gigantic metal sculptures off of the interstate depicting various wildlife and scenes relating to North Dakota. Scott Cramer’s YouTube video about the Enchanted Highway would be a great way to look into these little tourist attractions more.
All in all, living in North Dakota definitely has its cons and it is not unfounded that it is so often forgotten among the 50 states, but it still manages to have its own little bits of charm that make the state what it is.