Tower City, North Dakota

Tower City, North Dakota has a story that stretches back to the great westward expansion of the American frontier. What began as a modest stop along the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1879 grew into a community that, at one point, dreamed of becoming the capital of North Dakota. While those grand ambitions gave way to the quieter rewards of small-town prairie life, the history of Tower City remains a fascinating chapter in the settlement of the northern Great Plains.

The Founding of Tower City

Tower City was founded in 1879 by George Ellsbury, a land agent hired by Charlemagne Tower to stimulate land sales along the Northern Pacific Railroad corridor in the Dakota Territory. Charlemagne Tower was a wealthy investor whose holdings in Minnesota, Dakota, and Washington state included large tracts of land acquired from the railroad company after its bankruptcy and reorganization following the Panic of 1873. In 1878, Tower hired Ellsbury to manage and promote his Dakota land interests, and by the following year Ellsbury had laid out a townsite at a railroad stop on the border of what are now Cass County and Barnes County. The new settlement was named Tower City in honor of its benefactor, Charlemagne Tower, and a post office was established that same year. Tower City was officially incorporated as a city in 1881.

The Dakota Boom and Early Growth

Tower City's founding coincided with the great Dakota Boom of 1879 to 1886, a period of explosive settlement during which more than 100,000 people poured into the Dakota Territory seeking cheap farmland and new opportunities. The Northern Pacific Railroad was the engine driving this growth, providing settlers with transportation to the vast open prairies and a means of shipping grain and goods back to eastern markets. Towns sprang up along the rail line at regular intervals, and Tower City quickly became one of the more promising settlements in the region. By 1883, Tower City reportedly had approximately 800 inhabitants, making it a sizable community for the frontier.

Grand Ambitions on the Prairie

The early residents of Tower City had ambitions that reached far beyond a small railroad stop. George Ellsbury obtained a charter for the construction of a north-south railroad through town called the Dakota and Great Southern Railway, which would have made Tower City a major crossroads of commerce in the territory. There was also serious discussion of establishing a Baptist college just north of town, which would have brought education, culture, and economic activity to the community. Perhaps most remarkably, Tower City even aspired to become the capital of the planned state of North Dakota as statehood discussions gained momentum in the 1880s. While none of these grand plans ultimately came to fruition, they speak to the optimism and energy that defined the early years of this prairie community.

Settlement and Community Building

As the initial boom years settled into a more sustainable pace of growth, Tower City's residents focused on building the institutions that would sustain their community for generations. Churches were established to serve the spiritual needs of settlers, with St. Paul's Lutheran Church and Tower City Presbyterian Church becoming pillars of community life. In 1885, Greenwood Cemetery was officially platted and recorded at the Cass County Register of Deeds, though burials at the site had begun as early as 1879. George Ellsbury himself deeded five acres of land for the cemetery in 1891, ensuring a permanent resting place for the families who had helped build the town. Schools were organized, businesses opened along the main street, and the agricultural economy that would define the region for over a century took root in the rich prairie soil surrounding Tower City.

Tower City Through the Decades

Like many small towns across the northern Great Plains, Tower City experienced population shifts over the twentieth century as agriculture modernized and young people moved to larger cities for work and education. The city's population peaked at 468 in the 1900 census and gradually declined through the mid-century decades. But Tower City endured where many neighboring communities did not, maintaining its school system, churches, local government, and community spirit through changing times. Today the city is home to Maple Valley High School, part of the Maple Valley Public School District that has served the area's families for decades. The school consolidated into a single K-12 facility in Tower City in 2018, reinforcing the city's role as the educational and social center of the surrounding area.

Tower City Today

With a current population of approximately 280 residents and convenient access to Interstate 94, Tower City continues to be a living, growing community on the North Dakota prairie. The city proudly carries the title Home of the North Dakota State Horse Pull, an annual tradition that celebrates the agricultural heritage of the region. Visitors can stay at the historic Tower City Inn Bed and Breakfast, built in 1904 and restored with period antiques, or stop by the Tower Motel and Camping for a night under the stars. From its ambitious beginnings as a railroad boomtown that dreamed of becoming a state capital, Tower City has grown into something perhaps even better: a close-knit community where neighbors know each other by name and the values of hard work and mutual support continue to define daily life.