Tower City, North Dakota

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Tower City, North Dakota
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Tower City, North Dakota


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = North Dakota
subdivision_type2 = Counties
subdivision_name2 = Cass, Barnes

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 5.4
area_land_km2 = 5.4
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.1
area_land_sq_mi = 2.1
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 252
population_density_km2 = 46.8
population_density_sq_mi = 121.2

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 357
elevation_ft = 1171
latd = 46 |latm = 55 |lats = 24 |latNS = N
longd = 97 |longm = 40 |longs = 30 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 58071
area_code = 701
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 38-79340GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1036349GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Tower City is a city in Barnes and Cass counties in the U.S. state of North Dakota. The population was 252 at the 2000 census. Tower City was founded in 1879.

Geography

Tower City is located at coor dms|46|55|24|N|97|40|30|W|city (46.923335, -97.675109)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 252 people, 107 households, and 75 families residing in the city. The population density was 121.2 people per square mile (46.8/km²). There were 113 housing units at an average density of 54.3/sq mi (21.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.81% White, and 1.19% from two or more races.

There were 107 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 104.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,607, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $26,806 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,652. About 5.1% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under the age of eighteen and 4.9% of those sixty five or over.

History

Founding

The area in Cass and Barnes Counties that eventually became Tower City was purchased in the 1860's by the Northern Pacific Railroad, for the purpose of constructing a northern transcontinental railroad. Difficulties in management and the influence of the Panic of 1873 led to the railroad seeking bankruptcy protection in June of 1875. A member of the board of directors of the company, Pennsylvania attorney Charlemagne Tower purchased huge tracts of the railroad's lands in Minnesota, Washington, and North Dakota.

In 1878, a man named George Ellsbury, a former artist for "Harper's Weekly" and "Leslie's Illustrated Magazine" turned real estate agent, came to Tower's lands in Cass and Barnes Counties, ND. Convinced that the area then known as Spring Tank would be the ideal setting for a community, Ellsbury contacted Tower about purchasing the site. Tower then hired Ellsbury as his land agent for this area, offering him a 5% commission on all land sold. Ellisbury acquired Spring Tank by January 1879, and laid out the town that came to be known as Tower City, after Ellsbury's benefactor. Tower had written Ellsbury requesting that he name the town after himself instead, but that request was turned down.

References

External links