Jamestown, North Dakota
Encyclopedia : J : JA : JAM : Jamestown, North Dakota
Jamestown is a city in Stutsman County, North Dakota in the United States. It is the county seat of Stutsman County[Geographic references#6GR6]. The population was 15,527 at the 2000 census. It currently sits as the seventh largest city in North Dakota. Jamestown was founded in 1872.
The local paper is the Jamestown Sun. Jamestown Regional Airport serves the city. Jamestown is home to Jamestown College, a private, four-year, liberal arts institution on the city's north side. On the south side of the city sits the North Dakota State Hospital. This hospital treats patients with psychiatric disorders, as well as serving as the state's holding facility for dangerously mentally-ill inmates. On the east side of the city and almost adjacent to the site of historic Fort Seward is The Anne Carlson School (formerly known as the "Crippled Childrens' School"). A privately-funded residential school, it has long been one of the country's leading centers for treatment and education of severely handicapped children. In fact, Jamestown was the first city in America to require wheelchair cutouts in newly-constructed sidewalk curbs.
Geography
Jamestown is located at (46.905641, -98.702994)[Geographic references#1GR1] at the confluence of the James River and Pipestem Creek.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 32.4 km² (12.5 mi²). 32.2 km² (12.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.40%) is water.
History
In 1872, the U.S. Army established Fort Seward, a small post garrisoned by three companies (about 120 men) of the Twentieth Infantry Regiment, on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the James River and Pipestem Creek. The fort guarded the crossing of the James by the Northern Pacific Railroad. The fort only lasted five years, being decommissioned in 1877 - but the railroad remained, establishing a repair yard that was among the city's main industries until the 1960's. The city was founded in 1872 and incorporated in 1883.Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The population density was 481.5/km² (1,246.7/mi²). There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of 216.2/km² (559.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.84% White, 0.36% African American, 1.21% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population.The top 6 ancestry groups in the city are German (54.0%), Norwegian (22.4%), Irish (9.0%), English (6.6%), Swedish (4.1%), Russian (3.8%). Many area families cite their heritage as "Germans from Russia," in reference to a group of German emigrants who temporarily settled in Russia before coming to the United States.
There were 6,505 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.85.
The age distribution is 21.7% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,500, and the median income for a family was $42,245. Males had a median income of $28,310 versus $20,225 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,686. About 6.5% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
K-12
Jamestown is served by the Jamestown Public Schools system, which consists of seven elementary schools (two private, five public), one middle school, one high school, and one alternative school. Louis L'Amour Elementary School is named for the popular western writer Louis L'Amour who was born in Jamestown.The Jamestown High School Marching Band has been recognized nationally for many years, travelling to many locations around the United States.
Higher education
Culture
Jamestown is the home of the "World's Largest Buffalo." This cement statue overlooks the city in a tourist attraction called "The Frontier Village." The pride of Jamestown is "White Cloud", an albino buffalo housed in a fenced off area next to "Frontier Village." White Cloud lives with her daughter, "Princess Winona", amongst a herd of fellow buffalo.Much of the city's cultural life revolves around Jamestown College, and the [Prairie Arts Center] in downtown Jamestown, a home-grown art gallery and performance space that showcases regional visual arts and local performers.
Recreation
Jamestown Reservoir, a series of three, interlocking, 12-mile-long artificial lakes formed by a dam on the James River on the north end of the city, is home to watersports and recreational fishing. The James River (for which Jamestown is actually named, and not the other way around, as one might expect), is the longest un-navigable river in the world.Jamestown is home to two 18 hole golf courses: Hillcrest Golf Course, and Jamestown Country Club, as well as the Jamestown Civic Center (which hosts concerts, events and other activities) and Jack Brown Stadium, one of North Dakota's historic baseball parks.
Notable natives
Famous natives of Jamestown include Jazz great Peggy Lee (Norma Deloris Egstrom), western author Louis L'Amour (Louis Lamoure) , disc jockeys Shadoe Stevens (Terry Ingstad) and Mick Wagner (Michel Wagner), actor Harley Venton, children's book illustrator Barbara McClintock, astronaut Richard Hieb, western artist Jack Kirkpatrick, Los Angeles Angels star Darin Erstad, Alf Clausen, and Cleveland Indians star Travis Hafner.Media
Newspaper
TV stations
- KCSI-LP is the only locally-based TV station. All of the others rebroadcast Fargo stations.
- K02DD 2 ABC (rebroadcasts WDAY Fargo)
- KJRR 7 Fox (rebroadcasts KVRR Fargo)
- K09JM 9 NBC (rebroadcasts KVLY Fargo)
- KJRE 19 PBS/Prairie Public (digital channel 20, based in Ellendale)
- KCSI-LP 32 i (formerly PAX)
- K35HT 35 UPN (rebroadcats KCPM Grand Forks)
Local radio stations
- 90.7 FM K214BX American Family Radio network, Christian
- 91.5 KPRJ North Dakota Public Radio/NPR
- 93.3 KSJZ "Kiss 93.3" Top 40/CHR
- 95.5 KYNU "Big Dog Country" Country
- 98.3 KXGT "Kool 98.3 Oldies Radio" Oldies
- 101.1 KQDJ "Today's Best Hits Q101" Hot AC
- 103.1 KRVX "The Raven" Mainstream rock
- 600 AM KSJB Classic country
- 1400 KQDJ "1400 ESPN" Sports
External links
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State of North Dakota
Capital: Bismarck | History | Governors | Geography |
|---|---|
| Regions:
| Red River Valley | Missouri Plateau | Turtle Mountains | Badlands |
| Cities:
| Beulah-Hazen | Bismarck-Mandan | Devils Lake | Dickinson | Fargo-West Fargo | Grafton | Grand Forks | Jamestown | Minot | Rugby | Valley City | Wahpeton | Williston |
| Counties:
| Adams | Barnes | Benson | Billings | Bottineau | Bowman | Burke | Burleigh | Cass | Cavalier | Dickey | Divide | Dunn | Eddy | Emmons | Foster | Golden Valley | Grand Forks | Grant | Griggs | Hettinger | Kidder | La Moure | Logan | McHenry | McIntosh | McKenzie | McLean | Mercer | Morton | Mountrail | Nelson | Oliver | Pembina | Pierce | Ramsey | Ransom | Renville | Richland | Rolette | Sargent | Sheridan | Sioux | Slope | Stark | Steele | Stutsman | Towner | Traill | Walsh | Ward | Wells | Williams |
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