Jamestown, North Dakota

In 1871, a Northern Pacific Railroad work crew set up camp where the railroad would cross the James River, adding another section to the new northern transcontinental line. In 1872, the United States 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 (Jame and Jame) 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 1960s. The origin of the name is most commonly associated with the 4 founders of Jamestown, Jame James and Toni Adams, there were a rare set of identical twins who helped found the town.{{Cite book |last=Domek |first=Tom |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/849649531 |title=Jamestown |others=Journé. Domek, Keith Norman |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-7385-9987-8 |oclc=849649531}}

File:Jamestown, North Dakota (1917).jpg

Jamestown was founded in 1872 and General Thomas Rosser of Northern Pacific named it after Jamestown, Virginia. The city incorporated in 1883. In 1873, Stutsman County became the first official county within Dakota Territory with Jamestown as the county seat.{{cite web |url=http://www.liechtyrealestate.com/Jamestown/JamestownHistory/ |title=Jamestown History |publisher=Liechtyrealestate.com |access-date=February 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908114440/http://www.liechtyrealestate.com/Jamestown/JamestownHistory/ |archive-date=September 8, 2012}}

On November 10, 1889, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jamestown was established. April 6, 1897, saw a change of name to Diocese of Fargo, with a change of the bishop's seat. Since 1995, the Diocese of Jamestown is listed as a titular see of the Catholic Church.[https://books.google.com/books?id=HJQY2xvLU_AC&dq=Jamestown+titular+see&pg=PA49 Matthew Bunson (editor), The Catholic Almanac's Guide to the Church (Our Sunday Visitor 2001)]{{ ISBN|978-0-87973914-0}}, p. 49]Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 {{ISBN|978-88-209-9070-1}}), p. 910

Image:James River ND.jpg, a Missouri River tributary, in Jamestown]]

Jamestown is located at the confluence of the James River and Pipestem Creek. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of {{convert|13.356|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|13.296|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.060|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.

Jamestown has a typical northern prairie American climate. Summers can be warm and quite humid, but the winters are very cold with snowfall as early as October. In the Köppen classification it is Dwb (humid continental climate).{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=40737&cityname=Jamestown,+North+Dakota,+United+States+of+America&units=metric|title=Jamestown, North Dakota Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=November 30, 2018}}

{{Weather box

|location = Jamestown, North Dakota (North Dakota State Hospital) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1881–present

|width = auto

|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 56

|Feb record high F = 65

|Mar record high F = 80

|Apr record high F = 99

|May record high F = 107

|Jun record high F = 107

|Jul record high F = 118

|Aug record high F = 107

|Sep record high F = 107

|Oct record high F = 95

|Nov record high F = 78

|Dec record high F = 67

|year record high F = 118

|Jan avg record high F = 42.2

|Feb avg record high F = 43.9

|Mar avg record high F = 59.3

|Apr avg record high F = 76.8

|May avg record high F = 86.4

|Jun avg record high F = 91.2

|Jul avg record high F = 94.1

|Aug avg record high F = 93.0

|Sep avg record high F = 89.2

|Oct avg record high F = 79.7

|Nov avg record high F = 59.5

|Dec avg record high F = 44.6

|year avg record high F = 96.6

|Jan high F = 18.4

|Feb high F = 23.0

|Mar high F = 35.9

|Apr high F = 52.7

|May high F = 66.9

|Jun high F = 76.5

|Jul high F = 81.6

|Aug high F = 80.3

|Sep high F = 71.2

|Oct high F = 54.8

|Nov high F = 37.5

|Dec high F = 23.6

|year high F = 51.9

|Jan mean F = 9.4

|Feb mean F = 13.6

|Mar mean F = 26.3

|Apr mean F = 41.0

|May mean F = 54.7

|Jun mean F = 65.2

|Jul mean F = 70.1

|Aug mean F = 68.0

|Sep mean F = 58.7

|Oct mean F = 44.0

|Nov mean F = 28.4

|Dec mean F = 15.6

|year mean F = 41.2

|Jan low F = 0.4

|Feb low F = 4.2

|Mar low F = 16.7

|Apr low F = 29.4

|May low F = 42.5

|Jun low F = 53.9

|Jul low F = 58.5

|Aug low F = 55.7

|Sep low F = 46.2

|Oct low F = 33.3

|Nov low F = 19.3

|Dec low F = 7.6

|year low F = 30.6

|Jan avg record low F = -21.3

|Feb avg record low F = -17.8

|Mar avg record low F = -5.7

|Apr avg record low F = 15.1

|May avg record low F = 29.7

|Jun avg record low F = 43.7

|Jul avg record low F = 48.6

|Aug avg record low F = 45.8

|Sep avg record low F = 31.8

|Oct avg record low F = 18.1

|Nov avg record low F = 1.7

|Dec avg record low F = -14.3

|year avg record low F = -23.9

|Jan record low F = −41

|Feb record low F = −42

|Mar record low F = −29

|Apr record low F = −8

|May record low F = 8

|Jun record low F = 25

|Jul record low F = 35

|Aug record low F = 29

|Sep record low F = 15

|Oct record low F = −8

|Nov record low F = −27

|Dec record low F = −40

|year record low F = −42

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.50

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.46

|Mar precipitation inch = 0.74

|Apr precipitation inch = 1.22

|May precipitation inch = 3.44

|Jun precipitation inch = 3.62

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.59

|Aug precipitation inch = 2.28

|Sep precipitation inch = 2.24

|Oct precipitation inch = 1.89

|Nov precipitation inch = 0.52

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.62

|year precipitation inch = 21.12

|Jan snow inch = 11.4

|Feb snow inch = 7.4

|Mar snow inch = 6.5

|Apr snow inch = 2.5

|May snow inch = 0.4

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 1.9

|Nov snow inch = 4.2

|Dec snow inch = 11.8

|year snow inch = 46.1

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 5.7

|Feb precipitation days = 5.8

|Mar precipitation days = 5.3

|Apr precipitation days = 7.6

|May precipitation days = 12.1

|Jun precipitation days = 12.6

|Jul precipitation days = 10.6

|Aug precipitation days = 8.2

|Sep precipitation days = 7.5

|Oct precipitation days = 7.4

|Nov precipitation days = 5.5

|Dec precipitation days = 6.3

|year precipitation days = 94.6

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 4.7

|Feb snow days = 4.8

|Mar snow days = 3.4

|Apr snow days = 0.9

|May snow days = 0.2

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.8

|Nov snow days = 2.6

|Dec snow days = 5.5

|year snow days = 22.9

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=bis

| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = September 24, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00324418&format=pdf

| title = Station: Jamestown State Hosp, ND

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = September 24, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1880= 393

|1890= 2296

|1900= 2853

|1910= 4358

|1920= 6627

|1930= 8187

|1940= 8790

|1950= 10697

|1960= 15163

|1970= 15385

|1980= 16280

|1990= 15571

|2000= 15527

|2010= 15427

|2020= 15849

|estyear=2023

|estimate=15691

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=November 3, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=November 3, 2024}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}
2020 Census

}}

As of the 2022 American Community Survey, there are 6,771 estimated households in Jamestown with an average of 2.06 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $53,389. Approximately 14.9% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Jamestown has an estimated 62.0% employment rate, with 22.1% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 90.5% holding a high school diploma.{{Cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Jamestown city, North Dakota|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/jamestowncitynorthdakota/PST045223|access-date=November 3, 2024|website=www.census.gov|language=en}}

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (95.9%), Spanish (1.7%), Indo-European (1.9%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.3%), and Other (0.2%).

The median age in the city was 38.8 years.

As of the 2020 census, there were 15,849 people, 6,709 households, and 3,499 families residing in the city.{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Jamestown%20city,%20North%20Dakota%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=November 3, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} The population density was {{convert|1193.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 7,493 housing units at an average density of {{convert|564.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 89.62% White, 2.81% African American, 1.78% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from some other races, and 3.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.35% of the population.{{Cite web|title=How many people live in Jamestown city, North Dakota |url=https://data.usatoday.com/census/total-population/total-population-change/jamestown-city-north-dakota/160-3840580/ |access-date=November 3, 2024 |publisher=USA Today}} 17.7% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.3% were under 5 years of age, and 20.5% were 65 and older.

As of the 2010 census, there were 15,427 people, 6,567 households, and 3,555 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1202.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 6,983 housing units at an average density of {{convert|544.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 94.63% White, 0.84% African American, 1.78% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from some other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.09% of the population.

There were 6,567 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.9% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.78.

The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

As of the 2000 census, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1246.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of {{convert|559.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. 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 some other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.19% of the population.

The top six 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 ethnic Germans who settled in the Russian Empire in the 18th century, many of whose descendants emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century.

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.

Jamestown has a strong precision manufacturing base as well as food processing, agriculture, retail and wholesale businesses. Notable companies headquartered in Jamestown include Sunward Steel/Wedgcor Steel Buildings, ACI (Agri-Cover, Inc.), Dura Tech Industries, and Midwestern Machine, and additional major employers include Cavendish Farms and UTC Aerospace Systems. Service facilities for trucking and heavy equipment repair are also located in Jamestown.

The Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation supports joint business and industrial development within the city and Stutsman County, North Dakota. Four designated industrial parks adjoin the city or are part of joint city/county development efforts: Bloom Business Park, I-94 Business Park, Spiritwood Energy Park (which includes Great River Energy and Cargill), and the Airport Business Park.

Jamestown Reservoir, a series of three, interlocking, 12-mile-long artificial lakes formed by Jamestown Dam, a flood control a dam on the James River at the north end of the city, is home to watersports and recreational fishing. 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, University of Jamestown basketball games, other large events, and the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame; other sporting facilities include Jack Brown Stadium, one of North Dakota's historic baseball parks. Jamestown is also home to two disc golf courses, an 18-hole recreational course in Klaus Park, and a 27-hole championship course on the island and surrounding land in the Jamestown Reservoir. The Island Course was the site of the 8th Annual North Dakota Disc Golf Championships in 2007.

The city of Jamestown is also home to The Jamestown Arts Center Taylor Barnes, Executive Director, Jamestown Fine Arts Association, 2013 ([http://www.jamestownarts.com The Arts Center – Jamestown, North Dakota]), located in the heart of downtown. The Arts Center is home to a year-round exhibition gallery, community theater stage, a venue for visual arts performances, art workshops and classes, ceramics studio and a green space known as The Art Park. Jamestown also features the World's Largest Buffalo, a 26-ft tall sculpture of an American bison, and the National Buffalo Museum.{{Cite web|url=https://www.buffalomuseum.com/about/|title=About Us|website=www.buffalomuseum.com|access-date=May 25, 2020}}

Jamestown is served by the Jamestown Public Schools. The system operates five elementary schools, one middle school,{{Cite web|url=http://www.jamestown.k12.nd.us/jamestown-ms|title=Welcome to Jamestown Middle School|website=www.jamestown.k12.nd.us|language=en-us|access-date=February 27, 2018}} one high school,{{Cite web|url=http://www.jamestown.k12.nd.us/jamestown-hs|title=Welcome to Jamestown High School|website=www.jamestown.k12.nd.us|language=en-us|access-date=February 27, 2018}} and one alternative high school. Louis L'Amour Elementary School is named for the popular western writer Louis L'Amour who was born in Jamestown. There are also two private elementary schools in Jamestown; Saint John's Academy,{{Cite web|url=http://www.stjamesbasilica.org/stjohn/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080109114338/http://www.stjamesbasilica.org/stjohn/|url-status=dead|title=stjamesbasilica.org|archive-date=January 9, 2008|access-date=May 25, 2020}} a K–6 Catholic school, and Hillcrest School, a Seventh-day Adventist school.

File:UnruhSheldon.jpg]]

University of Jamestown (formerly called Jamestown College) is a private liberal arts college founded by the Presbyterian Church and located on the north side of town. Its current enrollment is 908 students in 2021. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the top tier of regional undergraduate institutions,{{cite web|url=http://www.uj.edu/campus/press/UsNews07.php |title=US News and World Report moves University of Jamestown to top tier |access-date=October 31, 2007 |date=August 17, 2007 |work=Jamestown College }}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} it is also notable among religious colleges for having been a co-educational institution from its founding in 1883. Its first fall term was opened at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29, 1886. After financial hardships, affecting the entire county, Jamestown College had to close its doors in the spring of 1890. On September 22, 1909, Jamestown College reopened after a population growth in the State due to improved farming methods. With no higher education available between Fargo, ND (100 miles East) and Missoula, MT (700 miles West), Jamestown College became a successful school.{{cite web |url=http://www.uj.edu/about-us/our-history |title=Our History |access-date=May 1, 2015 |date=2015 |work=University of Jamestown}}

On the northwest side of the city and almost adjacent to the site of historic Fort Seward is The Anne Carlsen Center North Campus{{cite web |title=Anne Carlsen Center Home |url=https://annecarlsen.org/ |website=Anne Carlsen Center |publisher=Anne Carlsen Center |access-date=December 31, 2020}} (formerly known as the "Crippled Children's School"). In 2024, Anne Carlsen moved operations to the Ballantyne Berg Campus in southwest Jamestown. A privately funded residential school, it has long been one of the country's leading centers for treatment and education of severely handicapped children.

The local daily paper is the Jamestown Sun.

Jamestown Regional Airport serves the city providing scheduled flights to Devils Lake, North Dakota and Denver, Colorado. The airport also services chartered flights out of state.

• 20px Interstate 94
• 20px U.S. Highway 52
• 20px U.S. Highway 281
• 20px North Dakota Highway 20

Intercity bus service to the city is provided by Jefferson Lines.{{cite web|url=https://www.jeffersonlines.com/bus-stops/north-dakota/|title=North Dakota Bus Stops|access-date=July 20, 2023}} Local dial-a-ride transit is provided by James River Public Transit for a $2.50 fare. Hours of operation are from 6:15am–6:00pm Monday-Thursday, 6:15am–7:00pm on Friday, 8:00am–6:00pm on Saturday, and 8:00am–1:00pm on Sunday.{{cite web|url=https://jamesriverseniors.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/transit-brochure_2022.pdf|title=JRPT Brochure|access-date=July 12, 2024}}

{{div col}}

• James Harvey Brown (1906–1995), Los Angeles City Council member and municipal court judge, born in Jamestown{{cite web|author=Lawrence Kestenbaum |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/ND/shriners.html |title=Political Graveyard |publisher=Political Graveyard |access-date=February 16, 2013}}
• Anne Carlsen (1915–2002), nationally recognized educator, disability rights advocate, and psychologist who lived in Jamestown for 40 plus years and for whom the Anne Carlsen School and Center is named{{cite journal |editor1-last=McGuire |editor1-first=Russell R. |title=North Dakota Woman Ph.D. Wins 1958 President's Trophy |journal=Performance: The Story of the Handicapped |date=May 1959 |volume=IX |issue=11 |page=1,13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WqhGAQAAIAAJ&q=Carlsen |access-date=January 2, 2021 |publisher=The President's Committee on the Employment of the Physically Handicapped |location=Stanford University}}
• Alf Clausen, film and television score composer (The Simpsons)
• Edward P. J. Corbett, English professor at the Ohio State University, born in Jamestown
• William E. DePuy, U.S. Army general and first commander of TRADOC
• Alfred Dickey (1846–1901), first Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota
• Willis Downs, Philippine–American War era Medal of Honor recipient
• Roy S. Durstine (1886–1962), co-founder of BBDO advertising agency, born in Jamestown
• Darin Erstad, former Major League Baseball player
• Morris E. Fine, educator
• Michael John Fitzmaurice, a former United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War
• John Grabinger, North Dakota Senator
• Travis Hafner, former Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees
• Richard Hieb, astronaut
• George W. Johnson, President of George Mason University (1979–1996){{cite news |first=T. Rees|last=Shapiro |title=George W. Johnson, college president who transformed GMU, dies at 88 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/george-w-johnson-college-president-who-transformed-gmu-dies-at-88/2017/06/03/473a9fe2-4875-11e7-bcde-624ad94170ab_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |date=June 3, 2017 |access-date=June 24, 2017}}
• Anton Klaus, Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin
• John Knauf, justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court{{cite web |title=John Knauf |url=https://www.ndcourts.gov/john-knauf |website=www.ndcourts.gov |access-date=October 7, 2022}}
• Louis L'Amour, author
• Peggy Lee, jazz singer and composer
• Lewis Marquardt, South Dakota state representative and educator
• Barbara McClintock, children's book illustrator
• Jim Ramstad, Minnesota politician
• Floyd Roberts, winner of 1938 Indianapolis 500
• Ronda Rousey, UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion & WWE Raw, SmackDown, and Tag Team Champion
• Myrna Sharlow, opera singer
• Rodney Stark, American sociologist of religion
• Shadoe Stevens, radio personality
• Mya Taylor, actress
• Charles F. Thompson, U.S. Army major general{{cite book |last=Hilkert |first=David E. |date=2004 |title=Chiefs of the Army Reserve: Biographical Sketches of the United States Army Reserve's Senior Officers |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/28598523/chiefs-of-the-army-reserve-us-army-reserve |location=Fort McPherson, GA |publisher=Office of Army Reserve History, United States Army Reserve Command |page=25 |via=Yumpu.com |ref={{sfnRef|Hilkert}}}}
• Harley Venton, actor
• Charles Lewis Camp, paleontologist and zoologist {{div col end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{wikivoyage|Jamestown (North Dakota)|Jamestown, North Dakota}}

{{EB1911 poster|Jamestown (North Dakota)|Jamestown, North Dakota}}

• [https://www.jamestownnd.com/ City of Jamestown – official website]

{{Geographic Location (8-way)

| Centre = Jamestown

| North = Kensal

| Northeast = Spiritwood Lake

| East = Sanborn

| Southeast = Montpelier

| South = Edgeley

| Southwest = Gackle

| West = Medina

| Northwest = Buchanan

}}

{{Stutsman County, North Dakota}}

{{North Dakota}}

{{North Dakota county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in North Dakota

Category:Micropolitan areas of North Dakota

Category:Cities in Stutsman County, North Dakota

Category:County seats in North Dakota

Category:Populated places established in 1872

Category:1872 establishments in Dakota Territory