North Dakota -The Emptied Prairie

[Up North]

If you go to ngm.com and then click on "Latest Features" and then click on "The Emptied Prairie" there is a very good photoessay on North Dakota and the changes brought about by human migration.

[canfossi]

I get National Geographic magazine, I have it in front of me, it looks very interesting. Looks like many dreams have been lost in this part of the country. Chris

[Ken Scharabok]

There has been some talk about turning much of it back into what is commonly called Buffalo Commons - essentially a very large federal nature preserve.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Commons

[blufford]

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ng...wden-text.html

[blufford]

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ng...otography.html

[kwagner21]

amazing pictures. very eerie.

[Up North]

Thank You Blufford for making the info more readily accessible.

Two Novels are a good study of Life on the Dakota Plains and what some of the early Homestead families endured. Well spun yarns and good reading on the topic. A light-hearted feel-good romp they are NOT. For those who might even think about getting depressed during the grey cold days of winter, you may not want to read these novels. On the other hand, they may let you realize how good you've got it and cheer you up!

"Giants in the Earth".....by R.E. Rolvaag
"The Bones of Plenty"...by Lois Phillips Hudson

[mpillow]

Wow! that was enjoyable but sad.

I wonder if they get a lot of squatters?

[slu]

Sad.
I've talked to people who lived in ND.....especially in the winter. Not a hospitable place.

I wonder what the price/acre is around these dwindling communities? Anyone know?

[mpillow]

http://www.prairieroserealty.com/properti.htm

Big properties with big price tags

[Macybaby]

Land prices are probably higher than you might think. The is still farming going on, just bigger and bigger farms. There is also a big demand for hunting land, and poeple from down south think nothing of spending a ton of money for several hunderd acres. I have a friend who lives in the upper middle of the state. They talk about owning sections, not acres.

We have some of the same thing happening here in SD. Use to be lots of small acreage - now when some comes up for sale, the neighbor farmer buys it up and lets the house go to rot. We felt very fortunate to find our old home with 40 acres - they are quite rare. Not too hard to find something with several hunderd, but that put it way out of our price range.

I don't know how I feel about this all - in a way it's sad to see the old places go away, but I'm sure others were even sadder to see them built in the first place.

Cathy

[mpillow]

Some cheaper here more "in Town"

http://www.northernappraisalandrealt...realestate.htm

[unioncreek]

The "Buffalo Commons" thing was promoted by Ted Turner. He wanted the US government to buy up a large chunk of eastern Montana, Wyoming, N. Dakota and S. Dakota. Then remove all the people and put bufallo on it. He's just in it for the money like he is in MT.

Bobg

[newfieannie]

my husband told me stories about looking for his father. the last known place was north dakota. seems like he dropped off the face of the earth after that. Andrew knows of course he's gone now but he probably married again and there is a whole new family out there . maybe even still around that area. ..Georgia.

[willow_girl]

Another good (true) story about life on the Great Plains in the early 20th century: "Those Days: An American Album," by Richard Critchfield.

Critchfield's mother was a preacher's daughter who married a young daredevil country doctor who, sadly, died young from alcoholism.

Good review of the book: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...pagewanted=all

[Middle River]

That was interesting. I was born in Stanley, ND and have some family still there - my father owns thousands of acres ( but lives in AZ now ) that he leases to another family member and collects a grain check each year - i'm really not sure what i'll do with the land once it's mine and my brother's, but i must say i really enjoy visiting there - haven't for about 10 years or so though.

I remember last time i was there my stepmother's mom and dad were moving out of Stanley to go live in AZ - i heard a lot of people were moving out, but i just never thought about it till now. Very interesting...

[hillsidedigger]

Originally Posted by unioncreek

The "Buffalo Commons" thing was promoted by Ted Turner. He wanted the US government to buy up a large chunk of eastern Montana, Wyoming, N. Dakota and S. Dakota. Then remove all the people and put bufallo on it.

Bobg

The government had no plans to remove anyone and any land that would have or will be acquired in the arid Western Great Plains (for conservation) will be under a 'willing seller at fair market value' arrangement.

It seems the people are largely removing themselves from that region.

[MTplainsman]

I am shocked to see folks on this forum interested in our area over here. I always thought that most of you would think it all sad and depressing to see the decay of our area, but there really is good out of it too, you just have to have the right mindset. If I would have known that old homesteads, our fallen economies, outward migration, etc. was researched and read by you all, I would have many, many interesting pics and stories to share with you all. I am trying to get a very good digital camera soon, and would love to start taking pics and share with all interested. Just to say, those pics in the NG link are from this very same NE, MT and NW, ND area. We both share the same fate. I am one of the youngest fellows that have tryed to stay and make agriculture work in a huge are... it's hard to imagine what a young guy over here is up against...

[Cash]

The same trends are at work in Nebraska, too, once you get outside the metro areas. Walk down the streets of places like Clarkson and McCook and all you see is gray hair. The schools are shrinking, the young people leave for more opportunity in Omaha and Denver. Not sure there's a solution.

[Still Learning]

Wow, those pictures in the NG link are beautiful & haunting at the same time. Does that make any sense? lol

I'd love to have the money to buy a thousand acres or more and just be. I've got a lot of learning to do though before I'm ever ready for that.

Thanks for sharing the NG link!

~Ashley