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Jamestown, North Dakota




The local newspaper is the '' Jamestown Sun ''. Jamestown Regional Airport serves the city. Jamestown is home to Jamestown College , a private, four-year, Presbyterian 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 west side of the city and almost adjacent to the site of historic Fort Seward is The Anne Carlsen Center For Children (formerly known as the "Crippled Children's 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. Jamestown was the first city in America to require wheelchair cutouts in newly-constructed sidewalk curbs.


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 . Many early French-Canadian settlers and trappers referred to the city as "Jacquesville", a nick-name which persisted into the mid-20th century .


GEOGRAPHY


Jamestown is located at (46.905641, -98.702994) 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 Km&2 (12.5 Mi&2 ). 32.2 km&2 (12.4 mi&2) of it is land and 0.1 km&2 (0.1 mi&2) of it (0.40%) is water.


DEMOGRAPHICS

As of the Census of 2000, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 481.5/km&2 (1,246.7/mi&2). There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of 216.2/km&2 (559.6/mi&2). 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 . The system operates five elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, 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, a K-6 Catholic school, and a Seventh Day Adventist school.

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, originally built as an art class project by a group of Jamestown College students in 1958, now overlooks the city as the centerpiece of a tourist attraction called the Frontier Village. The Village is also home to the National Buffalo Museum and houses White Cloud , an Albino Buffalo , considered a sacred and lucky omen by many Native Americans. 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 Jamestown Arts Center in downtown Jamestown, a home-grown art gallery and performance space that showcases regional visual arts and local performers.

Recently a local group of artists in collaboration with the city's tourism board have begun work on a modern art piece that would turn the world's largest buffalo statue into the world's largest Chia Pet, this project is known as Chiaffalo .


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 named, is the longest un-navigable river in the world, and in fact, its original name in the local Native American dialect literally means, "un-navigable river".

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 is home of the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.) and Jack Brown Stadium , one of North Dakota's historic Baseball parks.


MEDIA

See Also: Media in Jamestown, North Dakota



Newspaper



Television


  • CSi Cable Local Cable TV & Broadband provider maintains local TV studio shared with KCSI-TV. Produces live community talk show weekdays, The Wayne Byers Show, 4 times per weekday.



Radio



NOTABLE RESIDENTS



EXTERNAL LINKS