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Posted in North Dakota January 23, 2017 by Leah

These 19 Rare Photos Show North Dakota’s Farming History Like Never Before

Since the earliest days of North Dakota’s statehood, it has always been largely centered around agriculture. From the thousands of acres of fields to the livestock farms, almost all of the state’s land is cultivated for farming. There is a deeply rooted history of this in the state and while we can’t go back in time ourselves to see what it was like all those years ago, we are lucky enough to have photography from that time that shows us instead.

These rare, vintage photographs showcase farming in North Dakota, and it’s like stepping into a time machine:

1. "Grain elevator and flour mill, Fargo, North Dakota" - 1939

2. "Mrs. Olie Thompson driving wagon loaded with water barrels. North Dakota" - 1937

3. "Stacks of wheat in field near Williston, North Dakota" - 1941

4. "Shipping sheep out of drought area. Belfield, North Dakota" - 1936

5. "Daughter of Gunnar Kvande, Williams County farmer, North Dakota" - 1937

6. "Barn on large farm in Red River Valley. Cass County, North Dakota" - 1940

7. "Barn on William Huravitch farm. Williams County, North Dakota" - 1937

8. "Potatoes stored in basement farm on Burlington project, North Dakota" - 1940

9. "Adams County, North Dakota. Hogs belonging to George P. Moeller, stock farmer" - 1942

10. "The Herman Gerling family near Wheelock, North Dakota. The daughter lost her arm four years ago" - 1937

11. "Zahl, North Dakota. Watering cows at the town pump" - 1942

12. "Old steam tractor and threshing machine, idle for nine years. Ellisville Township, Williams County, North Dakota" - 1937

13. "Morton County, North Dakota. Hauling feed on a cold morning" - 1942

14. "Unloading bales of hay near Dickinson, North Dakota" - 1936

15. "Adams County, North Dakota. Stock farmer, George P. Moeller, spreading manure on his cornfield" - 1942

16. "View of loading cattle. Medora, North Dakota" - 1936

17. "Sod homestead near Bowman, North Dakota" - 1936

18. "Bismarck, North Dakota. State capitol" - 1942

19. "Driving herds of cattle to the main corral at Medora, North Dakota" - 1936

See more of North Dakota’s day-to-day life in the olden days through vintage photography right here.

Leah

Crazy old cat lady in training, includes enthusiasm for knitted sweaters. Farm livin', film lovin', pasta cookin', graphic artist and writer from the good ol' midwest!