This North Dakota Small Town Has A Special Hotel With A Lot Of History
As local travel experts, we know what travelers are looking for when it comes to finding the perfect accommodations for their next trip. To compile our lists, we scour the internet to find properties with excellent ratings and reviews, desirable amenities, nearby attractions, and that something special that makes a destination worthy of traveling for.
Every small town has its own story. Even if there may not be many people there and even if it barely shows up on maps, someone was born and raised there, at one point people made lifelong memories there, businesses started and experiences were shared in one way or another. Sometimes, these histories all come together in a special place in town. There is one place that holds an immense amount of history in just one building, and that’s this historic hotel in North Dakota. If walls could speak, it could probably tell you the entire history of the town it resides in.
Fullerton, North Dakota is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of town in Dickey County, not far from the South Dakota border.
The town's population is just 54. In the early 1900s, it hit its peak population: just barely over 200 residents. Needless to say, it's about as small as a small town gets and always has been.
And yet, there's something special about Fullerton that has gained the attention of national news in the past: The Carroll House, a one-of-a-kind hotel that's on the National Register of Historic Places.
The townsite was surveyed and the railroad came through in 1887. Just a couple of years later, a hotel was built - and it's still there today. It wouldn't be for another few years until North Dakota was established as a state.
The Carroll House stands out to the eye immediately. The unique look of the place will effortlessly draw you in. There's something beautiful and charming about it, and the history within its walls will only entice you further.
The Carroll House went through many changes over its more than 130 years here. It was a hotel first and held the town's first church meetings before the church was built. It also had a ballroom that held galas, concerts, and more.
At one point the ballroom became an apartment. Another area became a beauty parlor, and there was a restaurant and cream station at one point. By the 1970s, it was a privately owned hunting lodge. It had more than 20 managers and numerous owners over the years.
Needless to say, The Carroll House has seen just about everything a hotel can see. Today, it has returned to its original state as a hotel, with the interior and exterior preserved as a historical landmark. Just about anyone who has ever lived in Fullerton has probably stepped foot in this place at least once.
There is a lot more to the story of this place, and the story of Fullerton as a town – two pasts that are thoroughly interwoven. You can learn more about the town and this special historic hotel in North Dakota by visiting the town’s website.
This is certainly a unique place to stay. If you enjoy skipping the chain hotels and spending time at houses like this, here is a beautiful historic house that’s also a bed and breakfast in North Dakota you can stay at.
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Address: 19 Monroe St, Fullerton, ND 58441, USA
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Leah moved to North Dakota when she was 12 years old and has traveled from the Red River Valley to the badlands and many places in between. She loves small-town life and currently enjoys living on a small farm in the ND prairie. She's always had a passion for writing and has participated in novel writing challenges such as NaNoWriMo multiple times. Her favorite part about this job is recognizing small businesses that deserve a boost and seeing the positive affect her articles can have on their traffic, especially in rural areas that might have otherwise gone overlooked.
