Cummings, North Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cummings
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 Cummings
Location in North Dakota
Cummings
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Dakota |
| County | Traill |
| Elevation | 932 ft (284 m) |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 219 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
58223
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| Area code(s) | 701 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1035602 |
Cummings is a small, unincorporated community located in Traill County, North Dakota, United States. An unincorporated community is a place that doesn't have its own local government, but it still has people living there.
Where is Cummings?
Cummings is easy to find on a map. It sits right between two major highways: Interstate 29 and U.S. Route 81. You can reach Cummings from these highways using North Dakota State Highway 200. It is also just a few miles north of the city of Hillsboro.
A Look Back: The History of Cummings
The community of Cummings has an interesting history. A post office was first opened here in 1881. The town was named after Henry Cumings, who worked for the Great Northern Railway. However, his name was often misspelled as "Cummings." Because of this, the Post Office officially changed the town's name to Cummings in 1922. Today, like much of the county, Cummings is mainly a farming community.
One of Cummings' well-known residents was William J. Burnett. He was born in 1854 and served two terms as a representative in the state senate for the eighth district. This means he helped make laws for North Dakota. Burnett also strongly supported the creation of the Farmers' Elevator. His hard work helped the town grow in both population and businesses during the late 1800s.
By 1910, Cummings had several important buildings. These included a schoolhouse where children learned, grain elevators for storing crops, general stores where people could buy goods, and churches for worship.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Cummings was home to many businesses. There was a post office, a grocery store, and a bank. You could also find a hardware store and a blacksmith shop. The town had two grain elevators and several potato houses. The Farmer’s Union also had oil tanks there. The Great Northern Railway had a depot, which was like a train station. There was also the Ervin #3 school for grades 1 through 8, and a city hall.
Not everything lasted forever. The Farmers' Elevator sadly burned down on New Year's Eve, 1959, and into New Year's Day, 1960. The blacksmith building also burned down in February of that year. The school building was taken down in 1996.
The Great Northern depot was located west of the train tracks. It even had living quarters for the train agent and their family. Joseph Notch was the agent and telegrapher there from the early 1930s until he passed away in 1962. The depot faced danger from fire twice. Once, burning pieces from the Farmers' Elevator fire landed on its roof. Farmers from around Cummings quickly came to help. They used their grain trucks to help the agent and his family move to safety. Before that, a "hot box" (an overheated part on a train car) started a fire in the dry prairie grass. The agent and his family used potato sacks soaked in water to put out the fire just before it reached the depot and garage. The depot building was sold and moved shortly after 1962. It was bought and turned into a home. As of 2016, it is still located a few miles west of Cummings.
Getting Around: Transportation
The Amtrak train called the Empire Builder travels through Cummings. This train goes between Seattle or Portland and Chicago. It uses the BNSF tracks that pass through the town. However, the train does not stop in Cummings. The closest train station is in Grand Forks, which is about 32 miles (51 km) to the north.
