Sims, North Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sims
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 Sims
Location in North Dakota
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Dakota |
| County | Morton |
| Elevation | 1,952 ft (595 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 701 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1033798 |
Sims is a ghost town in Morton County, North Dakota, United States. A ghost town is a place where most or all people have left, and it's mostly empty now. Sims was started in 1883. The Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was built the next year. Today, this old church has been fixed up and still holds church services every other Sunday. The old house where the pastor lived, called the parsonage, has also been restored. It is now home to the Sims Historical Society Museum.
In October 2008, Laura Bush, who was the First Lady of the United States at the time, visited Sims. She took a tour of the church.
Contents
The Story of Sims
How Sims Began
Sims was founded in 1883. It started as a "coal town," which means it was built because of coal mining nearby. People came to Sims to work in the coal mines and at the town's brickyard. These jobs helped Sims grow very quickly. At one point, more than 1,000 people lived there.
However, the number of people living in Sims changed a lot over the years. By 1910, a count showed only 86 people lived there. In 1940, the population was estimated to be around 98 people.
Post Office and Mail
The town's post office opened in 1883. It stayed open for many years, helping people send and receive mail. However, the post office closed in 1947. After that, mail for Sims was sent through Almont, North Dakota, which is a town to the south.
The Sims Church and Its Story
The Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was built in 1884. It was first used as both a church and a home. Later, in 1896, a new church building was constructed right next to the parsonage. People say this church is the oldest Lutheran church west of the Missouri River in North Dakota.
Even though most people have moved away from Sims, the church still has about 50 members. These members do not live in Sims anymore, but they still come back for services.
Locals tell a story about one person who might still be in Sims. They say a former pastor's wife, who passed away between 1916 and 1918, still haunts the old parsonage. She is sometimes called the "Gray Lady Ghost." People report that her spirit wanders through the rooms and plays the organ.
The Last Home in Sims
The very last house in Sims was a mobile home in the middle of town. Someone lived there in 2005. But by 2010, it looked empty, and by 2012, the mobile home was completely removed. This meant there were no more residents living in Sims.
