Temple, North Dakota facts for kids
Temple is a ghost town in Williams County, North Dakota, United States. A ghost town is a place where most people have left, and very few, if any, still live there. Today, only a few buildings remain in Temple, like a small garage, some sheds, and a couple of houses that have fallen apart. Over the years, many of the original buildings, including the old church and business places, have either been taken down or collapsed because they became unsafe.
Temple's Story
The area that became Temple was first set up on July 16, 1906. It was originally called Haarstad, named after Ole G. Haarstad, who was the local postmaster and owned the land where the town was built. Later, officials from the Great Northern Railway changed the town's name to "Temple."
Temple had its own post office, which opened on March 12, 1908. This post office served the community for many years, helping people send and receive mail. However, as fewer people lived in Temple, the post office eventually closed its doors on April 30, 1965.
Getting Around Temple
While no one lives in Temple anymore, trains still pass through the area. Amtrak's Empire Builder train, which travels between Seattle or Portland and Chicago, uses the BNSF tracks that go right through where Temple used to be. However, the train does not stop in Temple. If you wanted to catch a train, the closest station is in Stanley, which is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) to the east.
