Trotters, North Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Trotters, North Dakota
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Looking north at Trotters on ND 16
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 Trotters, North Dakota
Location in North Dakota
Trotters, North Dakota
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Dakota |
| County | Golden Valley |
| Elevation | 2,421 ft (738 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| Area code(s) | 701 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1035220 |
Trotters is a very small, unincorporated community in Golden Valley County, North Dakota, USA. An unincorporated community means it's a place with a group of homes or buildings, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town.
Trotters is located along North Dakota Highway 16, which is about 28 miles (45 kilometers) north of the town of Beach. For a long time, Trotters was quite isolated. It didn't get telephone service until 1972, and its only main road, Highway 16, wasn't paved until the 1980s.
How Did Trotters Get Its Name?
Trotters was named after a man called Francis Leighton Trotter (1865–1908). He was the very first postmaster in the community. A postmaster is the person in charge of a post office. Trotter was so dedicated that he carried mail from Wibaux, Montana for a whole year without getting paid! He did this to help set up the first post office in Trotters.
What Is the History of Trotters?
For much of the 1900s, Trotters had only one main resident: Leonard Hall. He moved to Trotters in 1956. Hall was also the postmaster of the Trotters post office, which first opened in 1904.
This post office was very important for ranchers living far away, sometimes as far as 28 miles (45 kilometers) from Trotters. This was because there weren't many other post offices in the area. The post office building was more than just a place for mail; it also served as the town's only grocery store and gas station! Leonard Hall even lived in the back of the building.
Besides the post office, there were only two other buildings in Trotters: an old church that was no longer used and an empty, abandoned structure. The post office finally closed in 1995 when Leonard Hall's health made it impossible for him to continue working as postmaster.
What Is the Climate Like in Trotters?
Trotters has a type of weather called a semi-arid climate. This means it's generally dry, but not as dry as a desert. It gets some rain, but not a lot. You might see this climate type called "BSk" on climate maps.
