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History · Christine

Christine dates to 1883, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1895 on and the census since 1970.

1883founded
0on the National Register
21%homes built before 1940
1famous people
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Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answers

How Christine began

When was Christine founded?

1883

Christine dates its founding to 1883 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1970.

First census: 89 in 19702020 census: 151143 years
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1884.The full story ↓

What stands out about Christine’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Christine are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18953 editions of the USGS map, 1895 to 1985. Watch Christine change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Christine’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Christine’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Christine on the map, 1895 to 1985

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Christine. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Christine on the 1895 USGS mapChristine on the 1959 USGS mapChristine on the 1985 USGS map1895Fargo sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Christine.

The story

How Christine came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Christine.

Read it all →

Christine was founded in 1883 as a Scandinavian settlement along the Milwaukee Railroad in Eagle Township. A post office was established in 1884, and the railroad built a depot in 1886. There is some disagreement over how the town received its name, with most of the evidence suggesting it was named after Christina Nilsson, a well-known Swedish opera singer. Others, though, suggest one of the town's early settlers, Knute Norby, wanted it named after him. The townspeople reportedly objected to his proposal, naming the town after his wife, Kristine.

The village was an unincorporated part of Eagle Township for much of its history, until it officially incorporated as a city in 1976.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Christine, 1883 to 1931

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1883
    FoundingChristine is established
  3. 1884Post officeThe Christine post office opens
  4. 1895On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 20th century
  6. 1931Born herePaul Johnsgard is born here
By decade

Christine, decade by decade

Today3 recent
Christine2013ChristineChristine, North Dakota2006Christine, North DakotaNDMap-doton-Christine2004NDMap-doton-Christine
People over time

Christine, census by census

0100198020002020Peak: 153

Between 89 and 153 people in every census since 1970.

6 censuses, 1970–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Christine’s Wikipedia page.

Questions about Christine’s history

What year was Christine founded?

In 1883, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Christine’s post office opened in 1884, and the census of 1970 counted 89 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (3), Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.