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History · Lakota Township

Lakota Township dates to 1883, and 82% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1970 on, and the census since 1890.

1883founded
0on the National Register
82%homes built before 1940
4old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Lakota Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Lakota Township began

When was Lakota Township founded?

1883

Lakota Township dates its founding to 1883 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 227 in 18902020 census: 53143 years
Founding year: Wikidata.

What stands out about Lakota Township’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 4 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Lakota Township’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,066 in 1960; 683 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Lakota Township’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewAmidon Ledger page No 217 by Jaw ca 188…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Lakota Township, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Lakota Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Lakota is a city in Nelson County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Nelson County. Lakota is located 63 miles west of Grand Forks and 27 miles east of Devils Lake. The population was 683 at the 2020 census, making Lakota the 76th-largest city in North Dakota.

Lakota Township was established in 1883. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 50 to 53 (+6%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

People over time

Lakota Township, census by census

02004006008001,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,066

Peaked at 1,066 in 1960; 683 people lived here in 2020.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

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

Timeline

Lakota Township, 1883 to 1970

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1883
    FoundingLakota Township is established
  3. 1885In the archiveAmidon Ledger page No 217 by Jaw ca 1885 a
  4. 20th century
  5. 1913In the archiveJaw (Ćehu′pa) or His Fight (Oki' cize-ta'wa) c.1853-1924, photographed in 1913 by Frances…
  6. 1925In the archiveGreat Nor
  7. 1960CensusPopulation peaks at 1,066
  8. 1970On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Lakota Township, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s–1920s4 items
Amidon Ledger page No 217 by Jaw ca 1885 a1885Amidon Ledger page No 217 by Jaw ca 1885 aAmidon Ledger page No 53 by Jaw ca. 18851885Amidon Ledger page No 53 by Jaw ca. 1885Jaw (Ćehu′pa) or His Fight (Oki' cize-ta'wa) c.1853-1924, photographed in 1913 by Frances Densmore a1913Jaw (Ćehu′pa) or His Fight (Oki' cize-ta'wa) c.1853-1…Great Nor1925Great Nor
1930s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today14 recent
Lakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota2003Lakota, North DakotaLakota, North Dakota (2003)2003Lakota, North Dakota (2003)Lakota North Dakota Water Tower2003Lakota North Dakota Water Tower
On the map

Lakota Township on the map, 1970 to 1993

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

Lakota Township on the 1970 USGS mapLakota Township on the 1985 USGS mapLakota Township on the 1993 USGS map1970Bartlett sheet · 1:24,000

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

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Amidon Ledger page No 217 by Jaw ca 1885 a
Retake this viewAmidon Ledger page No 217 by Jaw ca 1885 a, 1885

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Lakota Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Bartlett TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townClara TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townRubin TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townDodds TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townIllinois TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Lakota Township’s history

What year was Lakota Township founded?

In 1883, according to Wikidata. the census of 1890 counted 227 people here.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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 (17), the Library of Congress (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.