–Not graded

History · Lidgerwood

Lidgerwood dates to 1886, and 40% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listing is the St. Alban's Episcopal Church. Below: maps from 1907 on and the census since 1900.

1886founded

1on the National Register

40%homes built before 1940

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Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0

Quick answers

How Lidgerwood began

When was Lidgerwood founded?

1886

Lidgerwood dates its founding to 1886 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 585 in 19002020 census: 600140 years

Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1887.

What stands out about Lidgerwood’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 Lidgerwood are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,147 in 1950; 600 people lived here in 2020.On the map since 19073 editions of the USGS map, 1907 to 1986. Watch Lidgerwood change.Mapped building by building3 fire insurance maps, 1908 to 1927, drew every building in Lidgerwood.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Lidgerwood’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Lidgerwood’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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People over time

Lidgerwood, census by census

Peaked at 1,147 in 1950; 600 people lived here in 2020.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

On the map

Lidgerwood on the map, 1907 to 1986

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

1907Wyndmere 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 Lidgerwood.

The story so far

Lidgerwood, in brief

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

Lidgerwood is a city in Richland County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 600 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 585 in 2025. It is part of the Wahpeton, ND–MN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Lidgerwood was established in 1886. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 652 to 600 (-8%).

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

Timeline

Lidgerwood, 1886 to 1950

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

19th century
1886
FoundingLidgerwood is established
1887Post officeThe Lidgerwood post office opens
20th century
1907On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1950CensusPopulation peaks at 1,147

By decade

Lidgerwood, decade by decade

Today6 recent

2009Lidgerwood, North Dakota

Every building

Lidgerwood, building by building, 1908–1927

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Lidgerwood fire insurance map, 1908, sheet 1

1908Sheet 1 of 2

Edition

Sheets

+1 more at the Library of Congress

BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Lidgerwood

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed

National Historic Landmarks

none yet

historic buildings protected

each building in a district counts

first listed

1992

St. Alban's Episcopal Church

Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Late Gothic Revival1

All 1 listings

St. Alban's Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1992

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Grant TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town Moran TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Lidgerwood’s history

What year was Lidgerwood founded?

In 1886, according to Wikidata. Lidgerwood’s post office opened in 1887, and the census of 1900 counted 585 people here.

What is on the National Register in Lidgerwood?

One place: the St. Alban's Episcopal Church (listed 1992).

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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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