Omemee:ACrossRailsinNorthDakota

BySaraJ.McIntee

SittinginthekitchenofCharlesKippensfarmhouse,Charlessatbacktothinkwhenhewas

askedwhattypeofcelebrationsoccurredinOmemee.Charlesgrewuponhisfarmoutsideoftown,

experienceingtheGreatDepressionandWorldWarIIwithsmalltownlife.Helistedoffdancesand

parties,Christmasandholidaycelebrations.Thenhiseyeslitup.1937,hedeclared.In1937,there

wasacelebrationcalledOmemeeDays.Hiswifedugoutanoldphotoalbumandheflippedthroughto

ablackandwhitepictureoftwofairhairedandskinnednineyearoldchildren.Boththeboyandgirl

weredressedinakilt,completewithsashandhat,andarestandingonagravelroadwithwood

buildingsinthebackground.KippendeclaredtheboywashimselfandthegirlwasMarian(Frasier)

Hancock,dressedintraditionalkiltsforaparadeduringtheOmemeeDayscelebration.Therewere

pagents,parades,andstreetdancestocelebratetheScottishheritageofatownwherethesettlerswere

ofmostlyScottishorScottishCanadiandescent.

ThebuildingsbehindKippenandFrasier,identifiedasthetownhallandsomehouses,arenow

longgone.Inroughlyeightyyears,fromthepostofficeopeningin1890totheclosureofthetownin

the1970s,Omemeedeclinedjustaquicklyasitboomed.ThisisapuzzilingoccurancesinceOmemee

wasainaprimelocationtothrive.Araretypeofrailroadtown,Omemeewaspositionedatacross

railsoftheGreatNorthernRailroadandtheSooLine.Itshouldhavegrownnearlyasbig,oreven

biggerthanBottineauCountyscountyseat,Bottineau.Bottineau,roughlysixteenmilesnorthwestof

Omemee,wassituatedononlyonerailroad,theGreatNorthern,buttodayitisathrivingcommunityof

aboutthreethousandfivehundredpeople.

WhywouldBottineau,atownwithonlyonerailroad,outgrownandoutliveOmemee,atown

withtworailroads?Theanswertothisquestioncanbefoundinthegrowthandexpansionofthe

railroadinthearea.WhatshouldhavebeenOmemeesgreatestproviderturnedouttobeitsdeath.To

understandhowarailroadthatbuiltatowninnorthcentralNorthDakotacouldalsocauseitsdecline,it

isnecessarytounderstandhowrailroadtownsoccurredontheGreatPlainsandsettlementpatternsin

NorthDakota.

ThefirstnonnativeAmericansettlementinNorthDakotaisattributedtoPembina,locatedin

theextremenortheasterncornerofthestateontheconfluenceoftheRedRiveroftheNorthandthe

PembinaRiver.Atthebeginingofthesettlement,PembinahadbeenconsideredpartofCanadauntil

1818.SettlersfromFortDouglasintheSelkirkcolonyinpresentdayCanadaweredrivensouthinsearch

ofprovisionsandwinteredatanoldfurtradingpostlocatedatpresentdayPembinainthewinterof

1812.ThetrendofmovingsouthforthewinterlastedforseveralyearsuntiltheMtisandwhite

settlerswereforcedoutoftheencampmentbytheHudsonsBayCompanybecauseofabeliefthata

divisionbetweenthesettlersatFortDouglasandPembinaweakenedtheSelkirkcolony.In1818,the

boundarybetweenBritishCanadaandtheUnitedStateswasdrawnatthefortyninthparallel.This

placedallofPembinasaveforonecabinontheUnitedStatessideoftheline.1Someoftheoriginal

settlersremainedinPembina,butby1836,ithadbeenabandoned.Outofthissettlement,however,

grewagreatfurtradenetworkbetweenFortGarryandSt.PaulalongtheRedRiver,whichopenedthe

Valleytoanewdemographic.

TradewasimportanttothedrawofsettlementtoNorthDakota,butsowasthelureofnew

farmland.SomeofthefirstnonnativeAmericansettlersmovedtheRedRiverValleyseekingnew

fertilelandthatwassimilartothealreadyclaimedareasofsouthernMinnesota.Largelyinfluencedby

thesigningoftheHomesteadActbyPresidentLincolnin1862,settlerscamelookingfornewland,but

accessintotheterritorywaschallenging.Inthe1870s,suchmenasJamesJ.Hill,NormanKittson,and

AlexanderGriggsimprovedupontheaccessoftheRedRiverValleyviasteamboat.Therailroadfollowed

in1872,crossingtheRedRiver,andendinginBismarckin1873duetobankruptcy,givingNorthDakotaa

1ElwynB.Robinson,HistoryofNorthDakota(Lincoln:UniversityofNebraskaPress,1966),65.

connectiontotheoutsideworld.TheNorthernPacificwasunreliableatbest,butitwasastart

nonetheless.

TherailroadisoneofthemostimportantinfluencesonthegrowthinpopulationontheGreat

Plainsbetweentheendofthenineteenthcenturyandthebeginningofthetwentieth.Railroads

providedmorethanpopulationmovementinthenorthernGreatPlains.Thethreemajorrailroadsthat

influencedsettlementinNorthDakotaalsocarriedwheatharvestedinNorthDakotatomillsin

MinneapolisanddocksinDuluth,providingaccesstonewbusiness.2TheNorthernPacificenteredthe

statefromthesouthin1872,whiletheGreatNorthernwasamergerbetweentworailwaysin1889and

dominatedthenorthernpartofthestate.In1894,theSooLine,whichstretcheddiagonallyacrossthe

statestartingintheverynorthwesterncornerandleavinginthesoutheasternportion,provideda

competitionfortheGreatNorthernforcontrolofthenorthernpartofthestate.Theserailwayshelped

tosolvesomeofthesettlementproblemsNorthDakotafacedasastateonthenorthernGreatPlains.

OneofthebiggestchallengestothesettlementoftheGreatPlainsregion,includingNorth

Dakota,isthelocationandtheremotenessofthearea.3AnotherproblemfortheGreatPlainsisthe

assumptionthatsettlementandgovernmentalissuesontheplainscouldbesolvedinthesamemanner

assettlementandgovernmentalissueswerehandledintheEasternUnitedStates.4Settlementhasto

beviewedthroughadifferentmodel.Forexample,KraenzeldividesthesettlementsontheGreatPlains

intotwocategories:thesutlandandtheyonland.Sutlandisdefinedasamoredenselysettled,string

likeareaofsettlementsalongmajoravenuesoftransportation,originallystartingwiththerailroads,and

soonfollowedbymajorhighways,busroutes,andpublicutilitiessuchastelephoneandpowerlines.5

Thesutlandisthelocationformainbusinesses;industrial,educational,health,governmental,andsocial

2JohnC.Hudson,PlainsCountryTowns(Minneapolis:UniversityofMinnesotaPress,1985),55.3Robinson,xv.4CarlF.Kraenzel,TheGreatPlainsinTransition(Norman:UniversityofOklahomaPress,1955),194.

5Kraenzel,196.

functionsintheregion;andthesiteforcertainagriculturalspecialties.Thesutlerishistoricallythe

supplyagentatthearmypost.6

Incontrastthereistheyonland,theinbetweenareagenerallywithoutmajortransportation

avenuesandotherservicesfoundinsutland.Thisareaoutyonderfromthesutlandholdssmaller

townsthatarelessdevelopedduetotheissueofinadequatefinancesandpeopletosupportthe

services.Yonlandisnotthehinterland,northeinland,asKraenzelstatesalloftheGreatPlainsarea

hinterlandandinland.Yonlandisasmall,semiaridarea,andisheldinbetweensutlandareas.7

Keepingthesedefinitionsofyonlandandsutlandinmind,howcouldonecharacterizeaghosttownthat

onceexistedalongagreattransportationlinesuchasamajorrailroad?

Railroadtownsareintruthpreplannedsutlandareastoreachthepotentialyonland.Ifone

weretolookatrailroadmapoftheeasternstates,andcompareittooneoftheGreatPlains,itis

prevalentthattherailroadsintheeasternstatesdonotexpandinstraightlines.Theyareclusteredand

disorderlytoconnectthethousandsoftownsthatexistedbeforetherailroad.ArailroadmapofNorth

Dakotashowsstraightlineswithneatlittledoteslocatedalongtheselinesinnearlysymmetricalspacing.

MostofNorthDakotawassettledafterthearrivalofarailroad.Thispreplottingoftownsitesbefore

therewerepotentialsettlersnotonlywastoreachpotentialyonlandareas,butawishtocontrolthe

areasandmakethemremainyonlandfortheimprovementofthesutlandbusiness.8

Buildingbeforetherewasbusinesscarriedpotentialproblems,suchaslossofmoneybybuilding

toofastornotenoughpopulationtosupportthearea.Anotherpotentialthreattoanewrailroadtown

wasthecontinuedexpansionoftherailroad,andthefutureincreaseofuseintheautomobile.The

automobilemadedistancesbetweensutlandsshorter,andapersoninayonlandcouldtravelthe

distancetoabiggerormoredesiredsutlandthantheoneclosertohislocation.Butwhatmadesome

6Kraenzel,196.7Kraenzel,196197.8Hudson,71.

sutlandrailroadtownsdieandothersthrive?Thisquestioncannotbesolvedwithonecookiecutter

answer,andeachtownhasitsownindividualstoryofitsdecline.Omemeeisonesuchtownthatwasin

primepositiontothrivebutwasoutlivedbyatownonlysixteenmilesnorth,Bottineau.Thehistoryof

Omemeeisimportantinunderstandingitsdecline.

Inlate1887,thefarmerslivingbetweenBottineauandWillowCityfeltaneedforapostoffice

halfwaybetweenthesetwotowns.ApetitionwasdrawnupwiththenameofOmemeeforthesite

whichwaslocatedinSec.416075oftheWillowValeTownship,alongtheGreatNorthernRailroadasit

rannorthfromRugbytoBottineau.ThisareaisknowngeographicallyastheSourisRiverbasin,the

remainsofthelakebedforancientLakeSouris,andissurroundedbyformationsknownasmoronic

hills.9Figuresone,two,andthreeillustratethelocationofBottineauCountyinNorthDakota,Willow

ValeTownshipwithinBottineauCounty,andOmemeewithinWillowVale.

LocatedaboutsixteenmilessoutheastofBottineauandtenmilesnorthwestofWillowCity,the

townsitewasnamedforOmemee,Ontario,Canada,thehometownofOmemeesfirstpostmaster.

GeorgeRayebecamepostmasteronApril8,1890,whenthepostofficewasmovedtoOmemeefrom

AmityTownship.OnMay15,1893,thetownwasplattedbyWilliamCole.10Thewordomemee

derivesfromtheOjibwawordomimi,meaningpigeonorturtledove.11Omemeespositionalongthe

GreatNorthernRailroadwasimportantbecauseitwasconsideredtheendofthelineformanyinthe

WillowValeTownshipandsurroundingcommunities.BottineauandWillowCitywerejusttoofarfor

someresidents.TheGreatNorthernatthistimeendedinBottineau.

Omemeeenjoyedagreatboomduringitsearlyyears.AhomewasconvertedtotheShamrock

Hotelandgrainelevatorswerebuiltrapidlytoholdtheincreaseingraindeliveries.Mostofthesettlers

oftheareawereScottishdescentbywayofCanada,andtheyweremainlyPresbyterians,Methodist,9DanielEverettWillard,TheStoryofthePrairies:or,TheLandscapeGeographyofNorthDakota,5thed.(Chicago:Rand,McNallyandCompany,1907),321.10DouglasA.Wick,NorthDakotaPlaceNames(Bismarck:HedemarkenCollectibles,1988),145.;EdnaEgge,Omemee,inHistoricalHighlightsofBottineauCounty,ed.BottineauCountyHistoricalSociety(Bismarck:QualityPrintingService,1977),80.11Wick,145.

andCatholic.Atonepoint,Omemeewashometothreechurches;however,theCatholiccommunity

neverbuiltachurchintown.Instead,abuildingwasmovedintobeusedasaplaceofworship.A

schoolonemilenorthofthetownwasmovedintotownin1896,andanewonereplacedthisbuildingin

1898.Enrollmenthadreached64by1900underthedirectionofteacherJ.C.Millerwhowaspaidforty

fivedollarsamonthtoperformbothteachingandjanitorialduties.Abrickschoolwasbuiltin1903and

in1918theColeHotelwaspurchasedandconvertedintothehighschool.Thelocationsofthebrick

gradeschoolandhighschoolareseeninfiguresfour,five,andsix.12Incorporatedin1902,thetown

attractedmorebusinesses.Thefirstdoctorintown,Dr.McKay,wasfollowedbyDr.MillerandDr.

Stewart.Abrassbandclaimedasoneofthebestinthestateandatalentedbaseballteamprovided

funandentertainmentfortheearlycitizensasOmemeeaswell.13

1903broughtinamomentousoccasionforOmemee.TheSooRailroadwasnearingthetown,

andthiswasreceivedwithgreatoptimismbythecitizens.Atownsituatedbetweentwomajorrailways

shouldbringaboominbusinessandpopulation,andkeepthesmalltownonthemap.Thetownmoved

tosecureitspositionbetweenthetwopowerfulrailroadstoSecs.4&916075in1903andprepared

itselfforabrightfuture.14Moreelevatorswereconstructedalongthenewrailroadandoldoneswere

movedintobetterpositions.Atfirst,eachrailroadhaditsowndepot,butafterafewyearsof

competition,theSoolineandtheGreatNortherndecidedacompromisetoshareonedepotwithtwo

agentsatthecrossrails.FiguressevenandeightshowtheGreatNorthernandtheremnantsoftheSoo,

andfiguresnine,ten,andelevenareoftheoldcrossrailsremainingfromthedeconstructionoftheSoo

lineinthelatetwentiethcenturyandthelocationofthedepot.

Omemeewasexpectedtogrow,andforashortwhileitdid.ThreeyearsaftertheSooLine

reachedOmemee,thepopulationwasreportedtobesixhundredandfiftyresidents,butinthe1910

12Egge,80.13Egge,80.14Wick,145.

Census,itwasrecordedatthreehundredandthirtytwo.ThepopulationyoyoedformanyCensus

recordsfollowing,anditwasreportedatonepointintheearly1930sthatthepopulationhadreached

nearlysixhundredagain.However,bythe1970Census,onlyfiveresidentswererecorded.This

increasedtotenin1980,butthetownwasdisincorporatedafterareportofonlythreeresidentsin

1990.Bythe2000Census,Omemeewasnotrecorded.Rather,theresidentsoftheareafiledunderthe

WillowValeTownshipasapopulationofthirtyfour.

OneofthelifetimeresidentsofOmemee,CharlesRobertKippenisgrandsontoRobertD.

KippenandChrista(Fraiser)Kippen,whoarrivedtotheOmemeeareafromGlengarryCounty,Ontarioin

1887.Kippensfather,Augus,hadbeenfiveduringthemove.Augusinheritedthefarmroughlythree

quartersofamileeastofOmemeeandraisedafamily,andinturnCharlestookoverandraisedhisown

familywithhiswifeHelen(Davidson)Kippen.Ateightytwo,Charlesstillfarmshisland,andheandhis

wifecarefortheOmemeeCemeteryacrosstheroadfromtheirfarmyard,mowingandattendingto

gravesites.Charlesevenconstructedanewgatetothecemeteryin2009,asseeninfiguretwelve.

WhenaskedwhyCharlesandhiswifestillcareforacemeteryofaghosttown,Kippenjustshruggedand

answeredithadbeenneartheirlandsincehewasborn.Itwassomethinghehadalwaysdone.He

couldnotrecallwhythecemeterywaslocatedwhereitwas.15

KippenrememberedhisfatherspokeabitaboutOmemeesearlydays,butlaughedwithajoke

thatasayoungmanhedidnotalwayslisten.Hedidtellofastoryfromhisfathersyoungadulthood

thatonceatrainderailedofftheGreatNorthernBridgenearthetown.Thebridgewasoutanda

lanternmantriedtoflagtheconductortostop.Forwhateverreason,theconductordidnotstopand

theenginefellintothebridge.Kippenrecallsnoonedied,asitwasnotapassengertrain.Thecurrent

15CharlesKippen,interviewbyauthor,Omemee,ND,August14th,2010.

GreatNorthernBridgeispicturedinfigurethirteen.Kippenspersonalmemories,however,arefrom

Omemeeslaterboomyears.16

Inthemidstofthegrowth,Omemeewashometoseveralbusinesses.Atonetime,therewere

fourgeneralstores,threeimplementdealers,twobanks,threeliverybarns,threehotels,one

restaurant,twoboardinghouses,twoblacksmiths,twodoctors,oneveterinarysurgeon,threelumber

yards,fourbilliardandpoolhalls,onebakery,onemeatmarket,onelawfirm,andeightelevators.17

Charlesrecalledhisauntownedoneoftheboardinghousesandhisfatherworkedinlateryearsina

servicestationlocatedintown.Thisservicestationstillstands,aspicturedinimagefourteen.Across

theroadfromtheservicestationwasonceabankandpostoffice.Now,theareahasbeenplowedand

isafield,asseeninfigurefifteen.18

KippenalsorecalledhisyearsgoingtoschoolinOmemee.HegraduatedfromOmemeeHigh

Schoolin1946withatotalclassnumberofeight,andwasanactiveplayeronOmemeesbasketball

team.In1951,theschoolsinOmemeeclosedandthechildreneitherattendedBottineauorWillow

City.Thegradeschoolwastheonlyonethatheldahotlunch,soifhighschoolmemberswishedtohave

ahotlunch,theywouldhavetorunacrosstowntothegradeschoolduringlunchhour.Danceswere

alsoapartofKippenschildhood,notonlyinOmemeestownhall,buttravelingsomeSaturdaynightsto

nearbytownsaswell.19OtherentertainmentincludedtheOmemeeOperaHouseandahorserace

track.Wehadfunthen,too,remarkedKippen.20

Therewasabrickyardlocatednorthoftown,andaflourmillwhichwasbuiltwithatwo

thousanddollargrantfromtheBusinessmensAssociation.21Omemeewasalsoproudtobehometoa

newspaper,TheOmemeeHerald,butispossiblymostfamouslyrememberedforthepopfactorylocated

16Kippen,interview.17JohnMaynard,OmemeeFromboomtobust!TheBottineauCourant,March16,1977.18Kippen,interview.19Kippen,interview.20Kippen,interview.21Maynard.

intownthatwasownedandoperatedbyChrisRasmussen.Kippenrecalledwalkingtotownwith

friendsandsplittingthedollarittooktobuyacaseofthesafflowerseedpop.In1969thefactory

closed,andKippenandhiswifepurchasedthewellthefactoryusedandreroutedthewatertotheir

farm.Theystillusethiswelltoday.22Threechurchesstoodaswellasfourblindpigs,orbars.Legal

itemsweresoldupfrontinablindpig,and,ifonehadtherightconnections,everythingelsewassoldin

theback.23Bornin1928,CharlesKippenwastooyoungtoremembertheendtoprohibition,buthis

fathertoldstoriesofthebootlegginginthetown.Itneverwasaprominentproblem,Kippenrecalled,

butitwasthere.24

WhilethearrivaloftheSootoOmemeewasreceivedwithexcitement,whatthepeopledidnot

knowwhatthiswasthestartofthesadendtothetown.Thereisacombinationoffactorsthataffected

thedecline.First,whileseveralpeoplehadwantedaplacebetweenBottineauandWillowCitythatwas

closerandeasiertoreach,BottineauandWillowCityhadbeenestablishedlongbeforeOmemeewas

incorporated,andanumberofthefarmersandresidentsoftheareahadbecomeaccustomedtodoing

businessineitherofthesetowns.Second,theSooLineandtheGreatNortherndidnotendinOmemee

andBottineau,respectively.TheSoocontinuedeast,andtownssuchasGardena(1908)andKramer

(1908),attractedbusinessanddebunkedOmemeesimportanceasamiddletownbetweenthetwo

giants,BottineauandWillowCity.Also,astheGreatNorthernmovednorthwestofBottineau,it

reachedintoareasthatnootherrailroadhadbeen.Carbury(1901),Souris(1901)andWesthope(1903)

providedbusinesstoBottineauthatOmemeedidnothaveaccesstoandBottineauwasabletogrow,

dominatingthegrainbusinessofthatportionofthecounty.25

HelenKippenspokeaboutthisfactbitterly.Theunfortunateremovalofimportancefor

Omemeehitthetownfast.Businessesbegantoleave.Firsttogowasthenewspaper,followedbythe

22Kippen,interview.23Maynard.24Kippen,interview.25Egge,80.

butchershop,LeinsJewelry,andanimplementdealership.Somewereclosedforgood,othersmoved

tothemorehopefulandboomingtownofBottineau.Thedoctor,bankers,blacksmiths,andhotelsall

closed,andthedepotandchurchesleft.ThepostofficewasclosedonApril21,1967,withmailmoved

toWillowCity,andfinallythepopfactorywastheonlybusinessleft.Thattooclosedin1969.26

Today,thefewremainingfarmersaroundtheghosttownofOmemeearemembersofthe

WillowValeTownshipcommunity,butthereisastirofcontroversy.Inthepasttenyears,plotsofthe

oldtownsitehavebeensoldtobuyersfromallover.CharlestoldofaNewZealandlandownerwho,

whilevisitinghisnewlypurchasedplot,cametoKippenforageneralchatofthearea.Thepiecesofland

aresoldwiththetagofexcellentretirementbuildinglocations.Whilebuyers,ofwhommanybought

thelotswithoutviewingthemfirst,arecomplainingofbeingmisleadabouttheexcellenceofthe

location(someofthepurchaseshaveevenbeenmadeoneBay),itisthelocalsthatfeeltheyarebeing

cheatedoutoftheirhometownandtraditionalfarmland.Mostofthelandbeingboughtwillneverbe

developed,andmanyoftheownersfeelitisaninvestment.27

Charlesspokeaboutthisincidentofpeoplebuyingplotsofhischildhoodtown.Notonlyare

localsoutrightsellingtheplots,butmanyarebeingforeclosedupon,andlocalscannotaffordtokeep

theirownland.InaNoticeofForeclosureofTaxLienreportfromJuly2010,therewasanastonishing

thirtysixlotsinforeclosure,manythatarefromtheoriginallocationofthetown.Ina2005report

aboutthesaleofplots,Charleswasquotedtohavesaidhehadachancetobuytheentiretownforfive

thousanddollars,andregretsthatheneverdid.HedidnotmentionthisintheAugust2010interview,

onlythathenowownedasmallportionofOmemee.28

OmemeeisjustoneofhundredsofghosttownsinNorthDakotaandontheGreatPlainsthat

hadabrightfuturewiththestartoftherailroad,butcouldnotbesustained.Eachtownhadvarying

26Egge,80.;Kippen,interview.;Maynard.;Wick,145.27AssociatedPress,PeoplefromalloverbuyingGhostTownproperty,WCCO,July26,2005,http://wcco.com/local/ghost.town.North.2.348691.html(accessedAugust20th,2010).28AP,GhostTown.;BottineauCountyAuditor,NoticeofForeclosureofTaxLien,MaeStreich,July15th2010.;Kippen,interview.

reasonsforitsdecline;Omemeesbeingtheexpansionoftherailroad.Whateverthecause,itisasad

occasionwhenatownthatwasonceathriving,uniquecommunityhastoclose.Today,allthatisleftin

Omemeeisremnantsoftheoriginalroads(figure16),theservicestation,afractionofthetwelvemiles

worthofsidewalks(figure17),theschoolsuperintendentshome(figure18),apumphouse(figure19),

andamysteriousbrickfoundation(figure20).Thestreetsarecoveredingrass,thesidewalksarenearly

crackedbeyondrecognition,andthesuperintendentshomehasbeenpartiallytorndownandforgotten

about.Oddly,thisisafulfilledpropheticscene.Stoppingtolookacrosstheroadtowherehisaunts

hotelhadoncebeen,Charlesstated,Mydadsaidaguyhadadreamhetold[mydad]abouthe

dreamtthatthegrasswouldbegrowingonthestreetsofOmemee.Charlesfollowedmyfatherand

meintoourpickup,andwedroveoutoftownonthegrasscoveredstreets.

Figure1BottineauCounty.ImagefromMilbankAtlasCompany,Milbank,SD.1998.

Figure2WillowValeTownship.Outlinedinyellow,Omemeeiscircledinorange.MilbankAtlasCompany,Milbank,SD.1998.

Figure3WillowValeTownship,1929.Omemeeisblockedoutingreen,TheGreatNorthernishighlightedinyellow,andtheSooLineishighlightedinred.MilbankAtlasCompany,Milbank,

SD.1998.

Figure4Gradeschoollocationnearfencepoleandtree.TheSooLineisdirectlynorth.

Figure5SchoolSuperintendentssHouseonleft.Highschoollocationonrightbytrees.

Figure6Locationofhighschool.Usedasgarbagepit.

Figure7TheGreatNorthernRailroad,facingnorth,whichstilloperates.ThelocationoftheSoolinecanbeseeninthecentertotheleftasarockpath.Omemeeistothenorthwest.

Figure8ThetornremainsoftheSooLine,facingwest.Abridgestillstandsbythefirstareaoftress.Omemeeistothenorth.

Figure9ThelocationwheretheSooandGreatNorthernoncecrossed.Facingeast,Omemeeistothenorth.

Figure10Thecrossrails,discardedafterthedeconstructionoftheSooline,andleftonthesidetorust.

Figure11StandingontheSooLine,facingnortheasttoviewtheGreatNorthern.Thedepotstoodinthisarea,inbetweentherailways.Omemeeistothenorth.

Figure12OmemeeCemetery.LocatedaboutonemileeastofOmemeeon89thSt.NE.

Figure13CurrentGreatNorthernbridge.Standingon89thSt.NElookingsouth.Omemeeistothenorthwest.

Figure14Servicestationlocatedintown.Facingnorth.

Figure15Acrosstheroadfromservicestation.Facingsouth.

Figure16Lookingnorthintotown.Prairietrailwasonceamainroad.Buildinginthebackgroundistheservicestation.

Figure17Portionofasidewalkfacingnorth,runningalongtheroadinFigure16.

Figure18SuperintendentsHome,locatedoneastsideofGreatNortherntracks.

Figure19Pumphouse,southoftheoldhighschoollocation.GreatNortherntracksarebehindit.

Figure20Foundationlocatedoverthehilltotheeastfromthepumphouse.Peakofthepumphousecanbeseenjustoverthehill.

BirdseyeviewofOmemee.TherailroadistheGreatNorthern.Lookingnorthwest.Dateofphotographunknown.FromHistoricalHighlightsofBottineauCounty,pg.80.

MapofOmemeefromGoogleMaps.ThestreetsofOmemeearecircledinorange,withanarrowpointingnorthalongtheGreatNortherntowardsBottineau.GoogleMaps,2010.Imageaccessed

August20th,2010.

Map,viaGoogleMaps,withkeyfeaturespointedout.

1.Postedland2.Wheatfield

3.Servicestation.4.OldHighSchoolLocation.5.SuperintendentsHome.

6.Presentdaysilos.7.Sidewalk.

8.OldGradeSchoolLocation9.GreatNorthernBridge10.RailroadCrossRails11.SooLineBridge

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