Information created by the Kittson County Historical
Society, Lake Bronson
By Cindy Adams
Date Organized: February 25, 1879. Part of the Pembina
District until organization. The county also included the western
portion of what is now Roseau County until 1894.
County Seat: The county seat is Hallock. The first county
commissioners, who were appointed by Governor Pillsbury, designated
Hallock as the temporary county seat. However, in 1891, a group of
citizens from St. Vincent, circulated a petition to move the county
seat to St. Vincent, with a promise to build an $8,000 courthouse.
The petition was dismissed by the county commissioners because of
the "unauthorization of the circulation of the petition" and that
they had no jurisdiction for this matter. A courthouse was built in
Hallock in 1896. The present courthouse was built in 1964.
Origin of the County Name: The county is named after
Norman W. Kittson, an early fur trader & partner of the American Fur
Company. He increased the fur trading traffic significantly by
increasing the use of oxcarts. He was also responsible for the
pioneering of the steamboat in the Red River and was active with
James J. Hill in the development of the railroad. His contributions
played an important role in the settlement of the county.
Prehistory: Kittson County was once part of glacial Lake
Agassiz. Evidence of this prehistoric lake can still be seen in the
topography of the county today. Remnants of "McCauleyville Beach" of
Lake Agassiz, can be found on the eastern portion of the county.
This is an area of sandy soil and sand ridges. Other evidence of the
glacier and Lake Agassiz is the approximately 140' drop in elevation
from the eastern portion of the county to the western part, near the
Red River. This is where one can find the black, rich soil that the
Red River Valley is famous for. Evidence of occupation dating back
1800 years has been confirmed through archaeological expeditions
done in the 1930's and the 1970's around the burial mounds that are
located on the sand ridges in the eastern part of the county. This
dates back to the "Woodland Period". Evidence has been found that
the Laurel, Arvilla, St. Croix & Blackduck complexes were the early
occupants of the county. However, approximately 400 years ago, the
Cree, Assiniboin, Sioux and Ojibway inhabited the county.
Early Exploration: The early explorers of the region were
the fur traders. Pembina, North Dakota's oldest settlement, which
was located just across the Red River, dates its beginning to 1797
when the first trading post was established by Charles Baptiste
Chaboillez of the Northwest Fur Company. The Hudson Bay and the
American Fur Companies were also situated in Pembina as the fur
trading industry increased. The fur traders and voyageurs traveled
on the eastern side of the Red, which eventually would be Kittson
County. Alexander Henry, who erected a fort for the Northwest
Company in Pembina, is considered to be the first white man to test
agriculture in the valley. Joe Rolette, who started a fur post for
the American Fur Company in Pembina, and Norman W. Kittson, were two
"explorers" that predominately opened this area by developing the
Red River Ox Cart trails and broadening the use of the ox carts. The
need for the ox carts diminished as the steamboats became the new
mode for transporting furs and supplies, Eventually, the steamboats
were replaced by the railroad.