Milnor History

Milnor Officially Named in 1883
City records show that the name honored William Edward Milnor, the first telegrapher at the Milnor Station, and WM Milnor Roberts, a famous civil engineer of the day. 

Written History on the City of Milnor
During the summer of 1863, Sibley's army camped on the shores of Storm Lake (Camp Buel), little knowing that twenty years later the town of Milnor would be settled there.

The Northern Pacific Railroad was the first to enter Sargent County, being built from Wahpeton to Linton, a point about three miles east of where the City of Milnor is now located.  When platting of the railroad could not be negotiated with a Linton settler, Northern Pacific officials sent their surveyor to plat a townsite near the center of Section 9, Township 132, Range 54, in what is now Milnor Township.  The railroad was extended to that location and the buildings at Linton were transported on wagons to the end of the line in August 1883.  The town thus located, and the township in which it was located, were named Milnor.

The office of the Northern Pacific and the North Dakota Historical Society were not clear as for whom the City of Milnor was named.  City records show that the name honored William Edward Milnor, the first telegrapher at the Milnor Station, and W M Milnor Roberts, a famous civil engineer of the day. 

On January 1884, the Sargent County Teller reported Milnor now had between 300 - 400 inhabitants and a variety of different businesses along it's main street.  Milnor became a town officially on July 8, 1884.  The first election for town officers was held on July 21, 1884.

In 1914, Milnor became a city with L W. Intlehouse as the first Mayor and on June, a 75 foot flagpole was erected on what is now Main and 5th Avenue.  Everyone who grew up in Milnor remembers the flagpole.  In November of 1929, talkies were installed in the Iris Theater.  Many people from the Milnor area remember the "Galloping Goose" passenger train that served Milnor for many years.

Camp Buel, Sibley Historical Marker, located on Highway 13 near Milnor is one of the historical spots of Sargent County. 

 

City Charter - Articles of Incorporation for the City of Milnor, ND

In the matter of organizing the incorporated Town of Milnor as a City under the General Law of the State of North Dakota.

Proceedings of March 24th, 1914
A petition having been filed to submit the question of whether or not the incorporated Town of Milnor, Sergeant County, North Dakota, shall be incorporated as a City under the General Law.  Now therefore, Harley Christopherson, made the motion that the President of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Milnor be instructed to call an election according to law and conformity with said petition, which motion carried unanimously.  

Motion made and seconded that Phil Dietzler, Anton Berger and A. Summerfield act as judges and E. H. Intlehouse and Anton Nelson act as clerks of the election aforesaid, with carried unanimously.  
Motion and seconded that the elction as called for in the petition on file and in conformity with motion herein shall be held Tuesday, the 21st day of April, 1914 in the fire hall in the Town of Milnor, Sergeant County, North Dakota which carried unanimously.

Proceedings of April 21st, 1914
We, Lavus W. Intlehouse, Harley A. Christopherson and Chas A. Hanson, Trustees of the Town of Milnor and incorporated authorities therein, hereby certify that the 21st day of April 1914 the Judges by us appointed to act as such judges as the election held on said date to submit the question of where or not the incorporated Town of Milnor shall be and become incorporated as a city under the General Law of the State of North Dakota, being Chapter 30 of the Revised Code of 1905.

We further certify that said election was called by us in conformity with the petition on file and that notice thereof was given according to the Statue in such case made and provided, that such judges made their return of said election to us, the trustees of said town of Milnor of their count of votes case for and against said question, and in their returns said judges above named and appointed, filed their returns of such votes to us which returns and report show that there were 40 votes case against organization of the town of Milnor as a City and 44 votes were cast in favor or organization of the town of Milnor under the General Law and that such returns were presented to us on the 21st Day of April 1914 after the said votes had been counted by said judges, and that we thereafter, and on said date, proceeded to canvas the ballots and votes of said election, and in so canvassing we find that the returns of said judges is in every way correct, and that such canvas of the ballots and votes cast at such election, we Certify that 40 votes were case against Organization of the town of Milnor as a City under the General Law and 44 votes were cast in favor of organization of the town of Milnor as carried, and that said incorporate Town of Milnor is declared to be a City under the General Law, being Chapter 30 of the Revised Code of North Dakota of 1905 and acts amendatory thereof.  

Signed by the board of Trustees of the Town of Milnor, Sergeant County, North Dakota and attested by the Clerk of said Town this 21st day of April 1914.

Attest:
Otto Miller, Clerk
Lavus W. Intlehouse, President
Chas A. Hanson
Harley Christopherson

We, the undersigned, Lavus W. Intlehouse, Chas A. Hanson, Harley Christopherson, Board of Trustees of the town of Milnor, and Otto Miller, Clerk of said Town, hereby certify that the forgoing matter as it appears on the books in the clerks office and that it is a true and correct copy of all proceedings of the board of trustees of the said town of Milnor relative to the questions set forth in the caption hereof as appears on the records of said Clerk.   

 

Census of Milnor:

• 1920 = 680
• 1950 = 645
• 1980 = 716
• 1990 = 650
• 2000 = 711
• 2010 = 653
• 2020 = 624