Bathgate, ND
Pembina County
Inhabited as of 7/06
Bathgate, ND is in Pembina County, about 15 miles south of the Canadian border. It was founded in 1879 as Bayview, but was re-named for the Scottish city of the same name when the Post Office was established in 1881.
US Census Data for Bathgate
Total Population by Place
1890 – 377
1900 – 641
1910 – 328
1920 – 352
1930 – 292
1940 – 312
1950 – 209
1960 – 175
1970 – 133
1980 – 67
2000 – 66
2010 – 43
Note the population spike in 1900. Other sources list Bathgate’s peak population as just under 900 in the 1890′s.
The most impressive building in Bathgate is the former North Dakota School for the Blind which was founded in 1908 and continued to operate until 1960.
We had the pleasure of speaking at length with one of the residents who was quite forthcoming with the history of Bathgate, and the locations of its now lost structures. He also expressed his dismay at how quickly Bathgate’s current property owners demolish the buildings in town once they’ve been vacant for any length of time. Sad that more don’t recognize the value and heritage of the structures that remain standing.
We’re told the original townsite extended out to about 13th or 14th street.
CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
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- The former Masonic Lodge
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- This is a building from somewhere else that was dumped in Bathgate.
The turquoise house was my grandparent’s house. I was born there in 1942.
The house after the bridge was owned by Ole Olson. He also ran a repair business in the building with his name on the front.
ole olson and nettie olson is my great grandparents. this is amazing seeing their house and shop on some of these sites. i miss visiting bathgate. havent made it that way in years.
Hey do you have any more information on Bathgate since im looking for information for a North Dakota Studies class
In the 1960′s and 1970′s, I used to go once a month to the former school for the blind, now a nursing home, and play piano or organ for hymns on Sunday afternoons for the residents, when my church would hold Sunday services there. I remember it as an amazing building with gorgeous wood plank floors, stone stairways with wood and cast iron banisters, and tall ceilings. I still hope it’s beautiful…but I wonder what is happening to it now….
My grandmother stayed in that nursing home back in the early 70′s it was gorgous
my great grandmother florence gelder was also a resident before the home closed.
I attended the School for the Blin at Bathgate from 1953 to closing in 1961. Then I came back to manage the rest home 1993 to mid 1996. Still a wonderful place. I and my family truly loved the town and rest home and the friedly people there.
I’m enjoying your Bathgate photos. I was born on a farm one and a half miles west of Bathgate 75 years ago this month. They told me it was during a March blizzard and the doctor from town couldn’t get there for two days. My grandparents family on my mother’s side had a house just to the left of the iron fence and gatepost shown in the school for the blind picture. I believe that house was later moved to Cavalier to somewhere near the court house. My dad’s family had a farm on the river just east of town on the road past the town dump.
Growing up I can remember helping dad plant trees around the farmstead (trees are still there). The huge piles of everything iron and other metals along the railroad tracks for the war effort. The Hillis & Manning ?? store fire with ash covered snow on the school playground. The Masonic Lodge was later built on that site. The post office just before the red bridge you have pictured. Across from that the hall and small city library. Ole Olson’s and Blahs? (Blase)?(sp) garages, bank, bars, churches, etc.
I still have one item from those days at Bathgate. In the early 40′s my dad took me to an auction at old Otto Vollrath’s (sp) farm. The lot that I was able to buy for 50 cents included a heavy oak swivel desk chair, oak desk and the crudely mounted horns of what was reported to be the last wild buffalo in Pembina county. It was shot by Otto where it roamed along the Tongue River just west of Bathgate. Someone bought the chair for 50 cents from me after the sale, so I got the desk and horns free.
I hope to visit Bathgate again this summer.
My father-in law owned a bar in bathgate according to my wife who was born in 1934. Does this ring a bell. His name was Halverson.
The Bethlehem Community live there.
I hope to visit Bathgate this fall when I come back to ND for my 50th high school class reunion at West Fargo. My mother, Loreen Johnston, was born in Bathgate in 1921. At that time my grandparents ran a hotel in town. They had moved from Drayton to Bathgate in 1921 staying until 1923 when they bought a farm near Roseau MN.
Hey im doing a project for a North Dakota studies class and was wondering if you had anymore information
bridge is now closed by the wallace saiger farm
too many big farmers and big trucks, run it to the ground.
and masons lodge no longer the masons.
I live in California My grand parents moved to Bathgate, Aunts and Uncles were raised there. Taught School My Grand Mother worked at the blind school she use to do the ironing I think Her name was Katherine hollinger she was married to charles hollinger. My anutns and uncles had farms. My grand father was a dyrman and he delivered the town goods from the train. I remember the church Cathloic and my grand parents farm and then my grand mother moved her hole house to the towm across the bridge when I was small. I want to bring my children there but I guess there is nothing left. My Uncle Leo ettten is buried in the cemetary by the river.
Hi, Kathie Hollinger,
I was a student at the old Blind School at Bathgate. I also ran it for while in the 1990′s as the administrator of the rest home. Wonderful place; wonderful people; and wonderful memories. I vaguely remember Mrs. Hollinger as a laundry worker and helper along with Vera in the kitchen.
The buildings are currently occupied by BethlehemBooks.com and still used.
I’d like to share more.
Jim Klein
701-845-4349
kleins@csicable.net
Come on a Sunday morning, and join a vibrant worshipping community at Bathgate Presbyterian Church, still going strong in 2013, its 130th year of honoring God!
My grandfather and great grandfather, as far as I know, lived and farmed there. My great gandfather, Frank Robert Austin, married a Houston, who I believe, have turned their house into a Museum in bathgate. They were scottish I think, Anybody know any information that goes with what little I know??
Information is inaccurate, that house is not a museum.
Interesting to find a town with my name on it.
I am from Alberta Canada but will be working in se Saskatchewan and plan to visit the old townsite in late february.
My father-in-law had a bar in Bathgate late thirties or early fourtys. Name was Noble Halverson Does anybody remember this name. My wife was around six years old at the time.
Bathgate was fun to live there miss the old town we moved all over ND. We waled through the home it still had a lot of papperwork in there in the late 90s eraly 2000.
Thanks for posting this. I bought a really old real photo postcard (off Ebay) of the school about 2 years ago, it’s nice to read some personal stories about it.
My mother was born in Bathgate in 1921. Her name was Lorraine Louden. I once asked her what she thought of Bathgate when she was growing up there. She said, “I thought it was heaven.”
My parents who are now decessed used to go to dances at Bathgate in the early 1950′s. They spoke of the area fondly until they passed.
I lived in Bathgate for a few years when I was in elementary school, approx 1989-1993. We lived in the house next to Margaret McColl and across from the Houston family. The house’s parlor had pocket doors and a beautiful stained glass window. My mother worked at the Pioneer Rest Home.
My great grandparents moved to Neche around 1900 and then to Bathgate where they lived until their deaths. Would love to connect with anyone that has information on the town, my family, old newspapers, photos and especially the schools from 1910-1935. Not only did August and Justine’s children attend school in Bathgate but their daughter (my grandmother) Mathilda and Emmett Fox married and raised children on Bathgate farm (Beatrice, Francis, Robert, Marjorie went to school in Bathgate) until they moved in the 1930′s to Minneapolis. Helena “Lena” and Eva were school teachers in Bathgate on the 1930 census.
Here is their names
August Eisbrener (1865-1941) laborer, farmer, railroader, town marshall
wife Justine (1871-1933)
their children
Julius (1895-1982)
Emma E. Christianson (1901-)
Mathilda “Tillie” E. Fox (1902-1947
Eva Eisbrener (1904-1973)
Helen “Lena” E. Swenning (1907-1998)
Albert (1915-1915)
We live in California so appreciate any information you can share – Helen
Eisbrener@outlook dot com
This is a very nice site.
My Greatgrand Parents ;Daniel and Margaret McIntosh moved from Glengarry Ontario Canada
to North Dakota;they were Married in 1882 in North Dakota;.they had lived a couple different towns
one being Hamilton and by 1915 or so moved to Bathgate.
they lived the rest of thier day;s in bathgate.Daniel died in 1941 and wife Margaet (bethune) Mcintsoh
died in 1945. they had children named Mrs.Annie Thomas; Hattie became Harriet Carlson; Sara clark;
Flora; Alma; Vera; son Dougald.
does anyone know of this Family ;would really like to know if any pictures of them.
hi i live in Bathgate in Scotland was wondering if there is ant connection
thanks Marion
I grew up in Bathgate across from the “city” park. I love hearing these old stories about Bathgate and the people that grew up there. Keep them coming!
I am doing geneologic research on my maternal grandmother side. Her last name was Demars with all the different spellings. Is there any person I can call in Bathgate to get information from.
I lived near Bathgate with my parents and brothers for many years. My Grandmother, Angeline Lindsay, stayed in the nursing home, actually called the rest home, for several years.
I was reading notes from you and saw my Aunts name, Angeline was my Dad;’s sister. I graduated from
Bathgate High School in North Dakota I now live in Wichita, Kansas. Love to hear from you.
Hi Evelyn! You said you are an aunt. I am from the Lindsay family. My husband has relatives in Pratt, Kansas and we have been down there a couple of times.
I now live in Montana and my daughter and I are trying to go through genealogy. I sure don’t have much for Angeline’s side.