Hanks, ND
Williams County
Inhabited as of 7/10
Thank you to John Piepkorn for contributing these photos of Hanks. John’s comments: I stopped in Hanks, North Dakota and took some pictures of the remaining structures. I also talked to the one remaining resident for about 15 minutes, she said she had heard of Ghosts of North Dakota, and I asked if I could take a few pictures of the town.
I took some of an abandoned house at the top of the hill, some of the cemetery which is north of town on a gravel road about 1/4 mile, some pics of what the lady described as the old bank, although it had a gas pump outside of it and the interior looked like someone had used it as a house, and one other old house. The old school is used as a museum now which is open only on sunday afternoons.
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE
Copyright Sonic Tremor Media
Very evocative … that shot of the entire spread is haunting …
All the galleries are good but you simply cannot beat western ND and the beauty of the land.
This is so sad…i mean i drove by Hanks a billion times as i grew up in Grenora, but never remember even going INTO Hanks or Zahl. Thanks for the pictures.
I remember Hanks, in Junior High, we use to go there from Grenora and watch the dances they had there. Some were pretty exciting. Fun times. What a neat area. A lot of good memories.
new to nd….(4yrs)one of the most beautiful places i’ve ever seen
I drove through Hanks to get to get home every day growing up. My X sister in law, Deb Quarne and 65 horses are all that remain now.
I talked to Deb when I was there, it was interesting to hear about things from someone who is the only resident of the town.
That would be my Grandma’s house that is left in Hanks! Spent lots of my childhood at that house and exploring the old abandon buildings, sometimes with Debbie
It’s amazing to think that at one time, to someone, this was “home”…
That’s our family farm. So many good memories at that place. Interesting to see, but sad in many ways as that chapter of my life is closed. I live a thousand miles away and think about the farm daily. Hanks North Dakota was at one time known as Mesa, North Dakota. Just a bit of information for you.
Which one was your farm Chris, the one with the corral and the international truck or the really old one up on the hill. When did you live there and when did you leave and all that stuff?
I grew up in the area and remember the parades they used to have there. My mother, my siblings and I used to pick juneberries just up the hill from Hanks. We even sledded down a couple of the hills in the wintertime, good fun!
Wow, just about everyone who ever lived in Hanks must has written something here. I read about Hanks in National Geographic Magazine not too long ago. I can’t imagine how Deb handles the loneliness. I’d go insane. Remember the movie, “The shinning”? I plan on going to see Hanks on my cross country motorcycle trip. I hope I’m lucky enough to meet Deb. One can always learn something from someone with such a strong fortitude. I’ll have to think of something nice she would like as a gift. We’re the same age so it shouldn’t be too difficult to think of something, Oh, you lucky people who got to grow up where the air is clean, the sky is full of stars and you don’t have to sit in traffic hour after hour. Although, you can keep the cold weather.
Buy American. Buy a Harley Davidson.
I grew up on a farm just a few miles north, and went to Hanks grade school for 6th though 8th grade. Fond memories include going to Hanks to play Halloween tricks, playing on the Hanks Grade school basketball team – where I was the tallest kid – but my basketball career ended in Hanks since I didn’t grow any more, whereas other boys kept growing in height in high school. But while it lasted, it was great fun traveling around to neighboring towns for basketball games and tournaments. Also fond memories of the Grade School carnivals and donkey basketball games held in the Hanks school gym. Finally, the joy of picking june berries in the ravines to the north and west of Hanks.
I love that fireplace! Looks like it held up pretty well!
My grandmother used to help a farmer named Knute Knudson near Hanks I was there in the 50′s and 60′s off and on. They had a house in Williston and the farm near Hanks. My two brothers and I went into the stores of the abandoned buildings and collected neon signs and stuff…which are all gone now from an abandoned storage shed my mom left behind. Sad to see the few buildings left there. The big train museum in Sacramento, CA has a mail car in it…about 20 years ago I was very surprised to see that in the mail car was a slot for Grenora..I think there was one for Hanks too…small world!
My mother, Ruth grew up in Hanks and her Dad ran the hardware store with gas pump. I admire their strength through the depression and weather. Thanks so much for sharing!
My grandmother Olive Greve grew up on a farm southwest of Hanks. She was born in 1920, and her dad’s name was John Fremsted. Apparently there are photos of him in the museum. I have not made it there, yet. I have relatives in the Grenora and Williston areas. As a kid (in the late 70′s and early 80′s) we went to family reunions at the farm of Laurel and Ivan Olson. Laurel is my grandma Olive’s sister.
Back around 1999, we had a 90th birthday party for Ivan and a small family reunion. I was lucky enough to get a ride around the countryside with my grandma and her sister, and they showed us their old home site (just a field now) and the old school house they attended. It is still standing, and is in use as grain storage. It was great to hear their stories of travel and travail from life in the northern plains.
I live in Idaho now, but I grew up in Minnesota. Grandma Olive is still alive and well, aged 92, and lives in Luverne, MN.
This site is really amazing. It was recently shown to me by a friend from MN. I can’t stop reading and looking, and I have been up too late for several nights in a row. I travel through North Dakota with some regularity, and have been through several of the towns listed. I just made a trip across highways 12 and 2 back in September. Wish I had seen this site before, I would have had a little more insight into some of the history of the wonderful small towns along the way. I’ll pay closer attention next time.
Thanks for creating and building upon this site. It is truly fantastic.
My wife grew up on a farm just a few miles south of hanks. Her dad attended school there for a few years and her grandmother ran a store there. Its a beautiful spot in the state. I got a kick out of the old coal mine entrances you can see from the highway.
My great uncle ran the elevator in Hanks during the 60′s. His name was Ed Bertsch. He recently passed away in Brooten, MN after living there for 30+ years and running that elevator.