Trotters, ND
Golden Valley County
Vacant as of 7/10
In terms of driving distance from any other town in North Dakota, Trotters may be the most remote townsite in the state. It is a true ghost town, with just a church and former gas station remaining. On an assignment from GhostsOfNorthDakota.com, Monica Hardy made the drive out to the edge of the Little Missouri National Grassland and captured these photos.
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I have photos of the inside of that church from a couple years ago, if interested in seeing them email me.
I do Genealogy and just found one of the “kin” buried in Trotter..??? is there a cemetery? how many years since anyone has lived there.? She died in 1919…
Thanks…was glad to see your note..
Jean Hanson
hanson.jean@gmail.com
my relatives used to live just outside there, in 1968 as a family we visited them
we mowed and spruced up the church yard whilw there, the gas station used to be
an all in one, gas, post office, general store, at that time only one old guy lived
right there, i went thru there by myself in 1976 and it was still pretty much the same then to!!
I lived in Trotters in 77 to 79 I have some kin burried from 1899 to 1919 no head stones I miss the gas station we lived just south of there. Does anyone know of the old cemetery there. Its not close to the church and has indians buried there I was told!!!
I had heard that there were a lot of Idiana graves close to the town. Trotters was another great twon that is no more I remember getting gas at the station in the picture
I had stopped in Trotters for gas when passing through there I miss the town and the people who owned the gas station.
I have a girlfriend who was married at this church in the early 90′s. It was in the middle of nowhere but still kept up for being so far out. Sad to see it now…
i was born in trooters in 1935 i still may have some relatives in the area,the last time i was there was 1966/67 my grandfather homesteaded there and had the store,postoffice/gas station.and belive the chruch pastor.my mother left trottters around 1937.
Hey, I live in Trotters community and it is wonderful up here. We have many great neighbors and get to gethers during branding and shipping of calves. We are not too vacant. We would also love to get the store up and running again, but the family that owns does not want to sell or lease it out. Too bad it is in a great location with the oil boom now.
Who owns the Church? Do they ever have services there anymore? We lived not too far from there for the summer and my husband used to hunt there years ago…fond memories. If you know how we could find out more about the church please respond. Melissa Zeis, mzeis@cableone.net
your family was’nt the Spears by chance?? had a ranch just northwest of town about 10-15 miles
raised cattle, then horses?
My husband used to hunt around Trotters in the ’70s. He camped next to the gas station and remembered the church. I am temporarily working near New Town and staying in Watford City. He came out with me and decided to take a “road trip” down to see the area. He has many fond memories. Is there somewhere that a person can find out more of the history of the church and postoffice/general store?
My dad’s story telling me of their family going out to visit family friends in trotters brought me here today. He said they went in the mid 60s, and they went into the post office/store and asked “where can we find so and so” and the man behind the counter said, “well, why dont you turn around and ask him yourself, hes leaning against that wall right there” Talk about the definition of small town! I showed him these pictures without saying where they were and he instantly recognized the place!
I have fond memories of Trotters. We used to go hunting that area in the 80s and early 90s, and would often stay at Trotters. Leonard, the kind old man who ran the post office/ gas station/ store, would let us camp there and use the electricity and water. I haven’t been back in many years. Sadly, I’m sure Leonard is gone and the town has faded. Good memories there though.
I too have great memories of hunting around trotters in the 80s and 90s. We camped by the store quite a few times. Leanord Hall, who was the postmaster and ran the store, was a great guy. Always had a story to tell. His family had a ranch just east of Trotters. I think it ended up being the southern cross ranch and was sold for big money a few years back? If my memory is correct I think they moved the church from the east to the west side of the highway when the highway was rebuilt sometime in the late 80s? We still drive through Trotters every time we hunt the Badlands. Many memories and awesome scenery.