Calvin, ND
Calvin is a near-ghost town in Cavalier county, not far from the Canadian border. It was founded in 1902 as a stop on the Great Northern Railroad, and swelled to 350 residents at its peak. Today, Calvin is home to about 20 residents.
I found these photos on a disc Terry gave me back in 2006, but I was unsure where they were taken. Based on the photos of the Corinthian Lodge and time stamp on the photos, I came to the conclusion that these photos were taken in Calvin. If anyone spots a misplaced photo, please contact us.
The entire top floor of this lodge has collapsed in the years since these photos were taken.
Photos by Terry ‘Rat’ Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
Lived in calvin from 1972 to 1991 i know most of those pics you took brings back memories
I know every one of those pix!! I lived in two of those houses and lived next door to two of them!! We were just there on Saturday for Wynn Gebur’s burial….it’s definitely starting to resemble a ghost town….and it was already pretty puny when I left there 30+ years ago!
The lodge is beautiful as is the white house with the leaded bay windows. Oh, to live in this place. Would be good to see what it looks like now. Thanks for keeping these posts coming.
Yes, it’s Calvin. I was just there last week. (Spet 2012) Grew up there from late 1940′s until I graduated from high school and went off to college in 1966. It was a wonderful place to live. Still have family there. Still consider all the folks I knew back then as friends. The Presbyterian church is nicely painted, and the grain elevators are new since I left. The Post Office is gone, and has been replaced by a row of large mailboxes. The train still comes and hauls 55-60 grain cars to the grain elevators to load up the bountiful harvest of 2012, which was a BUMPER CROP with prices very nicely high —-for a change! The farm machinery that you see harvesting the crops this year look well maintained and are HUGE in comparison to what they were in the late 1960′s when I left. There are a few nice homes in the city limits. The masonic temple has changed somewhat since the photo was taken. Some of the side streets in town are less traveled now and the weeds have grown up in the middle of the roads. It looks strange. All the daily driving on them years ago kept the roads so packed, that weeds could’nt have taken root. Now….time has passed, and they look more like prairie roads.
As a young child my Aunt and Uncle took me to the Presbyterian Church a few times in summer. I have good memories of that church. My mother was Lenna Belle Henderson Keeling–I wonder if we share some long ago genes? Her father was James Henderson.
We DO INDEED, Aline! My grandfather was George Henderson, Jr., who was the elder brother to James. George didn’t marry until he was in his mid 40′s. He married a gal
in her early 20′s from Prince Edward Island, Canada, a lovely lady by the name of
Lenna Jane MacArthur. They had Everett, Keith, Burton, Geraldine and David Henderson. I’m a daughter of David’s. James Henderson married Christine mcMillan and had 8 children: Mae Lillian, Leslie, Harvey, Lloyd, Lucille, Lenna Belle, and Elmira. James married the 2nd time to Jennie Scott and had 1 son, Walter James Henderson. So, your Mom, Lenna Belle married Allen Howard Keeling and they had Wayne, Aline, (you) Joyce, Allen, Charles, Annabelle, Howard and Kathryn. You’re married to Hilary Francis Krala. You were born in Sanford, just 2 hrs. south of me, (Jacksonville). Do you still live in Chicago? I only have info on you up to 1975. So, your GREAT GRANDFATHER and my GREAT GRANDFATHER was George Henderson, Sr 1831-1894. My grandfather, George Henderson and your grandfather, James Henderson were brothers. My Father, David Henderson and your Mom, Lenna Belle Henderson Keeling were first cousins, so you and I are Second Cousins, Aline.
Ah yes, I have been there before, I remember that Lodge well, just didn’t take any photos (about 2004). It is quite an amazing building. It’s too bad it is where it is, not much happening in that part of the state these days. That white house is something special as well.
Since these photos are from 6 years ago – anyone know if the Lodge is still in this good of shape?
Mariah said on the Facebook page yesterday that the second story of the lodge has collapsed. She has some pictures.
No the entire roof as collapsed into the building.
I was in Calvin the past few days. The rear of the temple has caved in. On friday I looked in the window on the east back side of it and there are coffee cups and a large coffee urn just sitting there waiting for someone to make coffee.
I notice that some lawns are still well kept in several of the pictures. I wonder if there are contents in the cornerstone of the lodge?
Calvin was my mother’s home town and although I was there as a child, I don’t recognize any of the pictures. I can’t wait to show this to my mother who will be 90 in November. She is the daughter of Richard and Matie Buckingham
Corinthian Lodge??? Never heard of that kind of lodge.
The masons met there, my father was a past master of the lodge. He says this was the second lodge on the site as the original had burned in about 1910, this one was built in around 1912.
There is actually only 11 people in Calvin and 2 of them only live here in the summer. Sheila B
I lived in Calvin only breifly in 70-71, but i still remember it the way it was.
Judy Gage’s Cafe, Mel Trudel’s Standard station, the bowling ally was still open for a time.
the post office and my step-father (which I know not to many cared for) had the Bar and the groc. store for a while. I walked by the Temple every day on my way to school and it was still used some in those days. it sad to see this wonderful place just about in ruins !
i knew Mel from tanrd oiol days also a fellow by the name of Plumber from Sarles i sold him clothes when i workd at Sharks in Devils Lake seem to me he had some connection with alvin
I knew Mel from Standard Oil days . Also knew a man from Sarles by the name of Plummer
who I believe was in the same business as Mel and I . I sold him clothes when i worked at Sarks clothing in Devils Lake .