Sims | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 46°46′20″N 101°29′55″W / 46.77222°N 101.49861°W | |
Country | United States |
State | North Dakota |
County | Morton |
Elevation | 1,952 ft (595 m) |
Time zone | UTC-6 ( Central (CST)) |
• Summer ( DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Area code | 701 |
GNIS feature ID | 1033798 [1] |
Sims is a ghost town in Morton County, North Dakota, United States. The town was founded in 1883, [2] and Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was constructed the following year. [3] Today, the church has been restored and still worships every other Sunday. [3] The church parsonage has also been restored and is home to the Sims Historical Society Museum. [4]
During her trip to North Dakota in October 2008, First Lady Laura Bush visited Sims and toured its church. [5]
Sims was founded in 1883 as a coal town. [6] Coal mining and the town's brickyard helped Sims grow to a population of more than 1,000 people. [3] However, the 1910 Census recorded a population of just 86 people. [7] The population fluctuated over the years, with an estimated 98 people in 1940. [2]
The post office was founded in 1883 and closed in 1947, with mail routed through Almont, North Dakota, to the south. [8]
Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was built in 1884 as a combination church and residence. A new church was built in 1896 next to the parsonage. [4] The church is reportedly North Dakota's oldest Lutheran church west of the Missouri River. The congregation still has roughly 50 members, even though they do not live in Sims. [9] Locals report, however, that the town does have one remaining resident: a former pastor's wife who died between 1916 and 1918. Dubbed the "Gray Lady Ghost," her spirit is reported to haunt the old parsonage, wandering the rooms and playing the organ. [3] [9]
The last residence in Sims, a mobile home in the center of town, was occupied in 2005, but looked vacant by 2010, and was removed by 2012. [10]
Sims | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 46°46′20″N 101°29′55″W / 46.77222°N 101.49861°W | |
Country | United States |
State | North Dakota |
County | Morton |
Elevation | 1,952 ft (595 m) |
Time zone | UTC-6 ( Central (CST)) |
• Summer ( DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Area code | 701 |
GNIS feature ID | 1033798 [1] |
Sims is a ghost town in Morton County, North Dakota, United States. The town was founded in 1883, [2] and Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was constructed the following year. [3] Today, the church has been restored and still worships every other Sunday. [3] The church parsonage has also been restored and is home to the Sims Historical Society Museum. [4]
During her trip to North Dakota in October 2008, First Lady Laura Bush visited Sims and toured its church. [5]
Sims was founded in 1883 as a coal town. [6] Coal mining and the town's brickyard helped Sims grow to a population of more than 1,000 people. [3] However, the 1910 Census recorded a population of just 86 people. [7] The population fluctuated over the years, with an estimated 98 people in 1940. [2]
The post office was founded in 1883 and closed in 1947, with mail routed through Almont, North Dakota, to the south. [8]
Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was built in 1884 as a combination church and residence. A new church was built in 1896 next to the parsonage. [4] The church is reportedly North Dakota's oldest Lutheran church west of the Missouri River. The congregation still has roughly 50 members, even though they do not live in Sims. [9] Locals report, however, that the town does have one remaining resident: a former pastor's wife who died between 1916 and 1918. Dubbed the "Gray Lady Ghost," her spirit is reported to haunt the old parsonage, wandering the rooms and playing the organ. [3] [9]
The last residence in Sims, a mobile home in the center of town, was occupied in 2005, but looked vacant by 2010, and was removed by 2012. [10]