From Lawrenceville to North Dakota

Our local researchers like to say that if you look hard enough you will find Lawrence County people playing a role in every part of American history. Here is just one example.

Railroads played a pivotal role in shaping settlement across North Dakota, and their land‑selling campaigns were as influential as the tracks themselves. After receiving vast land grants from the federal government, railroad companies marketed these acres aggressively to homesteaders, immigrants, and anyone dreaming of a fresh start on the prairie. Their promotional materials painted North Dakota as a land of boundless opportunity—fertile soil, open skies, and thriving new towns rising along the rail lines. By offering affordable prices, flexible payment plans, and the promise of rail access to markets, the railroads transformed empty stretches of prairie into growing communities and helped define the state’s early economic and cultural landscape.

From a North Dakota newspaper in the 1900s, the headline read: "A Colony of Colored People for Kidder County Arrive from Illinois". The article was about an excursion train full of settlers who had bought land or expected to do so along the railroad line.

“About 60 pieces of baggage were unloaded for transfer to the Northern line and many passengers went to Denhoff. There were three coaches full of people the day before, and the day of the article, there had been three freight cars for movables and two coaches for passengers.

"This group of newcomers was an unusual sight for this state, the arrival of a coach full of colored settlers.  Some sixty in number have located in Kidder County about five or six miles from Steele. The colony is comprised of nine families under the charge of J. F. Troolens, and all came from Lawrence County, Illinois near the Indiana line.

"They have all bought land and expect to make their permanent homes in this state and will engage in farming.  The land they have secured is in the same locality and the new arrivals will not get lonesome. Chicago real estate men located the colony and some of the arrivals were here last fall and selected the lands."

In 1903 nine families from Lawrenceville moved to Steele North Dakota in the spring, including George Johnson, his family and his brother Robert, all people of color.   The total number of emigrants numbered thirty-seven, and they had about five cars of freight. There they made their home taking advantage of the railroad land.

A prairie fire started in the spring of 1907 about eighteen miles northwest of Steele according to another North Dakota newspaper article. A great gale was blowing, and the fire soon had assumed alarming proportions coupled with the fact that the grass was very dry. George Johnson lived about eight miles from town. While he was plowing firebreaks, his team ran away and in endeavoring to catch them, Johnson was caught in the sweep of the flames and was badly burned.  One of his horses was burned to death and the other two were so badly injured that it was necessary to shoot them.  He was in a critical condition but recovered.

On March 26, 1914, George Johnson sent a letter to the editor of the Lawrenceville Republican.

“Dear Sir and Friend, In compliance with your request I shall endeavor to give you an account of some of Lawrence County’s old residents.  My family is well except had colds, nothing serious. I, myself, have been down with rheumatism and that is not a very pleasant feeling, at other times well. We generally have excellent health. 

I am farming and stock raising-- a good country for stock.  Farming is fair but will not do to depend on, as some years are excellent and others very poor, but success is for the one who tries again so we are going after it right this year.

R H Johnson, my brother and his family are well.  He is a farmer and stock raiser and is also making great calculations for this year’s crop.  We believe in the farming system and in good stock.  Now right here I want to say when we left Lawrence County there were nine families represented outside the single men, and they have all left but Richie, Daugherty and Johnson. Single men have all gone but Rodgers and Richie, but we are like the Democratic party, we are here to stay.

Now concerning our past winter. We had no winter until after the 27th of January up to the last of February, of which we had two weeks of very cold weather, the thermometer ranging from 10 to 33 degrees below zero. Since then, it has not been to zero, though I see through the columns of your paper about March 1st that Lawrence County had very cold weather, below zero and snow 4-5 inches deep.  We had nice bright sunshine and were going about in our shirt sleeves. What’s the matter with Dakota? It’s all right. But Woodrow (Wilson) ain’t.

The Rural Republican newspaper is a regular visitor and a welcome one.  With best wishes to all of our Lawrence County acquaintances and to the editor I will close.  George Johnson Box 58 Steele ND

North Dakota Exhibit representing Settlers arriving i