Casselton
The City of Casselton is located on the eastern edge of North Dakota, in the heart of the Red River Valley. Located in the center of Cass County, Casselton is twenty minutes west of Fargo, North Dakota's largest city.
Casselton had its origin in 1873 when the Northern Pacific Railway planted cottonwood and willow trees in the area to serve as windbreaks along their right-of-way. When the trees grew to maturity, railroad ties were to be cut from the wood.
The hamlet was variously called "the Nursery", "Goose Creek" and "Swan Creek", named for the stream that meandered through the area. In 1876, the railroad established a station called "Casstown" named after George Cass, the railroad president. A post office was put in place in August 8, 1876 when the name Casselton was designated. Casselton was incorporated as a city in 1879 ten years before North Dakota was granted statehood.
Our current population is around 1,800 persons and is growing due to our proximity to the Fargo-Moorhead area (pop 175,000). As a result, several new housing developments have been created and there are various housing opportunities for those looking to buy or build.
Casselton is home to three other churches in addition to Westminster Presbyterian: St Leo’s Catholic, St Martin’s Lutheran, and United Methodist. There are also two nearby rural churches: Canaan Moravian and Goshen Moravian.
Businesses
Casselton supports a business district that is able to meet a variety of needs. There are over sixty established businesses that provide banking, childcare, hardware, grocery, construction, legal, medical & dental, pharmacy, accounting, automotive repair, beauty, aviation, floral, insurance, winery, broadcasting, fuel & oil, and senior housing to mention a few. A new motel-conference center that includes a family restaurant and bakery recently opened. As an agricultural center, there are several large farm implement dealerships and grain elevators as well as an ethanol plant.
The Casselton Business Association sponsors the annual Cass County SummerFest celebration each July, the Economic Development Committee promotes and oversees the growth of the city, and the Heritage & Historical Society preserves our past.
The Casselton Parks & Recreations program has several summer youth activities for all ages and interests. Softball, basketball, and volleyball are offered for interested adults while T-ball, baseball, softball, kickball, as well as arts & crafts programs are provided for both boys and girls. The park board is in the process of building a new outdoor swimming pool and, in the winter, an outdoor ice skating rink is provided.
The City Library has an excellent selection of reading material and runs a summer reading program for children.
Casselton is home to the Casselton Regional Airport (5N8). The airport provides a wide range of aircraft services including 24-hour credit card fuel sales, 24-hour terminal/pilot lounge, major maintenance, routine annual inspections, total airframe rebuilding and restoration, painting, engine overhauls, interior upholstery work, agricultural GPS installation and service, tie downs, aerial application of agricultural products, aircraft sales, and hangar storage. The "Planes on the Plains" fly-in and air show is held in conjunction with SummerFest each year.
Schools
Central Cass is located in Casselton and administered by the Central Cass Public School District. The district covers nearly 400 square miles and seven other rural towns resulting in enrollment of over 875 students. In 1996, the district replaced a three story structure dating from 1912 with an eight million dollar complex. Because of continued growth, an addition to the school complex was completed prior to the 2003-2004 school year.
