Kulm, ND

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The Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Sainte Marie Railroad (Soo Line) decided to extend its track west from Merricourt, ND in the spring of 1892. They purchased 106 acres of land from Wesley Organ’s original homestead for a town site and Mr. Organ also appropriated 40 acres for the site. When the train depot opened, Kulm was the name on the sign. The railroad company chose the name upon the recommendation of Christ and Fred Flegel. They told the railroad surveyor that the name should be Kulm based on the facts that they were born in Kulm, Bessarabia, South Russia; their ancestors were from Kulm, Germany; and many of the settlers in the immediate area were also from those places. This site, near the corner where four counties met, proved to be an excellent location, and the Soo Line secured the position to furnish transportation for all the people and products moving in and out of the area. Due to the fact that the tracks were not extended westward until 1898, Kulm enjoyed a fast and steady growth of businesses and residents. The first grain elevator, built by Fred Mix, started buying grain at the end of October in 1892 and in a short time there were six more elevators and the railroad was shipping out nearly a million bushels of grain a year along with livestock. The three major immigrant groups present in 1892 were the Germans from Russia to the south, east and west of town, and the Swedes and Norwegians to the north. The first Swedes arrived about the 7th of May in 1886 and the first Germans from Russia about a week later. Both groups were about eight families. The Norwegians started to come in a few at a time in the same year. By the time Kulm was established many more immigrants had arrived to join their relatives and friends already here. The railroad was instrumental in the continued influx of settlers from home and abroad. The Kulm Post office was established in 1893. One of the town’s landmarks, the Kulm Mill, was built in the fall of 1894 and was milling wheat into flour by January of 1895. They continued their operation until 1950. The first newspaper, The Standard, was published on September 28, 1894, followed by The North Dakota Wind, and The Kulm Messenger first came out on November 18, 1897 and it continues today. The Kulm City Band made its debut in Edgeley on March 22, 1895, and they still play on now. Kulm became a village on January 13, 1897 and a city formed government was organized on January 9, 1906. The population was 463 by 1900 and it reached its peak in 1930 at 742. As of 2010 the population was 354 but our people continue to take great pride in the support of their homes, churches, school, and businesses as did the forefathers and ancestors of our community.