Schafer, North Dakota

Schafer is an unincorporated area and the former county seat of McKenzie County, North Dakota, United States. It faded into obscurity after the county seat was moved west to Watford City, and is now a ghost town. The town would still exist except for a land dispute between the Schafer family and the Great Northern Railway. The railroad never laid tracks due to this, but grading was done to the Missouri River.

Schafer
Unincorporated area
Fenceline along a road in Schafer
Fenceline along a road in Schafer
Schafer is located in North Dakota
Schafer
Schafer
Location within the state of North Dakota
Schafer is located in the United States
Schafer
Schafer
Schafer (the United States)
Coordinates: 47°47′58″N 103°11′12″W
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Dakota
CountyMcKenzie
Elevation
[1]
2,005 ft (611 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code701
GNIS feature ID1031373[1]

The farm of Albert and Lulia Haven was located just to the north of Schafer; they and their four children were murdered in February 1930. Charles Bannon, their hired hand, confessed to the killing; he became the last man in the state of North Dakota to be lynched. The only remaining sign of the town is the old county jail, from which Bannon was dragged by the lynch mob on the night of his death.[2][3][4]

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Schafer, North Dakota
  2. "Story of ND Haven family passed down in history".
  3. Hagburg, Mike. "North Dakota's Last Lynching". North Dakota Supreme Court. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  4. Donovan, Lauren. "A city's darkest secret". Bismarck Tribune.


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