My Town ---- Part 2

New Leipzig - what's so special about New Leipzig? Probably not much by many standards.

This small, very rural community on the plains of southwestern North Dakota isn't much different from any of the other small, very rural communities in the area. Elgin, Carson, Mott, Leith, Heil, Bentley, Hebron, Glen Ullin, Almont, Flasher, Solen, Fort Yates, Regent, New England....am I forgetting anyone? Some are a little bigger. Some are a little smaller. They all share a common bond -- they are small town rural America. They represent what some consider to be a dying iconic representation of times past in this nation. They continue to survive with grit, with determination, and with resolve.

It has its Main Street, its obligatory businesses, and residential areas, albeit smallish overall. There is no hospital or medical clinic.

There are a number of churches of different denominations in the town. The school is long gone, and the population has seen a decline over the years.

So, what makes it special? Is it special? To me, it is because it's MY town. It's special to those who still live there. It's special to those who've lived there in the past, and who chose to move away for whatever reason. It's where they grew up. It's where their lives took shape. It's who they ultimately became. And that's important, very important.

New Leipzig was established in 1910. Wow! 103 years old. I still remember the 50th anniversary celebration in 1960! Doesn't seem all that long ago. But then, I guess I'm getting a lot older, too.

The original town of Leipzig was established earlier along the banks of a small creek further north than the present day site. The creek, Antelope Creek, was probably a much more scenic location but it offered little in the way of business development or residential growth. When the railroad decided to come on through, the whole town of Leipzig moved. The new town was called......wait for it......New Leipzig.

I won't go into any more of the history of this small, quaint, still thriving community in this blog. Rather, I'll direct readers to the website for New Leipzig's history if you are so inclined.

The focus of this blog is on what it's like to have grown up in this community, to have had my life shaped by events that, had I been born in a large, metropolitan city, would have been much different. There were similarities, in some respects, but the differences far outweighed those likenesses.

This is a rural community, of that there can be no doubt. The main source of income is directly related to, and irrevocably intertwined, with agriculture.


Sure, there are other "industries" in this community, but, by and large, they also depend on agriculture in some way, shape, or form, for their very existence.

It's been said by some that rural folk have a different mentality. I guess that would all depend on whether or not you're one of those rural folk. Regardless, I believe those of us who grew up rural keep a part of that lifestyle, that mentality with us for life. I'm still uncomfortable in an urban, metropolitan environment even though I lived and worked there for a good portion of my life.

My brother, Clayton (another post will be dedicated to him later), was very uncomfortable in his rural setting. He couldn't wait to get out and spread his wings elsewhere. As he grew older, though, he was inexorably drawn back to his roots. His reminiscences were of a childhood laced with good times and good memories in New Leipzig, North Dakota. His ashes were spread by family on our Dad's land south of town - just as he wanted.

My parents, may they both rest in peace, lived and worked in this community until their retirement in 1982 at which time they traveled the country looking for just the right retirement spot. They ultimately found it in a remote, very rural spot in Arizona. When it became apparent their age was not going to allow them to live so far away from family any longer, they moved to Littleton, Colorado. They knew it had to be done, but they were never completely comfortable in their new environs.

I can remember farmers in the New Leipzig area moving to town after their retirement, and not lasting very long after. We were fortunate enough to have our parents around for quite a few years after they moved here. I believe being close to family had something to do with that - or at least I hope it did.

Generation after generation has been born, raised, nurtured, lived, aged, matured, and ultimately died in New Leipzig. Everyone knows everyone else, although when I look now at some of the names in the Grant County News, I don't recognize some of them. But faces familiar to us in our youth stay with us for life. High school classmates, family friends and relatives, ALL remain familiar no matter where everyone is now located.

And so it goes.