Author Description

In the Foreword, Vernell Johnson writes: "We both had great grandparents and grandparents from Sweden and Norway who homesteaded in Dakota Territory. Being North Dakota was a part of Dakota Territory, we decided to photograph every town on the map, some ghost towns and other interesting and historic locations in North Dakota, and publish a book. We traveled over 23,000 miles and documented over 700 locations on film. We do not claim to have every ghost town but we do have every town listed, 362, on the North Dakota official highway map." "We enjoyed the natural wonders, the wildlife, the beautiful Red River Valley and the many historical sites throughout North Dakota. We met a host of friendly people and our experiences will never be forgotten. Louise and I feel we have captured history with the camera. The landmarks in the state and buildings on the farms and ranches and in the small towns and cities deserve our respect and admiration. There is no greater reward than to preserve and protect what we cherish." Towns in North Dakota include: Adrian, Alice, Arthur, Ashley, Balfour, Benedict, Berlin, Beulah, Braddock, Burnstad, Carrington, Center, Coulee, Crary, Danzig, Dawson, Dickey, Dresden, Ellendale, Esmond, Fessenden, Flasher, Flaxton, Fort Yates, Fredonia, Gackle, Glen Ullin, Golva, Hazelton, Hazen, Heaton, Hebron, Karlsruhe, Knox, LaMoure, Lehr, Linton, Marion, Medina, Moffit, Napoleon, Oberon, Odessa, Orrin, Raleigh, Selfridge, Shields, Sterling, Strasburg, Streeter, Tappen, Temvik, Verona, Warsaw, Westfield, Wing, Wishek, Zap, and many other communities.