Center of the Nation, Part 2 (States and Counties)

Transporting a participant through a grueling six day, six state race series created a huge benefit for a geo-geek such as myself, the inherent need to cover a lot of territory. I’d driven through parts of the target area previously on a cross-country trip many years ago. I’d completed the typical tourist trek through the Badlands, Mount Rushmore and Devils Tower on an Interstate 90 flyby in 1992. I didn’t have much of a chance to stop and linger during that long ago road trip. This time it would be different. I’d poke into completely obscure corners as dictated by race sites.

The series embodied two underlying premises, running and geography. The race director had to align six distinct events as close as possible to the confluence of multiple state borders to minimize travel distances, generating unusual selections removed from tourist trails. It served the needs of a very small and elite target audience; marathoners (and half-marathoners) who wished to complete a race in each of 50 US states. I held only one goal in common — the geographic portion — and that was enough. I was going to grab some rare spots on the map and leave the extreme athletic achievements to others.


States

Nebraska State Line. Photo by howderfamily.com; (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

We crossed a lot of state borders. Our efforts focused on passing between various small towns near state boundaries where each race would take place the following morning. Routes generally strayed away from Interstate highways although I did enjoy driving a completely legal 80 miles per hour (130 km/hr) roadway briefly on I-90 as we left Wyoming.

Photo Ops

I began to notice something peculiar on the lightly-traveled back country byways of the High Plains. There always seemed to be a pull-out by the side of the road at each state border where one could safely park a vehicle and walk to the boundary sign to snap a photograph. It seemed that highway officials recognized the lack of tourist attractions and went out of their way to turn anything noteworthy into a photo op.

The next thing I knew, and without really trying, I’d compiled a collection of state border signs for Nebraska (above), Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Nebraska sign (map) featured Chimney Rock which I will talk about in a future installment. I didn’t stop for Colorado. I’m not sure why, I think I was getting tired of the game by then.

Milestones

I completed a personally memorable state milestone during the trip that I’d been chasing for awhile. I’d long since visited all 50 US states, completing that journey more than a dozen years ago. However a handful of those crossings involved lackluster efforts, barely placing a toe on the other side of the border. My Montana “visit” had been particularly egregious, a thirty second effort when I visited Yellowstone National Park on the aforementioned cross-country trip so many years ago.

One of the races took place in Baker, Montana so I spent the night there. I also spent a night in South Dakota two days later, whereas previously I’d only driven across the state without stopping. With those two events, I could now say I’d stayed at least one full night in every state.


Counties

Amidon, North Dakota. Photo by howderfamily.com; (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Amidon, North Dakota — the Nations Smallest County Seat?

Notwithstanding, counties were the real stars of the trip as I colored a slew of hard-to-reach spaces on my county counting map. Our route zigged and zagged in counterintuitive directions as I steered across as many county borders as possible while removing doughnut holes. I realized I might not travel this way again anytime soon. This might be my only chance.

I drew a nice, solid rectangle of captured counties on the eastern side of Wyoming and Montana, and the western side of North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, tallying 28 new counties in the process. My total stood at 1,301 at the end of the journey, 41.1% of counties in the United States.

Examples

As an example, the first race was held in Baker, Montana and the second race in Bowman, North Dakota. Here was the path I blazed between them.

Logic dictated an easy 45 minute straight-line drive to the east. Instead I drove three sides of a square for two and a half hours, capturing four new counties I would have missed otherwise: Wibaux, MT; Golden Valley, ND; Billings, ND and Stark, ND. Plus I got to visit the scenic badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. See how it worked?

That wasn’t even the most ridiculously contrived route, either. I think that honor went to day five when I drove between Chadron, Nebraska and the final race in Sterling, Colorado.

That little exercise converted a trip that should have lasted less than three hours into something extending nearly four and a half hours. However, I added four Nebraska counties that would have created a huge doughnut hole otherwise: Sioux; Scotts Bluff; Banner and Kimball. The out-and-back portion also allowed me to visit Chimney Rock National Historic Site before returning to Scotts Bluff National Monument where I could cross additional county lines.

I also recorded several minor county milestone in the process.

  • Counties, Plural. I have now been to counties — plural — in each of the 50 states. The fewest was Hawaii with two of five counties visited. I’m in the double digits for most states.
  • Smallest of the Smallest: Wyoming had the fewest residents of any state during the 2010 Census, with a population of 563,000. Niobrara County had the fewest residents in Wyoming, with 2,484 people. Not only did I visit Niobrara, I stayed overnight in its county seat, Lusk. Granted there were counties in other states with smaller populations (e.g., Loving County, Texas with 82 residents). Still, I thought it was a memorable triviality to be in the least populated county in the least populated state.
  • A Very Small Seat: We passed a curious sign as we drove south from the North Dakota badlands to the next race in Bowman, ND. Tiny Amidon (map) perched along US Route 85 proclaimed itself to be the “Nation’s Smallest County Seat.” Oh, and also North Dakota’s “Longest Running County Fair.” I had to stop for a photo. Later I checked the claim. Wikipedia said Amidon was the smallest seat until 2010 when it was passed by Brewster, Nebraska population 17. Being the 2nd smallest seat didn’t bring the same glory, I guess, although the sign remained. At least Amidon still had the fair

Some 12MC readers recommended a visit to Carhenge since it would have fallen on the most direct route. I didn’t make it. Quite simply, county counting took precedence. Something had to give. I couldn’t create any doughnut holes so Carhenge fell off the schedule.


Center of the Nation Articles

See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr

Comments

4 responses to “Center of the Nation, Part 2 (States and Counties)”

  1. Scott Surgent Avatar
    Scott Surgent

    I got “caught” by the fake-policeman-in-a-car trick in Amidon. I slowed down real fast, before realizing what I was actually seeing. It obviously worked! For such a small place, their police department probably needs to use every trick in the book.

    As for smallest county seat, I figured Mentone, Texas (Loving County) should be considered. According to the Wikipedia page, it had 19 people in 2010. But then that page mentioned Gann Valley, seat of Buffalo County, South Dakota, whose population is 14. However, both Mentone and Gann Valley are unincorporated towns. I have been in Mentone three times now; it is a fascinating place that by all logic should not exist at all (nor should the county, for that matter).

    1. Jacob Avatar
      Jacob

      I also drove through Mentone and got “caught” by the fake cop. Quite a nifty little trick. I’m a little disappointed in myself that I didn’t realize the significance, or rather the insignificance, of Mentone when I passed through. I didn’t realize it was the county seat of the least populated county in Texas, but after driving that part of the state it makes sense why.

  2. Steve Avatar

    “completely obscure corners”

    Tom, Tom, Tom… Amidon is home to the highpoint of North Dakota! You were also perilously close to the highpoint of Nebraska. Who the heck goes to Amidon and doesn’t get up White Butte? To SW Nebraska and doesn’t make the interminable trek along poorly marked dirt roads to Panorama Point?

    Total waste of a road trip. ; )

    1. Twelve Mile Circle Avatar

      I only visit highpoints where I can drive to the top ’cause I’m lazy like that. Well, except for the time you forced me to climb to the CT highpoint…

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