Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Devils Lake
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Read Next
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
Washington, D.C. locator map.
What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.
26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History
Discover
New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.
Why Is It Called Black Friday?
Title: Senate Square, St. Petersburg, December 14, 1825: repression of the troop mutiny - watercolor by Carl Ivanovitch Kollman, 1825 depicts Decembrist uprising clashing with cavalry, with spectators watching. (new style December 26, 1825) Europe. Saint
8 of the Largest Empires in History
An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.
11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Woman tied to a ducking stool, a method of punishment by means of humiliation, beating, or death. (cucking stool)
8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?

Devils Lake

town, North Dakota, United States
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Creel City, Creelsburg
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

Devils Lake, city, seat (1883) of Ramsey county, northeast-central North Dakota, U.S. It lies about 90 miles (145 km) west of Grand Forks.

The site was surveyed in 1882 and named Creelsburg (later Creel City) for its surveyor, Heber M. Creel; in 1884 it was renamed Devils Lake, a misinterpretation of the Sioux name Miniwaukan, meaning “Spirit Water,” “Lake Great One,” or “Lake Holy One.” The city was at the head of steamboat navigation on Devils Lake, a closed-basin lake (one having no river outlet) with constantly fluctuating water levels. By 1909 water levels had dropped so much that navigation ceased; the lake reached a low point of only 2 feet (0.6 metre) deep in 1940. In 1993 water levels began to rise dramatically because of increased rainfall and decreased evaporation. By the turn of the 21st century, the water had risen some 25 feet (7.5 metres), causing extensive flooding.

The city of Devils Lake is a trade centre for an agricultural area producing grain (primarily wheat, corn [maize], barley, and sunflowers), livestock, and dairy products. It is the site of Lake Region State (community) College (1941). The Devils Lake area is a popular hunting and fishing spot. Sullys Hill National Game Preserve, about 10 miles (16 km) southwest, holds an annual birding and nature festival. The Spirit Lake Sioux reservation is to the south across the lake. Nearby are Grahams Island State Park and Shelvers Grove and Black Tiger Bay state recreation areas. Fort Totten State Historic Site is a well-preserved military outpost dating from 1867. Local artifacts are displayed at the Lake Region Heritage Center. The International Peace Garden, on the U.S.-Canadian border, is about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Devils Lake. Inc. city, 1894. Pop. (2000) 7,222; (2010) 7,141.