Wahpeton

Wahpeton, city, seat (1873) of Richland county, southeastern North Dakota, U.S. It lies on the Minnesota border across from Breckenridge, Minnesota, at the point where the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers merge to become the Red River of the North. Settled in 1864 by Morgan T. Rich and initially named Richland, it was the second permanent settlement in North Dakota. It was officially founded in 1869 and renamed Chahinkapa (a Sioux word meaning “End of the Woods”); by 1873 the name was established as Wahpeton, a Sioux word meaning “Dwellers Among Leaves” and the name of one of the Sioux tribes. A railway line was extended to Breckenridge in 1872, which contributed to the rise of flatboat building in the area. The arrival of the railroad in Wahpeton in 1880 contributed to the city’s development as a trade centre for livestock, grain, and dairy producers in the area. Wahpeton lies in the state’s most fertile agricultural region, which produces primarily soybeans, corn (maize), wheat, sugar beets, sunflowers, potatoes, turkeys, and hogs. Agriculture-related industry includes snack food production and the processing of corn, soybeans, and sugar beets. Manufacturing—including farm and construction equipment, building materials, data storage products, canvas, machine tools, wood products, and metal products—contributes to the local economy, along with transportation services. Wahpeton is the site of the North Dakota State College of Science (1903). Local attractions include the Bois de Sioux Golf Course, which straddles the North Dakota–Minnesota border, and Chahinkapa Zoo, which features some 200 animals. The Bagg Bonanza Farm, to the west of the city, preserves several historic farm buildings. Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site (established 1858), which features a museum, is northwest of Wahpeton. Inc. town, 1882; city, 1887. Pop. (2000) 8,586; (2010) 7,766.