Foster County is 644 square miles of land located in the center of North Dakota. It is the smallest of the state's 53 counties, 18 miles by 36 miles in dimension. It is bordered by Eddy, Griggs, Stutsman and Wells counties.

Foster is divided into 18 townships with the seat of county government located in Carrington. It became a part of the United States when President Jefferson purchased a tract of land known as the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803. Very little was known about the area until an expedition led by Lewis and Clark made the trip across what is now North Dakota looking for a passage to the Pacific Ocean.

Visitors coming to what is now Foster county found prairie lands and rolling plains covered with prairie grass which provided abundant food for the herds of buffalo, deer, antelope, fox, coyotes, and other wild animals that were found in the area. There were very few trees except along the James River and some other smaller streams.

Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 21