The townsite of Sutton is located 18 miles west of Hannaford on the Burlington Northern Rail Road, and is connected to the county seat, Cooperstown by North Dakota highway 200. The three miles north to 200 and five miles south have recently been blacktopped.
This year, 1975, finds it hard to believe that in 1912, the townsite was part of a wheat field. The land is level, with rich black soil, and with ample rainfall and good climatic conditions, produces large yielding crops. Early years found the farmers hauling produce and grain to Cooperstown, Binford, Hannaford, Wimbledon and Courtenay, all about fifteen miles away. The coming of the railroad in 1913 was the realization of a dream.
Many homestead shacks were replaced with spacious houses. Business places sprang up, as fast as deeds were available for business lots. Early business in Sutton included:
banks (three), a feed mill, Auto and Horse Livery, Blacksmith Shop, Mercantile Store, Cox-Nelson Farm Store, Meat Market, Rice Grocery, Barber Shop and Restaurant, Confectionery Store, Printing Shop, which printed the weekly paper, "The Sutton Reporter,'' Hammer- Thinglestad Company , Drug Store, Doctor's Office, Crane-Johnson Lumber Company , City Pool Hall, City Dray, Grain and Feed Store and the Hotel.
A four room, two story, brick schoolhouse was erected and served the community needs until it was demolished by a wind storm in 1957. This was replaced by a new school, on a new site, and was ready for use, mid term of the 1958-59 year. Shortly thereafter, Sutton and Glenfield dualized the school systems, the first six years being in Sutton and the upper six years in Glenfield.
In the early years of Sutton, a band was organized, and later, under the direction of F. S. Marrs, another unit was started. Of course, in later years the music program is taken care of in the school system.
Fire has been the fate of different places. Mabel Lutheran Church, located south of town, burned in 1926. This was rebuilt, this time in town. In 1940 the Methodist Church was struck by lightning, and burned. Another church was purchased and moved onto the same site. In May, 1962 the old Farmers Union Elevator caught fire, on a very windy day, and, having no fire fighting equipment, it and three elevators belonging to the Osborne, McMillan Company , burned. Binford, Cooperstown, Carrington, McHenry and Wimbledon answered the call for help, and saved several other buildings endangered. All available water hauling equipment was used, including the gasoline bulk trucks, hauling water from a rain filled ditch near town. Loss of the fire was approximately $500,000. O and M didn't rebuild, but shares were sold, and the present Farmers Elevator is located on the old site.
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