When a small North Dakota town reaches a milestone, it must be celebrated. Wilton, North Dakota celebrated in a big way in July to honor their 125th anniversary.
When you think about 125 years, you realize how quickly time has passed since our ancestors migrated to North Dakota and what was happening in the world at that time. Just as in many small North Dakota communities, Wilton’s early residents were comprised of a melting pot of Ukrainians, Germans and Scandinavians. Many of us living here today still recognize our heritage.
At the turn of the 20th century, there were approximately 310,000 people in the state. Today we have nearly 790,000 residents populating our state. That doesn’t seem like a huge increase, but North Dakota does not have a metropolis area where large numbers live. Most current day residents like it that way.
The City of Wilton’s population holds steady at about 750. In 1920, there were 108 people calling it home. The city was platted in 1899 when the railroad reached the area. When founded, the town was named Wilton after Wilton, Maine, the hometown of an early settler.
The current mayor and life-long resident, LeeAnn Domonoske Kellar, began the 125th celebration planning process 2 years ago. Using social media, she enlisted the help of a good number of community members who had good ideas and the will to get things going.
The planning team promoted the celebration online, in the Bismarck Tribune and on KX news. Most importantly they drafted and mailed an invitation to their long list of Wilton alumni. This was a key group they knew would attend and it did work out that way.
According to LeeAnn, “The group researched similar celebrations from other towns in North Dakota. One of the ideas we borrowed was to request a governor’s proclamation to recognize the 125th year. A group of the trail ride team trailered their horses to Bismarck and onto the State Capitol grounds, where they were presented with the document. This was an important part of recognizing the anniversary.”
Later those riders were joined by approximately 40 – 50 other riders and nine horse-drawn wagons. They made their way from Randy and SuAnn Olson’s house, north toward Wilton. The trail ride was a much-anticipated event and worked out well for those involved, in spite of the hot weather.
All-in-all there were at least 2,000 attendees for the weekend events. They cleaned out the food vendors’ inventory and posed for a community photo taken by a drone in the middle of town.
There was what seemed like an unlimited number of events happening during the weekend of July 12 – 14. Saturday’s community parade was one of the events attracting many folks in, with the candy-seeking children being among the most interested crowd.
A beautiful sunny day attracted a downtown full of smiling faces enjoying the reverie. Capital Electric joined in the parade fun with a large bucket truck and tossing candy to the crowd. Our co-op members were everywhere and making that connection to them is so important.
Whether you are a resident or a visitor, this part of North Dakota brings the hometown feel. You feel like you are part of a personal experience in a close-knit community. You would be hard-pressed to find someone not enjoying the festivities.
Midnight fireworks provided an exciting and well-attended conclusion to Saturday’s festivities. The remaining opportunity for fellowship happened at Sunday morning’s community pancake breakfast. Sounds like smalltown North Dakota, doesn’t it?
Capital Electric congratulates the city of Wilton and its residents on this 125th milestone. We appreciate the opportunity to provide electricity to many local people. Thank you for your continued work to keep your city going strong!