HISTORY

By 1910, Northern Pacific & the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul Railroad companies had built two railroad lines westward from Mandan, ND & McLaughlin, SD, respectively. In May, 1910, a town site was plotted by the Milwaukee Land Company of Chicago. The German-Russian residents of nearby Leipzig, wanting a location closer to the railroad, soon relocated there. When a post office was established on the site, the budding community was dubbed New Leipzig. In January, 1912, however, New Leipzig was renamed Lawther after a local landowner. After much protest by local residents wanting to preserve the name of their homeland, the town was once again officially New Leipzig, ND.

Hertz Brothers Hardware is believed to be the oldest firm still doing business in Grant County. It was organized in Leipzig as the Farmers Commerce Company by Hertz Brother stockholders Christ, Henry, & Emmanuel Hertz as well as other minor stockholders. The enterprise moved to New Leipzig around the time of its inception & became Hertz Brothers Hardware in 1912. Today, the business is under a third generation of management. Roehl Trucking is also a third-generation business, & Stelter Repair is under its fourth generation of management. Main Street today is almost entirely made of farm-related service businesses. Businesses currently servicing the area include Tietz Hardware, Larry's Service Center, Stern Motors, Randy's Sales & Service, Stelter Repair, Roehl Transfer Inc., Schock Real Estate, B & L Lounge, Star Grocery, Hertz Brother's Inc., the U.S. Postal Service, New Leipzig Grain, & Dakota Community Bank.

The community's spiritual needs are provided by the New Leipzig Churches—St. John's Catholic, Immanuel Lutheran, New Leipzig Baptist, & the Reformed Church—as well as several rural churches. Both the New Leipzig Baptist & Immanuel Lutheran will celebrate their 100th Anniversary in 2010.

New Leipzig has provided its educational needs with a school since the town's beginning. Classes were first held in rooms furnished by various local businesses until 1912, when the first school house was built. In February, 1915, the structure was leveled by fire. In 1915, a brick fire-proof structure was erected. Additions were made to the original brick structure in 1926, 1957, & 1961 due to the annexation of the surrounding school districts. Educational needs were provided within New Leipzig until the co-op process began with Elgin in the 1994–95 school year. Throughout subsequent years, more grades became involved. The New Leipzig School closed in the fall of 2004, after which students have been attending lower elementary & high school in nearby Elgin - junior high students are bussed to Carson. The New Leipzig school facility is now used by the community only during Oktoberfest weekend.

Throughout its years, the community of New Leipzig has met the needs of its people. The New Leipzig Development Association organized in 1966, providing housing for elderly & low-income residents in the form of 18 one & 2 bedroom apartments, which are usually fully occupied with a waiting list.

In 1971, New Leipzig was home to North Dakota's first authentic German Oktoberfest, a three-day festival that has grown through the years with the continued support & efforts of rural & city New Leipzig residents. Oktoberfest has become New Leipzig's primary identity for German heritage & a time for thanks at the close of the harvest season. Since 1978, a particular highlight of the weekend has become the Oktoberfest musical, performed by residents from in & around New Leipzig.

New Leipzig, like all rural communities, continues to strive to become a true “home” for its residents & to provide as many services as possible. Unfortunately, many rural areas like New Leipzig, after giving the youth a solid moral upbringing & a well-balanced education, they leave for college and faraway jobs.

The people of New Leipzig have realized that there are boom periods of growth in local business that eventually decay, eventually leaving a community of retired people, still providing service to those people remaining. The state-wide decline in population sees the closing of many businesses & schools, as it has in New Leipzig.

Above all odds, however, the local community must fight on.

The Original Town Site Marker

The original town site called "Leipzig" was located eleven miles northeast of the present site of New Leipzig. This marker is located on the site of "Old Leipzig".

This inland town without a railroad began to be settled by immigrants in 1895. It was moved & renamed "New Leipzig" in 1910 when the Northern Pacific Railroad was built through this area.

Most of the settlers who moved to the new site were German-Russians, thus the name "Leipzig" after Leipzig, Germany, was used.

A bronze plaque now marks the original site of Leipzig, North Dakota. The plaque reads, "Original town site of Leipzig, North Dakota was located on these four corners". The plaque was erected in 1960 by the New Leipzig Commercial Club during the town's 50th anniversary.

CLICK HERE to read an article written by G.A. Ruana in 1925