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Flashbacks

By Staff | Apr 5, 2013

Thursday, March 31, 1938

Olaus Foss of Overly was quite seriously hurt recently when he turned his car over on a sharp turn about 5 miles west of Rolette. When Mr. Foss was rushed to the Rugby Hospital, it was found that he had a compound fracture of a leg and his jaw. Fortunately a traveler saw the accident and helped Mr. Foss out of the burning wreckage.

Thursday, March 28, 1963

The Pantry Cafe will reopen for business today. Mrs. Anna Lund and Mrs. Oscar Tullberg will manage the business.

Monday, March 28, 1988

Ask most North Dakotans where the geographical center of North America is located, and they’ll tell you it is near the crossroads of Highways 2 and 3 in Rugby. Ask the same question in South Dakota and you might be told the same center is three miles north of Pierre.

Pierre? South Dakota? What???

That’s what a Rugby man said when he received a catalog from a South Dakota company.

That flabbergasted Dale Niewoehner, so he began writing letters of inquiry.

He found that there indeed is a concrete marker north of Pierre which claims to be the geographical center of North America. It was erected by Charles Leavitt Hyde, a successful entrepreneur.

Hyde seemingly ignores the work of the U.S. Department of the Interior. In a Geological Survey Bulletin 817 published in 1930, the survey said the geographical center of North America is located in Pierce County, North America.

“Rugby has long put itself forth as the geographical center of North America,” Niewoehner said. “We should not be willing now to give up that status to any other community simply because they erected a monument years ago.”

A second ward alderman, Niewoehner said he will present his findings to the Rugby City Council and the local chamber of commerce. Whether any action will be taken against Pierre, South Dakota, remains to be seen.