Dickey

Formed March 5, 1881 (29^th county)

Dickey County (5,002), Ellendale (1,123), Oakes (1,797)

The is one of the nicest Beaux Arts courthouses in North Dakota.  It sits on a square at 2^nd Street North, 3^rd Avenue North, 3^rd Street North, and 4^th Avenue North.  The courthouse is two blocks east of United States Highway 281 in the town.  The structure was constructed in 1910 using the brown brick designs of Buechner and Orth.  It features a dome and columns.  There was an earlier courthouse also in Ellendale, the only county seat.  The county was organized on March 5, 1881 as the 29^th county.  It is named for State Legislator George H. Dickey.  Ellendale is named for Mary Ellen Dale, wife of a railroad officer. 

Dickey County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Dickey, Barnes, Eddy, Foster, Griggs, LaMoure, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Stutsman, and Wells counties and a court clerk serves Dickey County (judicial.)  The county is on the southeast border with South Dakota.  Fargo, North Dakota is northeast and Bismarck, North Dakota is northwest of the county.  The county center is 11.9 miles Northeast of Ellendale nearer Fullerton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by La Moure, Ransom, and Sargent counties and South Dakota and McIntosh County. 

The area of the county is 1131 square miles.  It is 31 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 24 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 4.4 persons per square mile making it 23 out of 53 in the state.  Dickey County has 61.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 281 passes through the county from north to south from La Moure County to South Dakota.  Dickey County is a rectangle.  Ellendale is located on the southern border of the county.  Oakes is on the eastern border.  Ellendale is the county seat and Oakes is the largest city.  Ellendale is 22.5% of the county population while Oakes is 35.9% of the county population.