Elliott, ND

Elliott was founded by Tom Elliott in 1882 as a horse-centered townsite with an unusual racetrack plan. The Ransom County town later handled merchandise for inland communities in Sargent County, and for a time hosted the county fair and July Fourth celebrations. The Northern Pacific railroad’s arrival at Gwinner and Stirum redirected that trade, and drought and Depression-era hardship reduced Elliott’s commercial role. Grain handling remains part of the town’s economy: the county describes Elliott as home to its largest grain market. Its 0.15-square-mile boundary is a compact prairie grid surrounded by farm roads.