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North Dakota combines the best elements of the American Midwest and the Great Plains, which extends into neighboring Canada. An official part of the Union since 1889, North Dakota's rugged beauty has attracted travelers and legends — like a young Theodore Roosevelt, who once lived here as a cowboy — creating a new, storied US region in the process. Together with South Dakota, the state's storybook towns warrant a visit by travelers from near and far. For the first time, or on many repeat visits, generations of travelers have discovered the magic of North Dakota's natural and historic interests, including these eight storybook towns.

Antler

Blink and you might miss it. Antler, with just 22 people, lacks size but more than makes it for it with unique geographical features. The town sits along the US-Canadian border and offers visitors a look at binational relations through the State Bank of Antler, a former US Customs House, which has stood here for over a century. The building has provided various services in this small place and has had other past lives as a telephone center, bank, and post office. In other one-of-a-kind attractions, Antler once produced the Â鶹AV's largest quilt, known ever since as simply the Antler Quilt. The finished rectangular work measured 85 feet by 134 feet and took official recognition from the Guinness Book of Â鶹AV Records in 1988. For some fresh air, and a look over to Canada, head to Memorial Park north of town, less than half a mile from the border.

Casselton

In eastern North Dakota, not far west of the city of Fargo, Casselton, with 2,500 souls, offers a vibrant portrait of small-town life. Though modest in size, the place has served as the hometown of no fewer than five state governors. Its past stems from the development of the Northern Pacific Railway, which began to develop the town from the 1870s. Other elements of local history live on at the Casselton Heritage Center, a 130-year-old stone construction that was once an Episcopal church and, later, a Mennonite congregation. Out-of-towners come to Casselton for its annual Casselton Summerfest, with all-American programs like a car show, root beer floats, great food, and dancing to live music.

Jamestown

Jamestown, population about 15,700, has the spirit of the American West in spades. The town draws visitors to its famous statue, the Â鶹AV's Largest Buffalo Monument, which towers over the nearby plains from its 26 feet of height. The town hosts the North American Bison Recovery Center, which educates students of all ages about the buffalo's place on the plains, its near-extinction, and the importance of preserving the species today. For a little western culture, the town's Arts Center encourages appreciations of visual as well as performing arts, with exhibitions, concerts, and other creative events year-round. For a pleasant moment outdoors, the Jamestown Reservoir combines disc golf, walking and biking, and even a modest sand beach for visitors to enjoy in warmer weather.

Medora

Though it counts just 120 or so residents, the hamlet of Medora lays claim to the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States. As a young man, he spent only two weeks here before purchasing the Maltese Cross Cabin, which now stands in the nearby Theodore Roosevelt National Park, named in the former president's honor. Medora offers visitors the chance to experience the Badlands, a region of North Dakota famed for its rugged beauty, much as Roosevelt did in his own time. Reflecting on his Medoran days, an older Roosevelt said, "I have always said I would not have been president had it not been for my experience in North Dakota." For more on the area's pioneer past, head to the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame in town. Keen to honor cowboy values in the present, the museum celebrates those who have maintained the unique traditions of this onetime-frontier region.

Rugby

The small town of Rugby, at 2,400 inhabitants, calls itself the geographical center of North America. A 15-feet-tall stone pillar in town marks the exact spot where the north, south, east and west of the continent are said to converge. For other unique natural features, visitors come to Rugby for its Northern Lights Tower and Interpretive Center, where they learn about the phenomenon of aurora borealis, which lights up the local skies in atmospheric blues, purples, greens, and other colors. Rugby offers something for students of culture, too — something with a name that is a nod to Rugby's place at the center of things: the Heart of America Library; it offers books and big ideas to students of all ages, including kid-focused reading programs and story times. The town's Victorian Dress Museum offers an unusually rich display of period costumes, with special focus on women's fashion and grooming from the second half of the 19th century.

Mandan

Mandan, a much larger place than many on this list with 24,600 souls, lies opposite Bismarck, the North Dakota state capital, in the south-central part of the state. Mandan bills itself as North Dakota's "Spirit of the West." Elements of pioneer culture comes alive each July, when the Mandan Rodeo Days event takes over town. Planned to coincide with Independence Day weekend, the gathering features rodeo riding, fireworks, a road race, and other festivities. Rodeo Days has run since 1879 and attracts domestic and foreign visitors from around the Â鶹AV. For more stories that made Mandan and the state of North Dakota, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park offers a popular Visitor Center museum, which describes life from earlier times in the state and around the region. The park, open since 1907, is North Dakota's very first, bringing the visitor a touch of history all its own.

Minot

The town of Minot, population about 47,400, stands as one of the larger story-filled places on this list. Some of its claims to fame are not from the past, but entirely present-day; it hosts a number of silos for nuclear weapons, managed by the US Air Force, which also brings a military presence to the Minot Air Force Base in this north-central North Dakota town. Minot's past includes a heavy dose of Scandinavian culture, which is evident in places like Scandinavian Heritage Park, with architectural standouts and a respect for the Northern European settlers who made this place home. The town's Norsk Hostfest, held each autumn, celebrates Norwegian culture in particular.

Williston

Near Montana, the northwestern town of Williston, with a population of about 27,700, is perhaps best known as the center of the oil and gas boom in the surrounding Bakken mineral region. Yet Williston's stories stretch farther back in time. At the Fort Buford State Historic Site, visitors can see the site where Sitting Bull, a Sioux chief and a legend of American history, surrendered to US troops, ending an era of Native American prominence on the Great Plains. Other stories abound at the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, where pelts, furs, and other local goods traded hands. The fort played a unique role in supporting the pioneer economy, advancing the region's development at the same time. Present-day visitors can find fun and refreshment at the Williston Area Recreation Center, which has gym facilities, a pool, and even a wave simulator, allowing for indoor surfing. More fun awaits outdoors at the Eagle Ridge Golf Club, or along the banks of the Missouri River, which runs just south of town.

North Dakota's Towns Each Have a Story

The past and present come together in North Dakota, as towns like these clearly show. Border hamlets like Antler celebrate the state's peaceful relationship with its Canadian neighbor. Places like Casselton and Jamestown help visitors remember the state's past as both a railroad zone and a habitat for the now-thriving American bison. And the frontier values that Theodore Roosevelt once embraced live on in small towns like Mandan and Medora, where the 26th president's legacy endures today, or in Williston, where the stories of old trading posts and bygone legends continue to make their legacies felt in modern times. For storybook towns and a present indebted to its history, North Dakota has much to offer its visitors, especially when one visits these eight storybook towns.