Images of The North Dakota Bonanza Farms

“Bonanza Farms” were farms of 3000 or more acres in the fertile Red River Valley of eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. North Dakota was still part of Dakota Territory and did not become a state until 1889. The land was purchased by investors in eastern states, mainly from Jay Cooke’s bankrupt railroad empire. Jay Cooke was an investment banker, but that is another story. From about 1870 to the turn of the century, the land was cheap and cheap labor was plentiful. By 1870 there had been many advances in mechanized farm equipment. Cheap land (less than $4 per acre), cheap labor, and modern equipment meant a bonanza for the investors who were not farmers but people with money looking for a quick buck. They would hire a foreman to run the large farms. The largest of these farms was located to the west of Fargo, North Dakota and was 11,000 acres, the Dalrymple farm. It was at one time the largest cultivated farm in the world. The soil was rich and produced consistently high yields for several years before any noticeable decrease. Bonanza farms would employ 100 plus, depending on the size of the farms. There were strict rules of behavior, no cussing and no drinking. The crop was wheat for eastern markets and export. This farming method came to an end after the turn of the century. By about 1920, they were gone. It was too expensive to maintain and was not meant to be a long term investment. Much of the land was purchased by people that had worked the land and the result was smaller and more efficient farming and with modern farming practices the land was rejuvenated and today produces a wide variety of crops with wheat remaining one of the main crops.

Even with these large farms, the average size of a farm in North Dakota at that time was between 200 and 300 acres. Many of these smaller farms were a result of The Homestead Act of 1862. Today the average is probably about 1200 acres.