Rooted in History, Driven with Progress: Arthur N.D.

“Thirty-plus lots, a splash pond, and park space where families can enjoy themselves while still being able to get into town.”

Looking out the north windows of Cass County Electric Cooperative’s Arthur, N.D. shop, Scott Kroeger points toward the soon-to-be Pearson Pond development of town. 

“They’ve started with infrastructure,” said Kroeger, who has seen every angle of leadership in the Cass County town. “Just north is the Smoking Tree development. That started 20 years ago and is full now.”

Arthur is a beautiful blend of modern-day growth rooted in a town with rich history. With a population hovering just north of 300, Arthur is nestled on State Highway 18, 35 minutes northwest of the Fargo-Moorhead metro; close enough for commuters yet far enough to establish its own identity and character. 

Kroeger came to the community for work in 1980 and hasn’t left. And while work and the world-class charm of Kelly’s Café on the town’s main drag have certainly been positives in his 44-year-and-counting stay, it’s the town’s history, sense of community, and people that have kept him. 

A town of firsts

While a student at NDSCS, Arthur first came on Kroeger’s radar when an accounting job opened at the local grain elevator. Planning on moving to Bismarck with his friends after graduation, he decided to apply for experience but didn’t seriously consider the opportunity. 

The future had other plans. 

“Somehow, they offered me the job, and I took it,” he said. “I’ve been here since.”

In his 44 years as a resident, Kroeger has served on the Arthur Park Board and city council, as the town’s mayor and city auditor, and as a member of the volunteer fire department, a role he holds to this day. 

“Becoming an officer in the fire department was my first elected role in town,” Kroeger recalled. “About a month into working at the grain elevator the current fire chief (who also worked at the elevator) came up to me and said, ‘You’re joining the fire department.’ Sure enough, I was elected at the next meeting.”

“Scott’s story is what this community is all about,” Arthur Fire president and CCEC journeyman lineworker Joey Strauss said. “People find ways to step up and wear multiple hats to support the community.”

The elevator that brought Kroeger to town is now known as Arthur Companies and serves as the backbone of the community, operating grain and agronomy businesses across the state and in Idaho. As the town’s largest employer, the elevator is a can’t miss as one enters town and holds a breadth of history. 

“We were the first retail bulk fertilizer business in North Dakota and the state’s first anhydrous plant,” Kroeger said. “We were the first to ship a shuttle train of sunflower seeds to Mexico and get our cars back.”
The firsts don’t stop there. The Good Samaritan Society, one of the nation’s leaders in senior care, was founded in Arthur in 1923. 

Thinking forward

While history runs deep, drive through Arthur and you’ll be pleased by both traditional infrastructure that has been well kept alongside newer developments that embody the community’s growth. 

“In the early ‘80s, the fathers of the town decided that we had too many old buildings,” Kroeger said. “Some of the old buildings went away, and the Arthur Mall became the hub of retail in town.”

Years later, the mall stands strong, with people flocking from miles away to enjoy Kelly’s Café alongside the Arthur Bar (formerly Coaches Corner) and Mary’s Quilt Market. 

“Our leaders are forward thinking and encourage development and people to be a part of the community,” Kroeger said. “Even with the new housing development, the person leading it is a member of an original Arthur family.”

Arthur’s residential makeup mirrors that of its history, tradition, and new alike. 

“The diversity of generations is great,” Arthur Community Coordinator Jeremy Nelson says. “We’ve got family names that have been here for a long time and others that are newer. It’s cool to look and say, ‘Oh my gosh, they’ve been here for four or five generations.’”

Nelson’s family falls in the latter category. A teacher in Fargo-Moorhead, he and his wife planted roots in Arthur in 2017 when their family grew from two kids to four. Similar to Kroeger, Nelson didn’t anticipate the move, yet couldn’t be happier.  

“We weren’t necessarily looking to move to a small town at the time but found our place in Arthur,” he said. “We’ve got great neighbors, and people look out for each other.”

That became evident for Nelson early in the thick of winter. 

“Our neighbors have a tractor with a plow, and they’ll just go up and down the street plowing our snow. There was one time when my daughter got stuck in the snow on the way to school, and the city manager happened to be driving by and helped get her car out,” he said. “It’s the little stuff that goes a long way.”

Like Kroeger, Nelson has served the community in various fashions. Now in year four as community coordinator and coming off a six-year tenure on the park board, Nelson’s passion project spawned in 2020 and has continued to unite the community and beyond: The Arthur Market. 

What started as an idea from his wife has turned into an event that brings Arthur residents and others from across the state of all ages together for three Saturdays each summer/fall at the Arthur City Park.

“When I started as community coordinator, my wife looked at me and said, ‘I think you need to put together a farmer’s market,’” he recalled. “Our first market in 2020 had 15 vendors and nine sponsors and now we have 42 vendors, 27 sponsors, and our largest attendance for a kickoff event yet. Watching the growth has been phenomenal.”

Nelson is intentional about each market. He ensures that there are activities for children, mindful that water slides are a must on hot days, so parents can supervise yet have the freedom to explore and converse. A firm believer in supporting small businesses, he’s kept local vendors and farmsteads at the forefront of the market.

“We find what works, we keep it, and always ask ourselves what we can add,” Nelson said. “We try to grow with purpose and not just grow.”

“The Arthur Market has energized community members to get out and about,” Kroeger added. “Between that, Arthur’s Barn (which has been hosting dances and events since the 1950s), and our small businesses, we’ve got a lot of great things going on.”

As Kroeger reflects on the past and envisions Arthur’s future in five or 10 years, he invites growth and progress with confidence that the town’s roots of fostering high-quality people will remain true. 

“Just a happier and as-friendly version as it is today.” 

 

Photos by Cori Jensen