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National Bank Notes > North Dakota

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Devils Lake, First NB, W3397
Fr. 617 $10 1902DB
Grade: PMG Fine 12 Net    

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This was the earliest of three national banks chartered in this Ramsey County community. The bank was chartered in 1885 and, although it was chartered during and issued Territorial notes, none are known. In fact, the earliest type known is a Red Seal. There were 13,807 sheets of large size issued. The signature of R.J. Drake, Cashier is clear but H.E. Bank, President's is very faint. One of 14 large notes reported. PMG notes: discoloration. Devils Lake is the county seat of Ramsey County; the population was 7,141 at the 2010 census. It is named after the nearby body of water, Devils Lake, the second-largest body of water in North Dakota after the artificially created Lake Sakakawea. The present site of Devils Lake was historically territory of the Sioux or Dakota. The Sioux were relocated to the Spirit Lake Reservation. The name "Devils Lake" is a mis-translation of the Sioux name Miniwaukan chante, which separately translate as mni (water), wak an (spirit), and chante (bad). Early European-American settlers thought this meant "Bad Spirit Lake", or "Devils Lake." In fact, the "bad" referred to the high salinity of the lake, making it unfit to drink, and "spirit" meant the mirages often seen across the water. Devils Lake is an endorheic, or closed, lake (no outlet river or streams) and as such, the lake tends to be much higher in salinity than are lakes with outlets to river systems, similar to the Great Salt Lake in Utah. This city was founded in 1882 as Creelsburgh, named for Lieutenant Heber M. Creel, a West Point graduate and topographical engineer stationed at nearby Fort Totten. Its name was later changed to Creel City and expanded by the Great Northern Railway. When the village was incorporated in 1884, the name was changed to City of Devils Lake and then shortened to Devils Lake. It has been from its beginning the major city between Grand Forks and Minot, reaching a peak population of 7,441 in 1980. Among the native sons of Devils Lake is William Lewis Guy, Governor of North Dakota from 1961-1973.

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