Dakota Datebook

Calvin

December 2, 2022 — North Dakota has had two different towns named Calvin. The first one, in Rolette County, consisted of a rural post office established October

23, 1899. The postmaster was Ira Eisenhour, and his job was short lived. His post office order was rescinded almost exactly a year later, and that was the end of Calvin number one.

The second town of Calvin was—and still is—near the Canadian border in Cavalier County. It was founded as a Great Northern Railroad townsite in 1902. The first postmaster was Reverend

David Sykes, who named the town for John Calvin, the founder of the Presbyterian Church. It’s interesting that John Calvin had changed his name from his birth name of Jean Chauvin.

In Latin, Calvin means bald.

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