Editing Hillsboro, North Dakota (section)

==History==
The area along the [[Goose River (North Dakota)|Goose River]] that is now Hillsboro was first settled by [[Germany|German]] and [[Norway|Norwegian]] settlers around 1870. In 1880, the present day site of Hillsboro was founded under the name "Comstock". Local [[folklore]] tells of the residents of nearby [[Caledonia, North Dakota]] turning away a shabby [[Surveyor (surveying)|surveyor]] because of his appearance. This man was then offered hospitality by residents in the tiny settlement of Comstock. The man turned out to be [[railroad]] baron [[James J. Hill]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Jackson |first=William |title=North Dakota Tornadoes Twisters & Cyclones |date=2024 |publisher=Valley Star Publications |year=2024 |isbn=979-8-89480-378-4 |location=Dickinson, ND |publication-date=2024 |pages=62, 99}}</ref>

Hill was so impressed by the kindness showed to him by the residents of this small community that he decided to place his [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railway]] there instead of in Caledonia. The name of Comstock was platted as "Hill City" in September 1880 in honor of Mr. Hill. The city was then renamed "Hillsboro" in 1883 after it was discovered that there was already a "[[Hill City, South Dakota|Hill City]]" elsewhere in [[Dakota Territory]], now a part of [[South Dakota]].<ref name=":0" />

The routing of the railroad through Hillsboro gave the young city the motivation to attempt to have the [[county seat]] moved there from Caledonia, which had been the seat of Traill County since its organization in 1875. The ensuing contest grew bitter and heated, with Caledonians arming themselves, posting guards in the town, and organizing a committee for defense. Hillsboro residents took to calling the defense committee Tigers of the Jungle and Irreconcilables.<ref name=wpa>{{cite book|last1=Federal Writer's Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of North Dakota|title=The WPA Guide To 1930s North Dakota|date=1977|publisher=State Historical Society of North Dakota|isbn=1891419145|page=193|edition=2nd}}</ref>

Caledonia went as far as to bring in a professional campaign speaker, Col. W. C. Plummer, to campaign on behalf of the town. His speeches were well-attended but, despite these efforts, Caledonia lost the county seat to Hillsboro in a 1,291 to 218 vote.<ref name=wpa/> The [[Traill County Courthouse]] was built in Hillsboro in 1905.

In 2001 Hillsboro experienced sustained 100-mph winds that blew down 2,400 trees and 23 miles of powerline and damaged a quarter of the homes in Hillsboro.<ref name=":0" />

In 2006, Hillsboro celebrated its 125th birthday.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hillsboro 125th Anniversary - Hillsboro, North Dakota|url=https://www.lasr.net/travel/city.php?Hillsboro+125th+Anniversary&TravelTo=ND0508008&VE=Y&Event_ID=ND0508008e002|access-date=July 22, 2021|website=www.lasr.net}}</ref>