Fessenden is a city in and the county seat of Wells County, North Dakota, United States. It was founded in 1893 and is home of the Wells County Fair. The population was 462 at the 2020 census.
History
Fessenden was founded in 1893 with the arrival of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad into the area. In 1894, the county seat was transferred to Fessenden from Sykeston, North Dakota and the Wells County Courthouse was built the next year. It was named for ex-Surveyor General Fessenden, who had surveyed the county.
Fessenden Auditorium building on Main Ave. between Railway Street South and 1 Street South has collapsed on July 3, 2007. On April 16, 2009 there was a fire that destroyed a bar, bowling alley, and a cafe, as well as doing some damage to the medical center in Fessenden.
Fessenden celebrated its centennial in July 1993.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fessenden has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Fessenden was on July 7, 1936, while the coldest temperature recorded was on February 15, 1936.
|source 2 = National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010)