Our History

established in 1909

the ranchers

john j. power

dave colville

This is the story of Powers Lake, nestling beside the lake bearing the same name. This town was started in September, 1909 and platted in October, the same year; it was originally part of Ward County as Burke County did not come into existence until July 15, 1910.

Powers Lake was built by sturdy pioneers of great hope and vision; it has never been a one-man’s town but has been a place where people like to work together. It is the story of the progress of a town founded by civic-minded leaders, interested in keeping a clean city, both as to appearance and as to behavior.

The ranchers came and built their mile upon mile of fences werever they wished, on the unsettled prairies. Two will be remembered because they have given their names to the town and township; Powers Lake and Colville Township.

In 1890 John Joseph Power and his family came from Minot up the White Earth Valley and settled on the south shore of the lake. He brought with him a band of purebred sheep which he had purchased from Jim Hill, the railroad tycoon. The lake was named Powers Lake by Hill in honor of his friend, John J. Power. With headquarters and corrals here he also built up a herd of well-bred cattle. One of his daughters, Margaret Elizabeth, was actually the first white child born at Powers Lake.

This information was gained from a letter received from his daughter, Lillian T. Power, dated February 8, 1957, at Portland, Oregon.

John J. and Martha Jane Power were indeed pioneers of North Dakota; Mr. Power put up the third house built in Minot and it was there that Lillian was born. Mrs. Power was an Emerson, a direct descendant of Ralph Waldo Emerson. John J Power’ mother, born in Scotland, could trace her family tree to Sir Walter Scott. They had twelve children, nine reached maturity and at the time of writing, seven were still living, namely, Mary, Lillian, Micheal John, George, Thomas, Robert and William. There are twenty-six grandchildren, thirty-seven great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

It was shortly after Lillian’s birth in 1890 that the family moved to this area and lived on the south side of the lake for a couple of years, using the wide open spaces as a ranch. Then the Powers family moved on to the Donnybrook area and lived there until 1902 when they settled on a farm about eight miles from the present town of Mohall. Mr. Power remained on this farm until his death in 1922. In 1938, Mrs. Power passed away at Portland, Oregon, where she had been living with her daughter Lillian.

Dave Colville, an early rancher, is well remembered by the first homesteaders as a colorful character and a remarkable man. His ranch headquarters was located nothwest of ttown at the site of the present Marvin Powell home. Colville’s mile upon mile of fences enclosed many sections where grazed a large number of good horses.

Colville was a bachelor but visitors were always welcome. He left his doors open for any one to stop and help himself to food whether he was at home or not. But his pet peeve was to find dirty dishes left when he got back home.

David Coville never wore a cap or earlaps; summer or winter, he wore an old felt hat; when it got below zero, he tied a long scarf over his hat and he was always recognized as he came loping along on his horse, by his flying scarf. The homesteaders remember him as one who always paid his bills and mostly by check. But he never carried a checkbook, he would take any scrap of paper at hand and scribble out the amount due and sign his name. And the bank always honored the check.

When homesteaders crowded him too much, Dave Colville picked up stakes and drove his horses ahead of him into Canada.