Tree-based names on the Prairie

I’ve always found North Dakota’s place names to be confusing. The city of Hettinger is not in Hettinger County. Nor is Steele found in Steele County. But Grand Forks is in Grand Forks County and Pembina is in Pembina County. I can’t keep track of it.

Places are sometimes named for nearby natural features. Though Mountain is a little bit higher than the nearby Red River Valley, it’s not nearly as h...