Ayr, North Dakota - Town Trapped in Time

A few years ago (5+/-)I was in North Dakota on business and had a Sunday to myself. There wasn't a lot to do in Fargo so I started driving west on interstate 94. I headed north at some point and came upon a very small town called Ayr. (About 20 miles from Fargo) It really was a non descript town and I was just going to turn around and leave. I turned the rental car left onto the next street I came to and thought I'd driven into the Twilight Zone. It was as if I'd entered a turn of the century town. There was an old gas station, one room school house, barber shop, fire station, general store, train station etc.

But they were all restored and in excellent condition. I parked my car and wandered around for a while when an older gentleman named Keith Johnson came out of a house, He had done all of this work himself. He bought the buildings and moved them to Ayr and restored them. It was a hobby for him. I'm guessing that he probably donated these buildings to the Frontier Village in Fargo by now...but if he didn't and they are still there in Ayr it's an amazing site to see. [Ray Gomes, 06/09/1999]

[RA: November 2008: Keith Johnson's town is still in Ayr. He received recognition in 2007 from the North Dakota Historical Society for his persistence in acquiring his own town. Its official name is the Cass County Pioneer Village.]