Green River scenery may change

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An area along the Green River famous for its comforting atmosphere and wild nights since 1876 will now take on a different appearance.

The area is about eight miles east of Dickinson along Old Highway 10, was recently sold at an auction at the T-Rex Mall in Dickinson.

Many residents remember the area as the home of the Green River Rest Area and there is even a Facebook group called “Fans of the Green River Rest Area.” The page has 632 likes.

“There used to be some wild parties out there,” said Ed Binstock, owner of the auction company that sold the property. “It was quite the area hangout in its time.”

Another site also included in the sale is a hill known as Custer’s Lookout Point.

“The 7th Cavalry did not want to cross the river twice so Custer went up the hill and found a more favorable crossing,” said Ernie Tormaschy, who sold the land. “The Cavalry was traveling from Fort Lincoln to Montana to what would be the battle of the Little Big Horn.”

A book by Laudie Chorne, “Following the Custer Trail of 1867,” confirms local lore that Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer along with the 7th Cavalry Regimen of the U.S. Army camped near the Green River in May 1876, said North Dakota State Historical Society Historic Sites Manager Diane Rogness and Fort Abraham

Lincoln Executive Director Tracy Potter.

The campsite is one mile south of the concrete bridge on Old Highway 10 and stretches to Interstate 94, according to the book, Potter said.

The book also states it was one of the most comfortable camps the men had stayed at, Potter said, adding the reason being they could clean up and wash their clothes. It is also noted the men saw a lynx, elk, bison, coyotes and antelope and were surprised at the abundance of prairie roses and fish there.

The first recorded owner of the land is the Northern Pacific Railroad, according to Stark County records.

Tormaschy sold the land to pay bills.

He received about $107,000 for the approximate 23 acres.

“I am fairly pleased with what I got, but I know others have gotten more,” he said. “In one case I heard that a parcel of land in town sold for $8,000 an acre. I got about half of that.”

The buyers names were not disclosed and Tormaschy and Binstock, of Big E Auction Service, said a portion of the land is to be developed into housing and the rest will be farm, pastureland or used for hunting.

Tags: green river rest stop, news, sale, auction