Gascoyne, North Dakota

Gascoyne is a city in Bowman County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 16 at the 2010 census.HistoryThe city was founded in 1907 and known originally as Fischbein before the name was changed to Gascoyne on March 25, 1908. The new name came from a construction foreman on the Milwaukee Road transcontinental rail line that was built through the city, though an alternate explanation suggests that the name refers to the large deposits of natural gas found in the area.Reserves of lignite coal are also found in the area, and Gascoyne was the site of a coal mine for much of the 20th century. The most active period for the mine occurred between 1975 and 1995, when about 2.5 million tons of lignite were produced per year, primarily for the Big Stone Power Plant near Big Stone City, South Dakota. The mine began ceasing production in 1995, and was shut down completely in 1997. In 2001, Westmoreland Coal Company purchased the mine with an intent to resume mining and construct a 500 megawatt power plant on site. These plans were later suspended in 2008 due to environmental concerns.GeographyGascoyne is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.00sqmi, all of it land.