Bitter Lake

Northfield, on Farm roads 94 and 656 two miles east of the North Pease River and twenty-seven miles northeast of Matador in northeast Motley County, was originally called Bitter Lake. It was renamed by D. Cook for his Minnesota hometown, famed for a bank robbery by Jesse James and Cole Younger. Cook started a store in Northfield and became postmaster in 1890. The community has remained small with a few businesses, including a gin. Pioneers before 1900 included Ed McCoy, George Elmore, John Thomas, J. R. Williams, and W. L. Moore. In 1946 Northfield had two stores, a post office, a school, and twenty-five people. The population was the same in 1980. In 1990 it was listed as fifteen, where it remained in 2000.