Zap is located on the South Shore of Lake Sakakawea in the central part of Mercer County. Zap was brought into existence at the time the Northern Pacific built its branch to Killdeer in 1913. How Zap received its curious name is a mystery as no data concerning the name is available at the immigration department of the Northern Pacific Railway. However, the “Old Settler’ History of Zap” 1944 asserts that the name was borrowed from a coal-mining hamlet of Scotland and adopted May 29, 1913. Another account is that the town was named for a prominent Minnesota banking family, with whom the town site proprietors were doing business at that time.

The Tuttle Land Co owned the original town site, established in 1890, just east of the present location. It proved unsatisfactory and was abandoned and replatted in May 19l3 on the homestead of Jacob Kraft, Sec. 14-144-89. The post office was established June 20, 1914. Zap was incorporated as a village in 1917. This area was undoubtedly trod by white men over a hundred years ago. In 1804-05, Lewis and Clark spent the winter just south of Stanton, now the county seat, where they gathered data concerning the unknown wilderness toward the west.

Tourists will find the little city nestled cozily among the hills in the valley of a spring creek. Right in the center of Zap and along the spring creek you will find the beautiful “Zap Park”. The park has water, restrooms, and electricity, and the RV Park across from the park is fully contained.

Zap is also known for the 1969 “Zip to Zap”, where thousands of college students flocked to “The Fort Lauderdale of the North” to party and spend “spring break” in Zap. Zap tried to prepare for the event but there were more students than expected, the weather was cold, the bar raised the price of beer, customers became irate. They went outside and gathered scrap lumber and built a bonfire to warm themselves. College students were all over the place, things were getting out of hand. The National Guard was called in by Gov. William Guy, after talking to the Mayor of Zap, Norman Fuchs. KFYR news was reporting “one the scene live reports. The event got on the national news and international news. The National Guard cleared out the estimated 2,000 young people. Today we have souvenirs from the “Zip to Zap”event for tourists who can’t seem to drive past Zap once they see our curious name.

Zap has a grocery store, cafe and bank all in one building, two bars, a hair salon, second hand store, garage for repairs, church, and a post office. Zap is a beautiful clean city with very friendly townspeople. 14 miles North of Zap is beautiful Lake Sakakawea and Zap’s Beaver Bay.