MEDORA (AP) - Land that once drew the likes of Theodore Roosevelt is now being divided and sold, and some officials are worried about the direction of growth in the North Dakota Badlands.

"These cowboys up here in the hill," H. Patrick Weir said, gesturing to the Medora Cemetery on top of a butte overlooking the town, "they'd be spinning in their graves if they knew."

Weir, a former Fargo lawyer, now lives south of Medora, where he also does much of his work. He understands why more people want to live in the area, but says the county must be careful to plan for orderly growth that protects the scenic landscape.

Ranches around Medora, North Dakota's top tourist destination, are being sold and subdivided into "rancheros" - lots bought by wealthy buyers to build homes on. A sign on the door of a local coffee shop advertises land being sold in parcels of 40 acres to 160 acres.

"Two years ago, it was a working ranch," Weir said.

Medora itself appears poised for big changes. Proposals have been floated for two subdivisions. If approved, it would be the first sizable expansion in the historic hamlet for decades.

"There's something mystical about these hills," said Kathy James, who runs the James Gang Java coffee shop. "There's always going to be people who come here, fall in love with it and want a piece of it."

Cowboys and tourists have long mingled in Medora. But the town is wrestling to find the right balance in preserving its Old West feel with its growing aspirations as a tourist center.

The town has been discussing a new historic preservation zoning ordinance for months, with sign restrictions a source of contention. A proposal forwarded by the city zoning committee would curb new freestanding signs and limit the size of signs in proportion to storefronts.

"We're trying to maintain our identity," said Diane Rogness, a state Historical Society administrator who heads the zoning board. The ordinance, which the City Council plans to take up this fall, is an outgrowth of a strategic plan drafted two years ago.

"We would like Medora to maintain its unique character and still have the growth that everybody is talking about, and that's tough to do," Rogness said.

Some residents say a lot of the history of Medora has already disappeared.

"I think the horse is out of the barn," said Marge Gratten, 88, who grew up on a ranch outside of Medora and now runs an antique shop. "How can you restore what's been torn down?"

Mayor Doug Walker said the City Council must be careful to hold the line on property taxes, especially for elderly residents on fixed incomes, as Medora grows.

In the 1990s, debate about growth sometimes grew intense, even ending up in the state Supreme Court as a question arose about whether a person who lived in Bismarck part time could serve as mayor. Local residents say the tensions have since calmed.

"I don't know if it's progress," James said. "It's change. You can't really stop change."