Minot

The History of Minot

By cassandra.stauffer

  • The Beginning

    The Beginning
    City of MinotMinot came into existence in 1886, when James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway ended its push through the state for the winter, after having difficulty constructing a trestle across Gassman Coulee. It was the end of the railway's line, so whenever a train came into the town and the stop was announced, the conductor would call out "Minot, this is Minot, North Dakota, prepare to meet your doom". A tent town sprang up overnight, as if by "magic", thus the city came to be known as the Magic City, an

  • The Little Chicago

    The Little Chicago
    [Minot History MPL](http://www.minotlibrary.org/files/1613/8600/6616/MinotHistory-1920-1940.pdf)
    During the 1920s the city had become a center of illegal activities associated with the High Third district, which were exacerbated due to the city being a supply hub of Al Capone's liquor smuggling operations

  • Expansion

    Expansion
    [MAFB](http://www.minot.af.mil)The 1950s saw a large influx of federal funding into the region, with the construction of Minot Air Force Base (1956–57) thirteen miles (20 km) north of the city, and Garrison Dam (1947–53)

  • Flood of 1969

    Flood of 1969
    In 1969, a severe flood on the Souris River devastated the city. Afterward, the Army Corps of Engineers straightened the path of the river through the city and built several flood control structures.

  • Train Derailment

    Train Derailment
    Bismark TribuneOn January 18, 2002, a severe train derailment west of the city sent a gigantic cloud of anhydrous ammonia toward Minot, and Burlington. One man died and many of Minot's citizens were sickened and severely injured by the noxious gas, causing one of the worst major chemical accidents of the country

  • Flood of 2011

    Flood of 2011
    KX News ReportThe 2011 Souris River flood caused extensive damage throughout the Souris River Valley. On June 21, 2011, KXMC-TV reported that a flood of historic proportions was imminent in the Souris River Valley, largely due to large dam releases upstream. Around 12,000 people were evacuated. On June 26, flooding exceeded previous records when the river crested at 1,561.72 feet above sea level, three feet above the previous record set back in 1881