Minot, ND, to Grand Forks, ND (US 2 east)
Heading east out of Minot the impact of the oil boom dwindles and the grandeur of the open plains unfolds before us. A mottled patchwork of gold and brown stretches towards the horizon under stormy skies, punctuated by thin lines of green as trees planted as windbreaks after the Dust Bowl of the early 20th Century have reached maturity.
There is little flowing water in this part of the country. The Souris River (also known as the Mouse River) rises in central Saskatchewan in Canada to the northwest of Minot, dips in a languid arc down into the United States before turning back north into Canada. It meanders through a gentle densely wooded valley with low bluffs on either side. Minot was founded on the southern bank of the Souris River in 1886 as a stop on the Great Northern Railroad.
Minot, ND
Minot is now a small city of 41,000 people and serves as the commercial center for a large geographic area. The local economy has been steady over the years, stabilized by the presence of the triad of agriculture, education (Minot State University) and government (Minot Air Force Base, which provides employment for over 6,000 people). The town has historically three distinct neighborhoods: North Hill, the bluffs north of the river valley; the Souris River Valley, heavily wooded and the scene of frequent floods; and South Hill, where the compact city center climbs up bluffs to the plains to the south. The train tracks and original Hwy 2 run east/west along the southern banks of the river and Main Street runs directly south from the old train depot to the plains above. The center of commerce has shifted to southern developments on the flats along the Hwy 2 bypass to the south and that is where the Dakota Square, a large mall, and all the usual associated businesses are now located. Standing on top of North Hill, the view to the south across the Souris River is directly up Main Street in the central city.
The area boomed in the early 1900’s due to railroad construction north to Canada and west to Seattle, luring immigrants to settle the wide open plains. Many of the buildings in the central city were constructed during this time period. Contributing to the economy during the 1920’s was Minot’s position as a major center of the Al Capone liquor smuggling operation between Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the north and Chicago to the east. I had a bit of challenge as Main Street in the center of downtown is totally shut down due to major improvements to infrastructure taking place. This, combined with the difficulty of parking the Lunch Box on city streets built on a steep slope, curtailed my normal examination of the entire area. The vintage buildings house small shops, restaurants and financial institutions as major retail is now located south along the Hwy 2 bypass.
The northern end of Main Street terminates at the railroad tracks along the river, anchored by the historic “Soo Line” train depot, now a museum.
The immigrants who flooded western North Dakota and eastern Montana during the early part of the 20th century were primarily from Eastern Europe and Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland). This was a period of unusual rain which gave a false impression to the naïve arrivals of the ability of the plains to consistently provide conditions conducive to agriculture (this was particularly true of eastern Montana, which is where my ancestors first settled during this time period). As more normal conditions returned in the early 1930’s the infamous years of the “Dust Bowl” transformed the area by forcing the development of more sustainable farming practices. The heritage of those hardy pioneers who settled in the Minot area is celebrated at the city’s centerpiece, the Scandinavian Heritage Park.
Scandinavian Heritage Park
The Scandinavian Heritage Park sits up South Hill from the downtown area. Immigrants brought very little with them other than memories and the heritage park recognizes their heritage by containing reminders of the life left behind. The Visitor Center anchors the park, designed in the style of the homeland.
Turning left from the front of the visitor center the view extends across a verdant green meadow towards the stunning church.
The tour runs in a clockwise circle around the small park. The first stop is the Sigdal House, oldest house in North Dakota. The house is not a reproduction, but a 230 year old house from the Vatnas region of Sigdal, Norway which was dismantled, shipped across the Atlantic and rebuilt in Minot in 1991. The attention to detail was so complete that even the original moss used to seal between the logs was reused.
Further on is the Stabbur, a store house. This is a reproduction of the original “Torvtjonnloftet”, built in 1775 in Rauland, Norway. The unique design was created to lift the stores off the ground in order to prevent rot and pest infestations. The replica was built in Norway and sent to Minot, where it was constructed in 1990.
The path then crosses beneath a 30-feet tall Dala horse, the most recognized Swedish symbol in the world. The Dala Horse was dedicated in 2000.
The centerpiece of the park is the Gol Stave Church. A magnificent reproduction of the original Gol Stave Church in Gol, Norway, the church seats 60 people.
Descending the small hill takes me by statues that memorialize two local residents. On the left is Sondre Norheim, known as the father of modern skiing who helped change skiing from normal transportation into sport; and on the right is Casper Oimoen, a member of the US Olympic teams in the 1930’s as a ski jumper.
The circle completes at the Plaza Scandinavia, where a mosaic of multi-colored granite tiles depicts a map of Scandinavia.
My time in Minot draws to an end and I resume the journey east on US 2 towards Grand Forks and the eastern border of North Dakota. The landscape continues to unfold in a cornucopia of gold and green. Given the lack of significant change in elevation for nearly 200 miles, there is minimal moving water. The result is that the land is increasingly punctuated by ponds and small lakes, home to a significant bird population. Ahead I can see flocks of geese beginning to head south for the winter.
Small towns, usually becoming known on the horizon by a looming grain elevator in the distance, pop up along US 2. Rugby, ND, is a stop on the way because it is known as the geographic center of North America. A stone obelisk marks the approximately spot (I say approximate, because nothing gets in the way of progress – the original location was covered by the expansion of US 2 a number of years ago…)
Hopping back on US 2, the path continues to navigate between farmland and water as we approach Grand Forks.
Grand Forks, ND
Grand Forks gets its name from early French fur trappers who named the area where the Red River and the Red Lake River come together as “Les Grandes Fourches” and by 1740 an important trading post flourished in the area. The Red River has the distinction of being the largest river in the United States to flow north into Canada and eventually Hudson’s Bay and the plains on either side are very fertile farmland. Given that the region is relatively flat the Red River Valley is susceptible to widespread flooding, several of which have been catastrophic in nature. The first US Post Office in the area was established in 1870 and the actual town of Grand Forks was incorporated on the west bank of the Red River in 1881. The University of North Dakota was established in Grand Forks in 1883 even though the state of North Dakota was not formed until six years later. The fertile agriculture bounty of the Red River Valley encouraged development of a prosperous community and much of downtown Grand Forks was built in the early 1900’s. Impressive buildings along 4th and 5th Streets dating prior to 1920 include the City Hall, Federal Building, Old County Courthouse and Central High School.
The new county courthouse dominates the skyline and demonstrates a more modern interpretation of the Old County Courthouse across the street.
The town was repeatedly ravaged by floods, the most damaging occurring 20 years ago in 1997 which devastated the downtown river front and perhaps even more the town East Grand Forks, laying on the lower east bank across the river in neighboring Minnesota.
In the aftermath of the 1997 flood the decision was made to not rebuild most of the destroyed river bank on both sides of the river and instead a large greenway was developed consisting of parks, a couple of golf courses, a campground and other recreational facilities. It is a beautiful area, stretching on both sides of the river. The campground that I am staying in is on this reclaimed land, just at the east foot of the bridge connecting East Grand Forks in Minnesota and Grand Forks in North Dakota. Standing in the campground the view to the west is across the river to downtown Grand Forks.
Walking across the bridge I look up Demers Street, the heart of downtown Grand Forks. The new tan flood gates and walls can be seen on the left and right side of the street. When a flood is forecast, metal panels slide into slots on the wall and pillars, forming a barrier against the raging waters.
To my left is a monument which documents major floods since the founding of the city. This view is looking west towards East Grand Forks on the Minnesota side of the river. The green spaces were commercial and residential neighborhoods prior to the 1997 flood. The scale is deceiving because of the angle of the picture. The 1997 flood actually covered the highway bridge in the background of the picture to the right.
A combination of grass covered levees and the new flood wall line both sides of the greenway through the downtown areas.
The devastation caused by the 1997 flood essentially destroyed a commercial strip of Grand Forks two blocks wide along the river and now downtown Grand Forks actually starts with 3rd Street. Evidence of the stability of the area over time is that most of the construction in the city center is from the early 1900’s. This is a vibrant community and the downtown reflects the state of modern cities close to a major arterial (in this case Interstate 29 about a mile west of the river). Major retail has moved out of the city center into the malls and associated buildings along the interstate, downtown is now a mix of bars, restaurants, and boutique retail.
On the west side of 3rd Street backing up to the flood walls, newer construction strives to maintain the ambience of the historical city center by recreating architecture of the early 1900’s.
Just southwest of the city center are block after block of historic neighborhoods, many far enough off the river to have escaped damage during the flood. This is a beautiful residential area of the city.
After World War II the threat posed by Russia loomed over America and the heartland of the country was protected by a triad of air bases established in the 1950’s in Great Falls, MT; Minot, ND; and Grand Forks. Grand Forks Air Base north of town remains one of the major employers in the area and along with the University of North Dakota and agriculture form a stable base for the local economy. Modern Grand Rapids spreads south and west of the historic downtown area. I have to say that this is an attractive community, neat and clean, lots of parks, etc. Of course, one pays a price. The weather is challenging, particularly the winters. With no significant mountain ranges between the area and the North Pole, the wind blows constantly and more importantly, the winters are absolutely brutally cold. You have to be tough to live on the northern plains. But obviously the attractions outweigh the challenges!
The next part of my journey takes me into the wilds of northern Minnesota and so I had to stop at a local Walmart to stock up. Little did I know that I was about to run into another one of the quirks that define North Dakota. It was about 11am when I pulled into the Walmart parking lot and instantly I knew something was up. Ask yourself “what’s wrong with this picture?”
Yes, this is a picture of a Walmart parking lot at 11am in the morning! Where’s everyone at? Puzzled, I drive closer to the front entrance and the secret is revealed.Turns out that the “North Dakota Blue Law” is in effect. “Blue laws” historically were common throughout the Western World, banning commerce on Sunday in order to preserve the day for religious activities (Fridays in the Islamic world). In recent times “Blue Laws” have been relaxed or eliminated in most of the United States but North Dakota retains one of the most restrictive Blue Laws in the United States. The sale of most non-food items is banned from midnight on Saturday until noon on Sunday, Google to see the actual law (I did!), the list of banned items is impressive both in its’ length and the detail of the items described. Learn something new every day! So Augie and I diddled around to fill the time, getting gas, emptying waste tanks, and going for a walk while we waited for Walmart to open. Finally, fully provisioned, we are ready for the wilds of northern Minnesota.
Next up: Brrr, Buzz and Beauty…
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