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Minot, is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. With a population of 36,567 at the 2000 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state. The city is the county seat of Ward County[3] and is a trading center for a large portion of northern North Dakota, southwestern Manitoba, and southeastern Saskatchewan. Founded in 1886 during the construction of the Great Northern Railroad, Minot is also known as the "Magic City".

Minot is the principal city of the Minot Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers McHenry, Renville, and Ward counties and had a combined population of 67,392 at the 2000 census.

Minot History

Minot came into existence in 1886, when James J. Hill's Great Northern Railroad ended its push through the state for the winter, after having difficulty constructing a trestle across Gassman Coulee. A tent town sprung up over night, as if by "magic", thus the city came to be known as the Magic City, and in the next five months, the population increased to over 5,000 residents, further adding to the nickname's validity.

The town site was chosen by the railroad to be placed on the land of then-homesteader Erik Ramstad. Ramstad was convinced to relinquish his claim, and became one of the city leaders.

The town was named after Henry D. Minot, a railroad investor and friend of Hill. The city was incorporated on June 28, 1887.

The Soo Line railroad later built a line from Valley City up to Canada. While initially their plan was to cross the Souris River at Burlington, local interests and arguments convinced them otherwise; landholders along the new route donated the right-of-way. They reached Minot in 1893.

During Prohibition the city was nicknamed "Little Chicago", as it was a central hub of Al Capone's liquor smuggling operations. Smugglers used a network of underground tunnels (some of which were previously built for heating or deliveries) to transport and conceal the illicit cargo entering from Canada. Some of the tunnels can still be accessed[citation needed].

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) on the Missouri River, about fifty miles (80 km) south of Minot.

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.

On 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 [5]. In early 2006, court cases were heard in Minneapolis, Minnesota against Canadian Pacific Railway, the owner of the derailed train. Several cases have been settled and many others are pending. The anhydrous ammonia spill was the largest such spill in U.S. history

www.wikipedia.org

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