Downtown Minot
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Downtown Minot is the
central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
of
Minot Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Minot Air Force Base, Air Force base approximately north of ...
,
North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
, located south of the Souris River in the Souris Valley. Downtown is the site of the first permanent settlement in Minot in 1886. Downtown is home to many of Minot's cultural sites of interest. It is also home to numerous galleries, stores and restaurants. The Minot Riverwalk traverses the downtown.


Geography

Downtown Minot is located in the Souris River Valley between North Hill and South Hill along
US Route 83 U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that extends in the central United States. Only four other north–south routes are longer: US 1, US 41, US 59, and US 87, while US ...
. The neighborhood is roughly bound by Fifth Avenue South to the south, Fifth Street Southwest to the west, CP's railroad tracks to the north and Front Street to the east. The major streets through downtown include Broadway (formerly Second Street West), the Burdick Expressway (Business US 2/ 52), Main Street and Central Avenue. Main Street and Central Avenue divide the city's street into four quadrants. Streets east of Main Street are designated east, while streets west of Main Street are designated west. Likewise, streets north of Central Avenue are designated north, while those to the south are designated south. Downtown is connected to the north side of the Souris River by three bridges, the Broadway Bridge and the Third Street Bridge carry automobile traffic over the railroad track and river and the Anne Street Viaduct is a pedestrian bridge making this crossing. The Broadway Bridge, which carries US 83 across the river, was completed in 1962. The First Avenue Pedestrian Bridge over the Souris River, built in 1935, connects downtown with the Torbenson neighborhood. The Eastwood Park Bridge is a pedestrian bridge over the Eastwood Oxbow, which connects downtown with the Eastwood Park neighborhood. The Eastwood Park Bridge, a false arch bridge built in 1927, carries Sixth Street from Central Avenue to First Avenue SE. The First Street Stairs is a set of stairs connecting two sections of First Street and downtown with South Hill.


History

In 1808,
Alexander Henry The Younger Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants li ...
identified the Assiniboine living along the Souris Valley as the Little Girl band. The Little Girl band or Souris River Assiniboine were the southernmost tribe of the Assiniboine The region they inhabited later became part of
Rupert's Land Rupert's Land (french: Terre de Rupert), or Prince Rupert's Land (french: Terre du Prince Rupert, link=no), was a territory in British North America which comprised the Hudson Bay drainage basin; this was further extended from Rupert's Land t ...
, part of
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...
claim. This land did not become part of the United States until fifteen years after the
Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...
, at the London Convention. Minot was first settled in 1886, when the Great Northern Railway was extended to that location. Originally, a tent city sprung up where the trestle was being constructed across the Gassman Coulee. When it became known that the railroad had picked a townsite to the east, the tent city was relocated to what is now downtown Minot. At this time, the area was part of the
Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...
, whose capital had been transferred from Yankton in what is now
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
, to nearby Bismarck in 1883. Olfa Olson, Ole Spokle, Ed Kettleson and
Erik Ramstad Erik Reiersen Ramstad (January 17, 1860 – January 21, 1951) was one of the founders of Minot, North Dakota. Biography Ramstad was the son of tenant farmer Reier Pedersen and Anne Ellefsdatter. He was born at Køsahaugen in Sigdal in Buskerud, N ...
were the first to settle in what is now Minot. Ramstad bought the tract which includes downtown. The area originally called the Second Crossing of the Mouse, later in 1886 was given the name Minot, after
James J. Hill James Jerome Hill (September 16, 1838 – May 29, 1916) was a Canadian-American railroad director. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwes ...
's friend,
Henry Davis Minot Henry Davis Minot (August 18, 1859 – November 14, 1890) was a Massachusetts ornithologist and railroad executive. Henry was born at his family's estate, Woodbourne in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. He was the fourth of five sons born to Wil ...
, a fellow railroad executive and ornithologist. In 1886, people quickly began settling the downtown area. J.H. Charlesboise opened a blacksmith shop and Christ Lindberg opened a saloon. Allen Tompkins, who later became mayor of Minot, moved to the town and soon built the Minot's first hotel, which would later become the Parker House. Allen's son, Ernest Minot Tompkins, was the first child born in the new city. Construction of the railroad, farming and needed services provided early settlers with jobs. Another early way to make money was through the collection of buffalo bones from the area. People collected buffalo bones from the surrounding area and brought them to the railroad track downtown. The bones were used for fertilizer and in the process of refining sugar. Piles of bones were stacked along the railway. In 1888, the pile along the railroad tracks extending east from Main Street was so large that the railroad built a spur track to load cars.Gavett, Joseph L. "Minot: The Magic City". Chicago: Watchmaker Publishing, Ltd, 2006.
Lignite Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...
mining was another earlier industry that was established around Minot. On July 16, 1887, the village of Minot was incorporated and James H. Scofield became the first mayor. The second mayor of Minot, elected the following year, was the city's first physician, Dr. Edmund Belvea. Minot's population at this time was already around four hundred. By 1890, Minot's population was nearly thirteen hundred. Minot's early population growth earned it its nickname "The Magic City". By the 1910 census, Minot had outgrown Bismarck, to become the third largest city in the state. By 1970, however, Bismarck had regained that position. The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway, nicknamed the Soo Line for Sault Ste. Marie's pronunciation, was the second railroad to reach Minot, in 1893. The Soo Line Passenger Depot, built in 1912, served this line. In 1887, the city began publishing its first newspaper, the ''Minot Rustler Tribune''. In the early 1920s, bank robbers, "Smiling" Johnny Reid and "Chicago Freddie" were living in Minot. Johnny Reid was one of several aliases used by Leslie Ayer, born in
Prince Rupert Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 (O.S.) / 27 December (N.S.) – 29 November 1682 (O.S.)) was an English army officer, admiral, scientist and colonial governor. He first came to prominence as a Royalist cavalr ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
in 1895. "Chicago Freddie", along with Arthur Schultz and George Long, were aliases of Arthur G. Davis, an American bank robber. Davis had just been released on parole, when he met Ayer in Minot in 1921. The pair stole more than $2 million from banks in Canada and the United States in the early 1920s. In 2011, the Souris River flood inundated much of the river valley in Saskatchewan, North Dakota and Manitoba. In Minot, about a quarter of residents of the city were evacuated. On June 24, the Souris River surpassed previous crest heights This was considered a five-hundred year flood event. Hesco barriers were installed by the National Guard downtown before the flooding began. The secondary dikes and Hesco barriers helped to limit some of the flooding downtown. The flooding downtown was primarily in the northern section of the East End/Bayou section up to Central Avenue.


Economy


Top employers

The top employers in Downtown Minot, according to the Minot Area Development Corporation in the first quarter of 2013 are:


Neighborhoods


Commercial Historic District


East End/Bayou

The East End/Bayou District is a neighborhood adjacent to the Commercial Historic District, not officially recognized as part of the Central Business District.1915 standard atlas of Ward County, North Dakota, plat book and patron's directory Geo. A. Ogle & Co., 1915 It is situated within the Minot Industrial Historic District. The East End/Bayou neighborhood borders the Coney Island Addition to the north, the Woodland Addition and the river to the east, CP's railroad tracks to the south and the Commercial Historic District to the west. It is a mixed-use neighborhood, zoned mostly industrial and commercial. It has a similar building density to the rest of downtown. Central Avenue and Third Street East are the main thoroughfares through the neighborhood. The neighborhood is home to Ebeneezer's Eatery and Pub, Souris River Brewing, the Ice Box and Arny's Lounge. The neighborhood is home to two bicycle shops, a flower shop and the Railroad Museum. Bricks on Central, a three-story brick building, converted for office and commercial space, is home to a patisserie, a nursery, two photography studios, a dance studio, a fitness center and a software developer. The First Avenue Pedestrian Bridge connects the neighborhood with the Torbenson neighborhood on the north side of the river. The Sixth Street Pedestrian Bridge connects the neighborhood with Eastwood Park. The two neighborhoods are separated by the Eastwood Oxbow, for which the Bayou Addition received its name.


Government Center

Government Center is the small area formed from the triangle created by the Burdick Expressway, Third Street SE and Front Street. It is not considered part of the Central Business District. Government Center is home to the Ward County Courthouse, the county library and the county jail. It is the future location of the Ward County Office Building, a planned three-story, sandstone and glass office building across from the courthouse. The
Minot Daily News The ''Minot Daily News'' is an American daily newspaper, printed in downtown Minot, North Dakota. It originated as the ''Burlington Reporter'' and was published out of Burlington, then the county seat, until the early 20th century. It is the ...
building is also located in the neighborhood.


High Third

High Third was Minot's tenderloin or
red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particu ...
in the early twentieth century. It was located on a four block section of Third Street SW between what is now the Burdick Expressway and First Avenue SW, going up South Hill. The neighborhood remained the city's red-light district into the 1960s. The neighborhood was home to the Avalon, the Coffee Bar, the Flame Cafe, Saul's Barbecue, Famous Pit Bar-B-Cue, the Derrick Cafe and the Grill. The Grill was owned by Dee Dee Govan.
Dale Brown Dale Brown (born 2 November 1956) is an American writer and aviator known for aviation techno-thriller novels. At least thirteen of his novels have been ''New York Times'' Best Sellers. Early life Brown was born in Buffalo, New York, and w ...
,
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
coach, used to eat at the Grill. Saul's Barbecue was operated by Negro leagues player,
Saul Davis Saul Henry "Rareback" Davis (February 22, 1901 – February 8, 1994) was an American baseball shortstop in the Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a less ...
. In the 1940s, Davis's team came to Minot to play a game at Corbett Field."South Dakota Review, Volume 28" The University of South Dakota, 1990 Davis remained in Minot, where he decided to open a barbecue at 318 Third Street SW. High Third was known for the presence of gambling, prostitution and alcohol during Prohibition. During Prohibition, the illegal activities associated with the High Third neighborhood helped earn Minot the nickname Little Chicago. In a 1983 ''Minot Daily News'' article, the author called the neighborhood a "haven of brothels and bootlegging". After police raids in the Third Street neighborhood in 1954, the city received phone calls warning them to "lay off Third Street or else". In 1979, the North Dakota State Highway Department widened Broadway, which necessitated the demolition of numerous buildings in the neighborhood.


Lower Brooklyn

The lower part of the Brooklyn neighborhood is included in Minot's Central Business District. Brooklyn, named for the Brooklyn Addition, is bounded by Sixth Street SW, Eleventh Avenue SW, Broadway and the Burdick Expressway. Lower Brooklyn is the northeast section of the neighborhood bounded by a line continued from Fourth Street SW and Eighth Avenue SW. Upper Brooklyn or Brooklyn Heights is the southwestern portions of the neighborhood on South Hill and is not considered part of downtown. The Brooklyn Heights Apartments are named after the neighborhood. Upper Brooklyn is also home the
Scandinavian Heritage Park Scandinavian Heritage Park is a park located in the Upper Brooklyn neighborhood of Minot, North Dakota. Scandinavian Heritage Park features remembrances and replicas from each of the Scandinavian countries: Norway, Sweden and Denmark, as well a ...
. Lower Brooklyn is home to a few businesses, residences and a car dealership.


Cityscape

The Blakey Block is located at 107 Main Street. The building was designed by
Robert Stacy-Judd Robert Stacy-Judd (1884–1975) was an English architect and author who designed theaters, hotels, and other commercial buildings in the Mayan Revival architecture Style in Great Britain and the United States. Stacy-Judd's synthesis of the style ...
, who lived in Minot and operated a firm in town from 1917 to 1919. The Blakey Block was formerly home of A.S. Blakey Drugs. In the first half of the twentieth century, it was also home to the short-lived Minot College of Commerce, which was located on the second floor. Today, the building is home to a jewelry store. It is pictured in the postcard above, just past the Cafe sign on the left hand side of the road. Bricks on Central is a three story brick building in the Bayou section, which has been converted for commercial use. The Carnegie Library is located on 2nd Avenue SE and was built in 1911. The Classical Revival style building served as the city's library from 1912 until 1965. The building now called the Carnegie Center is used for special events. The Fair is the second location of the Ellison brothers Fair department store. Engel, Norman and Otto Ellison opened the new location in 1910. In 1929, a second building, just south of the Fair Block was opened at the corner of Second Avenue and Main Street. The building at the corner of Second Avenue and Main Street was intended to be five stories, four stories for the store and the top stories for offices. The building, however, was only built as a three story structure. Today the building is home to offices, restaurants and stores. The upper floors are home to apartment and condominiums. The First Avenue Building at 13 First Avenue SW is a five story building between West Alley and First Street SW. The building was completed in 1928 and is concrete with an applied masonry facade. The building used to face Minot's first city hall built in 1905. That building was later razed to build a parking lot. The site is expected to become the location of a public parking garage in 2013. Fountain Plaza located at the Southwest Corner of First Avenue and Main Street. It is named for the fountain, originally located in the middle of Main Street, which has since been moved to this location. The Lyceum Theater operated at this site, in an earlier building, in the early twentieth century. In the 1920s, the theater was renamed the Strand Theater and in 1955 it became the Town Theater. The theater building was torn down in the 1960s. The Lee Block or Evergreen Square is the building on the southwest corner of Main Street and Central Avenue. It is named for Peter P. Lee, the fourth mayor of Minot. This location was home to Jack Doyle's saloon, Lee's general store and later the New York Store, which became a Woolworths. Today, the building is home to apartments. The Minot Building, also known as the Midwest Federal Building, is located on Second Avenue SW between 1st Street and West Alley. The building formerly served as the Minot Federal Savings and Loans headquarters. The dark eight story building and the large letter M, make the building a landmark in downtown. The Minot Public Library, located on Second Avenue SW, has served as the public library for the city, since the building was dedicated in 1966. The Parker Suites at 19 First Avenue SE were built between 1929 and 1943. George Vaulker commissioned the project as an office building, but only the bottom two floors were finished for many years. As historical pictures show, the supports for the upper floors were built, but the building remained unfinished. Clarance Parker bought and finished construction of the building turning it into a hotel.
President Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
stayed at the hotel in 1953, while visiting the recently completed Garrison Dam. The Scofield Block is the building on the east side of Main Street, just south of Artspace Lofts. The building is named for James H. Scofield, the first mayor of Minot, who was the head of Scofield Implement. The current building was built in 1905 and is home to Abracadabra Balloons and Decorating, 62 Doors Art Gallery & Studios and ArtMain, as well as apartments on the upper levels. The Soo Line Passenger Depot is an old railroad station built in 1912 at the southern end Main Street. The depot, no longer located on a line which offers passenger service, has since been converted to the Old Soo Depot Transportation Museum. The Tompkins Block is located between 10 North Main and the Taube Art Museum on the east side of North Main Street. The two-story building is named after the former mayor of Minot, Allan Tompkins. The building is home to apartments and several businesses.


Attractions


Arts and culture

* Arlene Theater, a theater hosting performances by a community theater group called the Mouse River Players is located on First Avenue SE. * Minot Public Library, the city's public library located on the west end of downtown on Second Avenue SW. * Taube Museum of Art, an art museum which first opened in 1970, is located in the Union National Bank Building on North Main Street. *Old Soo Transportation Museum, located in the old Soo Line Depot, built in 1912, has items related to Minot's railroad history. *Railroad Museum of Minot, a museum displaying artifacts from Minot's railroad history, is located on First Ave NE *62 Doors Gallery and Studios, is an art gallery and studio space so named for the walls in the studios constructed from salvaged doors *Margie's Art Glass Studio, is a studio space and gift shop, selling art glass supplies and handmade glasswork. *Pangea House, a community center with a focus on music and art, which also hosts Why Not Fest, an annual music and arts festival. *Ward County Library, a small library in Government Center open on weekdays only.


Sports venues

The Minot Municipal Auditorium is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose venue at the western edge of downtown. Despite having a larger seating capacity than All Seasons Arena, two miles to the east or
Maysa Arena Maysa Arena is a multi-purpose venue located in Minot, North Dakota. The name Maysa is an acronym for Minot Area Youth Skating Association, a group that proposed the construction of the three-rink arena in the 1990s. The $3.9 million arena on the ...
, two miles to the southwest, the Municipal Auditorium has no current tenants. The
Minot Minotauros The Minot Minotauros (commonly known as the Tauros) are a Tier II junior ice hockey team playing in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). Based in Minot, North Dakota, the Tauros play their home games at Maysa Arena. History The Tauros are M ...
of the
North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 48th season of operation in 2022–23. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...
play their games at
Maysa Arena Maysa Arena is a multi-purpose venue located in Minot, North Dakota. The name Maysa is an acronym for Minot Area Youth Skating Association, a group that proposed the construction of the three-rink arena in the 1990s. The $3.9 million arena on the ...
. The MSU Beavers hockey team plays their games at All Seasons Arena. The
Minot SkyRockets The Minot SkyRockets were a team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their home games at the Minot Municipal Auditorium. The team began play in 2005 as the San Jose Skyrockets of the American Basketball Association (2000–pre ...
, a former
Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
team played their games at the Municipal Auditorium. The Auditorium has recently served as a venue for concerts. In the fall of 2011, students at Ramstad Middle School began attending classes at the Minot Municipal Auditorium downtown. Temporary classroom units on the property were also needed to accommodate students. A new Ramstad Middle School is currently being constructed on North Hill, which is expected to open for the 2013-2014 school year.


Shopping

Downtown retail is centered mostly along Main Street. Artmain, the Black Iguana, Bray's Saddlery & Western Wear, Cookies For You, D & S Anderson Bootery, Fiancee, Magic City Sweets, the Gourmet Chef, Mainstream Boutique, Lien's Jewelry, Lillian's, Main Street Books, and Top Antiques are all retail businesses located on Main Street. There are a number of other retail businesses scattered throughout the downtown district, but the majority of downtown's retail is located along Main Street between Central Avenue and the Burdick Expressway.


Night life

The city of Minot has a limited night life. There are a number of bars and restaurants, however, which stay open late downtown. Along Main Street, restaurants include 10 North Main and Little Blue Elephant. The Drop Zone and Off the Vine, a bar and wine bar, respectively, are also located on Main Street. Third Street downtown is home to Souris River Brewing, Ebeneezer's, Arny's Lounge and the Nok Back Tavern, which are all open late. Other late night venues downtown include Saul's, High Third Bar & Restaurant, Sports on Tap, The Ironhorse Kitchen & Bar, and The Blue Rider. Loaf 'N Jug convenience store on Fourth Avenue and Fourth Street is the only business downtown that is open twenty-four hours.


Places of worship

;
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
br>First Baptist Church
;
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
br> Heritage Baptist Church
;
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
br>St. Leo's Catholic Church
;
Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally know ...
br>First Church-Christ Scientist
;
Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...
br> All Saints' Episcopal Church
;
Grace Communion International Grace Communion International (GCI), formerly named the Radio Church of God and Worldwide Church of God, is a Christian denomination with 30,000 members in about 550 churches spread across 70 countries. The denomination is structured in the episc ...
br>Grace Communion International meets at the Central High School Campus
;
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
br>Bethany Lutheran Church
;
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
br>St. Paul's Lutheran Church


Tallest buildings

There is currently a maximum height limit of one hundred and fifty feet for the Central Business District. There is no height limitation for most of the East End/Bayou neighborhood. File:Milton Young Towers Minot.jpg, Milton Young Towers File:Minot Building Minot.jpg, The Minot Building File:Parker Suites Minot.jpg, Parker Suites


Demographics

Approximately 65% of the residents of downtown Minot were born in North Dakota. 28.4% of the population was born in other US states and 6.6% of the population was born outside of the United States.


Government Facilities

Government Center, the triangle formed from the Burdick Expressway, Third Street SE and Front Street is home to a number of Ward County facilities. This area is home to the county courthouse, the county jail and the county library. The Minot Public Library is located on the western edge of the downtown neighborhood, on the corner of Second Ave SW and Sixth Street SW. The former public library, the Minot Carnegie Library is located on Second Avenue SE. The former library, now called the Carnegie Center, hosts numerous special events throughout the year. There are also current plans to construct a county office building in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is also home to the
Minot Daily News The ''Minot Daily News'' is an American daily newspaper, printed in downtown Minot, North Dakota. It originated as the ''Burlington Reporter'' and was published out of Burlington, then the county seat, until the early 20th century. It is the ...
, the primary print newspaper for the northwestern part of the state. The first Ward County Courthouse was located in
Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...
. It was built in 1886 and at that time the county was called Imperial Ward County and included parts of
Burke Burke is an Anglo-Norman Irish surname, deriving from the ancient Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh. In Ireland, the descendants of William de Burgh (–1206) had the surname ''de Burgh'' which was gaelicised ...
, Mountrail and
Renville Renville may refer to: ;Places In the United States: * Renville, Minnesota * Renville County, Minnesota * Renville County, North Dakota ;People *Joseph Renville *Gabriel Renville Gabriel Renville (April 1825 – August 26, 1892), also known a ...
counties. This building is now located at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds in Minot. The building sustained some minor damage from the Souris River flood in 2011. In 1889, a new county courthouse was built at the present site on Third Street. The brick building was raised in 1928, so a new courthouse could be constructed on the site. In 1929, the current Art Deco Ward County Courthouse, designed by the architectural firm Toltz, King & Day, was constructed on the same site. The county jail is situated just to the east of the courthouse. The planned county office building would be constructed, just to the north of the courthouse on the other side of Third Avenue. The Judge Bruce M. Van Sickle Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is an Italian Renaissance Revival style building located on First Street SW in downtown. Bruce Marion Van Sickle was a Minotian and United States federal judge appointed by
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
in 1971. The building was built in 1915 and designed by
Oscar Wenderoth Oscar Wenderoth (1871–1938) was an American architect who served as director of the Office of the Supervising Architect from 1912 to 1915. He is identified as the architect of many government buildings built during that period, including some li ...
. The building originally housed the post office for Minot. In 1940, a significant addition was constructed. In 1962, the post office was moved out of the building and out of downtown. The area that served as the post office was converted to office space. In 1982, the courtroom in the building was remodeled. Minot's first city hall was located on First Avenue Southwest on West Alley between First Street SW and Main Street. The two-story brick building remained in use as Minot City Hall for fifty years. Today, Minot City Hall is located in a complex with the police station on Second Avenue across from the city library.


Education

The
University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...
's School of Medicine and Health Sciences has a Northwest Campus located downtown. The campus is host to a small number of medical students and family medicine residents at Trinity Hospital. The campus is also home to the Angus L. Cameron Medical Library. The library is open on weekdays and provides resources and services to medical staff at Trinity and to students. Limited resources and services are also available to the general public. Downtown is also home to
Minot High School Minot High School (MHS) is the public high school in Minot, North Dakota, divided between two main campuses: Magic City (grades 11-12) and Central (grades 9-10). MHS also includes an alternative campus: Souris River Campus. Athletics The boys' ...
's Central Campus and Central Campus East. Central Campus East is an alternative campus for students under 16. The Central Campus is the high school in Minot for ninth and tenth graders. It is located in the expanded former Minot High School building, which was constructed in 1918. In 1974, a new high school was opened in Minot, west of downtown. That campus has since become the Magic City Campus and is for eleventh and twelfth graders. The former Minot Armory building is now home to the Minot School District offices. In 1913, the armory housed Minot State Normal School's first library.


Transportation

The main roads accessing downtown are the Burdick Expressway and Broadway. The Burdick Expressway is a four lane road, which carries Business US 52 and Business US 2 through downtown. Broadway carries
US 83 U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that extends in the central United States. Only four other north–south routes are longer: US 1, US 41, US 59, and US 87, while US ...
through downtown. The Minot Bypass, a loop composed of alternate routes for all three roads travels around the city. The southern segment of the bypass is a four-lane limited-access highway, while the Western Bypass is a two-lane limited-access highway. A recently constructed Northeast Bypass carries traffic from US 2 on the east side of town to US 83 north. Downtown in one and a half miles from
Minot International Airport Minot International Airport is in Ward County, North Dakota, United States, two miles north of the city of Minot, which owns it. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''primary commercial service'' ...
, the second busiest airport in the state, behind Hector International Airport in Fargo. In 2012, the airport had over 224,000 boardings, a record number, which was a sixty-six percent increase from 2011. The airport is served by Allegiant,
Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also re ...
,
Frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...
and United, which fly to
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
and Phoenix. In 2010, when service was offered to Denver, an additional route to
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
was begun. This route was cancelled due to low ridership. Similarly in the 1960s and the 1980s, a connection with Regina was briefly offered at Minot Airport. More recently United offered service to
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, which has since been cancelled. With the surge in number of travelers at the airport in recent years, however, new destinations are now being considered. The airport is currently in the planning stages of a construction project for a new terminal and airport expansion project.


Amtrak

Although the Soo Line Depot downtown is no longer used as a passenger station, Amtrak's
Minot Station Minot station is a train station in Minot, North Dakota served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station is located at the site of the former Great Northern Railway station, adjacent to the Minot Public Library, and close to M ...
is located on the northwest edge of downtown, accessible from First Avenue SW. The station is on Amtrak's Empire Builder line, which connect's
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
with
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
and
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
. The station was the second busiest in the state in 2012, over Fargo,
Grand Forks Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...
, Devils Lake,
Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
and
Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
. Only Williston had more boardings than Minot. Of the forty-six stations on the Empire Builder route, Minot was the twelfth busiest in 2012 behind Chicago Union Station,
King Street Station King Street Station is a train station in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is served by Amtrak's '' Cascades'', ''Coast Starlight'', and ''Empire Builder'', as well as Sounder commuter trains run by Sound Transit. The station also anchor ...
in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Union Station in
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
, Milwaukee Intermodal Station, Midway Station in St. Paul, Vancouver Station in
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
,
Glenview Station Glenview station is a Metra commuter rail and Amtrak intercity rail station in Glenview, Illinois, United States, north of Chicago. The station is located at 1116 Depot Street, from Chicago Union Station, the southern terminus of the lines. The ...
in
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, Whitefish Station in
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
, Spokane Intermodal Center,
Williston Station Williston station is a train station in Williston, North Dakota, served by Amtrak's ''Empire Builder'' line. The brick station was built in 1910 by the Great Northern Railway and is located at the southern end of Williston's downtown. An interio ...
and
Everett Station Everett Station is an Amtrak train station serving the city of Everett, Washington. The station has provided service to the '' Cascades'' and ''Empire Builder'' routes since its opening in 2002, replacing an earlier station near the Port of E ...
in
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
. Minot is a layover stop as the city marks the start of a new subdivision. This is where train crews change to
Mountain Time Zone The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) when standard time ( UTC−07:00) is in effect, and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time ( UTC−06:00). The clo ...
, although the tracks do not cross into the Mountain Time Zone until the Montana border.


Local Service

Taxi-9000 and the Central Cab Company are two cab companies that operate in Minot. Two rental companies in Minot, Enterprise and Rent-a-Wreck, offer pickup service to their customers.
Minot City Transit Minot City Transit, is the public transit agency operated in Minot, North Dakota, It operates fixed-route bus routes in the city. A 1977 built Minot City Transit bus, constructed by the American Motors General Metropolitan and modeled after a Can ...
operates several bus routes, which serve downtown on weekdays. Cash fare or tokens can be purchased upon boarding the bus. In the mornings, bus routes from downtown service
Minot State University Minot State University (MSU or MiSU) is a public university in Minot, North Dakota. Founded in 1913 as a normal school, Minot State University is the third-largest university in North Dakota, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. ...
and
West Minot West Minot is a neighborhood in Minot, North Dakota, located in the Souris River The Souris River (; french: rivière Souris) or Mouse River (as it is alternatively known in the U.S., a calque of its French name) is a river in central North Ame ...
on the North Central Route, Minot State University and North Hill from the North Route, Eastwood Park and Holiday Village from the East Route, South Hill and the
Dakota Square Mall Dakota Square Mall is an enclosed shopping center in the city of Minot, North Dakota. The mall's anchor stores are JCPenney, Scheels All Sports, Target, Barnes & Noble, AMC Theatres, T-Mobile, Party City, Carter's, Old Navy, and Ulta Beauty. Overv ...
form the South #2 Route and Oak Park and Bel Air from the West Route. In the afternoon, North Hill can be accessed from the North Route, Roosevelt Park and Holiday Village from the East Route, South Hill from the South Route #1 and Minot State University and Oak Park from the West Route. The City of Minot is currently conducting a transit study to determine the transit service needs of the city and the region over the next five to ten years. On January 8, 1912, former Minot mayor, Joseph Roach and James Johnson, A.J. Brunner and L.J. Palda, met with the city commission to propose an electric street railway. The trolley would have begun at the old Soo Line Depot, travelled up Main Street to what is now the Burdick Expressway toward Eastwood Park and return to downtown via Central Avenue. The proposal was turned down by the city. The reason cited was that the plan did not cover the outlying districts of Minot.


Regional Service

Souris Basin Transportation offers service from Minot to Crosby, Kenmare, the Minot Air Force Base and
Sawyer *A sawyer (occupation) is someone who saws wood. *Sawyer, a fallen tree stuck on the bottom of a river, where it constitutes a danger to boating. Places in the United States Communities *Sawyer, Kansas *Sawyer, Kentucky * Sawyer, Michigan * Saw ...
. The Dakota Shuttle offers daily service to
Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
,
Tioga Tioga may refer to: United States communities *Tioga, California, former name of Bennettville, California *Tioga, Colorado *Tioga, Florida * Tioga, Iowa *Tioga, Louisiana *Tioga, New York, a town in Tioga County *Tioga County, New York, a county at ...
and Williston. The pickup location can be reached from downtown via city cab or the North bus line. There is a bus from Minot to Bismarck that leaves at 1:00 PM on every day except Thursday and Saturday, which returns at 4:30 PM. The bus stops at
Washburn Washburn (alternatively Wasseburne, Wasseborne, Wasshebourne, Wassheborne, Washbourne, Washburne, Washborne, Washborn, Wasborn, Washbon) is a toponymic surname, probably of Old English origin, with likely Anglo-Norman and Norman-French influen ...
at 2:15 PM on the way to Bismarck and at 5:25 PM on the way to Minot.


Future development

The downtown neighborhood was part of a redevelopment project. The $140 million Imagine Downtown project helped restore the downtown district in response to the 2011 Flood. The project provided low to moderate income housing in the downtown and improved infrastructure, which included new streets, sidewalks, water mains and traffic lights. Two three-level, city-owned parking garages have also been built downtown, which were financed through the MAGIC Fund. One parking structure is located on the southeast corner of Second Avenue SW and First Street SW, while the other is located on the northeast corner of First Avenue SW and First Street SW. The Artspace Minot Lofts, a new addition to Main Street, is a four-story 34-unit residential building on the site of the former Leland Parker Hotel. The building was the first building constructed downtown in thirty years. In addition to the residential space, commercial arts-related space is available. One tenant of this space is a Native American museum and gift shop. A new Ward County Office Building downtown was designed by
JLG Architects JLG Architects is an architecture firm that specializes in urban design, master planning and architectural design for sports/recreation facilities, universities, K-12 schools, aviation facilities, medical centers, and mixed-use/multi-family hous ...
The project included the expansion of the Ward County Jail. The new office building matches the look of the Ward County Courthouse, but has a glass entryway. The architect explained that the current design allows for future vertical expansion.


Events

Downtown Minot host numerous events throughout the year, which include: *Hot Summer Nights Wine Walk in June *Festival on Main, held in August *Why Not?!? Minot Music and Arts Festival (formerly "Why Not Fest"), held in August *The Wine Walk, held in September *The Souris Valley Garlic and Grape Festival, held in September *Artfest, held in October *Worldwide Photo Walk, held in October *Tree Lighting Ceremony, held in November *Small Business Saturday, held the day after Black Friday *Christmas Open House, held in November


Emergency Services


Hospitals

Trinity Hospital is located along the Burdick Expressway in downtown.


Fire services

The Minot Fire Department operates Fire Station #2 in DowntownMinot Fire Department


Police services

Th
Minot Police Department
operates just outside the Central Business District at 515 Second Ave SW.


Gallery

File:Arlene Theater, Minot.png, Arlene Theater File:Taube Art Museum, Minot.png, Taube Museum of Art File:62 Doors Gallery Minot.jpg, 62 Doors Gallery File:Anne Street Bridge.jpg, Anne Street Bridge File:Carnegie Center Minot.jpg, Carnegie Center File:Minot Armory.jpg, Armory


References


External links


Minot Downtown Business & Professional Association
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Minot Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Minot Air Force Base, Air Force base approximately north of ...
Neighborhoods in North Dakota Neighborhoods in Minot, North Dakota