The City of Grand Forks lies at the confluence of the Red River and Red Lake River. The name of the city is therefore a clever allusion to its geographical location. Unlike many other cities in North Dakota that developed around the construction of railroads, the history of Grand Forks is indelibly intertwined with the Red River of the North, as it was first an important steamboat port.
Apart from being the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota, Grand Forks is also the oldest. There are 60 buildings and historic sites of interest in the city, and they are listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Grand Folks County. Here’s a short overview of the history of this captivating city.
Early History
Long before Europeans started to inhabit the region where Grand Forks is located, it functioned as a place where Native Americans congregated and traded goods. The first Europeans to arrive on the scene were French fur traders, explorers, and trappers. They decided on the name “Les Grandes Fourches,” which means “The Grand Forks,” for the trading post they had set up. Les Grandes Fourches was a bustling fur-trade center for the French until the French and Indian War brought an end to their operations.
Alexander Henry, who was a British fur trader and a representative of the North West Company of Montreal, established a permanent post at Les Grandes Fourches in 1801, and by the 1820s American companies had also started to conduct business in the area. As the ox cart trails that ran from Minneapolis to Winnipeg passed through the area, Les Grandes Fourches was functioning as a refreshment station along this route during the mid-19th century. In 1879, when the first post office was opened, Les Grandes Fourches was renamed “Grand Forks.”
A Town Is Born
In 1870, captain Alexander Griggs’ steamboat froze in the Red River where Grand Forks is located, and Griggs and his men had to set up camp for the winter. They obviously found the months they spent there quite pleasant, as Griggs claimed a piece of land of around nine acres by the time spring arrived. This piece of land became the townsite and in later years, the downtown area, which is why Griggs is known as the “Father of Grand Forks.”
Grand Forks grew quickly in those early years. The steamboat traffic on the river spurred growth, and merchants and professional people flocked to the area from Minneapolis and other cities. In addition, the cheap land in North Dakota drew thousands of settlers who wanted to start their own farms in the area. The arrival of the railroad in the 1880s led to further expansion. The early 1880s saw the arrival of the St. Paul, Minneapolis, & Manitoba Railway, while the Northern Pacific Railway arrived in 1887.
Until the railroads came in the 1880s, the development of the town grew mainly alongside the river. But now the town started to expand to the west along the railways. Within a few years, the downtown area, which previously offered only a few saloons and hotels, became populated with banks, fancier hotels, and a range of sophisticated shops.
Grand Forks Becomes a City
On February 22, 1881, Grand Forks was officially incorporated as a city. The city grew quickly, and within only a few years boasted a hospital, a police department, and a fire department. In 1882, the doors of Central School were opened, and shortly after, those of Belmont and Wilder Schools. By 1883, the University of North Dakota was established. Whereas the population was just over 3,000 in 1881, there were 7,653 residents in the city by 1900.
During the first half of the 20th century, Grand Forks grew steadily, with people from surrounding areas increasingly moving to the city. A new air force base, which was developed just west of the town in 1954, provided new work opportunities that prompted an influx of thousands of people into the city. The increasing population and the arrival of federal highways led to the development of new residential neighborhoods south and west of downtown.
Fires and Floods
In the history of Grand Forks, there have been many fires and floods. In the 1890s, fires destroyed nearly all the oldest commercial buildings in the city. The buildings that were erected subsequently were constructed from bricks to prevent the quick spread of fires in the future. So much construction took place in the early 1900s, that five local brickyards were needed to supply the required amount of bricks.
The threat of fire was such a concern that when the new Country Courthouse was built in 1913, the woodwork throughout the building was substituted with metal. Since they still wanted the look of wood, they then faux-painted all metal fittings to look like quarter-sawn oak.
As Grand Forks is located in a flat region called the Red River Valley, flooding was also a constant concern for the city, with the low-lying areas experiencing floods every year. The Red River, which functioned as the main source of development for Grand Forks in its early days, ironically also turn out to be the biggest threat to the survival of the city. In 1897 and 1950, the city was hit by very destructive floods. After the flood of 1950, a dike was erected, and temporary dikes were also erected each spring in an attempt to control the river.
However, in 1997, the river broke through the dikes and flooded the city. More than 50,000 residents were evacuated, which was the largest single-city evacuation in the U.S. since the civil war. After this event, the government started the construction of a new levee system to protect the city which took 10 years to complete.
Today, Grand Forks is a thriving city that has recovered from these devastating events. Since the flood, many public and private developments have been constructed in the city, including two large venues, a 13-story hotel, and a water park. Ultimately, the story of Grand Forks is one of innovation, resilience, and victory over adversaries.
Contact Rydell Outlet in Grand Forks
When you’re ready to explore Grand Forks for yourself, our team at Rydell Outlet is happy to help you find the perfect vehicle to tour the sights in this historic city.
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