Did you know that Moorhead, Minnesota used to be referred to as the "wickedest city in the world"? This is quite contrary to today since Moorhead was recently named the Best Small City in the nation for its economic health, affordability, and quality of life according to NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Shortly following its founding in 1871, Moorhead was filled with saloons, dance halls, and brothels to satiate the crews of the Northern Pacific Railway coming through town. The wickedness escalated in 1889 when North Dakota entered the Union as a dry state. Saloon keepers in Fargo hastily crossed the river and set up shop in Moorhead. In an interview with a Moorhead resident by the St. Paul Dispatch, it was reported that "Almost every night there was a shooting. Revolvers would bark and women scream, and we would wonder what news the morning would bring of numbers killed." Why then did the founders of Concordia College choose Moorhead? Well, the real estate was so cheap that they could not afford to turn down the opportunity. Luckily, they reaped many benefits from the location. As the railway clans moved West, some of the wickedness diminished. The Hudson bay Company brought a thresher into Moorhead to help raise wheat. A flour mill and grain elevator was established and in 1875 bonanza farms were popping up in the Red River Valley that attracted international attention. Steamboats transported livestock, grain, and passengers into Moorhead. By the 1920s, the population was booming and an electric street-car network had been established. The growing economy and urban expansion aided in the survival of Concordia College. So in 144 years Moorhead made a big leap from "wickedest city in the world" to the Best Small City in the nation!
Jayme J.
12/13/2015 11:07:25 pm
Can you tell me the date of the Dispatch newspaper that published the interview with the Moorhead resident? I haven't been able to find it, and would like to use it as a source. Thanks!
Concordia College Archives
1/6/2016 07:44:13 am
Hi Jayme! Thank you for your interest. The date listed in our source (which is the Cobber Chronicle by Erling Nicolai Rolfsrud, p. 11) is July, 1926. Hope this was helpful! Comments are closed.
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