Arrival of the Great Northern Railway – 1915 Tales From Old Timers #12 –

In 1886 the settlement was nothing but a assortment of tents and shacks. The construction of the Great Northern was going on and the town was crowded with people. These were some of the most exciting times recorded. Money was plentiful and everybody reaped a rich harvest. It was a banner day in the history of the settlement when the first train pulled into town. A few years later the Soo Line came through town and from that time the city has grown in leaps and bounds. The following year the Great Northern built more than 500 miles of road west of Minot. All material was shipped here and distributed to points as far west as Great Falls, Montana. Section houses were even built on flat cars and shipped out. Minot was a typical town of the west with everything wide open. It was not until the year 1887 that the county seat was removed from Burlington and established in Minot.