East Grand Forks Walking Tour 2024

In 1871, John Fadden was granted a charter to operate a ferry for 5 years to cross the Red River. It operated as a flat-bottom boat on a rope stretched between East Grand Forks, MN and Grand Forks, ND. Operators and passengers were expected... Read more

Running along the Red River, the Greenway Trail, which opened to the public in 2003, is 2,200 acres of beautiful open space on both sides of the river. Walking south from the Sorlie Bridge along River Street or the trail, you can look to yo... Read more

When you turn from River Street onto 3rd Avenue NW, the brick column on your right is the site of the pre-flood public library. Its 4800 sq. feet were completely destroyed by river water and debris that reached just short of the ceiling. Th... Read more

William C. Nash and his men carried mail by pony cart in the summer and huskies in the winter on the most difficult of six federally authorized Minnesota routes in 1851. By 1863, the future East Grand Forks site was a primitive trader camp ... Read more

North Dakota joined the United States as a dry state in 1889. Minnesota went dry in 1852 but declared it unconstitutional that same year. This benefited the economy of East Grand Forks as North Dakotans crossed the Red to quench their thirs... Read more

In the late 1930s, East Grand Forks, Minnesota, was known as the world's most neon-lit capital per square foot, thanks to its remarkable concentration of vibrant and colorful lights on DeMers Avenue. Crafted by Louis Buckner, these neon lig... Read more

In the 1920s and 1930s, Whitey's had so many slot machines that it resembled a club in Chicago in both appearance and sound. The establishment also housed the nation's first horseshoe-shaped bar made of stainless steel, which is still in us... Read more

The States Theatre and Ballroom were immediately next to the northeast foot of the Sorlie Bridge, where River Street runs today. The States Theatre was the only “respectable” place a single woman or family could enjoy a good meal and en... Read more

On November 6, 1998, the Blue Moose Restaurant in downtown East Grand Forks was moved from its old location by the Sorlie Bridge to a new location on Second St. NW. It was moved because the old location was on the "wet side" of the new floo... Read more

The Sherlock Park neighborhood, located in the northern area of downtown East Grand Forks, experienced severe flooding in the late 1990s, causing significant damage and making it uninhabitable. Instead of rebuilding, the area was transforme... Read more

Sherlock Forest Playground, located on 4th Avenue NW in East Grand Forks, was initially designed with the help of local elementary schools and built by community volunteers with donations and grants in 2003. Unfortunately, on May 27, 2011, ... Read more

Northwest Minnesota faced challenges in building a positive reputation during the late 1870s. General Hazen, a scientific authority on the upper Midwest, reported in 1872 that the Red River Valley was "a barren waste." The following year, a... Read more

From 1880 until 1915, East Grand Forks looked to its liquor business for the bulk of city revenue. The Hamm’s Brewing Company of St. Paul opened an East Grand Forks cold-storage plant in 1890. They soon outgrew it and relocated to 1897 to... Read more

In 1997, the library building on Second Street, around where the flood wall is currently located, was destroyed in a major flood. The building was rebuilt and opened in 2001.  The library building and its contents suffered extensive damage... Read more