Alexander Griggs was a trader who used flatboats to transport goods to Canada. In the fall of 1870, he set out too late and became stuck at a French trading post when the river froze. He spent the winter in a cabin he built and began to realize he had found an excellent location for a new settlement.
By the time Griggs platted a new town in 1875, steamboats were already operating on the Red River. Grand Forks became an important stop for both goods and passengers. Steamboats were the dominant form of travel in the Red River Valley, and Grand Forks began to grow. But the city faced stiff competition. James J. Hill’s Northern Pacific Railroad had reached Fargo and was extending across Dakota Territory. While steamboats were convenient on the river, it was clear that railroads represented the future of transportation.
Fortunately for Grand Forks, Hill was a visionary. He looked west but he also looked north. On this date in 1880, his St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway, later renamed the Great Northern Railroad, reached Grand Forks. Hill had correctly identified that the railroad would provide vital service to the Red River Valley, the most populated area of what would become North Dakota.
The arrival of the railroad was a game-changer for Grand Forks. Steamboats couldn’t operate for almost half the year when the river was frozen. The railroad ran year-round, connecting Grand Forks to the rest of the country, opening new trade routes, and attracting businesses. As the city grew, new settlers arrived. The 1880 census recorded about 6,000 residents in Grand Forks County. Ten years later, that population had tripled. The growth spurred more commerce: new houses, schools to accommodate children, and new businesses.
Today, railroads don’t play the same role they once did. Most travel is by car or air, and goods move on interstate highways. But railroads remain vital to North Dakota, shipping 83% of the state’s grain and oilseed. Trains continue to carry North Dakota crops to markets across the country and around the world.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation. “Today in North Dakota History.” https://www.statehistoricalfoundation.org/todayinndhistory/ Accessed 2/12/2026.
- Grand Forks County Historical Society. “History of Grand Forks.” https://www.grandforkshistory.com/history-of-grand-forks-2/ Accessed 2/12/2026.
- Census Bureau. “Population of North Dakota by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions.” https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1900/bulletins/demographic/40-population-nd.pdf Accessed 2/12/2026.
- Minot Daily News. “Exports Important for ND Agriculture.” Minot Daily News www.minotdailynews.com Accessed 2/12/2026.
