Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/626452
visitminot.org 3 NOTEWORTHY Minot is the hometown of Hollywood A-list actor, Josh Duhamel. Nearly a century ago, it was also home to horror actor, Boris Karloff. Minot is home to Minot State University. MSU offers undergraduate and graduate degrees with an emphasis in education, nursing and business. The Minot Air Force Base, just north of Minot, has personnel from all over the world and is the only dual-wing nuclear capable base in the Air Force. Its motto is, "Only the Best Come North". Cameron Jibril Thomaz, better known as rap artist Wiz Khalifa, was born in Minot when his parents were serving in the military at the Minot Air Force Base. With more than 13 million online votes from across the nation, Minot's Oak Park won the title of "America's Favorite Park" and received a $100,000 grant through Coca-Cola's second annual Live Positively initiative! Roosevelt Park Zoo is North Dakota's oldest zoo. Established in 1920, it has been rebuilt after two devastating floods - 1969 and 2011. The state's record smallmouth bass (6 lb. 13 oz.) was caught in 2007 at Lake Darling near Minot. Minot celebrates North America's largest Scandinavian Festival, Norsk Høstfest, every fall. The North Dakota State Fair is held annually in July in Minot. In 1991, a 230-year-old house from Norway was dismantled, shipped to Minot and reassembled in the Scandinavian Heritage Park where you can view it today. This park is also home to a full-size replica of a Gol Stave Church. O U R H I S T O R Y The city of Minot, North Dakota was founded in 1886 where the Great Northern Railway's construction crew set up their winter camp. As if by magic, a tent town formed practically overnight and grew to a population of 5,000 in the next five months — giving us our best known nickname, "The Magic City." During the Prohibition Era, some people called Minot "Little Chicago" (We've always been known to have fun!), but today our reputation is different from those bootlegging days. In 2010, Forbes ranked Minot as #12 on its list of "The Best Small Cities To Raise a Family."