Thursday, 7 June 2018

How a small town in North Dakota got its groove back

Noah place like home

FEW places have seen as much change in as short a period of time as Minot, a town of about 50,000 in North Dakota (slogan: “We’re ready for you”). Much of the city is descended from Norwegian stock. The biggest event on its cultural calendar is a celebration of Nordic culture (slogan: “Pure Scandimonium!”). Until about a decade ago, it was the sort of place where people left their homes unlocked and their car keys in the ignition.

Then came the oil boom, spurred by the discovery of new oilfields in the Bakken rock under the ground to the west of the town. That brought with it money and migrants, but also crime and inflation. In the four years to April 2012 the median house value in America fell by a fifth. In Minot it jumped by nearly a third. In the same period Minot’s population grew 14%, compared with 3% for America as a whole. The Hispanic population grew even faster. “The shock for this community came from the diversity of colour and...Continue reading

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