Town of the Week

Thief River Falls, Minnesota
January 22, 2000

This is the third time in history that this Minnesota town was struck by our dart.

Thief River Falls developed as a lumber milling town. It also became a major agricultural area because of rich soil left behind by an ancient glacial lake. The unusual name, Thief River, was given to the river by the Ojibwe and Dakota people. Falls was added in 1896, when a dam converted a series of rapids to a waterfall.

Arrival of the Great Northern and Soo Line Railroads insured the community became a center for shipping wheat. The town is considered the birthplace of snowmobiling and one of the top wildlife and birding areas in the country. Thief River Falls is the home of Arctic Cat Snowmobiles, with 1,600 employees. Fourty years of snowmobile memorabilia can be found at the Black Cat Sports Bar and Grill on Highway 32 South.

A new 223 mile birding trail in Northwest Minnesota runs through town and offers 43 separate sites to see birdlife, with over 280 species of birds found here.

Among the town of 8,300's other attractions are the agassiz national wildlife refuge, huck olson memorial civic center, northland community and technical college, peder engelstad pioneer village, and the river road casino. This weekend, the town hosts the Dayco/Commercial Sewing Ironman 250 cross-country snowmobile race. So, the buzz is in the air at the our Town of the Week, Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

Take a trip to Thief River Falls, Minnesota; just listen in.

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