Moorhead

M oorhead,Minnesota,a cityon thewest- ern edge of the state,across the Red River fromFargo,NorthDakota,was founded in 1871 and incorporated a decade later.It is named afterWilliamG.Moor- head,a Director of theNorthern PacificRailway, whose trains and tracks provided the stimulus for economic and population growth in the area.In its earlyyears,Moorhead served as a transfer point for passengers headingwest to claim land under theHomesteadAct,as well as goods coming in by oxcart fromother parts of the state,whichwere then loaded onto riverboats for the journeynorth toWinnipeg,Manitoba on the Red River. Still primarilyan agricultural area,today,Moor- head,with a population of approximately43,000, is also home tomanufacturing and distributing industries,such as the giant sugar beet processing company,American Crystal Sugar.It also still serves MOORHEAD, MINNESOTA AT A GLANCE MOORHEAD, MINNESOTA WHAT: A city of 42,500 WHERE: On the western edge of the state, across the Red River from Fargo, North Dakota WEBSITE: www.ci.moorhead.mn.us PROUDAND PROGRESSIVE