Interstate Highway 94

As I author this entry, I’m sitting at home on 25^th Ave S on a lovely October 2016 evening with the windows open listening to the traffic on I-94 only a few blocks north of me. In 1958, when this section was being constructed, the city hadn’t crept much past 17^th Ave S, meaning Lindenwood Park was just south of town. Fargo now stretches down the Red River of the North to 76^th Ave South!

Aerial view, looking NW, of I-94 bridge construction. At the lower left one can see sand traps at Fargo Country Club and the rows of trees at Riverside Cemetery.

I-94 bridge construction, 1959. At the lower left one can see sand traps at Fargo Country Club and a gravel road and trees at Riverside Cemetery.

I-94 was a big deal in ND, with the first section of road ever constructed in any state being 12 miles between Jamestown and Valley City completed in 1958. All over ND, as sections were completed, ceremonial ribbons made of braided wheat were cut by dignitaries, marching bands played over the concrete, podiums were erected for speeches, and Ms. North Dakota was present.

Dignitaries pause before cutting a ceremonial ribbon made of wheat strung across I-94

Dignitaries pause before cutting a ceremonial ribbon made of wheat strung across I-94.

I-29, Fargo’s other interstate, running entirely north and south through ND’s 217.5 miles, was not completed until the final section from Pembina to the Canadian border in 1977. To add context as to how new the Interstate system is in America even today, this 1977 completion made ND the first state in the union to have completed it’s Interstate system.

Fun Fact: Of the seven states I-94 reaches through, ND’s section is the longest, stretching all 352.39 miles from the badlands to the flat lands at the base of the Red River Valley. Can you guess all seven states I-94 passes into?

Answer: (IN, IL, WI, MI, MN, ND, MT)

Sources:

“Interstate-Guide: Interstate 94.” Accessed October 16, 2016. http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-094.html.
“Interstate-Guide: Interstate 29.” Accessed October 16, 2016. http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-029.html.
Aerial photo courtesy of NDSU Institute for Regional Studies. Accessed November 19, 2016. http://www.digitalhorizonsonline.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/ndsu-olson/id/652/rec/14.
Dignitaries photo courtesy of State Historical Society of ND. Accessed November 19, 2016. http://www.digitalhorizonsonline.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/uw-ndshs/id/9557/rec/53.

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The Fargo History Project began in Fall 2012 as part of a Digital History course at North Dakota State University. What started as a class effort to explore Fargo’s early history through archival research has grown into an ongoing, collaborative public history initiative. Students continue to work in libraries, archives, and the community to uncover and interpret the city’s past, contributing research that expands the project in new directions each year.

Over time, the project has moved beyond its original digital format to include a range of public-facing work. Students have produced original documentaries, conducted oral histories, and developed a Fargo history walking tour that invites people to experience the city’s past in place. These additions reflect a broader commitment to making history accessible, engaging, and relevant to public audiences.

Have a story, photograph, or piece of Fargo’s history to share? Send it to us or get in touch—we want to include your voice in the project.

Angela J. Smith is Professor of History and Director of the Public History Program at North Dakota State University. Her work focuses on public history, digital history, and twentieth-century U.S. history, with an emphasis on community-engaged research and making the past accessible to broader audiences.

The Fargo History Project is a public history initiative produced by students at NDSU. ©North Dakota State University