Brief History of 17th Street N/Park Avenue

 

Throughout the years, Metro COG and the City of Moorhead have frequently been asked, “why is 17^th Street North in Moorhead so wide?”  Due to the incomprehensible width of the corridor, many people inquired about the history of the roadway assuming there was a historic purpose or plan for the excessive width.  Given the mostly residential location, the corridor just doesn’t seem to “fit”, which is why Metro COG began debunking some of the more popular theories that people had about the width of the roadway.  Almost more frustrating than a straight forward conclusion, Metro COG and the City of Moorhead determined that there is no clear historical purpose for the width of 17^th St N – other than it has been that wide since its inception.

Below, is a timeline regarding the History of 17^th Street North in Moorhead Minnesota, including key dates that help debunk a few popular theories regarding the mysteriously wide corridor. 

 

1881:  Platted by Moorhead Attorney Ferdinand Elder in December, 1881 as Elders First Addition.  Named the street “Park Avenue” and made the corridor 140 feet wide, when the standard at the time was 80 feet.

 

1902:  Park Avenue was likely the official street name until July 1902, when the current street/house numbering system was implemented.  It became 17^th Street.

  

1903:  Wilbur and Orville Wright made four brief flights with their first powered aircraft.  

 

1908:  Ford’s Model T is mass produced.

 

1920:  “The King of Trails” is the historic name for the Auto Trail that eventually became US 75 sometime after the trunk highway system was commissioned in 1920.

 

1948:  American Crystal Sugar develops at its current location in Moorhead.

 

2020:  Reimagine 17th St: 17th St N Corridor Study Begins

 

Conclusion

1.     It was never a drag-racing strip.

2.     It was not intended to be a runway for the Moorhead Airport

3.     It was not initially planned to be US Trunk Highway 75.

4.     It was not originally platted for American Crystal Sugar or another industry. 

 

Mark Peihl, Archivist with the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, believes that the street may have been platted wide and named Park Avenue to make it more prestigious and the lots along it more valuable.  There was no park and is currently no park adjacent to 17^th Street N, and it is unknown if there was ever a plan for a park adjacent to the street.