Most People Have No Idea This Abandoned Railroad Town In Minnesota Even Exists
By Betsy Rathburn|Published July 13, 2022
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Betsy Rathburn
Author
Betsy is a Minneapolis-based writer who's lived in Minnesota for 20 years. If you know of any amazing Minnesota restaurants, nature areas, or other attractions, feel free to let her know about them at brathburn@onlyinyourstate.com or on Twitter @betsyrathburn.
Did you know that Minnesota is home to more than a few abandoned ghost towns? They’re scattered all across the state, relics of days long past. In most of them, little remains aside from a road or a field. But in others, there’s more evidence of the town that once was. Today, we head to the ghost town of Dorothy, Minnesota, to discover what remains from the formerly thriving community. Read on below to learn more about the abandoned railroad town that few in Minnesota realize exists. Check it out:
Dorothy, Minnesota, is a former community in northwestern Minnesota. It's about 300 miles northwest of the Twin Cities, or about halfway between Thief River Falls and Grand Forks, North Dakota.
For a while, the town grew steadily. Some amenities popped up, including a grain elevator. The post office, established there in 1898, was full of business.
There was even a church there. By the year 1938, Dorothy had 25 residents. However, the town's prosperity only lasted as long as the railroad. It closed in 1973. Soon, the post office and grain elevator closed as well. Dorothy became a ghost town.
Now, not much remains of this once-promising little town. A few people live in the area, but for the most part, all that made Dorothy what it was is gone. Still, this abandoned railroad town lives on as an interesting piece of Minnesota history!
Have you ever visited Dorothy or any of Minnesota’s other abandoned towns? To learn more about other interesting abandoned places in our state, check out these 11 deserted ghost towns in Minnesota.
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