Dilworth, Minnesota

Dilworth is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,612 at the time of the 2020 census. Dilworth is one of the core cities of the Fargo–Moorhead metro area; it is on the eastern border of Moorhead. Dilworth is home to the historic Star Lite Motel and the Dilworth Rail Yard, one of the BNSF Railway's largest and busiest facilities in Minnesota.

History
Dilworth was founded in 1883 when the Northern Pacific Railroad was extended to that point. It was named for Joseph Dilworth, a railroad official.

Dilworth, originally named Richardson, was established as a station by the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883. In November 1884 the name was changed from Richardson to Dilworth in honor of Joseph Dilworth of Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Dilworth was a coffee importer who was a director of the Northern Pacific from 1875 to 1881.

Until 1906 Dilworth was a small station with a siding serving two grain elevators and had no depot building or agent. The crowding of the Northern Pacific sites in Fargo necessitated the selection of a new site for divisional terminal facilities and Dilworth was chosen. By July 1906, the Northern Pacific had purchased nearly 500 acres of land around the Dilworth siding for the new headquarters. A main feature of the facility was the roundhouse, a huge building shaped like a donut with a bite out of it. In the center of the donut’s hole was a turntable, like a big Lazy Susan. A locomotive was driven onto the turntable which rotated the engine toward one of 45 stalls. In the stall the locomotive was repaired and refitted. Then the engine backed out onto the turntable and spun about to pull another train back the other direction.

The village grew from practically zero population in mid-1907 to nearly 500 by spring 1910. Establishment of a railroad hotel was necessary to house railroad workers until the town could build up and the workers could move into homes of their own or obtain other places of residence.

In 1911, the village was formally incorporated and established its own government and law enforcement. The first Mayor of Dilworth was F. C. Alsop, with Christian Haugsted the Clerk. In 1918, J. M. Manning was elected Mayor, O. Wirud, Clerk, with M. J. Peirsol appointed Street Commissioner and L. G. Hanson as Treasurer.

The Dilworth Fire Department was established in 1911. The evaluation on October 25, 1928 estimated value of equipment was $1,000. It consisted of 2 extensions, two hose carts and an 18 member volunteer group.

Dilworth’s rapid growth challenged its school system as well. The Clay County Commission approved of School District 81 on March 3, 1896. This encompassed the northeastern quarter of Moorhead Township, home to eight school age children. In 1905, District 81 built a new one-room school a half mile south of today’s Dilworth Community Center. By 1908, the school’s population had ballooned to 93. The District built a new, much larger school just south of the present Dilworth Elementary.

One of the earliest institutions in the new village was the Dilworth Presbyterian Church. Through the efforts of Moorhead Presbyterian minister Dugald McIntyre, the church broke ground May 15, 1907. Their very active ladies aid society raised money through a series of bake sales and socials. When the church was dedicated August 11, the congregation was free of debt. The church still stands. It’s likely the oldest building in Dilworth.

St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church was slower in coming. According to a typescript history from the church, in 1907, Father Charles Cannon of Moorhead’s St. Joseph’s parish visited the townsite to take a survey of Dilworth’s Catholics and "to determine local interest in forming a mission church." The effort had limited success, but over the next few years Father Gerard Speilman of St. Joseph’s celebrated mass in private homes. In July 1910, new efforts to form a church began. Less than two months later, the community dedicated a new 35 by 51 foot concrete block church. It served the congregation until the present church was built in 1964.

Businesses quickly sprang up during summer 1907. In late July, Moorhead’s Ballord-Trimble Lumber Company opened a yard at the rapidly growing village. A few days later Olaus Anderson opened a general store on the corner of today’s Center Avenue and Main Street. Two weeks after that, Rasmus Haugsted opened another general store half a block north. In mid-August Haugsted became Dilworth’s first Post Master and ran the Post Office from his store. By 1910, Dilworth was also home to a bank, two hotels, a grocery, a dairy, a meat market, a bakery, at least two restaurants and a barbershop. Some 498 people lived in Dilworth and nearly 70% of them worked for the railroad.

Dilworth, a city in Moorhead Township, incorporated as a village on August 17, 1911; the community began in 1883 as a railroad siding, called Richardson for a few months, then renamed to honor coffee importer Joseph Dilworth, one of the original stockholders and a director of the Northern Pacific Railroad, residing in Pittsburgh, Pa., who purchased 4,000 acres in the vicinity and became one of the largest landholders along the railroad. It was the largest railroad village in western Minnesota when the Northern Pacific Railroad built its depot in section 11 in 1906. The townsite was platted in 1906, and the post office began in 1907. The village was often called Little Italy for the large Italian immigrant group who settled here.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 3.32 sqmi, of which 3.31 sqmi is land and 0.01 sqmi is water.

2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 4,612 people,

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,024 people, 1,595 households, and 1,053 families living in the city. The population density was 1215.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,727 housing units at an average density of 521.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 0.5% African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.7% of the population.

There were 1,595 households, of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.0% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.11.

The median age in the city was 34.3 years. 28.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,001 people, 1,160 households, and 787 families living in the city. The population density was 1,510.6 PD/sqmi. There were 1,238 housing units at an average density of 623.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.64% White, 0.03% African American, 1.80% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 4.20% from other races, and 2.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.63% of the population.

There were 1,160 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,571, and the median income for a family was $42,887. Males had a median income of $32,857 versus $21,226 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,726. About 13.7% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Employers
According to the City's 2022 Summary Budget

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the employers in the city are:

Transportation
Dilworth is connected to Moorhead and Fargo with the public transit provider MATBUS.

U.S. Route 10 (more commonly called Highway 10) serves as a main roadway in the city. Interstate 94 is nearby, connected to U.S. 10 by Minnesota State Highway 336.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which operates between Seattle/Portland and Chicago, passes through the town on BNSF tracks, but makes no stop. The nearest station is located in Fargo, 4 mi to the west.

Churches
Roman Catholic
 * St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

Evangelical Lutheran in America
 * Dilworth Lutheran Church

Presbyterian
 * First Presbyterian Bible Church of Dilworth

Assemblies of God
 * River Valley Church