I wrote a story a while back about the most famous people from North Dakota's Biggest Cities.
Those big cities would include the big four of Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, and Minot. I also included the secondary larger cities of West Fargo, Williston, Jamestown, Valley City, Dickinson, Mandan, and Devils Lake. You can read all about those North Dakota celebrities here.
I've been meaning forever to give some love to our smaller towns on the celebrity front as well.
There are considerably fewer famous people from our smaller towns in the state, but there are a handful of small-town North Dakota folks who went on to celebrity status. Everything from actors, aviators, athletes, and even astronauts.
Let's face it. When you grow up in a small town it's just more difficult to get noticed.
You just don't see football scouts very often at Napoleon, Streeter Gackle football games. It's just a fact of life. You have to fight harder for everything in a small town. Especially, living in a sparsely populated state like North Dakota. We tend to get passed over unless you are really something out of the ordinary.
Every once in a blue moon, however, North Dakota's smallest communities do indeed produce something out of the ordinary.
As someone who spends a lot of time in North Dakota's smallest towns, I personally know you'll never find more kind and caring people. It makes me proud to be a lifelong North Dakotan. I have no doubt, that if it weren't for our location and population, we would probably have a lot more people on this small town's famous people list. Let's honor those who have defied the odds.
Gallery Credit: Annalise Mantz
