The Great Northern Railway, started by James J. Hill, energetically promoted settlement along its lines in North Dakota, especially by Germans and Scandinavians from Europe. The most amazing feature of this railway was that it was built without the use of land grants. The Great Northern purchased its lands directly from the federal government and resold them one by one to farmers. With agencies in Germany and Scandinavia, families were brought over at low cost, often in special colonist cars that were designed to transport immigrant families. The rapidly increasing settlement in the Red River Valley of North Dakota between 1871 and 1890 remains an example of large-scale bonanza farming.

Of course the railroad brought towns as well as farms to plains of Dakota Territory. In 1884, when the Great Northern Railroad was known as the Manitoba Railroad, it extended from Larimore to Park River, a town that replaced a golden wheat field on the fertile ground of the Rendezvous Region. For over a year, Park River remained the terminus of the railroad and, as a result, grew like a mushroom. It became the thriving center of an immense trading territory. The rich soil combined with the railroad was a recipe for success for the town of Park River. In fact, in 1886, Park River shipped over one million bushels of wheat, a remarkable feat and a testament to the power of the iron horse.

Today, Park River, born on the heels of the railroad, remains a thriving agricultural community. Its wooden water tower stands as a testament to its humble beginnings as the end of the railroad line.