North Dakota capital city since 1883, first as capital of the Dakota Territory, and then as state capital since 1889. Minot is a city in northern North Dakota and is home of the North Dakota State Fair and Norsk Høstfest. A few miles west of Bismarck on the west side of the Missouri River, the city of Mandan was named for the Mandan Indians who inhabited the area at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. New Salem is the site of the world's largest statue of a holstein cow; the world's largest statue of a bison is in Jamestown. Grand
North Dakota State Library that point, the library moved this time to the Randal Building north of the city. The agency's name was changed to the North Dakota State Library in 1979, which is still its name today. In 1982, the State Library returned to the Liberty Memorial Building, its present location. The State Library specializes in information services to state agencies and to the general public. North Dakota State Library's departments include: Administration, Digital Initiatives, Field Services, Interlibrary Loan, Information Technology, Public Awareness, Public Services, State Document Depository, Statewide Catalog Development, Talking Books, Technical Services, and Training. North Dakota State Library staff produce