Mondak, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mondak
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Mondak, 1915
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 Mondak
Location in Montana
Mondak
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Roosevelt |
| Established | 1903 |
| Abandoned | 1925 |
| Named for | Proximity to Montana/Dakota border |
| Elevation | 2,070 ft (630 m) |
Mondak, Montana is a ghost town in Roosevelt County. A ghost town is a place that used to be a busy community but is now mostly empty. Mondak was active from about 1903 to 1919. It became popular partly because it sold drinks to people in North Dakota, where selling alcohol was not allowed at the time.
What Was Mondak?
Mondak got its name from being close to the Montana and North Dakota state lines. It was started in 1903 by local people. They saw a chance to make money by selling beer and other drinks to people from North Dakota.
How Mondak Grew
Mondak was in a great spot near the Missouri River and the Great Northern Railway. This helped it grow quickly into a busy village. The first building was put up in 1904. Soon, Mondak had many important places. These included a bank, two hotels, and three general stores. It also had several grain elevators for storing crops.
Later, the town also got a church and a newspaper. It even had a two-story brick school and a power plant that worked part-time. Farmers shipped their grain and cattle to Minneapolis using the Great Northern Railway. But the most profitable business in Mondak was still selling drinks.
Why Mondak Disappeared
Mondak's good times did not last very long. In 1916, the area started to have a long period of dry weather. Also, the Snowden Bridge was finished in 1913. This bridge meant fewer people needed to use the ferry across the Missouri River.
In 1916, a fire destroyed several places that sold drinks and a storage building. It also badly damaged a hotel and a general store. In 1919, Montana started its own prohibition. This meant it was illegal to make or sell alcohol. Even though Mondak was not completely dry, this rule made things much harder for the town.
The county's main office was temporarily in Mondak. But in 1920, it moved to Poplar. This made Mondak decline even faster. In early 1924, the train station closed. The bank, which was the last important business, closed in 1925. In 1928, another fire destroyed many of the buildings that were left.
Today, only a few parts of the ghost town remain. They are on private land. Mondak is less than a mile from the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site. It is also less than two miles from the Fort Buford State Historic Site in North Dakota.
