Pitt, Minnesota facts for kids

Pitt is a ghost town in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota, United States. A ghost town is a place where most people have left. It is located in northern Minnesota. Pitt is west of Baudette. You can find it on Minnesota State Highway 11. It's also at the intersection with Lake of the Woods County Road 6.

Discovering Pitt's History

Pitt got its name from a large gravel pit nearby. This pit was important for building roads and railways. A post office served the community for many years. It was open from 1903 until 1993.

The Railway and Remaining Buildings

Pitt once had a station for the Canadian Pacific railway. This station is no longer there. Now, trains only stop if someone asks them to. This is called a "whistle stop."

Today, only a few buildings remain. One is a boarded-up general store. It used to advertise "knives and wild rice." This store closed in the 1990s. It was the first home of Herbert and Mamie Sanborn in 1901. They were Pitt's very first settlers. The store was moved to its current spot. It is the only building from the early 1900s still standing.

North of the old store is the Pitt community church. Local people still use this church today. The old schoolhouse is also still there. It is just west of the general store. The schoolhouse has been changed into a private home. You can still see the water pump in its yard.

North of the railway tracks, there is a lot. This lot is used for handling pulpwood. Pulpwood is wood used to make paper.

The Great Fire of 1910

Pitt was affected by a big fire in 1910. This fire was known as the Baudette Fire of 1910. It caused a lot of damage in the area. Many buildings in Pitt were burned down.