How did the Minnesota town "Nimrod" get its name?
NIMROD, Minn. — There are a lot of quirky town names in Minnesota: Embarrass, Nowthen, Clontarff, Kiester. But the people of Nimrod believe their name stands out from the rest.
"Either the city sign or the one the boosters put up, people are taking pictures [laughs]," said Nimrod Mayor Keith Frame. "Lining up, taking pictures."
Minnesota cities and towns spend a lot of money to attract tourists, but all Nimrod has to do is flaunt its name.
The name itself has multiple meanings. In the dictionary, nimrod means "foolish" or "inept." But in the Bible, Nimrod was a skillful hunter. That's who the town is named after.
"Nimrodians" blame Daffy Duck for complicating things. In a 1940 "Looney Tunes" clip, he called Elmer Fudd a "nimrod."
"That's how that started. It's a strange world we live in, yes," said Robin Pederson of Nimrod Bar and Grill.
But there's much more here than just a name. The town holds Jubilee Days each Labor Day weekend, when the population briefly jumps from 69 to 5,000 due to all the visitors. A Nimrod queen is crowned, and there are plenty of sports to be played.
The Nimrod Gnats play their home games right next to the bar and grill. It's an amateur baseball team, but the town itself has produced a professional player. Dick Stigman pitched in the majors for six years and made an All-Star team.
"Dick was the most popular one. He used to play for the Twins back in the day," said Frame.
And there's something else that helps Nimrod stand out: its 90-foot-high fire tower. Built in 1928, it's been recognized nationally as a historic lookout.
"They still put people up in it and watch," said Frame.
What the town prides itself in the most is how it rallies to help those in need. It's not unusual for people to raise money on a whim to help a neighbor.
"Anybody needs anything, everybody's there to help out," said resident Clint Childers.
City leaders say that's what makes the town tick.
"One thing about these small towns is that if you're elected to office, it's a lifetime commitment [laughs]," said resident Ray Avelsgard.
The one-square-mile community is truly a bird of a different feather. But what happens in Nimrod doesn't have to stay in Nimrod. People here love to brag about where they're from, wherever they go.
"It's just all around a great town, good people," said resident James Weaver.
"We have never even thought about leaving. Why would anybody leave Nimrod?" said resident Pat Pederson.
Nimrod officially became a town in 1946.
