Editing Mott, North Dakota (section)

==History==
[[File:NORTHEAST APPROACH DETAILING LIGHTING STANDARDS, LOOKING SOUTH - Mott Rainbow Arch Bridge, Spanning Cannonball River, Mott, Hettinger County, ND HAER ND,21-MOTT,1-12.tif|thumb|left|alt=View of the bridge looking south|Mott Rainbow Arch Bridge]]

Mott was founded in 1904 when territory was opened to settlers.<ref>{{cite book|title=North Dakota Magazine: The State's Resources--agricultural, Industrial, & Commercial|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Ne1YAAAAMAAJ|year=1906|publisher=Agricultural Department|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Ne1YAAAAMAAJ/page/n34 31]}}</ref> There are conflicting stories of how the city was named.  One theory is the city was named for Lillian Mott, the secretary of the town promoter, while the competing theory says the city was named for C. W. Mott, a railroad employee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://discovermott.com/history-art/our-name.html |title=Our Name "Mott" |publisher=City of Mott, ND |access-date=October 25, 2015 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209184307/http://discovermott.com/history-art/our-name.html |archive-date=February 9, 2015 }}</ref> A post office has been in operation at Mott since 1904.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=ND&county=Hettinger | title=Hettinger County | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | access-date=October 25, 2015}}</ref>

A 1975 F4 tornado struck Mott, killing one and injuring four.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jackson |first=William |title=North Dakota Tornadoes Twisters & Cyclones |date=2024 |publisher=Valley Star Publications |year=2024 |isbn=979-8-89480-378-4 |location=Dickinson, ND |publication-date=2024 |pages=77}}</ref>

A distinctive symbol for Mott was the art deco arched "rainbow" bridge crossing the Cannonball River to the unincorporated area colloquially known as "West Mott". The arched bridge was damaged beyond repair in a 1997 flood.