This isn't the first oil boom North Dakota's had, you know. NDSU's history website says:

It began in 1889 as the Freeman Hotel, in 1900 became the Leonhardy Hotel, in 1909 the 'G.N.' [Great Northern Hotel]...During its early years it served at times as [a] courhouse, and often as a community center where big things were decided. A fast burning fire in 1970 demolished the old part of the building and the hotel quit business shortly after.

Whether the Northern was the same as the Great Northern isn't clear to me at the moment; the book looks older than 1970, for one thing. If only there was a way to cross-check the information against another matchbook!