The Downtown Fort Dodge Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) was formed in 1982 to breathe economic life into historic downtown Fort Dodge. Fort Dodge initially became a Main Street community in 1987 to revitalize the District which suffered economic decline for many years. Accomplishing many goals, Fort Dodge left the Main Street program in 2002, the SSMID Board of Directors continued sponsoring public projects making the District safer, easier to navigate, and creating garden spaces throughout the downtown.