1971 Cigarette Rumor

Trinity Hospital was the recipient of over 25,000 empty cigarette packages from all over the state. Many believed the rumors that cigarette companies would redeem the empty packs for items such as seeing eye dogs, wheel chairs and other medical supplies. Over 10,000 empty cigarette packs came from the Westhope School District.  Unfortunately there was no truth to the rumor. Trinity thanked all those who tried to help the cause. The empty cigarette packs ended up in the Minot landfill. 

 Trinity Hospital in the 1960's

Trinity Hospital - 1910

Medora Musical in Minot

On June 16, 1970 sixteen performers from the Medora Musical were in Minot and preformed at the Municipal Auditorium…. The funds raised were earmarked for relocation and restoration of the Teddy Roosevelt statue in Roosevelt Park. The statue fell victim to the 1969 flood. Funds would also be used to help straighten the river channel through the park and improve animal pens in the zoo….. the performance was sponsored by the Minot service clubs…. Pictured below is the statue in the 1969 flood

Shirley Room Cafeteria

Located in the basement of the Minot Savings & Loan Building…. They claimed to have the lowest prices in Downtown Minot …. One special in 1970 was Soup, sandwich, coleslaw, chips and beverage for on 75 cents…. You could order breakfast and pay between 35 cents to $1.15….. Dinners were 89 cents to $1.20 …. A salad side dish was only 10 cents. ….. King Leo’s – also in 1970 for fast food at low prices --- King Leo’s on South Broadway (now Arby’s) was offering Hamburgers – 20 cents --- Cheeseburgers – 25 cents --- Fries – 20 cents and Milk shakes – 25 cents … a quick meal for 65 cents……

Holiday Wishes

I want to thank all my followers on the blog and wish everyone a

Merry Christmas

 

Also welcome to the 14th Baktun..... the next segment in the Mayan calendar

Past Restaurants

The Wooden Platter – in the late 1970’s the Wooden Platter was located inside North Hill Bowl – Besides a restaurant menu they also offered to bake pies – especially at the holiday seasons…… The Dog House – this was located one half block south of Town & Country Center --- their specialty was hot dogs and sausages of all types – a regular hot dog was 59 cents --- in a basket it was 99 cents – the basket included the hot dog, fries and coleslaw --- The Dog House also featured homemade chili and fish sandwiches …..  

Taco Sam

Mr Taco was on South Broadway where The Adult Bookstore (Risque’s) is now located. Mr. Taco  was owned by Sam Butts or Taco Sam as many called him. I may be wrong, but I believe the Taco Shop had the first, only and best tacos in Minot at the time, in the late 60’s. Mr. Taco also was the first shop to sell Grinders... Similar to a sub sandwich. Next door to Mr. Taco's  was another South Broadway “landmark”. Bennie’s Magic Mile Market  or as many referred to it … the Bubble Up Store. Bennie’s was just one of many neighborhood grocery stores in Minot at one time. Bennie’s Store is now and oil change shop. I believe B&D Market in northeast Minot is an off spring of Bennie’s on South Broadway.

Mitchell"s Hardware

Mitchell’s Hardware was on the corner of Central Avenue and 3^rd Street South East, where Val’s Cyclery is now  located. Prior to Mitchell’s this locations was the home for Oppen’s Grocery Store. Oppen’s had a lunch counter or cafeteria in the store. I believe this was known as the Central Avenue Café. For a while Mitchell’s Hardware also maintained the Central Avenue Café even though it was a hardware store.  One of Mitchell Hardware’s claim to fame was a talking Myna bird named Mack.  Mack had the reputation of uttering four letter words, especially the s--- word, so many younger shoppers were not allowed to hang out around him. After Mitchell’s and before Val’s Cyclery, this location was the home of Ben’s Appliances.

Someone sent me this picture of Mitchell Hardware. If this is the Minot Store it appears to be on Main Street. Perhaps this was the locations prior to moving to Central Avenue?????

Minot Steam Plant

The Minot Steam Plant was located west of what is now the Cenex Store on Central Avenue. It was by the old Kedney warehouse which has also been demolished. The Steam Plant provided heat to most of, if not all of Downtown Minot. The steam ran through pipes in a series of tunnels throughout the downtown area. In addition to the steam tunnels, many downtown businesses also had freight elevators on the sidewalks in front of the store. This open basement concept under the sidewalk had a tendency to heat the sidewalk a bit in the winter… helped snow removal. I have been told that at times the snow in downtown Minot was covered in ash from the smoke stacks of the Stream Plant

 Minot Steam Plant - Central and 2nd St East

Flat iron Building

The Flat Iron Building was located on the northeast corner of Broadway and Central Avenue. It was called the Flat Iron Building because of its triangular shape – similar to that of an old flat iron. One of the businesses in the Flat Iron Building was the Spudnut Shop. The Spudnut Shop specialized in hamburgers and Spudnuts. A Spudnut was a doughnut made from special potato flour, apparently that one had to purchase from the Spudnut Company. Reportedly the doughnuts were the best when fresh.. Another business I remember in the Flat Iron Building back in the late 60’s was Carl’s Music Store. Not sure when it went out of business, but he handled musical instruments and supplies.musical instruments and supplies.

 Flat iron Bldg - mid 1960's from Central Ave.

Flat Iron Bldg  1950's on Central Ave looking towards Broadway

History of the Keg - Barrel Pt 5

After the war, when gas rationing disappeared, the Minot Barrel grew in popularity. Ruth Sethen bought the Barrel from Muzzy and added a dining room and painted the Barrel White. In 1949, Ruth sold the Barrel to her brother Robert Sethen. He operated it until 1955 when he sold it to Rodney Lovdahl, one of his employees. Lovedahl changed the name to the Keg and operated it from 1955 to 1968. The Keg was severely damaged by the Flood of 1969 and was finally demolished in 1971. The other Barrel root beer stands met the same fate. They deteriorated and were eventually destroyed. The only Barrel still in operation is in Grand Forks and it is known as the Kegs. It consists of the original Grand Forks Barrel and the one from Wadena which was moved to Grand Forks. It did survive the Grand Forks Flood of 1997.

History of the Keg (Barrel) Pt 4

Harry Muzzy ended up building 8 Barrel root beer stands. Three in North Dakota…. Minot, Devils Lake and Grand Forks.  One in Montana …. Great Falls.  Four in Minnesota…. Crookston, Dilworth, Detroit Lakes and Wadena.  The Muzzy’s hired local couples to supervise the root beer stand and they supervised the chain from their home in Crookston. Harry Muzzy visited each Barrel monthly and did all the repair work himself. Cecile Kerns managed the Minot Barrel and became known as the “Hamburger Queen”. After closing her stand in the summer, the Hamburger Queen and helpers would go out dancing to the sounds on the big bands in the area. When the carhops and cooks came in the music would stop and the band would play “Roll out the Barrel” in their honor.

The History of the Keg (Barrel) Part 3

Harry Muzzy built the second barrel in Minot, next to the Minot City Ballpark and across the street from the city zoo. He used 117 pieces of 1 inch by 6 inch tongue and groove lumber sixteen feet long to form the outer shell of the structure. Local lumber yards had to shape and bevel the wood in order to fit in the top and bottom hoops. It was during the time of the Depression and lumber yards and carpenters were happy to have the work. When completed Muzzy began selling soft drinks, ham sandwiches and hot dogs with sauerkraut to Minot residents. The root beer logo was Triple XXX. The logo stood out prominently on the front of the Barrel root beer stand. This logo and the novel shape attracted and kept customers.

Muzzy next to one of The Barrels

History of The Barrel (Keg) - Part 2

The Barrel was part of a chain of barrel shaped root beer stands built by Harry Muzzy and his wife Martha in the 1930’s. Muzzy grew up in Minot, worked as an engineer for the Great Northern Railway until 1920. He moved to Crookston, Minnesota and owned a successful cigar store. He had the opportunity to start a root beer stand in Great Falls, Mt. Aware of the success of the A&W Root Beer stands in California, he thought they would be a success along Highway 2 in the northern part of the country. He built the Great Falls stand in the shape of a 2 story barrel. It was a huge success both as a root beer stand and also as a tourist attraction. Muzzy and his wife lived on the second story of the Great Falls barrel.

History of the Keg - Part 1

This week I am again presenting the 5 part history of The Keg

 

The Barrel – (the Keg) Pt 1 – The Barrel root beer stand was built in 1931 in Minot. It was during the great depression, a time of dust storms, drought, heat waves and crop failures. A nickel bought a root beer and a dime bought a toasted ham sandwich. Food was delivered to the vehicles by young carhops. The smiles were free. Some believe the word “carhop” was coined because the waitresses had to hop p on the running boards of the cars to deliver the food. Others say it was a derivative of  the word “bellhop” and adapted to the cars.. … Most drive-ins instructed the carhops not to stand on the running boards because it was improper and overly familiar behavior. . The first carhops were not teenage girls, but were adult women who found the tips were excellent even back in the 30’s

 

 

1970's Past Business

Maid For A Day – In 1972, two men, Arnie Merkel and Julius Jahr started a new business called Maid For a Day. The new company would provide cleaning af various types on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis. Maid For A Day would clean windows, walls, carpets and floors and even do minor household repair…. Schriok’s Lawn & Trail – located on the 2& 52 Bypass at 10^th St. SW. (now the home of Clear Channel Radio) – John Deere dealer …… The Grog Shop -- 4the Avenue & Valley Street (Burdick Expressway at the west end of the viaduct)—Bottle Shop……. Fireside Lounge – inside the Sandman Hotel ( at the West Bypass and 4^th Ave.) ….. Pizza Plus (formerly Our Place) – at South Broadway and the Bypass – Pizza and sandwich shop …..

MInot's First City Hall

The first building to serve as City Hall for Minot was the home to the Police Dept in the basement, the Fire Dept. on the main floor and dormitory above, the jail, magistrate’s office and the City Manager office and staff also on the main floor. It was built in 1905 and was located mid block between Main St. and 1^st St SW. (or next to the Alley behind the Montgomery Ward building – across the street from the 1^st Avenue Building). In the early 1900’s, this was quite literally the center of Minot. DA Dinnie was awarded the bid for construction for the price of $11,171.00. The new building  to be the best facility of its kind in the country for cities the size of Minot. However the Minot Aldermen were so disenchanted with the finished result they refused to occupy it as they claimed it had not been built to specifications. About 6 months later they resolved the conflict and moved in.

City Hall in early 1900's

 Old City Hall prio to demo

 Early jail cell

Old City hall coming down to make room for parking lot

Terhorst Manufacturing

 Started in 1928 by brothers Harvey and Willis Terhorst, and located at 615 4^th Ave SE, (under the Burdick Expressway viaduct). Terhorst is in the business of making molds for all types of products. The original building was expanded in 1936, 1940, 1951 and again in 1967. During World War II, Terhorst made fuse adapters for bombs. The machines needed to make the adapters were designed by Terhorst as they did not exist to purchase them. In the 1960’s, Terhorst got into the plastic molding business. They still remain one of the lesser known long term businesses in Minot.


 
 The original Terhorst Building and machinists at work

Eagles Club

In April of 1972 the new Minot Eagles Club was dedicated and opened to members. The club was located at the intersection  of 2^nd Avenue and 16^th St. SW, across from Arrowhead Shopping Center. In less than a year, the Eagles membership had grown from 1800 to over 3200. The Minot Eagles Club was organized in 1942 and the new home was the fourth location. Prior to this opening the club was located at 110 1^st Street SE, now the home of the Chicago Club. The new club was about 17,500 square feet - built at a cost of $483, 365.00….

 Eagles Dinning Room

The Main Bar

Eagles entry

August 1967

Lincoln School – a full page ad in the newspaper to let residents know that the new Lincoln School was to be open at the start of the school year ….. YWCA – August 1967 – The new building was ready to open – at the corner of 2^nd Street and 3^rd Avenue SW ….