Minot College of Business

At one time located in Downtown Minot above B&B Drug, across from American State Bank. In 1969 the Minot College of Business was located at 234 14^th Ave SE – next to the south end of the Rosehill Cemetary – the building was the former Sacred Heart Academy and is now apartments – the goals of the College of Business  at the time were to teach evening computer classes to MAFB personnel – Become a Junior College and establish a Merchandising and Salesmanship course – 

Businesses from the 1960’s – 1970’s –

 Minot Drug – 16 South Main Street – ….. Singer Sewing Center – 104 South Main St. --- the factory store for Singer products – Sewing machines, vacuum cleaners and electric scissors ….. Coast to Coast Store – in 1972 it was located in the south end of the Arrowhead Shopping Center – hardware store and more ….. Jupiter Discount Store --  8 South Main St – the forerunner of Kmart Stores …. Star Banner Service – 1205 North Broadway – full service gas station and dealer for General Tires  – also did motorcycle and lawnmower repairs – (next to North Broadway Dairy Queen)…. JJ Newberry Department Store – one of the anchor store in the Town & Country Shopping Center …

Minot Drug pre WW II

Interior - Minot Drug

Mall Days 1970

Town & Country Shopping Center – Mall Days – in May, 1970, Town & Country Center was celebrating its 6^th anniversary and was still the largest shopping center in North Dakota – you could register for drawings for free turkeys and hams—the grand prize was a console color TV worth over $650.00 …. Some of the stores participating --- Newberry’s with out door supplies like a lawn chair for $3.33 or a chaise lounge for $5.28 – you could register to win an AMC Gremlin…… Sears – clothing and automotive specials like a wheel alignment for only $6.99 ……. KG’s Men’s Store – Ellison’s Shoe Salon and Walter’s --- clothing specials …. T&C White Drug – assorted coupon specials 

Night Clubs - 60's & 70's

 The Covered Wagon Bar – at one time the Covered Wagon Bar on Main Street was Minot’s oldest bar opening in 1900. …. The Dutch Mill – opened in 1944 on East Burdick Expressway (Highway 2 East) at the intersection of 27^th  Street, (at one time known as Friday’s and now The Rocking Horse Bar) was the top entertainment spot in Minot.  The Little Dutch Mill – opened in 1955 just to the east of the Dutch Mill. It featured short order and curb side drive-in restaurant service. The Little Dutch Mill building is still there – it is now used a living quarters for bands playing at the Rocking Horse…..

Covered Wagon Bar

Covered Wagon Back Wall

Post Card - Dutch Mill

1972 Calculator

An article in the newspaper on August 16, 1972 by columnist Sylvia Porter was devoted to the joy she was experiencing because she had just purchased a new calculator in 1970 (battery operated and from Japan) that could do all her calculations and be carried in her purse. It was about 5 inches by 9 inches. The price at that time was $390.00. In the fall of 1972 an American company was producing a similar calculator for about $100.00. Sylvia also went on to explain how to use the calculator and also gave a number of calculations to try in the new machine to make sure it was accurate. On a side note – in 1972 at Christmas when I was working for Kmart one of the hottest gifts was a similar portable calculator on sale for $89.99 (each). We could not keep them in stock. Another item at the same time was an LED watch that only told the time for the same price, $89.99.

News Stories 1970

 On the front page of the newspaper in May, 1970 was a story about the proposed parking ramp in Downtown Minot. This ramp was to be built in the ½ block just south of the old Midwest Federal Building or just west of what is now Wells Fargo Bank. Cost to build the ramp in 1970 was $1,600,000 – the ramp was never built … also in the news was the announcement of the store manager for the new Kmart Store being built at the intersection of Highway 83 South and the 2&52 Bypass. The store was scheduled to open on July 9, 1970 – the first store manager was Roger Atkinson – The Kmart store is still in this location …… 

1967 Thank You Days #2

1967 – Thank You Days #2 – Downtown Minot  --  This was a November  promotion the Downtown Minot merchants held –- 12 lucky people would be rewarded with a $100 gift certificate from the registration. …. More Participating Businesses you may remember included Olson’s Men’s wear – Samuelson’s Shoes – Walter’s Womens  Wear – Ace Hardware – Straus Brothers Jewelers – White Drug (Downtown location) --  City Bakery – Jupiter Discount Store –The Corset Shoppe --  Kinney’s Shoes – Big Bear Surplus – Wylie Piano – Stevenson’s Womens wear – Minot Drug – Tollefson’s Furniture – Deeter’s Bridal Salon --  

Squtt's Clothing

Interior - Minot Drug

Main Street - 1960's

1967 Thank-You Days #1

Downtown Minot  --  This was a November promotion in 1967 held by the Downtown Minot merchants …. 12 lucky people would be rewarded with a $100 gift certificate from the registration. …. See if you remember any of these participating businesses included – FW Woolworths – Toivo’s Jewelry – Rueb’s Camera and Cards – Shark’s Clothiers – Coast to Coast Store – Jay’s Men’s & Boy’s Wear – The Pollyanna Shop – The Jacqueline Shop – Ann’s Fashions --  AM Foss Jewelers --  Bader’s Women’s Wear --- Taube’s Ladies wear – Ellison’s – Don Moe Chrysler Plymouth -- 

 Ace Hardware on 1st St SW (now a Parking lot)

 J C Penny Co. (Waverly Hotel location- burned in 1943)

S&L - Formerly the State Theater

Thunderbird Home Center

In 1971 Thunderbird was located at 623 North Broadway …. Their specialty seemed to be electrical and plumbing supplies ….. Some of the prices in August of 1971 included …. Medicine cabinets – 24 inch for $12.95 to a 42 inch for $20.95 ….. a 5 light crystal chandelier for $29.95 ….. 30 gallon gas water heater - $46.95 ….. double bowl stainless steel sink - $19.95 and bathroom vanities complete with marble as low as $48.95 ….. 

Auto Accessories - 1960's

1967 Auto Supplies – I can’t help but envy the prices for auto supplies in 1967 compared to today…. However the comparison to the value of the dollar is probably the same ….. Automotive batteries - $11.95 for a 24 month battery to $19.95 for a 42 month battery … gas line antifreeze – 19 cents a can ….. windshield spray de-icer – 67 cents a can …. Spark plugs 57 cents each …. Retread snow tires as low as $9.88 each and studded snow tires for only $21.88 each….. and replacement steel wheels to mount the snow tires on for only $5.99 each …..mounting was no extra charge.

Convenience Store by Arrowhead Center

Tesoro Convenience Store – This convenience store was located at 1515 2^nd Ave SW – Across the street from Harley’s Service Station …. The Grand opening was held the first week in December in 1972….. the store was open from 7 am to 11pm ….. some of the Grand Opening specials included 1 dozen eggs for 49 cents ….. 20 ounce Listerine for $1.17 …. Ladies panty hose for 49 cents a pair and men’s or ladies snowmobile boots for $7.99 a pair. …

Apple Days

Back in the late 60’s, 70’s and into the 80’s Ace Hardware held Apple Days. At that time there was an Ace Hardware at Broadway and Burdick, (later it became Scheels and now is Zimmerman’s Furniture. In early December, 1970 the Apple Days special was 1/3 bushel of apples for only $1.53. Limit was one box to a customer and cash and carry only. No phone orders accepted. During Apple Days, Ace Hardware claimed to have over 20,000 items in stock…. Some of those were major appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, washers and dryers.

Scheel's on Broadway

Scheels was located at the intersection of Broadway and Burdick ( now Zimmerman’s Furniture) - --- full line hardware store that also sold sporting goods and baking products – Some of the products you could purchase in the 70’s besides sporting goods --- Housewares items such as casserole dishes, Krumkake irons and rosette irons, aluminum foil  --- Electric appliances like a pizza baker or a burger maker --- hardware items including electrical supplies, furnace filters drill bits and vises --- Christmas Decorations and some toys ….

1970 Grocery Prices

Just another look at the price of food back in December, 1970 ….. Miracle Mart claimed to have the lowest prices in Minot. They claimed you could save up to 15% on you total food purchases by shopping a t Miracle mart. Some of the prices from over 40 years ago – Bananas – 12 cents pound … Baby food – 11 cents a jar …. Campbell’s Tomato Soup – 11 cents a can ….. Select T-Bone steak - $1.28 lb. ….. 10 pounds of red potatoes – 38 cents …… Hamburger – 79 cents a pound and one of my favorites Center Cut Chuck Roast – 68 cents pound

 Oak Park Piggly QWiggly

East Burdick Expressway

Alm's Milk Products

In 1961, Alm’s Milk products featured the only plastic, no wax carton in Minot. Alm’s also featured Ice Cream along with their Grade “A” milk. Alm’s also had home delivery available. Alm’s millk bottles were sealed by special machine with heat settings up to 1500 degrees. Under the bottle caps were a heavy a cardboard bottle top with premiums printed on them. One could save the bottle tops and redeem them for a “Treasure of fine premiums”. Such items included a Pen Portrait for a picture you sent in, A flourentine silver spoon set, a Black Foredty Wall Clock, 6 personalized pencils, and at one time the bottle tops could be redeemed for admission to the matinee shows at the Empire Theater.

Dishes in the Grocery Store

Back in the “old days” many grocery stores offered full sets of dishes or a “Kitchen Ensemble” for only low prices per piece with every $3.00 you spent on groceries…  in 1970, the three Piggly Wiggly stores offered Anchor Hocking  Fire King dishes. Each week you were offered a different serving piece for the low price of 99 cents. Some of the other specials included completer pieces like 5 inch cereal bowls – 4 for 99 cents ….. 1 to 3 pound canisters ranged 99 cents to $1.39 …. Of course the most popular color at that time was “Avocado”. At that time Piggly Wiggly had three locations … Town & Country Shopping Center,… Oak Park Shopping Center and Highway 2 East (across from the Fair Grounds)

July 1972 - Front Page Stories

The US Senate voted to increase the hourly minimum wage to $2.20 which would give much bigger paychecks to many people however the House wanted a minimum wage of $2.00 per hour  ….. Speed Limits were being painted on some streets in addition to the standard metallic signs….. the State Fair attendance had surpassed 100,000 and was on track to beat the previous record of 157, 884 – events still to happen that year included Auto racing, an auto destruction derby, tractor pulling contest and Grand Ole Opry stars Jack Greene and Jeannie Seely  also Appearing were Tommy Cash,  Liz Anderson, Carl Smith and David Rogers 

1972 Snowmobile Ordinance

In 1972 the Minot City Council debated an finally passed an ordinance allowing snowmobiles to be ridden in the city as long as they had a 5 foot pole with a red or blaze orange flag at least 10 inches square  attached to the machine. Originally the pole was to be 6 feet tall but the height was reduced by one foot as the club selling the flags only had 5 foot poles. The biggest problem was the enforcement. Those snowmobilers not in compliance were hard to catch as they usually had an easy time eluding the police.

More Business from Days Past

The Sofa & Sleep Shop— Located at 1906 South Broadway just south of Ryan Chevrolet  ---- Specialized in sofas, recliners and mattresses --- they were the dealer for King Koil and Restonic brand mattresses ………  Scheel’s Hardware – located at the corner of Broadway and Burdick  --- full line hardware store that also sold sporting goods and baking products, now Zimmerman's Furniture... the building was originally built for National Foods grocery store -- Chief’s Chicken ‘n Beef – Restaurant located at 1701 South Broadway – now the home of Qdoba’s – Chief’s was primarily a sandwich shop

More Businesses from the 60's & 70's

Plywood Dakotas --  on the 2 & 2 Bypass East – in the area of the truck stop – cabinets, flooring and construction supplies. ….. Valley Sports Ski Shop – 16 West Central Avenue in 1978  ….. The Cloth Haus --  located on main Street in Downtown Minot – fabric and notion store that also sold Viking sewing machines……. Rebel Jeans --- 1977 a store that specialized in Levi Strauss clothing – locate at 400 20^th Ave SW …….. Swiss Colony --- back in the 1960’s Swiss Colony had a permanent store located in the Town & Country Center – Now Swiss Colony shows up a between Thanksgiving and Christmas in a kiosk in Dakota Square Mall

Past Business - 1960's

The Annex – Going through old newspapers I came across an ad for The Annex – located across the street to the east from the Clarence Parker Hotel – the ad  in mid November was for Hoover Vacuum Cleaners – a free turkey with the purchase of a vacuum …. Dakota Surplus – located at the 2 & 52 Bypass East – now the home to Schock’s Safe & Lock – sold a variety of surplus items of all types ….. Lyle’s Western Wear – 2121 North Broadway – claimed to have the largest selection of western clothing in Minot…….