Parker Motor Company –

 in 1922 Clarence Parker and JL (Louie) Smith founded the Parker Motor Company located at 117 First Avenue SE. The business flourished in the 1920’s and slumped in the 1930’s. Following WWII business was increasing so Burton Lahart was hired as General Manager and Don Moe as Sales manager…. In the 1950’s Lahart and Smith became partners until Smith sold his share to Don Moe in 1957. At that time the name was changed to Lahart-Moe Inc. and the business moved to the corner of 3^rd St and 1^st Ave. SE Later Don Moe purchased the entire company and it became Don Moe Dodge. He moved the business to the outskirts of town on Highway 83 South. Don Moe Dodge became Minot Chrysler Center in1989 and is now known as The Minot Automotive Center. 

Leland Parker - 1963

in 1963 as the Leland Parker Hotel was being demolished the crew found a building within the Leland Hotel. There was a two story wooden building that had been encased by the Leland. Portions of the old wooden structure were used as rooms in the hotel but an area above the wooden building had been left open as the brick and block roof would have been too heavy for the structure. The first floor had been remodel several times over the years and brick walls surrounded the structure. The Leland Parker Hotel stood on the spot now occupied by Art Space. 

Minot Eagles Club

Fraternal Order of the Eagles Aerie 2376 – The Eagles Club in Minot was chartered on August 3, 1941 with 108 charter members.  In 1961 the Eagles Club boasted over 1500 members.  Their motto was “Liberty, Truth, Justice, Equality.” The Eagles Lodge was on 1^st St. SE  in the location last occupied by The Chicago Club…..

Eagles Club in 1961

Souris River Telephone Mutual Aid Corp.

1961 – Now know as SRT the company started in May of 1950 when the directors of Verendrye Electric Cooperative in Velva decided something should be done about rural telephone service. They incorporated in 1951 and bought a small telephone exchange in Martin in 1952. In 1953 more exchanges were acquired, including Berthold, Des Lacs, Carpio and Lansford. Others soon followed to become SRT as we know it today. In 1961 the office was located at the corner of 3^rd Ave. and 4^th St. SE in Minot

Bel-Air Addition

Bel-Air Addition – In February, 1956 developers were starting to sell lots in the newest Minot Residential District. Bel-Air Addition. The area was just west of 23^rd Street NW and North of 4^th Avenue NW, (at that time referred to as the Country Club Road….. the lots were 90 X 100 and the minimum size on houses in the addition was to be 1000 square feet. The price of a lot was $2950.00. this price included curb and gutter, sidewalk, paved streets, sewer and water…. The developer was Lloyd Construction of  Minot.

Minot Marine – Sales and Service – Located on Highway 83 South at the junction of Highway 52 and the 83 Bypass. – in 1963 they were the Honda motorcycle dealer – featured motorcycle included the Honda 50 – (over 200mpg and priced at $290.00) and the Honda Dream Touring (305 cc for only $660.00). …. Behm’s Propane, Inc. – on June 7, 1963 Behm’s Propane opened in their new location on Hightway 2 & 52 West. Now known as Burdick Expressway West . Behm’s supplied propane gas as well as sales of Coleman Furnaces, Water Heaters, Hardwick Ranges and Blackstone washers and dryers.

Robertson Lumber

Robertson Lumber Company – Started in Minot in 1940 … located at 200 1^st St SE – On December 24^th 1975 (Christmas Eve) a spectacular fire destroyed the business. Cause of the fire was not immediately determined but the loss was estimated at over one million dollars. Robertson set up a temporary office at 119 1^st Ave SE and eventually moved to the bypass east of the truck stop….. Sebby’s Carpetarea – 1839 South Broadway – home for Draperies, Linoleum, wallpaper, paint and tile of all types – also dealer for Mohawk carpets and other brands ….

House of Cheese & Cheer

North Hill Foods -2031 North Broadway – the only grocery store or (mini) super market on North Hill – House of Cheese & Cheer – 1125 North Broadway – featured the largest selection of California Wines and imported cheeses from around the world—also many different types of salami, sausages and bagels (just south of the North Broadway Dairy Queen) …..

Riverside Radio & TV - Thunderbird Home Center

Riverside Radio & TV – 507 East Central Avenue – service and repair for all types of TV, radio and camera equipment …. Wylie Piano Co. – 117 West Central Avenue – Dealer for Baldwin and Kimbal pianos and organs…. Thunderbird Home Center --  2&52 Bypass East – carried a complete line of Electircal, plumbing and building supplies …. A-1 Rentals – 1200 North Broadway (by the entrance to the Hampton Inn) …..

Carousel Appliance 1976

Carousel Appliance – 1905 2^nd St SE – Across from Kmart – They carried major appliances – brands included Maytag, Amana, Hotpoint and Monarch - Now Minot Lumber ….. St Croix Motors – in 1976 they were the dealer for Yamaha Snowmobiles and Motorcycles – located at 1206 South Broadway – at that location since 1957. …… Minot Paint, Glass & Marine – 2021 4^th Ave NW – dealer for Pittsburgh Paints, Assorted Hockey equipment, Mercury Snowmobiles, Ski-Doo Snowmobiles, snowmobile suits and accessories and Boats – Crestliner, Glastron, Mercury and Weeres and Kayot Pontoons - now the home for the local Red Cross Office

Deardurff’s Hobby House

This was  located on the corner of Central Avenue and 1st Street SW – in the 1960’s slot car racing was popular and Deardurff’s Hobby Shop held racing competition with local winners going on to regional competition and possibly to National. The winners of the area competition on 1963 were 1^st place – Don Dreyer – Duane Olson- 2^nd place – David Pence – 3rd place and Craig Kranovsky – 4^th place .... later there would be a Deardurff's Hobby Shop in the Town & Country Center when it opened in 1964

Winners of Model Car Contest - 1963 
Some were winners in the slot car races also

1958 Facts about Minot –

Site of US Air Force Jet Interceptor Base and Radar Station – Great Northern Freight Classification yard in Minot was the most modern in the nation – The Airport was service by Braniff Airlines Daily and had charter service available – 3 paved highways intersected in Minot – There were 12,173 telephone connections and 8,981 electrical connections with a population of about 30,000. Minot also enjoyed a healthful and invigorating climate…. A fact proven by government records which show only a small percentage of people from this area were rejected for physical reasons in World War II.

Telephone Ring Codes - 1958

Phone subscribers on the same rural line could call each other. The process was to dial the code 18 and then the 4^th and 5^th digit of the called party’s number, in the order given. After dialing the proper sequence of numbers you would replace the receiver on the hook and allow time for the called party to answer. After waiting a short period of time you would pick up the receiver and hopefully the party you called would be there. Example of a ringing code: 4^th Digit –2 and  5^th digit 4 the ringing code was 1S – 1L – 2S (S being a short ring and L being a long ring)

1958 How to Dial A Phone

Dial Service Instructions – One of the first pages in the 1958 telephone directory had a complete set of instructions on how to use a rotary dial telephone. I believe this was about the time the dial phones came into existence.

1. Place forefinger firmly in dial opening 

2. Turn dial around in clockwise direction until the finger strikes the finger stop

3. Remove finger and let dial return to normal position

 The instructions also explained the different signals one could hear over the phone lines…. The phone ringing signal was described as a “burring” sound…. The Busy signal a “buzz-buzz-buzz” sound.  Instructions were also there on the use of “party lines”. Long distance and out of town calls had to go through the operator. In 1958 all phone numbers were 5 digit. Example: the phone number for Steenstrup Jewelers was 36-221

1958 - Minot Telephone Book

The 1958 Minot telephone book was published by Northern States Power Company, the parent company to the phone company. The picture on the front cover was of a field and a large sun behind it. The words printed across the sun were “Why Not Minot?”. Below the picture was the slogan – “ The City with a Future”. What I thought was a bit unusual is the Minot Genie is not pictured on the cover. Instead the phone book has a farmer or maybe a cowboy standing in front of the field with the sun in the background.

Early Telephone Exchange

1963 Buildings Projects

 Little Flower Church  -- With what was described as a massive bell tower …… Houses on North Hill – Many homes on the sides of the coulees on north hill under construction – some were selling for as much as $35,000 to $40,000……Jim Hill Junior High – located on the site of the former Washington Golf Course, the $1 ½ million building was scheduled to open in the fall of 1963 – Jim Hill contained 30 class rooms as well as a large gymnasium and swimming pool……

 Little Flower Church Bell Tower almost completed

Jim Hill School under construction

Building Projects underway in 1963

 Union National Bank – 1963 – in early 1963 Union National Bank was in the construction phase. The steel work was in place for the new two story bank building which was to be the home of the most modern facility in the banking business…… Gate City Savings & Loan – a multi gabled roof accented the new building on the corner of 4th Avenue and 1^st Street SW …. Ramada Inn – on top of North Hill overlooking the valley. known as the Grand International Inn and now The Grand Motel

 Union National Bank construction -- note I Keating Furniture in center of picture

 Gate City - 1963 after construction completed

Ramada Inn Construction

Town & Country - 1963

Under construction in 1963 and slated to open in early 1964. – the center of the mall was to be 40 feet wide and 400 feet long with 19 tenants --- Anchors would be Sears, JJ Newberry Co. and Piggly Wiggly …. Other early tenants were Kinney Shoes, Ellison’s, White Drug, K-G Men’s Store, Fanny Farmer Candies, Steenstrup Jewelers, Deardurff’s Hobby Shop, Kelly’s Bottle Shop, Keatings Carpet Shop as well as a barber shop and a beauty salon. Eventually Young America would also enter the mall

Artist Concept of T&C Center

Main Medical and Ward Drug

In early May, 1963 – tours and an open house were held at the all new Main Medical Building on the corner of Main Street and 4^th Avenue East – ( now the corner of Main St and Burdick Expressway) … The building included a pharmacy, office space for rent and a coffee shop – the air conditioning unit when the building opened was a 100 ton and the largest unit in operation in Minot at the time. 

 The new Main Medical Building

Main Medical Lobby

Blaisdell Motors

Nov 1, 1927 – Located at 419 South Main Street – Blaisdell Motors was the Chrysler Dealer in 1927. On November 1, 1927 they were advertising the New Chrysler “52”.  The ad claimed the “New 52” was head and shoulders above the rest of the industry in comfort and luxury. The wood and Steel body was larger, the seats were wider and more comfortable and the car could achieve speeds of 52 miles per hour. Blaisdell Motors was selling, your choice, a Coupe or a Roadster with a Rumble seat for $725.00. Or you could step up in luxury to the De Luxe Sedan for $875.00. If you were in the market for a used car – Hupmobile Touring - $150.00 or an Overland Touring car for $75.00 This later became Main Motors.

Blaisdell Mtrs - Main and 4th Ave (Burdick Exp)

 Another view looking south

Later became Main motors

Bon Ton Shop

February 18, 1956 was the grand opening of the Bon Ton Shop on Main Street in downtown Minot. The Bon Ton shop was the store for discriminating women….. The store featured many nationally advertised labels. The departments in the store were Sportswear, Suits and coats, Dresses, Accessories and Tot-n-Teen wear…. Contractors were Mackley Construction, Minot Electric and Minot Plumbing. During the celebration customers could register for prizes, watch an informal modeling show and listen to organ music by Marge McFall…Making a special appearance at the grand opening was the 1956 Dodge La Femme. This was a Dodge Car designed exclusively for women ….

Outdoor Theaters

1963 Out Door Theaters –in June, 1963 the new Starlite Outdoor Theater would soon be opening. Both outdoor theaters were owned by the same company, Triangle Theaters associates. By July of 1963 there were two outdoor theaters in Minot. The Minot Outdoor Theater was on North Hill in the area of what is now the Vegas Motel. On July 3, 1963 they were showing 4 features including Ma & Pa Kettle on Old MacDonald’s Farm …. The Starlite Outdoor Theater was on Highway 83 South where The Cenex Gas Station, Holiday Inn Express and Cartiva are located – they same weekend they were showing a 4 feature Spookathon – one of which was the Tower of London staring Vincent Price…. Admission to both – 85 cents and kids under 12 were free ---also free were those who hid in the trunks of cars as you entered the theater grounds

 The day before opening

 Outdoor theater speakers

Outdoor theater ads

Elks Lodge

Minot Elks Lodge 1954 – The original Minot Elks Lodge #1089 was dedicated in 1909. It was located on the southwest corner of  Main Street and 2^nd Avenue in Downtown Minot. On Wednesday, October 27^th, 1954 the new Minot Elks Lodge opened on 2^nd Avenue and Broadway, about a block west of the original Elks Club. The grand opening events were limited to Elks members only, except for an open house from 2 pm to 8 pm so non-Elk members could see the new building. The Elks Club in 1954 boasted of having about 1750 members and the new building was built at a cost of about $500,00.00. 

Elks Club 1910

Presbyterian Church in background