Minot's First Escalator

FW Woolworth – Frank Winfield Woolworth opened his first store in1879 in Watertown, NY. He began with $410 worth of items and nothing sold for more than 5 cents. Woolworth’s opened in Minot in 1912 after buying out the New York Store. The Second floor was added in 1953.  Included in the remodel was the motor stairs or escalator, the first in a retail store in North Dakota. Other improvements were fluorescent lighting on both floors, new dust proof candy counters, 40 stool lunch counter, pet department complete with goldfish, parakeets and canaries and air conditioning. The lunch counter was on the south side of the store next to the escalator. The escalator only went up – there was no down escalator  Many young people were more interested in riding the escalator up and down than in shopping or anything else. The house wares department was at the top of the escalator and the clerks would discourage all the kids from riding up and running back down….  Woolworths closed in 1982.

Woolworth Escaltor

Minot First Paving Ordinance

Dec. 4, 1937 - Paving Ordinance  from the past – From the Minot Daily – an ordinance on the books in Minot – When Minot got its first paved streets, which consisted of wooden blocks, the city fathers prized it like a zealous housewife does a newly waxed floor. All precautions were taken to keep the paved streets pristine. – No garbage was to hauled on or across the streets unless absolutely necessary to remove it to an alley. Fine was $5 and up to 10 days in jail. By the way, in bad rain storms and it the streets flooded, the wooden paving blocks were known to float away. The picture shows the wooden paving blocks.

60's & 70's Restaurants

Restaurants of the Past – 60’s and 70’s  – Country Kitchen – 1418 South Broadway (now the home of Subway on South Broadway …… Village Inn Pizza Parlor – on North Broadway – with a coupon any large size pizza was only $2.00 ….. Auto Dine – 8^th Avenue and North Broadway – a round building that is now a barber shop – in December of 1971 Auto Dine introduced the new Ranch Burger – 2 for $1.00 ……. Mr. Steak – On top of North Hill  by North Hill Bowl – home of the nicest Waitresses in Minot …. Mister Donut – 215 15^th Ave Sw and 719 North Broadway ….. The Keg – Across from Roosevelt Park – “Minot’s little steak house”  - Featuring a deluxe steak sandwich and fries for 49 cents ……

Past Minot Concerts

Events from the Past – Irish Rovers – Performed in concert at the Minot Municipal Auditorium on Friday, November 5^th, 1976 … ….  All Star Record Show – In person – one big show at 8 pm on Sunday, March 3^, 1963  at the Minot Auditorium…. Stars included Farron Young, Leroy Van Dyke and Billy Grammer…  Country & Western Show – Sunday, November 18, 1962 – Stars at this show were Hank Snow, Kitty Wells, Roy Clark, Bill Phillips, The Tennessee Mountain Boys and Johnnie and Jack. 

Did You Ever Shop Here??

Businesses  from the Past – Bostwick’s – formerly S&L Department Store – In December of 1971, Bostwicks was running a “Going out of Business” Sale. Bostwick’s was located on the west side South Main Street, across from Bray’s (the store with white horse out front). …. Metzger’s Electronic Sales – 1615 South Broadway – now the home of Paradise Spas and Motorsports ….. Nelson Motors – 600 North Broadway – in 1968 they were the Fiat dealer in Minot …. Cline’s Super Valu – Home of the Goodwill Store – 14^th Ave and South Broadway ….. Rex Hotel and Rex Bar & Grill – was on the corner of Central Avenue and South Broadway – now parking lots …….

Past Entertainment Spots

Night Clubs and Bars From the Past – Club 52 -  located west of Minot on Highway 52 – Featured Saturday afternoon jam sessions and The Plainsmen were often the entertainment at the bar ….. The Alley Cat Lounge – located inside the Chateau Lanes Bowling Alley – now the home of the Slumberland Plaza ….. Stockman’s Bar – on East Burdick Expressway – now the home of Ron Lohman Motors ….. Torch Light – on 1^st Street SE in Downtown Minot – Now the Chicago Club …. 13 Club – on 1^st Street SW (now the parking lot across from Bremer Bank)……

Chateau Bowling Alley

Restaurants in the 1960’s & 1970’s -

 McDowell’s Big Boy Take Out – 17^th St and 4^th Avenue Northwest – Featured catering for events of all sizes …….  Jack’s Pizza – 511 North Broadway and Tony’s Pizza on Valker Road (Capri Bar location by the Holiday Inn )- Also featured tacos and sandwiches in addition to pizza – Specials – 3 tacos for $1.00 ….. Sweden House – then The Viking Table - A smorgasbord restaurant located at 1910 South Broadway (now the home of Marketplace Dollar Store)  After The Viking Table it became McJack’s and then Jake’s Spice & Spirit  … .. Hitchin’ Post Restaurant – located 3 mile east of the Fairgrounds – Sunday baked ham dinner in 1976 only $3.75 …..

Business from the Past

More Businesses  from the Past - Bennie’s Cycle Service – 3701 South Broadway – Now the home of Ryan Honda ….. Krebsbach’s Inc. – Home of International Harvester vehicles and other farm equipment – now the home of Marketplace Foods on South Broadway behind 1^st International bank…… Schriok’s Lawn & Trail Inc  - Highway 2 & 52 Bypass at 10^th St. SW – Now the home of Clear Channel Radio ….. MacBruce’s Sport Shop – 1605 South Broadway – specialized in athletic shoes – Now the home of Papa Murphy’s Pizza ……. Big Red Furniture Warehouse – on 3^rd Street SE – 2 blocks east of the CP Hotel by the railroad tracks …..

Dee Dee's Hot Tamales

. Restaurants of the Past – 1960’s & 70’s – Dee Dee’s Frozen Foods – Barbecued ribs, hot tamales, chili con carne and barbecue sauce were Dee Dee’s specialties. In 1968 you could purchase these items at Red owl Stores – Downtown and Arrowhead, Garden Valley Super Fair, Piggly Wiggly – Town & Country and Highway 2 East and of course Dee Dee’s Grill on Third Street… King Leo’s – 1734 South Broadway – once in a while on Thursday and Friday, King Leo’s featured a Hamburger, Fries and a milk shake for only 49 cents…... A&W Drive-In – 1819 South Broadway – with a coupon you could buy one Teen Burger at regular price and get the second for a Penny …..

Vacation Time

I will be vacationing for the next two weeks ..
Depending on internet reception at the lake I will probably be updating Minot Memories a bit sporadically

1934 Milk Dumped in the Street

Milk Protest – From January 15, 1934… Demonstrators entered two Minot grocery stores to protest the price of milk on their counters. Chain Grocery on 2^nd St NW was visited by approximately 50 people. Minot Food Market, also on 2^nd St, NW was visited by the same group. At the Chain Grocery store, the protesters dumped about 100 quarts of milk on the street. At Minot Food Market about 20 quarts of milk were dumped out in addition to a small amount of cream. The reason for the protest was these two stores were selling milk at a price lower than the group wanted. The average price for milk at that time was nine cents a quart. Chain Grocery was accused of selling milk four quarts for a quarter and at times seven cents a quart. Minot Food Market had a sign in the window stating “Free milk with the purchase of 50 cents of groceries. The group was representing the milkmen’s organization

Chain Grocery - 1950's

Minot Ship By Rail Club –

 The Minot Ship By Rail Club was formed to promote the use of the railroad by the coal companies. The railroads and their employees shared in the prosperity of Minot. In 1932 to promote the railroad as the main means of transporting coal out of the area the Club came up with these statistics:In

1931 the Railroads paid $193,269.47 in taxes to the Ward County Treasury

In 1931 the Railroads paid approximately $975,000.00 in wages to Minot residents

In 1931 these Railroad employees paid about $150,000.00 in Ward County taxes

In 1931 there were over 2500 railroad employees and dependents living in Minot

Impressive statistics for the time

Railroad Construction 1887

GN Railroad Supplies – during the year 1887, 16,406 train car loads of supplies were shipped to Minot from St. Paul. The supplies were for the completion of laying 636 miles of railway from Minot to Helena, Montana. Supplies included were 3,890 carloads of rail, 1,223 cars of timber, 458 cars of lumber, 8,018 cars of tiles and 947 cars of spikes. Between April 1 and November 19 world records were set for the greatest amount of track laid in any one day, week , month and year.

The Federal Building - Former Minot Post Office

Minot Post Office – in 1937 the Minot Post Office was 50 years old. Prior to its establishment in 1887, the post office for Ward County was located in Burlington. At that time the post office was a box carried by the Burlington Postmaster, Attorney James Johnson. Prior to the Minot Post Office, up and down the river went to Burlington for their mail. In Minot in 1889 the Postmaster’s salary was $100 a month and his operating budget was $30 a month for rent and $10 a month for fuel. In 1903, rural mail deliveries were started out of the Minot post office and in 1904 city carrier service was started. The post office became first class in 1908, declining to second class in 1911 due to business reasons and back to first class in 1912 and has maintained that level since. The Post Office, now the Federal Building, was completed in 1915 at a cost of $150,000. The post office moved to its present location in the 1950’s. This location prior to the post office being built was a flat piece of land used by Minot High School as an athletic field.

The pictures show various stages of construction