Cars from the Past

 Vehicles of the past – The Gremlin – Going through old papers I came across an ad for the 1971 Gremlin – Sold by Nelson Motors – Made by American motors – Your choice in v8 or 6 cyl – from $2295.00 ….  The Javelin and AMC – also sold by Nelson Motors – built to rival the Camaro and Mustangs ……. Plymouth Arrow and the Dodge Dart – Sold by Don Moe Motors …. Dodge Ramcharger – an early sport utility vehicle ….. Studebaker Lark – Sold by Asplund Motors – in 1963 they were located at 112 South Broadway, (now the Wells Fargo drive thru bank) …… More Muscle cars – Oldsmobile 442 …. Pontiac GTO ….. Plymouth Roadrunner …… Dodge Charger ….

Lahart - Moe 1964

1937 - Buffalo Bone Business

Buffalo Bones Revived – At one time vast herds of bison roamed over the Mouse River and Des Lacs valleys. Sometimes when the herds would go down to the river to drink, the older, weaker animals became mired in the mud and remained there to die. The bones of the animals could be found in the water and often in the dry bed of a river or lake after the water receded. Picking buffalo bones off the prairie in the late 1800’s was a way for many homesteaders to provide themselves and families with many of the staples needed for living, things such as flout, coffee, bacon and other necessities. The bone industry was at its peak in the late 1800’s when thousands upon thousands of buffalo skeletons were hauled to Minot off the prairies and piled up next to the railroad tracks. At one time so many buffalo bones were piled next to the tracks in Minot, the railroad put in a spur line to get the rail cars closer to the pile for loading. The bones were then shipped to St Louis or Chicago. In 1937, buffalo bones were still worth money, about &10.00 a ton in Minot. The bones were used for various industrial purposes. In the early days the bones were used for fertilizer and in the process for refining sugar. Getting buffalo bones in 1937 was a bit more difficult. The more modern day bone pickers almost had to become miners. Sometimes it took a pick and a shovel to retrieve the bones.

Buffalo Bones by Spur Line RR tracks - early 1900's

Restaurants from the ^0'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 ……

Musical 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.

JC Penny Moves to Dakota Square

 Back From Vacation

JC Penny – Dakota Square Mall – August 1980 – A newspaper ad on Friday, August 29, 1980 featured items from departments that I do not recall Penny’s having.… One was the Automotive dept. The ad featured two different types of tires, Shock absorbers and JCPenny brand antifreeze. The ad also had a aftermarket cruise control for cars for $139.99…. the other department was Sporting Goods. In this same ad JCPenny was promoting Remington and Savage rifles and shotguns, all at 20% off and sales on various types of shotguns…

Union National Bank

Union National Bank began its existence in Minot in 1905, in the front of the Jacobson Hardware building. The second floor was home to Offices and the Post Office. The ground floor housed Martin Jacobson’s Hardware Store. In 1923 the building, bank included was gutted by fire. Within eight months a new building had been erected on the northeast corner of Main Street and Central Avenue, the same location  as the old building . Union National Bank remained at that location until 1963 when they built a new bank at 17 First Avenue SW. The bank is in the same location but became First Bank and is now known as US Bank. US Bank also has drive through tellers on South Broadway.

Union National Bank - 1940's

Hugh - Nelson Motors

 Nelson Motors was located at 614 Second St NW. The business began as “Ted and Markies” repair shop. In 1940 they entered in the new car field. The owners were Mark Nelson and Ted Hugh. The business was known as Hugh-Nelson Motors. In 1960 Nelson and sons bought out the interest of Ted Hugh. The Rambler was the vehicle line the carried. Eventually the name was changed to Nelson Motors and the car line became American Motors. One of the popular vehicles in the late 60’s was the Javelin and the AMC. Both were sports cars and were meant to rival the Mustangs and Camaros.

Nelson Motors - 1976

Trader Dan

Fast –O-Trade – Dan Hornbacher, better known as Trader Dan opened his first sporting goods store in a small location at 525 East Central Avenue in August of 1945. Changing the name to Fast-O-Trade, in 1949 moved to 16 North Main Street.. In 1961 Trader Dan built a new building on Highway 83 South. The new location provide a lot of outside room for boats, trailers and motorcycles. They akso carried a full line of sporting goods inside. Trader Dan stocked western clothing for hunters, archery equipment and all types of fishing tackle, along with firearms and ammunition. I have been informed that at one time Trader Dan would appear on late night TV selling his wares over the airwaves. I have been informed that for a while Dan Hornbacher went into the construction business with his son. Apparently they built a house which exploded due to a gas leak when lighting the furnace. Dan’s son was killed in the explosion. Dan and his wife lived in a house, behind his business, located at County Road 14 and Highway 83 South. This is now the location of Ryan Honda

JC Penny Moves to Dakota Square

JC Penny – Dakota Square Mall – August 1980 – A newspaper ad on Friday, August 29, 1980 featured items from departments that I do not recall Penny’s having.… One was the Automotive dept. The ad featured two different types of tires, Shock absorbers and JCPenny brand antifreeze. The ad also had a aftermarket cruise control for cars for $139.99…. the other department was Sporting Goods. In this same ad JCPenny was promoting Remington and Savage rifles and shotguns, all at 20% off and sales on various types of shotguns…

Milk - 4 quarts for a Quarter

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

Ship By Rail Club

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

First Engine on GNRR makes a return Visit

Minot - Supply Depot For Railroad Construction

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.

A bit of Minot Post Office History

Minot Post Office – in 1937 the Minot Post Office was 50 years old. Prior to its establishment in 1987, 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 1989 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. At one time the Post Office was located in the Jacobson Hardware Building on the Second Floor.  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.

 Laying the Cornerstone

 Construction

Post Office - 1915