Pop Shaw

From conversations with people I discovered the following information. Pop Shaw owned a garage on First Street SW. The garage was on the ground level floor and also in the basement. The basement portion of the garage was accessed by an elevator. There was a bowling alley on the second floor. During the prohibition days the third floor was the home of a gambling parlor and an after hours night club. In the early 1900’s Pop Shaw’s Garage was integral to the bootlegging business in Minot. Pop Shaw himself was reportedly a somewhat gruff old man. But Pops Shaw was also a shrewd business man. Many people got their start in business in Minot with the help of Pops Shaw. Often times when local banks would not finance or back business ventures Pops would help individuals out if they had a solid business plan and could convince him that they knew what they were doing. Most often the deal was done with a handshake and a promise to repay.