American Cafe

The American Café opened in September of 1922 in the Scofield Block on Main Street by a Chinese-American named Louis Lolling.  The  menu featured Special Chow Mein at 25 cents a plate and Lobster Egg Foo Yung at 55 cents a plate. Mr Lolling, while looking for an employee at the Dakotah Hotel, 60 South Main, was arrested in an opium raid. After convincing authorities that he was just looking for an employee, charges were dropped. However, Lolling became discouraged with Minot, sold his new café and left Minot in 1924.

Evacuate 2011 - Day 13 - July 4, 2011

Today is day #13. Thirteen has always been a good number for me as I was 13 on Friday the 13th, many years ago. Today a couple of videos of Eastwood Park were posted on Facebook. Both were taken from a boat passing through the neighborhood. One of the videos went past our house. Now we now know that we had water on the main floor. About a foot at the most, I am estimating. The stuff we left in the garage that was higher than 4 feet should be ok unless the water entering the garage knocked over the shelving units I had it stored on. Christmas decorations should have survived. I am guessing it will still be at least 2 - 3 weeks before the water recedes enough for us to get into our neighborhood to start working on the house. We are stocking up on supplies we will need once we get into the house. Items like hammers, pry bars, crowbars, generator, utility and trouble lights, knife cutters to remove carpet, boots and other  things we might need.
Minot is proceding with regular events. Festival in the Park has moved to the Scandinavian Heritage Park on South Broadway, across from Town & Country Shopping Center, on a bit smaller scale. Fireworks will still go off tonight from the Souris Valley Golf Course. The State Fair will be held, Nodak racing is to start in early August, so life goes on. A lot of this is still dependant on the river getting back in its banks and the storm sewers functioning again to remove standing water in neighborhoods and on the streets.

Valker-Christensen Company

This was a wholesale-retail seed and feed business, operating  one of the largest seed houses in the state, eventually making a specialty of processing and distributing grass seeds throughout the United States and many foreign countries. It was founded in 1920 by George Valker and A. M. Christensen. Christensen, who became sole owner in 1928, came to this state in 1910 as a teenager. He walked from Chicago to his uncle’s farm west of New England, North Dakota and then got a summer job at the Dickinson experiment station. The boy became so interested in his work there that he devoted much of his life to the seed business. Later in his career, he also served as president of the Dakota Transfer and Storage Company and the Minot Building and Loan Association (now Midwest Federal), as well as the Minot Association of Commerce.

Evacuate 2011 - Day 11 - July 2, 2011

Now starting day 11 of the evacuation. Some things are improving in the city. Residents in some evacuation zones that have no water on their lawns are allowed back into their homes. If they discover water in basement they need to get in touch with Xcel Energy to make sure power is off. Seminars are being conducted to teach people the sequence invovled in cleaning and repairing flooded basements. Anything electrical, including the wiring, will have to be replaced. So far, we have lined up dumpsters, electrician, clean up company, plumber for water heater and someone to replace both furnaces. Also have a generator, extension cords, trouble lights, waders and some supplies. I will need to get tools such as pry bars, crow bars, hammers, heavy duty rubber gloves and misc. for demolishion. From what I hear, the smell is quite unpleasant. Also have to get a tetnus shot prior to entering to start cleanup.
Broadway is now open daily from 7 am to 8 pm. No turning, stopping, pedestrians or bicycles allowed. This gives us 2 routes across the valley.

Sidewalk Lights

Vault Lights or as they were commonly called, Sidewalk Lights, are glass prizms set into sidewalks to let light into vaults and basements below. Prizms were used instead of  flat glass to disperse the light. Flat glass would cast a spot on the floor below whereas the prizm would spread the light out over a larger area. The idea originated in the 1840’s as Deck Lights. They were used on ships to let light below decks, especially when an open flame would be hazardous. The idea caught on in cities in sidewalks to illuminate below grade.  Many businesses in Downtown Minot had the Sidewalk Lights in the sidewalks in front of the store. The basements of many businesses went under the sidewalk. This was because many had freight elevators in the sidewalk. The heat from the basement below helped to keep snow melted. By the 1930’s they were on their way out as electricity became less expensive. Now they are endangered relics, or antiques. There are probably still some in sidewalks in Minot’s downtown area.

Evacuate 2011 - Day 10 July 1, 2011

It has now been 10 days that we have been out of the house. I have been running the Flood Hotline Call Center At the EOC. I spoke with a lady from Wisconsin who called with questions about her monther's house. She thought it was in Eastwood Park but turns out it is on the east side of Roosevelt Park. She told me that she did have pictures from a video of Eastwood Park which she emailed to me. One is shown below. The bottom of the picture would be the 4 way stop sign at 8th St SE and 1st Ave SE. Our house is at the other end of the block to the south. Judging by the water level on the small trees on the boulevard, I am estimating the water depth in this picture to be between 4 - 4 1/2 feet. I will probably have water on the main floor but hopefully not too deep. Yesterday, June 30th, at 4:30 pm I was able to tour the Souris Rivewr Valley in a Blackhawk Helpcopter, thanks to the ND National Guard. Quite the sight when one actually sees the amount of water in person rather than on a video. Plans are being formulated by city and other officials on how to safely and orderly allow people back into their homes. Will write more about that as the plans develop.

Headlines from the 1940's

Headlines from the 40’s –

1940 – Sawyer ran a a band of Gypsies out of town ---

1940  - Unemployment checks averaged $9.68

1943 – The Waverly Hotel burned down ---

1943 -  North Dakota Speed limit lowered to 35 mph

1945 – Construction began on the Empire Theater

1945 -  Thomas Funeral Home moved to its Present location

1946 – Minot City Council approved parking meters ---

1946 -  Propane gas came to Minot

1947 – More than 1400 rats killed at Minot Dump in one day --- 

1947 -  Westland Oil Fire

1948 – New Clarence Parker Hotel opened

1949 – Parking meters abolished in Minot