The Keg #3

The Barrel  Pt 3 – Harry Muzzy built the second barrel in Minot, next to the Minot City Ballpark and across the street from the city zoo. He used 117 pieces of 1 inch by 6 inch tongue and groove lumber sixteen feet long to form the outer shell of the structure. Local lumber yards had to shape and bevel the wood in order to fit in the top and bottom hoops. It was during the time of the Depression and lumber yards and carpenters were happy to have the work. When completed Muzzy began selling soft drinks, ham sandwiches and hot dogs with sauerkraut to Minot residents. The root beer logo was Triple XXX. The logo stood out prominently on the front of the Barrel root beer stand. This logo and the novel shape attracted and kept customers.

The Keg #2

The Barrel Pt. 2 – The Barrel was part of a chain of barrel shaped root beer stands built by Harry Muzzy and his wife Martha in the 1930’s. Muzzy grew up in Minot, worked as an engineer for the Great Northern Railway until 1920. He moved to Crookston, Minnesota and owned a successful cigar store. He had the opportunity to start a root beer stand in Great Falls, Mt. Aware of the success of the A&W Root Beer stands in California, he thought they would be a success along Highway 2 in the northern part of the country. He built the Great Falls stand in the shape of a 2 story barrel. It was a huge success both as a root beer stand and also as a tourist attraction. Muzzy and his wife lived on the second story of the Great Falls barrel.

Evacuated - Day 166 - Dec 5, 2011

We worked at the house again over the weekend. The tile setters are working on the basemant shower. The floor is in place. The tile is in place in the den and the kitchen. The small closet in the den is all that is left to finish in that area. The carpet will be in place later this week in the hallwat and dressing area off the main floor Bedroom. The baseboard is installed in the den so we can have the new furniture delivered for that room this week.
Electricians will be back to finish odds and ends on the main floor. They will also get  the water heater wired so it will work. I forgot to tell them that we moved it across the room due to the furnace install. They have to run a new wire for the water heater. Todd stopped by to look at what we need to terminate all the phone lines. Cable TV is scheduled for Tuesday. Counter top should be here Tuesday or Wednesday.Plumbers are getting main floor bathroom done today. Hopefully by this weekend we will be moving appliances back into the house.

The Keg #1

This will be the first in a five part history of The Keg that was once in Minot.
 The Barrel – (the Keg) Pt 1 – The Barrel root beer stand was built in 1931 in Minot. It was during the great depression, a time of dust storms, drought, heat waves and crop failures. A nickel bought a root beer and a dime bought a toasted ham sandwich. Food was delivered to the vehicles by young carhops. The smiles were free. Some believe the word “carhop” was coined because the waitresses had to hop p on the running boards of the cars to deliver the food. Others say it was a derivative of  the word “bellhop” and adapted to the cars.. … Most drive-ins instructed the carhops not to stand on the running boards because it was improper and overly familiar behavior. . The first carhops were not teenage girls, but were adult women who found the tips were excellent even back in the 30’s

Evacuated - Day 163 - Dec 2, 2011

We seem to be moving along at a brisk pace. We have a toilet in the house that is fuctioning. They basement stool is in and will be pulled out when we tile the floor in the bathroom. The electricians were in yesterday afternoon and have most of the outlets and switches working on the main floor. The water heater is in but I forgot to tell the electricians that we moved it to a different spot so they need to run a wire to it.... no hot water until Monday. When electricians get done Monday we could bring in our appliances if flooring is in. The basement bathroom is about 1/2 sheetrocked, the laundry room is ready for painting.
Main floor bathroom should get tub, sink and toilet installed today. Maybe 2 functioning toilets in the house.
Gary was laying the floor tile in the den on the main floor. If he finishes that room I will install base boards and have the new desk and bookshelves delivered. Bedroom furniture can move into bedroom so we can start cleaning floor in dining room.....Getting closer

Purity Dairy

 Letter from a listener …. My dad worked for Purity Dairy for over 15 years. He told me it was first located on the corner across the street from the Barley Pop. I believe he said it was in the late 1950’s. Then they were located on the frontage road on south hill. I believe the bypass is there now, and if my memory serves me correctly there was two frontage roads across from each other. One where Denny’s is and then the other side of the highway where purity dairy was located. I remember as a young kid I used to help my dad in the purity dairy truck delivering milk all over Minot.

Henry's Pool Hall

Henry’s Pool Hall – bands would play on the weekends. One long time resident of Third Street told me that when the bands would play on a busy weekend night the horn players would have handkerchiefs in their hands to hold on to the instruments. My source said the  horns would get so hot that you could not touch them. Also the windows of the Parrot Inn on many a Sunday morning would be all boarded up due to fights. The windows would all be blown out the night before.