Family Furniture and More

Family Furniture – located ½ block north of the old YMCA on 1^st Street in Downtown Minot …..   Wylie Piano Company – 117 West Central Avenue – Authorized Baldwin dealer for western North Dakota …..  Minot Federal Savings & Loan – 24 West Central Avenue – established in 1935  ….. Mr Steak Restaurant – on top of Minot’s North Hill – Next to North Hill Bowl ….. Big Bear Store – located on North Main Street – next to what is now 10 North Main – sold western clothing and sporting goods for the hunter and fisherman. Big Bear then moved out to South Broadway at the intersection of 31^st Avenue, where the Gas Stop is now. 

Ribbon Cutting at opening of Mr. Steak

P W Miller

In 1959 the PW Miller Company was located in the Grand Hotel Block on West Central Avenue – This is the parking lot across the street o the north of Tom’s Coin Shop. Prior to this location PW Miller was located on the west side of Main Street north of Central Avenue. In 1959 the ad for PW Miller stated “Our Inventory is up and our bank account is down”. They were advertising – boy’s suits - $6.00 … Men’s work shoes - $2.99 ….. Full size blankets - $1.00 …. Men’s Sweatshirts - $1.00 ….. Used British Parkas - $8.88 …. Marine Corps insulated boots - $6.66 pr …. PW Miller called themselves “The jacket headquarters of the Northwest” . They also sold usd items and military surplus … Later the PW Miller Company moved to 1^st Ave. SE  just west of the Clarence Parker Hotel. This location is now the home of the Olson Law Offices

Business from the Past

Truax-Traer Coal Company – Office in Minot, at one time in the First Avenue Building. Coal mine near Velva ….. Top Valu Market – 4^th Avenue and 21^st Street NW – Meats, Groceries, Frozen foods and open on Sundays – (Eventually became Heislers Market) …..  American State Bank – (now Bremer Bank) in Downtown Minot ….. Johnson Chevrolet  - Became Auran Chevrolet and then Ryan Chevrolet ….. The Corset Shop – Located at 16A South Main – either up or down a stairway between Minot Drug and Buttrey’s – The shop obviously catered to women – Hulda Hoskins was a Registered Corsetiere. 

American State Bank - 1960

Lobby - American Stare Bank - 1950's

Ordinances and a Zoo

1888 Minot City Ordinances – In 1888 it was illegal to ride or drive horses in the city limits faster than a trot or 8 mph – while it sounds funny today, with no traffic signals a galloping horse was a threat to public safety …. There was a “vice” ordinance prohibiting anyone from owning or visiting a “bawdy house” or a house of “ill fame”…… Drunken or disorderly conduct was subject to a fine of not more than $19.00 and/or 9 days in jail ….. it was also illegal to keep horses, mules, cows, sheep, goats or swine (pigs) within the city limits ……

Minot’s Zoo – in 1914 the decision was made to open a zoo in Minot. The Park Board decided to purchase two buffalo from South Dakota, a bull and a cow, at a cost of about $600.00. Five acres was to be fenced for the buffalo. A Menagerie will be started in the area. Some of the animals will be coyotes, foxes, bears and raccoons. A monkey cage will be added and the park already has a number of squirrels in the park, however, boys are shooting the squirrels. Fines and jail terms were to levied on anyone carrying guns in the parks. $1.00 to $19.00 and 1 to 15 days in jail. At one time tourist cabins were available i the Park

Tourist cabins in the park

Original Bear Castle

Past Auto Dealers

1960’s – 1970’s --- Auran Chevrolet – Highway 83 South -- 18^th Avenue and South Broadway – (now Ryan Chevrolet) ……. Ted Schweigert Saab ( a division of Ted Schweigert VW) – 1420 South Broadway (now Prairie Federal Credit Union) ….. Alhood Motors – South Broadway at 31^st Ave. – in 1972 the Mercedes Benz dealer in Minot – featuring the Mercedes diesel cars – uncommon in 1972 ….. Parker Motor Company – established in 1922 – located on 1^st Avenue SE (across from the old YMCA). On the top floor of the Parker Motor Company was the Parker Auditorium. The Auditorium was the home to many conventions and when not used for that had a roller skating rink. 

Parker Auditorium - Burned in 1960's

Parker Motors Showroom

Minot Truck Assembly Line

In May of 1927 the Ford Motor Company stopped production of the Model T Truck to retool their plants for the new Model A. The conversion was going to be a 2 year process. During that time, Westlie Motors set up an assembly line on the top floor of its business here in Minot. The parts were ordered directly from Ford Motor Company. Westlie Motors was the only dealer in the country to do this. In the fall of 1927, 38 trucks rolled off the assembly line.  In 1928, 50 trucks were assembled. When the Model A trucks came out in late 1928, the demand for the Model T ceased as did Minot’s first and only automobile assembly line .

1961 - Future Gadgets

 In 1961 NSP placed an advertisement in the newspaper predicting some of the things that would come to be in the future….. some of these were Instant checkout in stores – Electronic devices will scan purchases and add the bills to give you your total due ….. Automatic Cleaner – A machine that will vacuum, wash, rinse, dry and wax floors by itself then scoot back to the its niche in the baseboard , empty any waste and wait for the next job…… Automatic Wall Painter – Walls will be built with panels that incorporate a chemical that will change color when electricity is applied….. change your wall colors to match your mood……. Cooling Blanket – A blanket that will heat and/or cool at your discretion ….. Make Disposable Tableware - with a touch of the dial and throw them away afterwards – or If using your finest china, you will be able to clean and sterilize in 3 minutes with ultrasonic waves.