Lahart - Moe

LaHart-Moe – 1965   located at 108 Third St. SE LaHart-Moe was the Dodge and Chrysler dealer. In 1965 they considered themselves as Minot’s wildest auto traders. They sold both new and used cars
M&S Roofing – 1965 – located at 300 Second St. NW, Mowbray & Sons Roofing did new roof s and also roofing repair…. Residential, commercial and industrial … no job was too big or too small… free estimates were provided

 LaHart - Moe -- ad

M&S Roofing -- 1965

Clarence Parker Hotel

The Clarence Parker Hotel was originally built to be an office building. The original owners were Vaulker and Christenson. When the economy slowed in the 30’s and the outbreak of Work War II, the building sat empty for about 20 years. It was often referred to as the Sparrow Hotel as the top 4 or 5 floors were just steel girders, inhabited by birds of the area. After the War, Clarence Parker bought the building and finished construction, turning it into the 250 room Hotel that was named after him. In 1961, at the Diamond Jubilee, and in honor of the Dakota Territory’s Centennial celebration, the new Lounge was named the Centennial Room. When President Eisenhower came to see the Garrison Dam he stayed at the Clarence Parker and Charlie Demakis was his personal chef while he was in town.

 Clarence Parker Hotel when known as The Sparrow Hotel

Clarence Parker hotel - 1950's

Leland Hotel

  

Parker Hotels – The Hotel Leland – in 1904 the Hotel Leland had 110 rooms that were steam heated, electrically lighted and finely equipped. The Leland also had a large, pretentious dining room that could seat 1oo people. One of the specialties was  buffalo steaks from the Parker’s famous bufflo herds on their rand in the Des Lacs Area. The Leland Hotel building also was the home to many other businesses on Main Street over the years. The location of the Leland Hotel became  a parking lot on the north end of Main Street at Central Avenue. The Artspace Center is now on the same location. It seems as the landscape of old Downtown Minot is returning.... Pictured above is the Leland Hotel in 1947

      
1963 Demo of the Leland ... object in the circle is a smaller building in the middle of the Leland .. When they expanded the walls of the smaller building were incorporated into the structure of the Leland

        Leland House - 1890's

The Parker House

The Parker House – Minot’s first hotel was The Parker House, built in 1886 on the north end of Main Street. It was built by Mr. & Mrs. W. H. Parker, parents of Clarence Parker. Fire destroyed the hotel in 1890. In 1896 the Parkers leased the Leland House from the original owner, Allen Tompkins and bought it from him in 1898. The Leland House was located on the Southeast corner of Main Street and Central Avenue. It was Minot’s first brick building and boasted 10 rooms with a bath. The Leland House also had its own sewer system as the city council back then voted down a proposal for city sewer.

 The Parker House is shown on the right

The Leland House - early 1900's

Souris Bar

Souris Bar – 1965 Located at 1607 Fourth Ave. NW … The Souris Bar claimed “Your Old Friend Has A New Look” …. Apparently the bar was remodeled (and possibly renamed).. It was an old favorite and a buddy to many loyal folks who enjoy relaxing refreshments before, during and after a hard day’s work… The Souris Bottle Shop was to open soon.

Collins – Russell Mortuary – Owned by Harlan Russell and Chester Collins, it was located in Green Valley o Souris Drive, directly south of the Fairgrounds. The location was a church prior to the 2011 flood and may still be a church.

 

 

KofC Club - 1965

Sweet Block  -- the building at the corner of Trinity where the Emergency Room Parking is now, was called the Sweet Block and it was originally used for nursing students dorm.  Later in the years of 1959, 1960, 1961 employees that lived out of town could rent rooms there for the winter months

Knights of Columbus 1965 – in May, 1965 the K of C Club construction had been completed. The new building was built at the cost of $100,000.00. Located at 2700 North Broadway … the building is still there and in use .

 

Legal Hanging

There were a few hangings in the Minot area in the very early days but Hans Thorpe will go down in history as the only person to be legally hanged in Minot. Thorpe drifted into Minot in 1898 and was reported to be quite a handsome guy and quite a lady’s man. Shortly after arriving in town he met and married a Minot girl…. Then his trouble began.  Thorpe and his wife got into a terrible argument one evening at the dinner table. In her room, the house keeper heard shots and when she ran into the dining room found Mrs. Thorpe dead of gunshot wounds. She also found Thorpe lying in his own blood as he had then turned the gun on himself. He did not do a very good job of shooting himself as he recovered and had to face his trial for murder. He was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged which happened on September 14, 1900. The gallows was just east of Minot on Valley Street, (about at the intersection of Valker Road, or at the bottom of the truck stop hill). Reports state that Thorpe was taken to Rosehill Cemetary and placed in an unmarked grave…..