Minot Grocery Company

the Minot Grocery Company started operations in Minot in 1906. Its first home was in downtown Minot east of Main Street and north of Central Avenue. In the early days Minot Grocery was purchased by the Nash Finch Company.  The Nash Brothers started business in 1885 in Grand Forks and were soon joined by Harry Finch. Nash Finch Company supplied products to the area Piggly Wiggly, Jack & Jill and Circle Food Stores. Nash Finch moved to a new, modern warehouse on Highway 2 & 52 West. They are still in business at the same location. That is now 16^th Street SW and Burdick Expressway West.

Saunders Drug

in 1908, Cap Saunders came to Minot to work in the Leland Drug Store which was owned by Paul McCoy and Clarence Parker. McCoy and Frank Taylor owned Taylors Drug on North Main Street. Three months after arriving in Minot, Saunders was moved to Taylor Drug. In 1912 he bought one third interest in the store and later bought out McCoy and the name was changed to Saunders Drug. In 1935 Taylor sold his interest to Saunders. At midnight on December 31, 1948, Saunders turned over the management of the drug store to John Vardsveen. Saunders Drug was located at 5 North Main Street. Pictured below is the building Saunders Drug was located in and also an early picture of the interior of Saunders / Taylors Drug

 

 

Solar Eclipse - 1979

It happened on  February 26, 1979 at 10:39 am Minot time. Minot was on the path of the total solar eclipse of the sun. Many people traveled hundreds of miles to see the event. The path of the eclipse was a wide arc from Portland, Oregon through Butte and Billings, Montana. Then onward to the northeast through Williston and Minot and into Canada – Winnipeg and Fort Severn. The total eclipse lasted about 2 minutes. Many people traveled as many as 1200 miles to see it. Minot became the destination for viewing as it had the best forecast for Clear Skies over other major cities.

Champion Auto Parts

October , 1979 Harvey Furness and Darell Hauser opened a new  Champion Auto Parts store at 1021 Twentieth Ave SW in Minot. This was an automobile parts and accessories business. Champion Auto was located next to Carl’s Radiator Shop. This locations is just about across the street from where the Clear Channel Building is now located. Hauser and Furness were both previously employed at Motor Service Co. in Minot. Hauser also owned Hausers Farm Supply in Sawyer.

Festival of the Arts – 1971

the Festival of the Arts in 1971 had many events happening but one that caught my attention was the Operetta that was performed at Jim Hill Junior High School on April 22 and 23. The reason it has significance to me is that the stars of the show were Mindy Condon, Lenae Schnaibel and my own little sister Lois Lehner. … The three are pictured in a scene below

Young America

In 1963, Stan Fink came up with the concept of the Young America Stores. The first store opened in the newly built Town & Country Shopping Center. The store carried a complete line of infant wear and clothes for tots, juniors , subteens, young men and young women.  Most of the sales were in the men’s lines so the store expanded and eventually opened The American Man Stores. At one time Young America had 15 locations in North and South Dakota, Iowa  and Montana with over 250 employees.  In 1976 they opened the Jeanery in the Town & Country Center. American Man opened in 1981 in Dakota Square in Minot with Young America following in 1983. In 1983 Young America received the Retailer of the Year  Award by the Upper Midwest Mens Apparel Club of Minneapolis

Chain Food Store

Chain Food Store was established in 1917 by Herman (Heinie) Diamond. He started working a grocery store and soon saved enough money to purchase Standby Grocery on North Broadway. Chain Foods started delivering groceries in Minot with a horse and wagon. They were the first grocery store to use a motor truck for delivery.  In winter when roads were blocked, groceries were even delivered in rural areas by air. Also involved in the store with Heinie were his sons James and Jerry and his son –in-law Stan Fink.  These three also opened Diamonds Department Store in 1959 at 437 North Broadway and in 1961 a second Diamonds Department Store opened in the Arrowhead Shopping Center.
While I have no pictures of the Chain Grocery building below you will see a couple views of the interior of the store