Buffalo Bones

At one time vast herds of bison roamed over the Mouse River and Des Lacs valleys. Sometimes when the herds would go down to the river to drink, the older, weaker animals became mired in the mud and remained there to die. The bones of the animals could be found in the water and often in the dry bed of a river or lake after the water receded. Picking buffalo bones off the prairie in the late 1800’s was a way for many homesteaders to provide themselves and families with many of the staples needed for living, things such as flout, coffee, bacon and other necessities. The bone industry was at its peak in the late 1800’s when thousands upon thousands of buffalo skeletons were hauled to Minot off the prairies and piled up next to the railroad tracks. At one time so many buffalo bones were piled next to the tracks in Minot, the railroad put in a spur line to get the rail cars closer to the pile for loading. The bones were then shipped to St Louis or Chicago. 

Minot Violin Maker

In 1937 J. C. Jarrett was making violins that were different from the conventional instrument. His Violin did not have a sound post as did most others. According to Jarrett, a sound post is used to improve the tone in violins in which the wood and design are not in perfect acoustical harmony with the strings. Jarrett felt his instrument is acoustically perfect in all its tones so no need for a sound post. The neck of the violin was an inch longer to facilitate the playing of half tones above the open strings. The wood for the violin was rock maple imported from Europe. To determine the musical qualities of the wood, it is struck with a steel hammer before any work is done to it and while it is still in block shape. The wood had to have a silver, bell like tone to be used. The tones would determine the thickness of the pieces to be carved. The cost of material in 1937 was about $100 per violin. The estimated value of the completed violin was $2500.00.

Supplies to build Railroad

During the year 1887, 16,406 train car loads of supplies were shipped to Minot from St. Paul. The supplies were for the completion of laying 636 miles of railway from Minot to Helena, Montana. Supplies included were 3,890 carloads of rail, 1,223 cars of timber, 458 cars of lumber, 8,018 cars of tiles and 947 cars of spikes. Between April 1 and November 19 world records were set for the greatest amount of track laid in any one day, week , month and year.

A couple tidbits from the 1970's

CBS TV in 1979 -  The Sunday night TV line up was as follows: 6pm – 60 Minutes …   7 pm – Archie Bunker’s Place …. 8 pm – Alice …. 8:30 pm – The Jeffersons …. 9 pm – Trapper John MD….

Feline House – in August of 1972 the Minot Park Board broke ground for the new feline house for the large cats in the Zoo. In the location where the lions are now housed. Alderman Ralph Schneider turned the first shovel full of dirt. Also at the ceremony was Rob Nelson, President of Greater Minot Zoological Society.

Minot Post Office

 The Minot Post office is 127 years old …in 1937 the Minot Post Office was 50 years old. Prior to its establishment in 1887, the post office for Ward County was located in Burlington. At that time the post office was a box carried by the Burlington Postmaster, Attorney James Johnson. Prior to the Minot Post Office, people up and down the river went to Burlington for their mail. In Minot in 1989 the Postmaster’s salary was $100 a month and his operating budget was $30 a month for rent and $10 a month for fuel. In 1903, rural mail deliveries were started out of the Minot post office and in 1904 city carrier service was started. The post office became first class in 1908, declining to second class in 1911 due to business reasons and back to first class in 1912 and has maintained that level since. A new  Post Office, now the Federal Building, was completed in 1915 at a cost of $150,000. The post office moved to its present location in the early 1950’s. This location prior to the post office being built was a flat piece of land used by Minot High School as an athletic field.

 Post Office Construction - 1914 

Post Office completed - 1915

Fast - O - Trade

 Dan Hornbacher, better known as Trader Dan opened his first sporting goods store in a small location at 525 East Central Avenue in August of 1945. Changing the name to Fast-O-Trade, in 1949 moved to 16 North Main Street.. In 1961 Trader Dan built a new building on Highway 83 South. The new location provide a lot of outside room for boats, trailers and motorcycles. They akso carried a full line of sporting goods inside. Trader Dan stocked western clothing for hunters, archery equipment and all types of fishing tackle, along with firearms and ammunition. I have been informed that at one time Trader Dan would appear on late night TV selling his wares over the airwaves. I have been informed that for a while Dan Hornbacher went into the construction business with his son. Apparently they built a house which exploded due to a gas leak when lighting the furnace. Dan’s son was killed in the explosion. Dan and his wife lived in a house, behind his business, located at County Road 14 and Highway 83 South.

The New York Store

 In many pictures of Minot’s Main Street one sees The New York Store. It was on the Southwest Corner of Main and Central. This location was at the turn of the century the home of Jack Doyle’s Saloon. The best known saloon in Minot at the time. Peter P Lee replaced the saloon with a general store. The building was known as the Lee Block. In 1906, Julius Fauchald  bought the building and Lee’s Store became known as the New York Store. The building contained offices in the upper floors and was known as the New York Store Block.  In 1912 Julius Fauchald sold the New York Store to Woolworths, which operated until 1982. Fauchald moved next door and established Fauchald’s Department Store which continued until it was sold to Abraham Bader in 1943. A sign referencing The New York Store painted on the side of a building can still be seen at the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue