More Auto Dealers – 90 to 100 Years Ago

Fisher – Sandlie Motor Company – They acquired the Pence Auto co. – Buick dealer … eventually became Fisher Motors in Downtown Minot before moving to 20th Ave. SW  ...Crowell Motor Company – Authorized dealer for Paige automobiles … Parker Motor Co .—115 -119 1^st Ave SE – Dodge dealer (across from the Blue Rider) – Had a large auditorium on the top floor of the building which house Skateland and burned in 1962) … Minot Reo Co. – 21 1^st St SE – Dealer for The REO Flying Cloud and Wolverine autos … 

 Fisher Motors - 1920

Parker Motors - 1949

Auto Dealers - 90 to 100 Years Ago

Auto Dealers in 1927 -- Kluver Motor Co. – 16 Third St NE – ( across from the Ice Box Bar on south side of the 3^rd St overpass) in 1927 they were the Pontiac and Oakland dealer – later would become the Plymouth dealer … Westlie Motor Co – at Central Avenue and 2^nd St NW (Broadway) – Ford and Lincoln dealer … Interstate Motor Co. – Dealer for Hudson and Essex automobiles … Frosaker Motor Co. – 2^nd St and 1^st Ave SW – now the home of  the Wells Fargo Drive-in bank …

 Frosaker Motors

 Kluver Motors

Original Westlie Motors

Auto Dealers - 90 Years ago

Blaisdell Motors – Chrysler Dealer – 4^th Ave and Main St. (now Main Medical) … Hanson Motor Co. – Central Avenue and 2^nd St SE – Falcon-Knight auto dealer …. Whitmore Motor Co – Erskine and Studebaker Dealer … Nash-Westra Auto co – Franchise dealer for Nash Automobiles … Eck-Johnson Motor Co – Willys-Knight and Whippet dealer in Minot … 

Blaisdell Motors 

4 track - 8 Track - LP Records

In the early 70’s a person could purchase 4 track and 8 track tapes and cassette tapes were just beginning to make their appearance, (cassettes were going to revolutionize the music industry)….. but the main source of music was still albums. At Christmas time in 1972, JC Penny was running specials on top “hit” albums for only $3.57. Artists like Mac Davis, John Denver, Cher and The Partridge Family….. Christmas albums were only $1.99 …. (Perry Como, Al Hirt, Elvis and more). To play those albums one could purchase stereo systems as low as $28.00 for a portable record player to $170.00 to a console stereo complete with an AM/FM radio….

Heisler’s Super Valu –

  A few people have inquired about Heisler’s Super Valu. It was located in northwest Minot at 4^th Avenue and 21^st St NW. Heisler’s was open 7 days a week from 7 am to 11 pm…. One of the few stores open on Sundays back in the 60’s and 70’s. Heisler’s featured a complete line of groceries, fresh produce and fresh, quality meats. Also magazines and health and beauty supplies.

1963 - Town & Country Shopping Center –

 Snuggled up to a major highway, a hilly chunk of ground which many people though useless, was transformed and there emerged, in 1963, Minot’s Town & Country Shopping Center. In 1968 a sign proclaimed Town & Country to be the largest shopping center in North Dakota. The cost of building the center in 1963 was about $1.8 million. When it opened, Town & Country had 16 businesses operating. I recall working at the JJ Newberry Cafeteria and later at Piggly Wiggly in the mid 1960’s. I also remember Town & Country as a gathering place and full of activities. One of those in 1966 or 1967 was a Battle of the Bands. 

Oak Park Theater – On Saturday, March 27^th, 1976 the Oak Park Theater was showing “The Hindenburg”, staring George C Scott and Anne Bancroft. The Oak Park Theater also featured Saturday Matinees. This particular Saturday the Matinee was “ The Phantom Toll Booth”. The theater ad stated: “Mothers, take an hour and a half break and come along with your kids to see this great show. They’ll drive you crazy but you will thoroughly enjoy the show. All matinee seats – 75 cents. The upstairs of the theater also had an separate for parents with small children to watch a movie without disturbing the rest of the audience.

I also remember back in the late 60’s, the Oak Park Theater would have all night shows on Saturday nights in the summer. The late evening shows tended to get a bit rowdy causing the theater to stop having them.

 in the early 60's

2011 Flood