Former Night Clubs and Bars

Night Clubs and Bars From the Past – Club 52 -  located west of Minot on Highway 52 – Featured Saturday afternoon jam sessions and The Plainsmen were often the entertainment at the bar ….. The Alley Cat Lounge – located inside the Chateau Lanes Bowling Alley – now the home of the Slumberland Plaza ….. Stockman’s Bar – on East Burdick Expressway – now the home of Ron Lohman Motors ….. Torch Light – on 1^st Street SE in Downtown Minot – Later the Chicago Club …. 13 Club – on 1^st Street SW (now the parking lot across from Bremer Bank)……

 Chateau Lanes 

Milk Protest – From January 15, 1934…

Demonstrators entered two Minot grocery stores to protest the price of mile on their counters. Chain Grocery on 2^nd St NW was visited by approximately 50 people. Minot Food Market, also on 2^nd St, NW was visited by the same group. At the Chain Grocery store, the protesters dumped about 100 quarts of milk on the street. At Minot Food Market about 20 quarts of milk were dumped out in addition to a small amount of cream. The reason for the protest was these two stores were selling milk at a price lower than the group wanted. The average price for milk at that time was nine cents a quart. Chain Grocery was accused of selling milk four quarts for a quarter and at times seven cents a quart. Minot Food Market had a sign in the window stating “Free milk with the purchase of 50 cents of groceries. The group was representing the milkmen’s organization

Businesses from the Past -

 Bennie’s Cycle Service – 3701 South Broadway – Now the home of Ryan Honda ….. Krebsbach’s Inc. – Home of International Harvester vehicles and other farm equipment – now the home of Marketplace Foods on South Broadway behind 1^st International bank…… Schriok’s Lawn & Trail Inc  - Highway 2 & 52 Bypass at 10^th St. SW – Now the home of Clear Channel Radio ….. MacBruce’s Sport Shop – 1605 South Broadway – specialized in athletic shoes – Now the home of Papa Murphy’s Pizza ……. Big Red Furniture Warehouse – on 3^rd Street SE – 2 blocks east of the CP Hotel by the railroad tracks 

. Restaurants of the Past – 1960’s & 70’s

– Dee Dee’s Frozen Foods – Barbecued ribs, hot tamales, chili con carne and barbecue sauce were Dee Dee’s specialties. In 1968 you could purchase these items at Red owl Stores – Downtown and Arrowhead, Garden Valley Super Fair, Piggly Wiggly – Town & Country and Highway 2 East and of course Dee Dee’s Grill on Third Street… King Leo’s – 1734 South Broadway – once in a while on Thursday and Friday, King Leo’s featured a Hamburger, Fries and a milk shake for only 49 cents…... A&W Drive-In – 1819 South Broadway – with a coupon you could buy one Teen Burger at regular price and get the second for a Penny …..

Clarence Parker Hotel

The Clarence Parker Hotel -- Ellison’s planned a three story department store with another two floors of office space on top. The first three floors were built but not floor 4 and 5 as George Vaulker started building his office building on the northwest corner of 1^st Street and 1^st Avenue Southeast.  Thinking there would be a surplus of office space, the Ellison Building remained at only three floors. The restaurant in the Ellison Building was on the second floor. The Vaulker office building  was never completed. The bottom two floors were all that was finished. The top floors were open with just the supports showing. The building was referred to as “The Sparrow Hotel” for many years as the birds were the only tenants. Twenty years later Clarence Parker bought the unfinished building and converted it to the Clarence Parker Hotel. In 1953 President Eisenhower  stayed in Minot while visiting the Garrison Dam. While in town, he rented a suite rooms at the Clarence Parker Hotel.

 construction - 1920's

 Sparrow Hotel

 Clarence Parker in 1940's

Leland House -- Leland Hotel

The Leland House – In 1896 the Parkers leased the Leland House from the original owner, Allen Tompkins. They bought it from him in 1898. Located on the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue, The now Leland Parker Hotel had 10 rooms with their own bath. The hotel also had its own sewer system which was constructed after the city council turned down a proposal for city sewer. It was also Minot’s first brick building. The Leland Hotel – in 1904 the Leland Hotel had a pretentious dining room that could seat 100 people. Buffalo steaks from Clarence Parker’s famous herd were one of the popular items on the menu. The Leland advertised 110 rooms, steam heat, electric lights and fine furnishings. The Leland was remodeled and improved six times over the years. In the 50’s some of the businesses included the KG Men’s Store, Gambles, and a cafeteria.

 Leland Hotel about 1908

Leland House - 1890's

The Parker House --

 The Parker House was Minot’s first hotel. It was established in 1886 by Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Parker, parents of Clarence Parker. The hotel was in downtown Minot on 2^nd Avenue. It was temporary home to many travelers and many of the buffalo bone wagon drivers. Buffalo bones were the cash crop for many early settlers in and around Minot. The bones were hauled in by the horse drawn wagon full and piled next to the railroad tracks. When loaded on the trains the bones were shipped to the east and I believe ground for fertilizer and other uses. Depending on the market in the east, buffalo bones were bringing $4.00 to $12.00 a ton. At one time there were so many buffalo bones stacked by the tracks that the railroad laid down a spur line just to load all the bones

The Parker House - late 1880's