Evacuated 2011 - Day 101 - Sep 30, 2011

The hardwood floor is now out of the den. At this writing it is in the back of my pick up and when I am done with the radio show I will haul it to the city landfill..... I wonder how many memories are now buried in the landfill after the flood cleanup.
The driveway/patio is now almost done. The last section will be poured and stamped today. The color of the driveway is a dark copper to accent the dark brown on the house.
This weekend I have a friend from the City Council coming to help. We are going to remove the warped hardwood floors in the bedroom. Then all the bad floors are out. We picked out flooring last night with the help of Madison,(youngest grandaughter).
If the weather is warm this weekend I think we will scrub more of the river off the south side of the house...

Stearn's Apartments

Stearn’s  Apartment Rental Business – There were three apartments on the top floor of Stearns Motors. Lou Stearns lived in the largest one with his girlfriend Florence Brown. Lou and Florence had a turbulent relationship. At one time they were going to be married in Minneapolis, but by the time they arrived on the train, they had a terrible disagreement and fight. Both returned to Minot, but on separate trains. There is a story that whenever Florence would go Minneapolis, Lou would load a car on a flatbed rail car and send it to her destination so she would have something to drive.

Used Records - I was informed by one of my radio listeners that there was also a used record shop in Stearn's Motors, I believe in the basement. They store would sell records at a very reasonable price. The records were from jukeboxes around town.

Stearn's Beveage Business

Beer & Wine Wholesale Business  -- Bill Langer was instrumental in helping Lou Stearns in getting his license to start his wholesale business, Minot Beverage Company. According to one of his past office managers, part of the deal was that Langor received a payment of 5 cents for every bottle of beer or wine distributed. However the checks were always sent to a judge in New York rather than to Bill Langer. One would suppose that the money eventually reached him.

The Soft Drink Business – The soft drink business started in the Stearns Motors building as part of Minot Beverage Company. My understanding is that at one time there was a bottling operation in the basement of Stearns Motors. This was eventually moved to South Broadway and became Northern Bottling Company, which is still in business today

Evacuated 2011 - Day 99 - Sep 28, 2011

Tomorrow will be 100 days since we moved out of the house. A busy and productive day yesterday. Pat and I removed the hardwood floor from the kitchen. Musch of it, especially under the sink was warped and beyond saving. The hardwood floor in the den will be coming out this weekend and out to the dump it goes. We saved quite a bit from the pantry and kitchen so we have enough to use for patching when needed in the living room, dining room, entry way and hallway. The concrete floor is poured and dried in the basement. By tonight the sealer should be on so we can better see the color and texture. The driveway/patio is being poured today, at least 1/2 of it. The rest will be poured tomorrow and by early next week the staining will be done.
The Roxul insulation arrived yesterday as did the sub flooring I ordered for the kitchen and den. The only thing left to demolish will be the bedroom floor if we decide to, (which I think we will), and to remove more lathe and plaster.
Last Sunday we cleaned the inside of the porch.... (1st time through). We also scrubbed down the front of the house and started on the south side. We have come to realize that there is no magic cleaning solution to remove the dirt from the flood. It takes elbow grease and scrubbing.

Stearn's Auto Storage

Stearn’s Auto Storage and Parking Business – One of the main parts of the operations at Stearns Motors was the parking and automobile storage. Stearns Motors was at the north end of Minot’ infamous High Third Street. This area of Minot was known for it’s after hour bars, houses of prostitution gambling rooms and at one time opium dens. Many of the prostitutes would rotate in and out of Minot about every two to four weeks. Some arrived by train, some by bus and some by automobile. Many of those arriving by car were brought to Minot in large, fancy vehicles owned by their pimps. While the car was in town it was probably stored inside at Stearns Motors

Stearn's Auto Repair

Stearn’s  Auto Repair Business – Jack Foley was the Service Manager of  the automobile repair shop affiliated with Stearn’s Motors. At one time there was a gas station out in front of the building. The gas station was on the southwest corner of the intersection of 2^nd Street and Central Avenue.  In those days there was a ramp that went west from Central Avenue down to the Great Northern Depot. One day a minister pulled up and was having his car filled with gas. He jokingly told Jack to charge the gas to the Lord. Jack replied without batting an eye, “Send him down to sign for it and I will.”

Stean's Motors

Stearns Motors -- Lou Stearns was the owner of Stearn’s Motors. In its day Stearn’s Motors was a automobile repair shop and also a garage to park and store automobiles. There were actually five businesses in Strearn’s Motors. The Auto Repair, the Auto Storage Business, a soft drink bottling and wholesale business, a beer and wine wholesale business and apartment rentals. Lou Stearns was reported to have been a generous man. If someone he knew came to him and was down on their luck he would give them a five dollar bill. In those days that was a decent sum of money.