Ramstad Green Light 1956

Ramstad School May 31, 1956 – It was on this day that the construction of the new Erik Ramstad Junior High was given the green light… The total of the bids came to $1,050,273. This included a 60 by 20 foot swimming pool. The contracts went to the following firms: Mattson Construction as General Contractor…. Mowbray and Sons – Plumbing, heating and ventilating…. Main Electric – all electrical…… the school construction was financed by a $1,110,000 bond issue approved by Minot voters…… The site of the original Erik Ramstad Junior High was in Lincoln Park. The school board got the land from the Park Board

 Ramstad after 2011 flood

Chateau Lanes Bowling Alley

This bowling alley was on the south end of Minot. It was located about where Perkins and Slumberland are now. I believe it was a 24 lane bowling alley and the home of many bowling leagues. The bar located inside the bowling alley was The Alley Cat Lounge.

Boris Karloff in Minot

The Jacobson Opera House was host to many traveling theater companies in the early days of Minot. One of those theatrical companies was the Harry St. Clair Company. This group had an actor with them that would one day become famous. That actor was Boris Karloff, best known later in his career for the horror movies he starred in. Karloff spent 60 weeks in Minot back about 1915 when he was acting with the Harry St. Clair Company. They were performing at the Opera House and would have stayed longer but according to Karloff, they ran out of plays. Probably not many people are aware of the fact that Boris Karloff was a life member of the Minot Chamber of Commerce. The award was presented to him in 1957 by J. Warren Bacon of Minot at the television showing of “This is Your Life”,  about Boris Karloff.  A side note, Bacon, then 12 years old often ran errands of Boris Karloff. Bacon’s father was the manager of the Opera House at the time.

Bel Air Addition

In February, 1956 developers were starting to sell lots in the newest Minot Residential District. Bel-Air Addition. The area was just west of 23^rd Street NW and North of 4^th Avenue NW, (at that time referred to as the Country Club Road) ….. the lots were 90 X 100 and the minimum size on houses in the addition was to be 1000 square feet. The price of a lot was $2950.00. this price included curb and gutter, sidewalk, paved streets, sewer and water…. The developer was Lloyd Construction of  Minot.

Jacobson Opera House

The Jacobson Opera House was built by Martin Jacobson, known as “The Hardware Man”. The Opera House had a capacity of 800 people with a stage that was 30 feet by 50 feet. The Opera House  was built in 1902 at a cost of $30,000. The grand opening was on January 5, 1903. The opening play was “The Count of Monte Crisco” attended by over 600 people. Box seats were auctioned off, the highest price paid was $55.00. A note about the curtain on the stage. It contained advertisements and when the show began the curtain was rolled up. The Opera House had the reputation of “the finest west of St Paul”. It was also the home to town meetings, political rallies, dances, parties, school events and other public events. The Opera House was on the third floor of the Jacobson Building. In 1920, the Opera House was used as the Scottish Rote Temple for the Masons.  The Opera House was destroyed by a fire in 1923 and was never rebuilt. The first Opera House was on the northeast corner of Main Street and Central Avenue. In the late 60’s the building was the home of the USO and it is now the home of the Taube Museum of Art.

 Opera House in the early days ... below is the fire of 1923 that destroyed the building

 

Union National Bank

Union National Bank began its existence in Minot in 1905, in the front of the Jacobson Hardware building. The second floor was home to Offices and the Post Office. The ground floor housed Martin Jacobson’s Hardware Store. In 1923 the building, bank included was gutted by fire. Within eight months a new building had been erected on the northeast corner of Main Street and Central Avenue, the same location  as the old building . Union National Bank remained at that location until 1963 when they built a new bank at 17 First Avenue SW. The bank is in the same location but became First Bank and is now known as US Bank. US Bank also has drive through tellers on South Broadway.

 Union National Bank - 1908

 Union National Bank 1923 following fire

 Making room for new bank 19961

 Bank Construction 1961- 1962

New bank - 1962

Jacobson Hardware

Jacobson Hardware occupied the main floor of the Jacobson Building on  Main Street and Central Avenue. The Opera House was on part of the second and all of the third floor. Martin Jacobson, Known as “the Hardware Man”,  started the hardware store after becoming a successful rancher near Des Lacs. In 1898, Peter Fugelso became the bookkeeper of the hardware store until 1901 when he resigned to become the Postmaster. He later resigned as postmaster to join with Martin’s nephew, Doc Jacobson, to purchase the hardware store on January 1, 1907.  The business was destroyed by fire in 1923. The building was rebuilt .  The Jacobson – Fugelso Hardware store eventually moved to the middle of the block just east of the alley on Central Avenue and survived for many years. Jacobson – Fugelso carried a full line of hardware in addition to Schwinn Bicycles, Toro Mowers, Delta Power Tools and Benjamin Moore Paint.