The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-05-20
E.An Offices Are Rented and
: Some Firms Have Al
T. - ready Moved In
THIRTY STRICTLY MODERN
y OFFICE ROOMS ADDED
Battles' Faith IN Bemidji Shown
In the Most Practicable
Way for the City

trami avenue was not the promising
location it is today for retail busi-
ness Charles e. Battles came up from
aCass Lake where he had been In bust
ness for eight or nine years and al
ter sizing up the situation carefu!ly
decided to purchase some real estate.
Hefaccordingly selected two lots ana
sfosir years later erected on them the
ui6dern two story brick building now
occupied by J. C. Penney co. Two
wears later, still feeling Beltrami ave-
nue. was good property, and so well
-ppleased was he with his first invest
ment. that he purchased the building
adjacent to, his property on the south
then known as the Challenge hotel.
In 1917 he tore down the old hotel
structure and replaced 1t with an
other modern two-story tWenty.nve
foot front business block, moving into
the first floor with his own hardware
business and leasing the first floor OF
the other block to the Penny Com
pany.
p. The second floor of both of these
blocks had been left unfinished by
Mr.. Battles, but so great has become
the demand for modern OFFICES that
he decided to finish the second door
of the entire property. 75x1O0 IT,,
and on March first of this year ne
started to- do 3d. i = .. :, ::
Under the supervision of Paul
W1nklesky, contractor the entire
work was done in sixty-f1ve days,
which, considering the delays occas-
toned by waiting for material, is
evidence of systematic planning and
persistent pushing on the part or the
contractor. There are thirty modern
rooms, fully equipped and ventilated.
The lighting is all from outside win
elows or skylights.
Architect Funk designed the layout
of the various rooms, some being
single while others are connecting In
suites. Glass partitions OF moss
give light to the corridors from the
rooms. The plumbing, done by Con-
tractor Doran, is of the Standard San
itary quality with Crane V1troware
closets. The lighting and wiring,
done by The Bemidji Electric Co., Is
ali full conduit system. Plaster1ng
was done by Contractor Jackson and
tie painting by William Kennedy. AS
will be seen, Mr.. Battles engaged
local contractors and local labor thru
out.
Considering the full basement un-
der the entire building Mr.. Battles
has about 22,500 feet of floor surface.
A directory board is being placed at
the entrance to the front stairway
showing the names and room numbers
~ tho vari0llS tenants
Those who have rented rooms or
suits at the present are as follows:
j. C. Penny Co., first floor store Nos.
4l3 to AS Beltrami avenue. DR.. j.
M. Caldwell, physician and surgeon.
Nos. IA, Sherman Bailey, State Land
aren't, No. II, Thayer G.. Bailey, at
torney-at-Law, Nos. 1913, Dr.. F. A.
Hass, dentist, Nos. 1915, DR.. Cum
mers, optician, Nos 1917, w. e. Dean
.zanf Co., No. 10, Hugh Glenn, sales
;i1iiian c. w. Jewett Co.. No. 10. Thorn
80 Bwinson, engineer, Nos. 1921;
q Miss Ida Virginia Brown. music stu
do, Nos. 1923, Christian Science
church, Nos. 24-25, Mrs. Fay, drsss-
maker, Nos 26-27; The Union Cen
trail Lumber Co., No. 80.