The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1922-03-23
FAIR STORE ROUNDS OUT 70
YEARS OF SUCCESS IN biIN0T

The Fair Store has rounded out
twenty years Of success in Minot and
this week is observing the anniver-
sary.
A fifth Of century is quite long
time, but after all as the writer looks
back over the years since the late E.
Ellison opened his little dry goods
store in the Nash block on South Main
Street, March II, 1902, it seems but
a short period.
Minot was village of but 1900
population when Mr.. Ellison, who
had been engaged in the mercantile
business in Fargo, came to Minot to
look over the field for a new store.
He found little city crowded with
strangers, arriving either to move
out onto their homesteads or seeking
land on which to file. The streets of
Minot were filled with wagons laden
with lumber bound for the prairie,
soon to be formed into settlers
shacks. The hotels and rooming
houses were crowded and people
slept in the chairs in hotel Hobbies
or on the depot floor. Minot was
the busiest little city in the United
States. The sound of the hammer
could be heard from early morning
until dusk as scores of rooming
houses, hotels, business blocks and
residences went up like magic. Mr..
Ellison pinned his faith to Minot and
subsequently events showed that his
judgment was good.
Mr.. Ellison started with small
capital, but he laid the proper foun-
dation for a growing business. He
was conservative, industrious and
won an enviable reputation for his
business integrity. With the de-
velopment of the northwest and the
growth of Minot, the Fair store
kept pace.
Norman Ellison assisted his father
in installing the Minot store and
with the exception of two years prior
to 1915 has been with the Fair con-
tinuously ever since. Otto Ellison
came to the store year or so after
the beginning and has been with it
ever since. Since the death of E.
Ellison, in March 1921, the business
has been conducted as partnership
by Norman and Otto Ellison.
Mrs. Clara Tollefson was the Fair
stores first saleslady and altho she
has not been with the store continu-
ally. she is at present employed there.
From sales force of three people
the business has grown until now
there are IS to 40 men and women
employed at the Fair store the year
round. Many departments have been
added and the stock has been in
creased steadily. The store first en-
larged by adding the Mansfield store
to the Nash store, an arch being cut
between the two rooms. When
these rooms were no longer adequate
to care for the business, the Fair
bought two lots on South Main
street, the present location and erect
ed fine three story block. At
the time, the move was regarded as
rather risky as there was question
whether business could be pulled so
far away from the. business center
of the city. The Fair later secured
the Reighart property facing Second
Ave. S. w. and is contemplating
building a large addition to the
store.
The Fair store is the largest en-
porium of it's kind in North Dakota
west Of the Red River valley The
business is in capable hands. Nor
man and Otto Ellison, the proprie-
tors, are enterprising young business
men. They are public spirited and
have always been prominently iden-
titled with everything that has con-
tributed to the growth and develop
ment Of our city and the northwest.