The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-05-09
LAIR MOTORS, BUILT ON IDEA OF
SERVICE, MAKES REMARKABLE
=GR0WTHFR0M 4 SMALL START

with the company eight years except
ING two spent in college. Othef> III
he organization, including statesmen,
qhnu workers, garagcmcn, are all en-
thusiastic promoters of the idea OF
"Scrvice.'
Had Faith In Business
Mr.. Lahr, whose home was IN iowa,
came into North DakC.a in l9oh ana
was y ISOLATED with Andrew Miller,
NOW United States District Judge
for North Dakota, in the farm loan
and land busincss, Two years lat'~
the Lahr Motor Sales Company way
incorporated, but the first two years
of it's existence the Lair company
was run in connection with the lana
and loan business. 1t was in 1910
and 1911 that the company really got
started on its way. Mr.. Lair belieV-
ed i'm the automobile business, giving
up a lucrative business to plunge III
to the new venture. The business
did not suffer from extensive gro"
ing pains the first year or two, bu'
Mr.. Lahr. seeing ahead, began eX-
tending his territory and bul'clhs
the business upon a broad iundatloh.
In 1910 the Lahr Motor Sales COM
many obtained its first Overis ha
contract through the Fargo dlStfi-
butors, and Mr.. Lair sold two cars
IN the rather limited territory ne
controlled. In 1911 the contract was
obtained from Bowman and LIBBY
distributors at Minneapolis, and four
| Nodo1 SOS were sold. The year 1915
WAS marked by a greatly increased
/ business over the previous year. ne
territory was enlarged to include i've
counties. and forty Model Cos, and
| three Model lis were sold thal !e"i
In 1914 the Lahr Motor Sales Com
many received its first direct contac'
with the factory and became distr'.
butors for the Central and South"eS'
nortiou of North Dakota and the eA'
tremc eastern part of Montana. An
: other substantial increase IN SAFE
was made that year. One huhoIe'
and thirty 79s were recorded. Inv
wear 1915 experienced slight sl'ml
,s compared with the previous year
and only 121 Model 80, 81 ana o
cars were sold. This was larger!
due to poor crops harvested IN IN
territory in the fall Of 1914 and IN
general financial stringency cause
nv the European war. But WITH
bumper crop in the fall OF 1919 al
nrevious records for sales were ploh
en-. and from July. 1915, to DecemDe'
1916. OPT Overlands found owners
the Bismarck and Miles City te'r'
tory.
improvements Made
A number Of improvements nav
been made in the buildings occuple
NV the Lahr Motor Sales Compan
since its origin. In 1909 there wa
ono small frame building where az
cessories were carried in the 1Iol
and general garage business col
- Quoted in the rear. Later DIN
d rarape was completed. The bulldli
o soon became inadequate, and IN u
e spring Of 1913 the second story WI
e edded. In 1918 the company occupi'
= IFS nresent handsome three-stc1
q fire-proof, brick building at the CO
If ner of Fourth and Thayer streets
IS In September, 1914, when the te
If ritorv was extended to include I
j. eastern part of Montana, 1T beh"o
1T =. ed the Lair company to estapllsn
Ia temporary branch at Glendive. Mi
a CITY was the logical place, but owl
of to certain conditions at Glendlve
was necessary to establish
III branch there. A certain automot
20 dealer. through methods which We
"a not entirely ethical, had monopoliz
hr the automobile business at Glenoi
a An almost universal sentiment II
~ been brewed against the Overia
line and it was impossible to seo'
n local man. The Lahr company
he overcome the prejudice, later est
T. lished an agency, and then estabi
i'd ed the Miles City branch. The La
M company. has a fine building there