West Side of Main Avenue

West Side of Main Avenue. An Authentic Settlers' Community Celebrating Rural America. , In 1908, quite a change took place on the west side of Main Avenue, when several buildings were added. , 1. Early in 1908, C.C. Melby moved buildings #2 and #3 from facing south to facing east farther to the north. In the lots vacated by those buildings, the C.C. Melby Department Store was built. The store was on the ground level and contained groceries, dry goods, hardware, and furniture. The second level had offices, as well as apartments and a large hall for social events. One of the offices was occupied by Manfred's first doctor, Dr. P.A. Boyum, 1908-1912. The Manfred Cornet Band, organized in 1907, gave concerts in Melby's Hall and continued to perform until 1915. This store closed in 1930 and was dismantled in 1939. , 2. In 1908, C.C. Melby purchased this building from John Nelson. After being remodeled in this new location on Main Avenue, the building was rented 1909-1914 to Otto Anderson as Anderson Drug Store; 1914-1920 to Manfred's second doctor, Dr. W. Roy Owen; and later it was a confectionery store. , 3. In 1908, C.C. Melby purchased this building from Otto Sletten. He moved it from Elevator Street to this new location, where it served as the Manfred Post Office from late 1908 to 1915. , 4. Nennie Johnson built Johnson's Place in 1908 to serve as a barber shop, pool hall, and lunch counter. He later changed his business into a store. In 1945, Nennie sold the business to Rudolph and Nora Peterson, who renamed it Peterson's Store. Other owners were Ervin and Evelina Boese 1952 to 1956, Edwin and Stella Sorenson 1956 until it closed in 1978. , (5). Not pictured is the later-constructed building that housed Hieb's Hardware Store in the late 1940s and Helland's Electric in the early 1950s. , 6. T.L. Beiseker built the First State Bank of Manfred in 1905. This building served as a bank until 1926; the office for Anderson Motor Company 1926-1931; the Manfred Post Office with Jerret Biever 1932-1937; Oris Biever's gas station and cream station 1940-1944; the Manfred Post Office with Oscar Ongstad, Marlys Koenig, and Edgar Flick 1944-1992. The Manfred Post Office closed in 1992.