Pictures of Early Portal.
If anyone has information to add to these pictures
or would like to add a picture contact me at rchillportal@hotmail.com
Picture of Portal, N.D. and North Portal Saskatchewan, early 1900s
.
Picture was taken on the Canadian side looking
southeast, probably taken from one of the grain elevators. Left to right,
Grandview hotel (still standing) CP Rail depot in foreground, Soo Rail depot
in background. In the right center background and to the right of the Langworthy
Lumber Co is downtown Portal, N.D. Behind the lumber company is the Soo
Line RR roundhouse. In the far right background is the Portal School. The
large house in the right background is probably the one that the Tom Tate
family lived in. All the homes in the right background are in Portal, N.D.
The homes in the right forground are in North Portal, as are the buildings
in the center of the photo The barn is also in Canada. The U.S Canadian
border runs diagonally from left to right to left across the open area in
the center of the photo
Portal school under construction Oct 1913
Portal School Feb 28, 1915.
Standing in front of school L to R: Thacher, Tewell,
Strommes, Yardley Talmo and one person unknown
Pictures of Portal Main
Street
Very early picture of Portal Main St.
This picture was taken from an enlarged picture,
detail is poor
Main Street in Portal, about 1909
Note the car on the right hand side of the street.
Anyone know the make and model?
Another picture of Main St.
Probably taken about the same time as the 1909
photo. This picture was taken from a post card of Portal
Portal Main Street 1935
Picture found at the State Library
in Bismarck
Portal Main Street 1953
Early picture of Railroad Avenue looking northwest
Curling in Portal Feb. 28, 1915
L to R: Ed Shrum, O Halverson, Nelmer Talmo, Prof
R. Thacker A. Yardley, Harold Tewell and Strommes. Note the horse stalls
on each side. In the summer the building was used as a horse barn.
Another curling Picture, Jan 1915
L to R. Donovan, unknown,
Menzie, T. Jarratt, A. Chezik, S.O.Crosby, T. Telmo,
H. Poller
The Chezik and Kotschevar hardware store.
This store may have been on the west side of main
street. The later Chezik store was on the east side of the street Railroad
Ave.
Office of the Portal Lumber Yard.
On the back of the photo was the notation, Bob
Skneeko and myself dated 6-17-?? This is probably the office of the
lumber yard in the next photo.
Portal Lumber Yard 1930
The sign in the picture has Piper
Howe Lumber Co, however, the back of the photo has the notation "Portal
Lumber Yard 1930-torn down 64. John Ruppert Manager 1927-1937."
Is John Ruppert in the photo? This is probably the same lumber yard
that Mike Keenan operated from 1949 to 1958.
Rodger Lumber Yard
Office 1912 to 1915, lumber yard burned in 1921
Picture taken May 1913
Asplin Barber Shop 1914.
The back of the photo was dated 1914 and
listed Charles Marshall, John Evenson and John Asplin in no order.
This same picture in the Burke County History (page 748) lists; John
Evenson and Bill Asplin sitting; and Charlie Marshall and J.E. McNamara
standing.
Five people are actually in this photo,
one person in the the barber chair, one barber in front, one person lying
on his back in the barber chair getting a shave, the other barber, and one
person standing in the back. Does anyone know these people?
Excellent picture, note the stove, wall calendars,
and cigar boxes in the display case
Soo Restaurant and Beanery
Aug 18, 1918, Probably located
near the Soo Line depot
Irving's Tractor Lug Co
.
Retail-mail order business
dealing in new and used tractor parts. They purchased the old lumber
yard buildings and the C.E. Davidson Implement building in 1939.
Used tractors were bought and wrecked for parts. The business prospered
throughout the war years as it was difficult for farmers to purchased tractor
parts from other sources. After WWII the business when down hill.
Irving Tractor Lug closed in 1952.
The site is now the Portal City Park.
A view taken in 1940, note school and Presbyterian Chruch in the background
Tractor Lug workers at Portal 1940
.
Irvings's Tractor Lug was probably
the largest employeer in Portal outside of the federal government.
Pool Room and Beer Parlor.
This pool room was originally owned by Al Morden,
then sold to Mike Keenan in 1934. When beer became legal it was operated
as a beer parlor. Mike Keenan sold it to Sylvester Kihl in 1944.
It was later Walkers bar. Later it was then operated by Bud Grandrud
who finally closed around 1998.
Two Churches and Portal School
On the left, the Presbyterian Church built in 1909 and still in
use. A annex was added later. In the center is a excellent picture of the
Portal School build in 1913 and torn down in 1973. On the right is the
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church built in 1905. It wa replaced
in 1963 by a new brick church on the same location.
Original Portal Soo Line Railroad Depot
View
of the Depot from the east side.
Also shows the Beanery Cafe next to the depot.
Soo Line engine at the Portal Round House, date unknown
Soo Line round house in Portal
.
View looking northwest toward Canada.
Note the Grandview Hotel in the far right of the picture 1912
Another view from the round house.
Looking northwest up Railroad Ave., the lumber
yard is behind the round house, 1912
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