Construction for the western part of the building began in the early 1910s when Clarence and Elizabeth Parker opened a machine and auto repair shop and garage. Much of the original wood framing remains intact and the skylights, easily seen from inside the building, were noted on fire insurance records back in 1918.  

 

In 1922, Clarence Parker and J.L. (Louis) Smith constructed a two-story building on the south side of the block, which would become Parker Motor Company. Ghosted remnants of the business name are still visible in the horizontal concrete banner located at the top of the building. They also built a three-story building that connected to the single-story garage. A railroad spur was once used to deliver freight to the Parker Motor Company through the wooden freight doors on the side of the building. In September 1962, a fire destroyed the second story of the Parker Motor Company. Behind the façade that remains, a ten-foot-wide grand concrete stairwell once provided access to the Parker Auditorium—an event space that hosted concerts, product fairs, “hop” dances, roller skating, and the Minot Boxing Club—on the second story.

 

 

On December 9, 1936, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong traveled to Minot and performed two concerts in the Parker Auditorium located on the second floor of this building.