The Waverly Hotel

The original building on this lot was constructed in 1905, and was the grandest hotel in Minot at the time. It was one of the first permanent structures that followed the construction of the railroad. In October of 1912, it was also the site of a massive bust of a popular speakeasy. 30 men were caught violating Prohibition laws at once in the basement, and were arrested by two of the deputy sheriffs. Speakeasies, or "blind-pigs," were the worst kept secrets in Minot. Although they were operated largely in the open, it was difficult for law enforcement officials to catch proprietors in the act of actually breaking any laws. The bust at the Waverly highlights one of the very few occasions in which a major liquor operation was terminated in Minot.

This corner lot was formerly the site of the Waverly Hotel. The Waverly was originally built in 1905 by Peter Ehr, a resident of Minot since arriving on one of the first trains in 1886. Originally the building was called The Morrill. The hotel was one of the earliest permanent structures of the downtown area. As the most popular temporary lodging in Minot, law enforcement officials were suspicious that not every accommodation in the hotel was strictly legal.

On October 28^th, 1912, after many failed attempts to catch the proprietor in the act of violating prohibition laws, two Deputy Sheriffs were able to conduct a successful raid of the Waverly’s basement. To no one’s surprise, the raid officially revealed the operation of a blind pig, with thirty men inside drinking.

Today, the site is home to a legally operated bar called “The Drop Zone.” None of the original structure remains, unfortunately, as the building was completely destroyed in a 1943 fire. This site is significant to the Prohibition era history of course for its front-page worthy bust of an obviously large-scale liquor house operation, but also for the implication that comes with being a prominently visited locale. The police had to stage a comprehensive surveillance and ambush operation, likely the first of its kind in Minot, to finally catch anyone in the act of handing over money for alcohol. Smaller, less conspicuous operations most certainly escaped the notice of the police. If the most popular joint in town was housing such a business, how many others must have been active on Main Street alone?

[1] The Ward County Independent, “Owner and Manager of Remodelled Minot Hotel,” The Ward County Independent, 14 February 1929, accessed 12 March 2023, http://ndarchives.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=%22waverly%20hotel%22%20minot&i=f&d=01011800-12312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=ward_county_independent_usa_north_dakota_minot_19290214_english_4&df=1&dt=10&cid=2904.

[2] The Fargo Forum, “Successful Raid at Magic City,” The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican Evening Edition, 28 October 1912, accessed 12 March 2023, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042224/1912-10-28/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1777&index=4&rows=20&words=Minot+SALOON&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=North+Dakota&date2=1930&proxtext=minot+saloon&y=13&x=14&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1.

[3] “Three Arrests Made in Raid on Blind Pig in Basement of Waverly Block,” The Minot Daily Reporter, 12 October 1912, accessed 23 July 2023, https://minotlibrary.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=leland%20parker%20hotel%20blind%20pig&i=f&d=01011894-12311935&m=between&ord=k1&fn=minot_daily_reporter_usa_north_dakota_minot_19121025_english_1&df=1&dt=10&cid=3106.