This was the home of Jens Opsahl in 1909. Accordin to the 1910 census, Jens Opsahl, Wife Clara; Sons Roy, Leo, and Morris were at this address. Jens Opsahl, Mgr of the Selkee Land Co., had a place at Lavinia, but he also owned and lived at 1101 Beltrami avenue. (1912)
The house then belonged to John and Jennie (Guthrie) Edwards. A very quiet, simple home wedding took place on Aug 12, 1920 at the Edwards home when their daughter Miss Basha Edwards was married to Mr. Nelson Norman of Berthold, N. D. After the death of their father, John Edwards, this became the home of the Edwards sisters, Agnes, Real, and Fayal, all early Bemidji business women making their living as milliners. They owned a hat shop in 1930. In 1940, they were all living in the house with their mother Jennie and working at home as seamstresses. How many dresses do you suppose they tailored during World War II, and sewed when the conflict was over and women were eager to dress up with real nylon hose and new fabrics? The Edwards sisters likely knew many of Bemidji’s society women. Agnes and Real were still living in the home in 1966 when Agnes died. Fayal died on July 16, 1970, and the house became vacant. Real died in 1973. Their home became the site of the Battered Women’s Shelter and then the home of a university professor.