On the west side of Irvine Avenue there was a very large house which was owned by Fred W. Rhoda in 1904, and next by Fredrick Eberlein, a German beer brewer, who was the president, treasurer and manager of the Bemidji Brewing Company. After it was occupied by D. C. Breneman in 1910, it next was occupied by M.E. Smith, owner of the Smith Retail Company located at 424 4th St. This house was very large and appears to have had two families living there most of the time. On a summer afternoon on July 24, 1913, it was the scene of a small wedding when Miss Alice Senear hosted a wedding for her cousin Carrie Cochran and Mr. Peter Kanz, and the room was reported to be beautifully decorated with ferns and flowers.
By 1918, it was the residence of Reuben “Rube” Miller and family. He was a machinist and had Miller’s Repair Shop at this address also. He came to Bemidji in 1900 with his parents and operated a gunsmith and locksmith shop with his father until the latter’s death. From 1916-1941, he operated the shop alone. He joined the Bemidji fire department in 1911 and continued until his death in 1941.
Michael Downs, his wife Kathleen, daughter Kathleen and adopted son James all lived here from 1922 to about 1935. Canadian M. A. Downs came to Bemidji about 1899. He went into business with George Fleming and formed the firm of Fleming and Downs. By mutual consent, they went out of business in October 1905. Fleming continued the business and Michael Downs then went into business with Fred O’Leary and opened the Downs-O’Leary Grocery Store in 1906. They were featured in the 1909 Souvenir edition of Bemidji. It was considered an exclusive grocery store. It didn’t work out and they went bankrupt on Sept 9, 1909. He went to work as a switchman for the M & I Ry. Michael Downs had married Kathleen Walker on Sept 13, 1904 in Bemidji. They lived at 506 Fourth Street from 1905 until they moved to the Irvine Avenue address sometime during the early 1920s. Michael died by 1935 and his family moved to the Lakeview Apartments.
Wendell and Addie Gregg lived here in 1946, about the time this photograph was taken. It was then purchased by Wilfred and Agnette Marks. Mr. Marks was the agent for Lutheran Brotherhood Insurance (1951). In the 1953, it was the residence of Louise Anderson and the Hair Fashion Studio. There were several owners after that including Herman Ihde and his family from 1956 into the mid 1960s.