Peter M. Dicaire was born Jan 29, 1851 in Ontario, Canada. Peter moved to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin in 1867. His brother and he worked at Pound, Halbert & Co’s mills until August 31, 1871, when he commenced learning the tinner’s trade, working in a tin shop until he established himself in business.
On May 13, 1886, he married Alice Regina Friederich at Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin. They moved to Michigan for a time and had five children, Christine (1886), Alice (1888), Bertha (1891), Clara (1893) and Marcus (1896). Alice Dicaire spent her early years at Prairie du Chien. She was schooled at the Independent German School there and read, spoke and wrote German and English fluently.
Peter Dicaire came to Bemidji in 1899 and established a tin shop here with a partner Ira Ross. Their new shop was located on Beltrami Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets and was advertised as the Dicaire & Ross Shop in September 7, 1899. In 1900, he was one of the merchants who pledged to close his shops on Sundays starting in May.
Mr. Dicaire, of the firm of Dicaire & Ross, was superintendent on the work of roofing the new state school building in Walker in June 1900. He was also responsible for some of the work at the new agency buildings on the Leech Lake reservation across the lake from Walker in 1900.
In June 1901, Madam Roscoe, clairvoyant, gave readings in the rooms at Dicaire & Ross, upstairs, on Beltrami avenue between Fourth & Fifth Streets. Dicaire & Ross also provided the stoves and fixtures for the court house in 1901. His partner, Ira Ross, also had a homestead at Bridgie. Mr. Dicaire was hired to do the tin work on the new schoolhouse at Tenstrike in 1902.
Peter Dicaire was elected to the office of Centurion for the Modern Samaritan Lodge in 1903. Public installation took place at the Masonic hall in January 1903. He was also a members of the Old Settlers Association.
In the spring of 1905, Mr. Dicaire purchased the building and stock of C. E. Hulett, who has conducted a small general store in the northwest part of the city. Mr. Dicaire took possession of the establishment on April 4, 1905 and started making a number of improvements to the property. He added a line of groceries, fruit and meat within weeks of the purchase. He also advertised confectionary and candies at his new store.
During his residence in Bemidji, he took an active interest in the affairs of the city and was well known to a large number of its residents as the proprietor of a grocery store at 1101 Irvine Avenue.
Mrs. P. M. Dicaire was surprised by about 40 members of the Catholic church at her home on Irvine avenue in May 1919. The self-invited guests brought lunch and passed the afternoon in conversation, Mrs. Dicaire was presented with a purse in appreciation of the work she had done on the church altars in keeping the altars supplied with fresh linen. Mrs. Dicaire announced her intention of using the money given her for the church altar fund.
In 1921, the front page of the local newspaper reported a robbery at the P. M. Dicaire store.
Local authorities have as yet found no trace of the hold-up man who entered P. M. Dicaire’s store on Irvine avenue about 10:25 Saturday night and robbed the till and the proprietor of about $25. The robbery was at once reported to the police but as yet no clues as to the identity of the robbers have been found, Chief of Police Bailey stated this forenoon.
Mr. Dicaire was marking goods at the time, and with a rush the two men threw open the door, entered the store and ordered Mr. Dicaire to throw up his hands. A chair happened to be close by and Mr. Dicaire grabbed it with the intention of throwing it at the intruders but in some way the chair struck an object as it was being hurled at the robbers, consequently missing its mark.
One of the robbers, who was dressed in a soldier’s uniform with collar turned up and slouch hat drawn down over his eyes did the ordering. The other was a tall slim man with mackinaw who shielded his face with his elbow, and after the first man had pushed Mr. Dicaire down, his accomplice struck him over the head with a hard object thought to have been a gun, knocking him out.
One stood guard while the other relieved Mr. Dicaire of the cash in the till and also on his person, getting about $25 in all, and taking a valuable wallet and some French money at the same time.
There was thought to have been a third man outside, as Mr. Dicaire heard conversation between one of the men inside and one outside while the money was being extracted by the second man inside, who was being told by the others to hurry up. (Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Feb 8, 1921)
Christine Dicaire was born in 1886 in Michigan. Christina was born with normal health and enjoyed her childhood before being stricken with a seizure as a teenager which caused paralysis and poor health for the rest of her life. On Aug 9, 1904, the local paper reported that she had sustained a very painful although not serious injury the previous night. She started to come down stairs when her foot slipped and she fell head long down the entire flight. Her face and head were bruised in the fall and medical assistance was required. She died in Bemidji in 1941.
Alice was born in 1888. She married Joseph Wolters on June 6, 1910 in Bemidji. Joseph Wolters was a grocery man in Blackduck. They moved to Blackduck and later to Crookston.
Clara Dicaire married Louis Murphy on Feb 3, 1915 in Bemidji. She grew up in Bemidji and then went to Grand Forks to accept a responsible position with the Red River Valley Power company. L. F. Murphy, the groom, was a member of one of the most prominent Grand Forks families, being a son of M. F. Murphy, for many years mayor of the North Dakota city and one of the state’s most influential business men. The young man was in business with his father. Like many families from Grand Forks, the Murphy family had a summer cottage at Bemidji.
Bertha Dicaire was born in 1891 in Michigan. She spent her formative years in the Bemidji area. She enjoyed swimming, and spending time with friends as a young girl. She also participated in local community theatre. She spent her young adulthood helping with her father’s store at 1101 Irvine Avenue. She married William Otto Grimm on September 23, 1917. She was the mother of 3 children, 2 boys and one daughter. She died in 1982.
Marcus Dicaire was born in 1896 in Crawford County, Wisc. He grew up in Bemidji and was a veteran of the 341st Infantry, Co. “G” having served during WW I. He married Arminda Lissock on Aug 31, 1935. He moved to Idaho in 1956 and died there in 1960.