The Knopke block was at 319 Beltrami Avenue. Charles Knopke and John Graham had the Bemidji Meat Market in this block.
Gust Brown then ran the Bemidji Candy Kitchen here which was the predecessor to the Suman Candy Kitchen. In 1915, a newspaper note read, “The Knopke block is being repaired and a new front will be built for the Gust Brown store and a new tile floor will be laid.” Thomas Johnson, Bemidji architect, was in charge of the project.
The Bemidji Candy Company at this location was owned by Charles A. Knopke and E. P. Gould in 1920-1921. The city directory of 1927-1928, lists the business as the Bemidji Cafe and Candy Kitchen.
Peter Jianopoulos operated the Bemidji Café and Candy Kitchen, 319 Beltrami Avenue for several years. He was born in Sparta, Greece May 15, 1889. He came to Pennsylvania with friends from Greece at the age of 10 years and stayed with an uncle until as a young man he moved to North Dakota to operate a café. From there he moved to Bemidji where he was associated in business with George Kootsikas. In 1934, he moved to Walker where he operated a café until his retirement in 1954.
F. P. Prawalsky, Machinist, was located at the rear of 319 Beltrami Ave. (1927-28). Then it was the location of the Vanity Dress Shop.
By 1931, Ebert’s Bemidji Music Co. was located in this building. In June, F.S. Ebert announced the purchase of the entire stock of musical instruments, music, accessories and fixtures of the music department of the Thorpe Co. of this city, formerly the Larson Co. Purchase of this stock has enlarged stocks on hand in all departments of the music company of which F. S. Ebert is the proprietor. Ebert’s Music Co. is located at 319 Beltrami Avenue. (June 1931)
The stores in the Knopke building were damaged in the Security Bank fire in January 1935. They reopened for business in the middle of March 1935. They were the Bemidji Music Co., and the Vanity Dress and Beauty Shop.
H.C. Baer announced that when he built the new Security State Bank on the corner, he also planned to rebuild the Johnson building adjacent to the south and have the second floors of both buildings join. Am guessing the Johnson Building eventually housed O’Meara’s. It was known as the Johnson Building because the first floor was occupied by the Burg Co. store, a variety store, while the second floor housed Dr. Johnson’s office and two apartments, one occupied by Mr. and Mrs. T.P. Daly and her mother, and the other by Miss Effie Adams. Building destroyed by fire on January 17, 1935. There were apartments on the second floor of both buildings, and this no doubt made it more convenient.
Most of us know the 319 location as that of Herington’s Shoe Store. It was founded in 1947 by Bob Herington Sr. after returning from World War II. In 1977 his son Bob came to work for him in the shoe store & continued the tradition of offering service and quality footwear to northern Minnesota. Bob’s wife Judy started working in the store in 1988. Jeni joined the team in 1991 and Gayle in 2004