Porter Garage
Standing in front of the garage is Swan Lindquist (left), John Goverki (center) and Carl Lindquist (Right). The photo was taken sometime prior to World War I.
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The Lindquist Family Father, Andrew J. Lindquist and Mother, Inga Christina (Swanson) Lindquist, immigrated to the United States from Jonkoping Sweden in 1886 and then moved to Porter in 1904 where they resided the rest of their lives.
The above photo and information was submitted by Mr. Charles Lindquist of Concord, California. Swan Lindquist is Charles' father.
The Porter Garage later became Art Speight's Garage
Taken From: Porter Progress; Porter, Minnesota; August, 1981; Volume 81, No. 81
Speight Garage building no longer exists
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Some of Porter's early business buildings are no longer standing. Such is the case with the garage that was located between the post office and Beatrice Nomeland's home.
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Ben Shennum, O.G. Olson and Rob Miller were partners in a car dealership in this building. August Kamrath bought his first automobile, a fancy 1916 Buick, from here for about $1,200. The building was moved south of the post office and the Lindquist Brothers built a new garage building. John Goverki worked for them as a young boy.
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In the 1930's, Ralph Ellison operated a restaurant in the front part of the building. Iver Wollum's Implement Shop was located here for a time, until he built the new buildings where the Porter Sales Barn (burned in 1998) is now located.
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Art Speight then moved his garage into the building from its former location down the street from the Co-op Oil Station (behind the gas station on North Park Avenue). He was a jack-of-all-trades in the mechanics line. He fixed cars, sold Norge refrigerators and in the 1930's he sold the first Philco radio in Porter.
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Speight was in the business until his health failed in 1962. He died in 1964 widowing his wife Martha (passed-away in 2000), who remains in their Porter home (216 S. Brook Ave). The building stood empty for a time and was then torn down.