The past few weeks we’ve taken a look at past St. Cloud car dealerships with most of them originating from downtown. In this version local historian Jim Grabinski joined me on WJON.
photo courtesy of the Benton County Historical Society
Oakland Pontiac was located at 2 Broadway Avenue North in Sauk Rapids. Broadway Avenue is now Benton Drive. Oakland Pontiac was located where Lost Times Tavern is now. Grabinski says that location used to be many things after it was a car dealership. It was a repair shop, Conroy Floral, Village Drug, Schwankl Drug and Oak Capital Tavern. Oakland Pontiac also has a dealership in downtown St. Cloud. Grabinski says next door to Oakland Pontiac was the original Coborns Grocery store.
Kosloske Motors (photo courtesy of Benton County Historical Society)
William Kosloske Garage/Motors is located in Sauk Rapids on 200 North Broadway. They sold Fords. Copper Pony is in that location today. Grabinski says when Sauk Rapids redid the downtown streets the old Kosloske garage building was torn down. When Kosloske closed the business he started Granite City Armored Truck.
Schlough Motor Company was located in Sauk Rapids at 120 Broadway Avenue North. Grabinski says Schlough also had a dealership across from the Paramount Theater in St. Cloud. He says Schlough sold Haynes Cars and Acme Trucks early on before selling Chevrolets in the 1940s. Schlough was in Sauk Rapids in the 1920s -1930s.
Ahrens Motor Company was located at 20 Broadway Avenue North. Ahrens sold Fords and Pontiacs. Ahrens stayed open until 1935.
Pappenfus Garage/Motors was located on Broadway Avenue and later became the Rapids Theater. Grabinski says they advertised themselves as “the best garage on Jefferson Highway”. Jefferson Highway was the old Highway 10. Pappenfus sold Dort, Elgin and Moore.
If you’d like to listen to my conversation with Jim Grabinski it is available below.