A History of the Masterson's Bemidji City Bus Lines

1922

The Bemidji City Bus Line started as a taxi service between downtown Bemidji and the Box Factory (on the south edge of Lake Bemidji) and other spots in Nymore. Originally there were thirteen taxi operators who each took their turn similar to city taxis today. Eventually it was down to Don Masterson and Anton Wold. Both turned into regulated, competing Bus Lines. Eventually, in the mid 1940�s Masterson bought out the Wold line. In this picture Don Masterson Sr. is holding Don Masterson Jr. with a friend, Don Spangler, looking on.

1925

This is the first bus garage for what was at first called "Bemidji Local Bus Lines". It faces the alley behind the Masterson homestead at 418 (now 502) Wood Avenue in Nymore (A south east "suburb" of Bemidji). There are only two bays left, but originally there were three and the garage included a gas pump with fuel storage. The garage is still standing as of 2012.

1938

A �City� bus used for regular route service. In the picture is Don Heathman, a Grandson of Don Sr�s.

1939

An early Charter bus shown with the Bemidji Drum and Bugle Corps. The Corps started as the Lincoln School Drum and Bugle Corps under the direction of Gertrude Ness. When they were started, they used cereal boxes as drums. Don Jr. was a member of the corps at Lincoln School and played the drums. When the American Legion started sponsoring them they moved to the High School and changed their name. The driver standing by the door is Virgil Heathman, Don Sr�s son-in-law who later became a Mayor in Bemidji.

1945

This garage, build in 1945, is directly behind the house at 418 (now 502) Wood Avenue. The garage is still standing in 2012 but the large sliding door that could accomodate the bus height has been replaced. Normally, this garage would hold a backup city bus and one of the Flexibles.

1946

Don and Marie Masterson Sr.

1946

The intersection of Beltrami and 4th Street was where the east and west routes met for the years when two busses were used on the route. This livery was red and white. This was the first generation of the GM Yellow Coaches that were used for the City Bus services. This was before Dad discovered the opportunuity for advertizing on the side of the busses.

Late 1940s to 1957 and 1962 to 1965

The bus garage was located in this building on 15th Street and Bemidji Avenue. It was owned by Herb Worfield and the primary tenant was McCarthy's Standard Station. It is now a small shopping center. The fake shingle roof has been added. The Standard station was in the front where the two large garage doors and the small personnel door is located. During the 1950s the corner was occupied by Dave Rosen�s souvenir and gift shop. At that time there were no stop and go lights in Bemidji but there was a blinking red/yellow light over the intersection at 15th and Bemidji. Dave always had a cigar in his mouth and his marketing slogan was �The stinker under the blinker across from the knowledge factory.� Looking way to the left, the last window was a garage door for Stan �Blackie� Blackburn�s welding and marine shop. The next two bays were the bus Garage. It could hold five city/school busses � four if one of the Flxibles were in the garage. Usually the Flxibles were stored in the back of the building.

1952

A City bus parked in front of Johnson Corner Drug at 4th and Beltrami. The livery at that time was orange and white, left over from the time they were used in Ottumwa Iowa. When they were repainted, the livery was changed to red and white. This was the second generation of the GM Yellow Coach busses that were used for the City Line. Note the edge of the giant Pepsi-Cola cap on the front of the bus.

1955

The second twenty nine passenger charter bus in the fleet. Both charter busses were Flxibles with a very large straight-eight Buick gas engines. The livery was grey on the bottom, white on top, and a narrow maroon stripe around the middle. All of the lettering on the busses was done by an artist who also lived on Wood avenue by the name of "Tin Horn" (Not his real name but it is the only name he went by).

1956

Don Masterson Jr. pictured at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds. Don drove the Bemidji 4-H club to the fair every year.

1957

The Flxible in the new livery of light grey, light blue, with a maroon stripe. This is of a field trip to Itasca State Park by the Cub Scout pack from Lincoln School in Nymore. Don Jr. is by the door, wearing the hat, and Don 3rd is in the Boy Scout uniform on the left side. Mike Masterson is one of the Cub Scouts pictured and Bob Tell, who later became Chief of Police on Bemidji, is the Cub Scout on the bottom left of the group.

1964

A GM Silverside which was purchased from Greyhound. This was the first diesel in the Masterson fleet and it was also the last bus purchased by Don Jr. before his death in 1965.

1965

Jeff Masterson (son of Don 3rd and Kathy Masterson) is shown at the wheel of the GM Silverside.

1966

This was the fleet (minus the three charter busses) when the business was sold to the Aylesworths. Shown is Missy Masterson and her father Milo Parsons. Milo was an active partner in the business for several years, but not when the business was sold. The city busses are GM Yellow Coaches. The first two school busses were Fords and the third was a Marming-Harington pusher.