Manfred History & Preservation, Inc.
A & B Motive Power Co.
Location: Block 4, Lot 13
Proprietor: Olaf Anderson
Year Started: 1916
Year Ended: 1930
History of Business: Olaf Anderson and O.K. Melby built a garage in 1916, known as Anderson Melby Motor Co. In 1919, O.K. Melby retired from business life and sold out to his partner, Olaf Anderson. It was renamed Anderson Motor Company. Olaf Roble worked for Olaf Anderson's Ford dealership in Manfred. Anderson later merged with Blanding Motors in Harvey, a Ford dealer, which later became a Chevrolet-Buick dealer under the name A. B. Motive Power Co. They also sold Case implements and Fordson tractors. There was a second shop operating under the name A. B. Motive Power Co. in Harvey, ND starting in 1925. According to Orval Roble, it was the first Ford dealership in Harvey. The Model T. Ford was discontinued in 1926 and they didn’t begin producing the Model A until 1928. In the between time, rather than wait two years for the Model A’s to come out, the company began to sell Chevrolets. The company in Harvey, which started as Blanding Motor Company, began in 1916. In 1944, when Orval Roble began his association with the company it became the Roble Chevrolet Company. In 1924, O. K. and M.K. Melby purchased the garage formerly known as the A-B Motive Power Co of Manfred. They named the business the Manfred Motor Co. Oscar Ongstad worked for them at that time.
A & B Motive Power Co., Inc – of Harvey
Blue Daisy – Anderson–Melby Motor building
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Reference points:
Red rectangle - Manfred School
Blue rectangle - Vang Lutheran Church
Purple rectangle – Post Office/Bank
Green rectangle – Solheim Station