Memory Walk Park display has close ties to Mountain Lake’s 10th Street history
As the 70-year-old reminiscence goes, the two young women were spending their Saturday night in Mountain Lake during the early-to-mid-1940s sitting on the stone block at the corner of 10th Street and 4th Avenue in front of Ross Cleaners, talking and watching people. And, there were a lot of people to watch since Saturday night was the “big shopping night” in town in those days.
During the evening, the pair noticed two guys in a car who just kept driving by – and driving by – and driving by.
At one point, one of the girls decided to give a friendly wave to the boys.
Her friend asked her, “Do you know them?”
To which she replied, “No . . . at least . . . not yet!”
On their next lap, the boys stopped the car, got out and started up a conversation with the girls.
The end of the story?
They eventually paired up – and got married.
Simple stone block integral part of Mountain Lake’s story
If that stone block could talk, all of us would know a great, great deal more about Mountain Lake’s story.
On the flip side, much is already known about the story of this particular stone cube.
Its history ranges from its first “job” as a hitching post at the State Bank of Mountain Lake – known later, after consolidating with the State Bank of Mountain Lake, as the First State Bank of Mountain Lake, at the corner of 10th Street and 2nd Avenue – to its eight decades marking the corner at Ross Cleaners – and now, a triumphant return to where it all began at 10th and 2nd, as a distinctive marker and part of Memory Walk Park.
Demolition of buildings precipitates block’s move
The stone block’s “homecoming” was precipitated by the proposed demolition of three buildings on the east side of 10th Street, just south of 4th Avenue, along with the moving off of property a duplex residence on 4th Avenue.
That trio of buildings includes, running north-to-south on the east side of 10th Street:
+ Former Ross Cleaners.
+ Over the course of time, this building housed – Mountain Lake Produce (which bought and sold eggs and chickens and sold milk, butter, sliced meat, ice cream, popcorn and candy), Worthmore Ice Cream (known for its 3-dip ice cream cones), Youth For Christ and Joy Shoppe.
+ For many of the past years, this building has been a private residence. Before that, the Hiebert sisters operated a small hat shop in the structure. Mrs. Daniel Epp operated then operated the business, with Marie Kintzi the last owner.
The block made its arrival at the corner by Ross Cleaner in about 1935. As history lays out, the block – a former hitching post at the State Bank of Mountain Lake – was being drug to a demolition ump on the north side of the city. Because the streets at that time were still dirt roads – and a heavy rain had occurred just before the move – 10th Street had been turned to mud. The horse was only able to drag the block the two blocks from 2nd Avenue to 4th Avenue before it became stuck in the muck. John Ross (the father Art, Bayer, Donald and Max Ross) – then the owner of Ross Cleaners – paid $2 for the block, and it became a fixture at that corner.
And it remained there until this fall, at which time it was lifted by Steve Peters and the heavy equipment of the Streets and Parks Department of the City of Mountain Lake, and taken the two blocks south back to where it had all began.
New park means trip down Memory Lane
The Mountain Lake Area Chamber of Commerce has undertaken several downtown beautification projects over the past couple years, with the development of this park one of those efforts. Over $2,000 was given by the Mountain Lake Area Foundation (MLAF), pinpointed to develop the area – as well as a $10,000 grant in city beautification funds presented to Mountain Lake by Toro of Windom in 2014 in celebration of the company’s 100th anniversary, used to create the welcoming park space.
Memory Lane Park – at the corner of 10th Street and 2nd Avenue – offers green space accented by four paver stone walkways that converge at a center point where there are a pair of wooden park benches and a colorful flower garden. The Downtown Memory Walk Paver Stone Program – with specially-engraved paver stones honoring or recognizing past and present Mountain Lake residents or businesses – continues today under Chamber auspices. As pavers are purchased for those designated, the names are engraved on the individual pavers.
Last spring, two cedar pergolas (or shade shelters) over each bench were constructed by the ag classes of Tom Appel, Lindsey Brown and Stephen Funk of Mountain Lake Public High School’s (MLHS) ag department, adding to the park’s ambiance.
A Peace Pole, donated by Edna Gerber and the late Ellis Gerber, is also a park addition. The pole is inscribed with the words, “May Peace Prevail on Earth” – written in German, Lao, Spanish and English. It had earlier been posted on property owned by the Gerbers at the corner of 4th Avenue and 11th Street. During that time, members of the First Mennonite Church would gather around the pole to pray, sing and present readings all centering around the topic of world peace.
The piece de resistance was the return of the State Bank of Mountain Lake’s stone block – highlighting the close ties of Mountain Lake’s 10th Street history.
Throughout the years, a number of local businesses were open for business along 2nd Avenue in the area where Memory Lane Park is now located – in addition to the First State Bank of Mountain Lake.
+ At the corner with 10th Street, was the State Bank of Mountain Lake, which was built and incorporated in 1902. In 1907, it consolidated with the Bank of Mountain Lake to become the First State Bank of Mountain Lake. That bank consolidated in 1931 with the Farmers State Bank and was moved to 3rd Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street. ed to 3rd Avenue. In 1938, the building became Mountain Lake Public Library until the library moved into a new building on 4th Avenue in 1968.
+ Next door to the east was once a two-story business building. On the main floor was a clothing store and grocery store and on the second floor, a land office offering farm mortgages, loans and insurance, as well as a doctor and dentist office. The building later became the John J. Janzen Furniture and Hardware Store. As the Janzen sons grew, they were clerks in the store. Eventually funeral services were added. Peter A. Janzen became the funeral director and that business moved into the hardware half of the store. Occupying the other half was the Mountain Lake Observer newspaper office. Clelland Johnson took over the funeral home after the death of Peter A. Janzen, operating Johnson Funeral Home. The following businesses in the building were Ruby’s Crafts and Darlene’s Crafts.
+ A private residence completed that stretch of area along 2nd Avenue, east of 10th Street.
Back to its beginning
When all of those businesses were eventually demolished, an opening was created for the rehabilitation of the corner as the new park – with the stone block back to its beginning – returning “home” full circle through time and space.
AN EXAMPLE OF the stone pavers that make up the walkways, including the specially-engraved Memory Walk Paver stones that honor, memorialize or recognize individuals, couples, families, groups or businesses.
