Pine River Walking Tour & Map

Pine River Walking Tour

Sponsored & Organized by Heritage Group North, Inc., Pine River, MN www.heritagegroupnorth.org

Pine River began in 1873 when George Barclay opened a trading post on the Leech Lake Trail.

In 1894 a logging railroad built north through “Barclay’s Ranch” attracted many settlers and led to the formation of a city. Pine River’s original business district, near the railroad depot, has a rich and colorful history. The walking tour highlights some of the town’s more prominent downtown structures, several of which no longer exist. Few of the buildings were designed by architects or built in a particular architectural style, yet people took pride in their buildings.

1. PINE RIVER RAILWAY DEPOT c. 1895 • 102 Barclay Ave. W.

It is appropriate that the walking tour begins and ends here. The depot, erected in 1895, is the oldest building in Pine River and the only one in town deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. A frame structure of simple utilitarian design, the depot underwent several changes through 1913 when a canopy and women’s waiting room were added and the station platform was paved with bricks. The depot was abandoned in 1985, and in 2009 it was relocated to a new site just across the track (the Paul Bunyan Trail) from where it stood for 114 years. The railroad played an active role in attracting immigrants and encouraging settlement.

2. COZY THEATER/NEWSPAPER OFFICE c. 1915 • 109 First St. S.

The Cozy Theater, the town’s first theater, occupied the small, “cozy,” upper floor of this concrete-block building before the era of talkies (movies with soundtracks). In its day the Cozy hosted theatrical performances and recitals and showed silent films. Privies flanked the alley-side of the building. An early town newspaper, the Pine River Sentinel-Blaze, had offices and a print shop in the basement. From 1917-20, classes for third and fourth grades of the Pine River School were taught here. The building’s more recent use as a Masonic Lodge hall and Eastern Star chapter ended in 2009.

3. FIRST STATE BANK BUILDING c. 1903 • 200 Barclay Ave.

The brick building was erected in 1903 for the First State Bank of Pine River, the town’s first bank. The bank later got a national charter before hard times led to its merger with a competing bank in 1924. For more than 100 years this building also housed a series of drugstores, early on in the same room as the bank! The building also hosted a basement barber shop and Pine River’s post office. The large pillars originally at the front of the building now form the entry of the old Pine Ridge Cemetery south of town.

4. HILL HARDWARE BUILDING c. 1916 • 204 Barclay Ave.

Hill’s Hardware began in a nearby lumber yard in the early 1900s, and later moved to a wood frame structure on Barclay Avenue. When that building burned in 1916, it was replaced by a modern masonry building on the adjacent lot. The hardware store operated until 1971, and in 1973 the building became part of Silbaugh’s Department Store. The building now houses 218 Fitness.

5. MEMORIAL HALL/MARLOW THEATER c. 1920 • 240 Barclay Ave.

Memorial Hall was built in 1919-20 to provide rooms for meetings, stage shows and dancing, and showing silent movies (accompanied by a lively piano). The site was previously a boat shop and lumberyard. The hall closed in 1931 shortly after showing its first talking film and reopened in 1934 as the Marlow Theater. Over the years, the large theater building also housed a funeral parlor, beauty shop, pool hall, realty office, Laundromat and the offices of the Pine River Journal. The owners occupied an apartment behind the stage. The Marlow Theater was gutted by fire in 1980.

6. UNITED METHODIST CHURCH c. 1902 • 348 Barclay Ave.

The Methodist Church was the first church organized in Pine River. Lots were purchased from city founder Ammarilla Barclay in 1902 for $2, and a missionary grant was secured for church construction. Building the wood-frame church took several years and was hampered when lightning twice struck the bell tower, the second time cracking the bell. The

church was dedicated in 1907. The belfry was refurbished in 2009. The beautiful stained glass windows are best viewed from the church interior.

7. PINE RIVER DAM c. 1910 • River Street

Pine River’s homes and businesses were originally lit by oil or gas lamps. In 1910, a dam and hydroelectric plant were built at the head of Barclay Avenue (replacing a bridge that formerly stood there). It was the first major electrical generating plant in rural Cass and Crow Wing counties, and by 1920 it provided electrical power to other outlying communities including Backus, Jenkins, Pequot and Nisswa. Use of the plant was discontinued in 1946 and the equipment and powerhouse were later removed. The swimming facilities above the dam were developed as a W.P.A. project in 1938.

8. PINE RIVER PUBLIC SCHOOL/ PINE RIVER CLINIC c. 1903 • 403 Barclay Ave.

In 1903, a two-story, wood-frame school house was built on this corner lot to accommodate Pine River’s high school and elementary classes. Although enlarged in 1905, the school was just too small for the rapidly growing population. The school was razed in the late 1920s after a new and much larger school was built two blocks to the northwest. In 1950, a one-story stucco medical clinic opened on the site of the old school. After years of service, the clinic was torn down in the early 2000s.

9. LINDBERG BUILDING c. 1911 • 303 Barclay Ave.

This two-story concrete-block building was built in the 1910s as a general merchandising store. Such new-fangled department stores were typically housed in large buildings and sold almost every product imaginable from clothes

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and furniture to groceries and toys. Later owners ended the handling of food products to concentrate on the sale of soft goods. Over the years businesses here were affiliated with Skogmos and V-Stores. Until recently, the building was home to NAPA automotive. Apartments occupy the second floor.

10. BERT MICHENER’S AUTO GARAGE/HOUSTON MOTOR c. 1920 • 245 Barclay Ave.

Michener’s garage was built here in 1920. The “grand opening” featured a Japanese operetta presented by the Pine River School. After the garage burned in 1950, it was replaced by a Ford-Mercury dealership and garage run by the Houston Motor Co. In the late 1950s, Houston’s also sold diving gear and filled SCUBA tanks. Houston’s relocated south of town after 1973. The remodeled building is now occupied by small businesses and the Pine River-Backus Family Center.

11. FARMERS STATE BANK BUILDING c. 1917 • 203 Barclay Ave.

When this two-story brick building was built in 1917, the street-level corner of the building was occupied by the Farmers State Bank. Later, the Pine River State Bank conducted business in the same space until 1974. Among original occupants was a pharmacy on Barclay Avenue, and a furniture store and funeral parlor on the First Street side. The second floor once contained professional offices and apartments.

The Gardiner family has operated businesses at this location since 1935. The original back addition to the building was destroyed by fire in 1973.

12. PINE RIVER ARMY RESERVE ARMORY c. 1921 • 200 Front St. N.

In 1921 Pine River was home to one of the first Army Reserve armories in Minnesota, and it was the smallest town in the United States to have an armory. The armory was constructed of concrete blocks made onsite by the resourceful and legendary local builder “Pop” Evans. Almost 2,000 people attended the dedication in May 1922 that featured an address by Minnesota Gov. J.A.O. Preus. The state ceded the armory to the city of Pine River in 1939. The upper floor of the armory contained a stage and a basketball court flanked by bleachers. During the 1950s the basement level held sixth-grade classrooms and the school lunchroom. The city office and fire hall occupied the north end of the building. The armory was razed in 1974.

13. HORSE-DRAWN FIRE ENGINE c. 1919 • 102 Barclay Ave. W.

This vehicle, a horse-drawn Waterous #6 Class B gasoline fire engine with a Waukesha motor, was built for the city of Pine River in 1919. Until 1940 this was the sole engine for the village. It remained in use as an auxiliary engine until its retirement in the mid-1950s. The display shelter was erected by Heritage Group North in 2010.

14. PINE RIVER LEGION CLUB c. 1947 • 400 Front St. S.

The Fraser-Nelson Post 613 of the American Legion was organized on March 11, 1947, at the Marlow Club rooms in the Marlow Theater. Col. Robert Miller of the 147th Field Artillery of Brainerd, a prisoner of war in the Bataan, urged the organization of a Legion Post in Pine River. An American Legion Post had been organized in the early 1920s but had been disbanded before World War II. No information about this group was located.

15. BILL DAY’S WELDING SHOP c. 1947 • 206 Front St. S.

Bill Day’s Welding Shop occupied this site for many years. The original blacksmith shop that once stood on Barclay Avenue to the north of the Livery and later the Spurrier Hotel was built by Dave Jones in 1902. Succeeding owners were Al Seper, Bill Rohr, Christensen, W.C. (Bill) Day. The original building was later moved to this site and was torn down in 1947.

16. PINE RIVER LOCKER PLANT c. 1928 • 200 Front St. S.

The Pine River Locker Plant and Kouba’s Souvenir shop sat on this location. The Locker Plant was built in 1928 by H.I. Davies as the Pine River Seed House. Originally it had been the site of the old Wideman Brothers store. The building was sold in the early 1930s but continued to serve as a feed store under Frank Marsh and Homer Fraser until 1945 when Arvid Lundin bought the building. Siefert and Gartner bought out Lundin in 1948 and established the locker business.

17. BARCLAY HOTEL “WHITE ELEPHANT” c. 1894 • 112 Front St. S.

The original Barclay Hotel was the hub of activity for passengers arriving by train. The Hotel Barclay or Barclay House, also known as the “White Elephant,” was built for George Barclay in 1894. It burned in December 1915 in a fire that threatened the whole town.

18. FIRST “FILLING STATION” c. 1920 • 100 Front St. S.

Pine River’s first “filling station” was built by Vic Sauer. Though gasoline had been available at the village garages, Sauer’s Pyramid station was the original “filling station” in town. The Pine River Oil Company Phillips 66 occupied the same corner for many years. Later a new building was constructed and occupied by Tom Thumb.

19. SPURRIER HOTEL c. 1917 • 103 Barclay Ave.

The Spurrier Hotel, later called the Lake Region Hotel, was built in 1917 and stood until 1964 when it was torn down to make way for the eventual Highway 371 widening.

20. DURKEE MANUFACTURING CO. c. 1940 • 173 Barclay Ave. W.

Durkee’s Manufacturing Plant, built in 1940, as well as a feed store established in 1916 occupied this location. “Working at Durkees” was

a solid career for many local men from 1940 to 1985, with about 150 employees benefiting from the town’s largest local industry. The plant manufactured Wooden Spools for telephone cable, etc.

21. WEFELMEYER PICKLE FACTORY c. 1918 • 201 Park Ave. W.

The Wefelmeyer Pickle Factory once sat on this site. By 1925, which saw “the biggest cucumber crop ever” harvested in the region, Wefelmeyer and Thiessen had main offices in Pine River and “salting stations” in many surrounding communities. Under the name “Queen Brand,” pickles were sold in railcar load lots to local packers throughout the United States.

22. OUR LADY OF LOURDES c. 1910 • 205 Park Ave.

This was the original location of Our Lady Of Lourdes Catholic Church, established in 1910. The parish moved into its current location across the alley in 1958.

23.PINE RIVER SCHOOL c. 1913 • 309 Jefferson Ave.

The Pine River School, both elementary and the high school, were housed in a building on this location beginning in 1913. The combination elementary/high school building was built in 1920. This location was the “home of the Pine River Tigers” until 1961 when the new high school was built in its current location.

24. FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH c.1907 • 300 Norway Ave.

This building was originally the Pine River Lutheran Church. When the Lutheran congregation built its new church and moved to its location at 309 Second St. N., this building was converted for apartment usage.

25. TABERNACLE CHURCH c. 1954 • 304 Norway Ave.

The original Tabernacle Church was housed in a small log-sided building. The history of the Riverview Tabernacle goes back to about 1935 when interested Pine River residents met at the Mae Davis home for fellowship and prayer.

26. COMMUNITY OIL c. 1936 • 400 Barclay Ave.

Moulster’s Service Station, which later became Community Oil, was established here in 1936. This is the original building.

27. DAMSITE BAIT AND TACKLE c. 1914 • 417 Barclay Ave.

The Damsite Bait and Tackle shop sat on this location, established in 1914. The A&W Root Beer Stand, which originally sat on Highway 371 next to the Lake Region (Spurrier) Hotel, was moved to this location in 1963 when the Highway 371 widening project began. Stand quietly here a minute and you can almost hear the sound of the 1960s — the Beatles, the muscle car engines and the car-hop orders of “Two root beers and an order of fries!”

28. PINE RIVER CREAMERY COMPANY c. 1913 • 409 Norway Ave.

The Pine River Creamery, later Land O’Lakes Creamery, was established in 1913. The Pine River Feed Store sat on the opposite side of this corner. Bringing milk to the creamery and grain to be weighed at the feed store were daily/weekly activities for the local farmers.

29. CITY PARK RECREATIONAL FACILITY c. 1938 • 304 Fifth St.

Forbes Park was established here in 1916, named for Eugene Forbes. The log building was a WPA project completed in 1938. The cornerstone tells the details of this project, a great example of Craftsman Style building, popular at that time.

The Pine River Walking Tour is a project of Heritage Group North

Heritage Group North, Inc P.O. Box 266, Pine River, MN 56474 www.heritagegroupnorth.org heritagegroupnorth@gmail.com Mail $10 to join HGN

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