Brainerd Minnesota History
OPINION page!
I suppose it had to happen, and I'll try to keep it light, and positive! If I mention something I see as a bad feature of Brainerd, please consider this a positive, because I see it as something that is fixable, and helpful to our town's future. Comments welcomed! If you have an opinion you'd like to post here, I'll consider publication.
Also find here personal experience comments on such things as good places to eat or drink, or fun things to do in Brainerd...there are a lot. I'll start with my first Restaurant Review!
RESTAURANTS:
I can't review ALL of them but some do stand out, IMHO.
Barn, The:
Just east of the former Carneige Library on Washington St. at 7th St. N., since 1946:
2015/11/30: Since somebody brought it up on Andy Walsh's page, I'll start here: Apparently there is somebody on the planet that has NEVER been to the BARN! Man, are you in for a treat! Don't over-do on the Maid-Rites, as the pies are spectacular. If you're full, get a piece to go. For breakfast I order a Mexican Maid-Rite omelet. They are not on the menu, but Gary can make anything. Just 2 Maid- Rite stores in all of Minnesota, and we are lucky enough tho have on!
Front Street Cafe:
This is a cafe on Front St.:
If you like soup, go here. The soup of the day is the same as yesterday, and tomorrow. There is only one kind of soup there, and that is all that is needed. This chicken dumpling soup is a meal in itself. The dumplings are the bomb!
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Last Turn Saloon:
8th St. S.:
There is some kind of a turkey melt there on marble bread that rocks, but I can't recall its name. I come here for that sammich, but STAY for the beer! Great selection of dark beers, and constanlty changing. Often I can even get the hard-to-find PORTER! Oh,maaaan!
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Local 218: From the REVIEW section on their Facebook page:
Fert Faust reviewed The Local 218 — 5 star
First time in tonight. The overflow parking was jammed so we were unsure if there would be a long wait. The place turned out to be PLENTY big, and lots of seating left and no waiting; food came pretty fast. We too were unsure whether to seat ourselves, so headed to the beer taps to "study the menu", and happy to see a local, and a PORTER at that! The wife had an awesome French dip and needed a doggie bag, and I, yes, they nailed the burger, which had an uncommonly good flavor! Prices about on par with Gull Lake without going way up there! Better food here, IMHO.
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Log Cabin:
Just across the street from Bremer Bank on 7th St, S.:
The Alley Burger; oval, SOFT bun, big and good. Just a good-ol' fashioned tasty burger. I always opt for the home mande chips! (Currently closed...I want it back!)
Northwind Grill:
In the former Elk's Building, NE corner of 6th St. S. & Laurel:
OK, I love omelets, and this is my fave for a ham & cheese omelet...must be the cheese, don't know! The bacon is also tops. And if you like roast beef, the roast beef ANYTHING is mouth watering.
Shep's on Sixth:
On 6th St. S, you prolly gueesed, about across the street from US Bank:
Ya, I know, this is not a restaurant, so why is it here? Because this is where we go for the best darn pizza, the Giovanni's 4 Meat! Made in one of those good ol' pizza ovens, for some reason they just come out perfect. I think they sell beer there, too.
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Paul who?
What has happened to Paul Bunyan? I don't mean just the one that was in Baxter. What Happened to the Paul Bunyan Festival? The Paul Bunyan name?
What IS Brainerd's theme, anyway???
Paul Bunyan as a commercial draw in Brainerd, MN:
Who got PAUL first…Brainerd of Bemidji?
This depends on if you are referring to the concept as a tourism draw, or a statue. It appears that the concept of using Paul Bunyan as a commercial draw was first devised by Brainerd in 1934, by local restorers Jack Madden and Merrill Cragun.
Bemidji got their statue in 1937, 3 years before Brainerd coined the term Paul Bunyan’s Playground; Brainerd’s statue came in 1950.
BRAINERD:
1934/1/1: 80 years ago (1934)-Brainerd Daily Dispatch
Organized to sell north central Minnesota as “Paul Bunyan’s playground”, a new organization will cooperate with the Minnesota Tourism Bureau to lure out-of-state tourists. Jack Madden is president of the organization, and Merrill Cragun, secretary.
BEMIDJI:
In the early fall of 1937, the Paul Bunyan Carnival was organized with Hector Brown in charge. Various organizations in the city were requested to take over certain parts of the program. Cyril Dickinson, of the Dickinson Construction Company was delegated to build a statue of Paul Bunyan. Earl Bucklen, (on right) mayor of Bemidji at the time, was used as a model.
IMHO, it’s unimportant who got out of the gate first, rather, who gets to the finish line. The finish line is who can capitalize on this ancient legend and make it draw tourists NOW. Our area still the has the fine amusement park...remember, it never WAS in Brainerd; it was in Baxter. We don’t seem to use the image of Paul and Babe like we used to. We have no more Paul Bunyan Exposition as was started in 1935, Paul Bunyan Carnival like we did in the 1960’s, Paul Bunyan museum, or PB Festival like we used to, no Johnny Inkslinger Days like we used to. I can’t even find a statue in town…at least Bemidji has that, and he looks dopey and can’t even move. Where else is a town going to find a legend this old to grab on to, and legitimately so like it grabbed 82 years ago? Let’s quit whining about the amusement center moving a few miles east, and take back the title! It’s just marketing, people. They did it in 1934! If we lose the water tower that icon is lost, then what shall we use? We can’t depend on the “lakes area” thing far north of us forever. We have all but thrown Paul out, so let's work to get him back.
Let's think about the Water Tower problem:
Water Tower; lack of attention? A roof would be good!
The water tower has had a rough life early on, since water was first pumped in to it in October of 1920. It was stuccoed in August of 1920 by TWO men on ropes, and that may be what is peeling off now. Most of us know what stucco likes to do in time. Already in 1928 the bowl developed major leaks, and had to be relined with an 8-ply membrane, and a 4” course of hard red brick from the floor to within 6” of the roof line. (30 years later the bowl was dry.) But, in the late 1940’s the roof was leaking badly to the point of the gutter line needing to be filled with 6” of zonolite and a 4-ply membrane roof was placed over the concrete roof. It was painted in 1975 but the stuff did not stick and it peeled so it had to be sand-blasted first. It’s possible that it did not WANT to be painted, and it sealed it too tight so that it could not breathe. The roof had to be removed at some point so mother nature had her way with the bowl exposed to the elements to this day. It needs a roof badly, and if the castle-like crenellations are removed from its top rim, it may lose its 1974 National Register of Historic Places designation.
It is said that the structure was poured monolithically, although close study of photographs taken at various times during construction show cold or construction joints. Now if we could just go look at our tower’s only clone, Pipestone’s, made in 1921, and see if theirs had any similar problems! Did it leak, was it stuccoed, was it painted, did the roof fail? Apparently, theirs is in good shape, so let’s find out why. The tower was turned over to the City Council in 1968. The poor thing could be dying only due to lack of attention over the years. This technical info is from the National Register of Historic Places, 1972. The commentary is mine. -CWF, 4/4/2017
Most everything I could find on the Water Tower I have placed in this COMPILATION:
OVERGROWTH: One of my pet peeves, but now a 1934 aerial photo to go along with it:
What happened to downtown? No, it wasn't the bypass. This is old news because what is happening to downtown in 2018 is really GOOD news! See my opinion below:
2018/11/4: This is from a discussion on Share history and stories about Brainerd Lakes Area:
It's so easy to blame everything on "the bypass", which was in the planning stages since the 1930's. Early plans "bypassed" S. 6th St. by going on the east side of the river and behind the courthouse, but that never materialized due to development along that route. Hwy. 218 (25) was improved and promoted in the 50's to alleviate and "bypass" 6th St. congestion. In the 60's the malls and strip malls and west Brained took their tolls by drawing out the major retailers...the same happened all over the country, so it was not just here. Most cities are having the SAME discussion, probably on a Facebook page like this. By bypass-time in 2000, the major damage had long been done. No, now that it's here it's not going to help, BUT newer cities are now making "downtowns" again, and here we already have one. Spillover and uniqueness can bring downtown back...not to 1950 levels, those are memories, but perhaps to something to once again enjoy and be proud of.
2018/11/4: See below and you'll find out that congestion on S. 6th St. has been on MnDOT's mind for a LONG time! It's not so much they wanted to "bypass" Brainerd, rather 6th St.; they wanted a better route THROUGH Brainerd...clear back in the 1930's!
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As to this poorly-worded poll:
Poll: Which Minnesota Paul Bunyan statue is the 'real' Paul Bunyan?
I’d say one that moves and talks is more “real," duh! The one in Bemidji doesn't even know your name!
-CWF, 4/19/2016, UPDATED: 12/2/2016