We were reminiscing about old-time corner grocery stores and Lersberg’s Foods was mentioned as a must see. So, on a recent Sunday afternoon drive we headed for Ellendale, MN a small-town south of Northfield.
The banner for Lerberg’s Foods in Ellendale, Minnesota.
It was easy to find the food market in this small town of about 760. Right there on the main street, on the corner…with the banner indicating Lersberg’s Foods, Est. 1901.
We walked in and immediately felt like we stepped back in time…
Narrow aisles, full of merchandise.
The store was well-stocked and clean, small with narrow aisles and beautiful wooden floors, and one check-out counter.
I was trying to be inconspicuous while taking this photo of the moose-head, with the faded photo of the hunter underneath…
Oh, and there is a moose head displayed on the wall. Apparently, it’s been there a long while, and has become a trademark of the store. There was a faded photo hanging underneath the moose head, of the man (Mr. Lerberg???) who shot the moose and it looked quite old.
The old-fashioned corner grocery store in Ellendale, Minnesota.
We took our time and meandered the three aisles and picked out some groceries to buy in support of the old-time market. Several people said hi or some other nice comment…It was a fun place to visit and worth the drive to see it.
Afterwards we drove the backroads to Owatonna and walked in Kaplan Woods Park.
We took a Sunday afternoon drive recently, and headed down a gravel road we had never been on, about three miles from our house. The corner of this intersection is familiar to us because we usually turn right on asphalt to a friend’s house. On the corner sits an antique truck, which is always full of flowers in the summer or greenery in winter.
An antique truck on display.
Continuing straight through this intersection the pavement turns to gravel and on this gravel road we had a fun afternoon of discovering new territory to us.
An interesting old dilapidated building.
Right away we noticed a dilapidated building that must have been really spectacular in it’s day. At first we thought it was a huge barn…but unlike any barn we’ve ever seen. It sits far off the road so it was hard to get a good look. I would have loved to get up close; to walk around and to take photos. It had a gabled roof on the main structure with two wings sections on each side making it look massive and impressive, even in the bad shape it is in. We wondered about the stories it could tell. It was on farm property.
Next door, a ways down the road, was a unique dome house. In contrast to the old building, this modern house stood out. Dome houses are unusual dwellings and you don’t see them very often. Our friends lived in one for years, in a different part of town.
We had never heard of Fagen.
Then we came upon a sign “Former site of Fagen”. I was very surprised to see this marker reminding us of a former town, with a history, and it being within five miles of where we lived. Yet, I had never heard of it. I wondered if the farm with the old building considered the former town of Fagen it’s home address?
The Oxford Mill Ruin.
Driving further we found what my husband was searching for…an old mill. He had ridden by this old mill on his bicycle one summer but couldn’t quite remember how to get there, so we meandered the roads until we found it.
The eagle taking off when we opened the truck door.
We noticed an eagle perched in the treetop as we pulled over to the side of the road to park, but then it flew away as we got out of the truck to take photos of this beautiful, but decaying and crumbling three-story mill made of limestone, with its walls tumbling down.
With a little research I found out it is called the Oxford Mill Ruin and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The mill was built in 1878 and burned in 1905 and never reopened after that. Click here for more history about this old flour mill.
It was a large mill on the Little Cannon River. Apparently it was one of 27 flour mills in Goodhue County at that time.
A lone brick silo.
Continuing on our way we saw a brick silo standing solo, on the side of a road. Brick silos always look strong and sturdy and are usually in good condition. We did not see any farm houses or barns nearby this lone silo, and again we wondered… if only these structures could talk.
A neat looking farm.
We did drive by many farms, some very well kept, others not so much. Out here in the country the vast fields were covered with freshly fallen snow, dotted with some drifts caused by the strong winds.
White on white or gray on gray…
The roads were icy and the sky was gray, but it was a delightful drive and a fun day of discovery… so close to home.
