Ever wonder what it was like in the 1930s in Minnesota? In the earlier 20th century, some of the state's small towns were booming. The logging industry was big, and Minnesota small towns were making way for the businesses and characteristics that make us love them to this day. Here are a few historic photos in Minnesota depicting things that you were guaranteed to find no matter what small community you visited in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
1. A main street.
No small town is without an adorable main street. This one is in Kelliher.
And this one's in Northome.
2. A city hall.
In Winton, you could find this beautiful one.
3. A general store.
This store in Funkley is fully stocked!
They were the center of town and the perfect place to hang out and read the paper!
4. A pharmacy.
These boys are looking at the shaving equipment in the local pharmacy.
Here the pharmacist is filling a prescription.
5. A schoolhouse.
This fun modern style school is in Hibbing.
6. A church.
Every town in MN of course had a church. This adorable one is in Littlefork.
7. A vegetable stand.
This one in Rice County is adorable.
8. A post office.
9. And a postmaster!
Meet the postmaster of Benson.
10. A restaurant.
This restaurant and pool room was in Margie.
11. A saloon.
This former bank turned saloon is in Mizpah.
12. A barber shop.
Barber shops are a staple in all small towns!
This awesome barber pole is from Big Falls.
13. A boarding house.
They were often used by lumberjacks in the small towns in MN. This one stood in Littlefork.
14. A telephone operator.
This operator is working hard in Littlefork.
15. A gas station.
This one even has a Paul Bunyan on top of the pump!
16. A steam bath.
Not every small town had these, but they were very popular with the hard-working lumberjacks in MN. This one was in Craigville.
Clearly while there have been a lot of changes and advancements in the Bold North, small town life in the 1930s in Minnesota was not so different from what it is today. As these historic photos of Minnesota demonstrate, the spirit of the small towns remains the same, and a lot of our favorite small town aspects have stuck around over the years - just proving how deep our Minnesota roots run.
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