Downtown Long Prairie, Minnesota

Welcome to a walking tour of

historic Long Prairie, Minnesota

Sponsored by the Todd County Historical Society Museum and the Long Prairie Leader

The Todd County Historical Society Museum and the Long Prairie Leader have designed a community historical walk. Anyone visiting Long Prairie may stop at the museum and pick up a booklet that includes a brief history of 22 historical sites and a map. The route covers about three miles and begins at the museum located on Central Avenue and Fourth Street in Long Prairie.

Lee Park-Winnebago Indian Agency (1)

The known history of Lots 1 and 2, Block 11, Original Townsite of Long Prairie begins with the establishment of a Winnebago Indian Agency in Long Prairie. The agency was founded in August, 1848.

In 1850, the office and residence of Jonathan E. Fletcher, Indian Agent, stood on the site that is now the museum site. The Minnesota State Historical Society in cooperation with the Todd County Historical Society erected a plaque, denoting the site as a former Indian agency.

Fletcher's residence was known as the "Agency House". It was a large two-story building and was considered the finest residence in town. The agency was maintained until 1855 when the Winnebagos were moved to Blue Earth County.

Most accounts say the government property was sold shortly thereafter to Anson Northrup, who in turn sold it to John P. Tweed, trustee for the Long Prairie Land Company. The Long Prairie Land Co., a group of wealthy men from Ohio, agreed that the property would be held by Tweed, as trustee, to sell and convey to purchasers.

On July 11, 1868, Tweed platted the Original Townsite of Long Prairie, which included this property. Several transactions were made on the property until June 3, 1904, when William E. Lee turned the property over to the city of Long Prairie for the development of a park, which would bear the name Lee's Park.

The park was elevated above the street and was surrounded by a stone wall, running the length of the park on the east and north sides. There were sidewalks and many beautiful shade trees in the park.

The park was eventually abandoned by the city and the land was sold as commercial property. It was graded down to street level in 1949. In 1955 the Long Prairie clinic was constructed on a portion of the property. The remainder of the property was sold to Hart Press in 1960 and the existing building was built sometime after that. Hart Press moved to a new location in Long Prairie in 1990 and gave the old building to the city and county. A portion of the old Hart building houses the museum.

Claseman Studio (2)

The structure at Fourth Street and Central Avenue was designed especially as a photographic studio. In addition to space devoted to business, the building also provided living quarters. The building has frontage on Central Avenue of 44 feet and is 48 feet in depth. When first built the building featured an artist's ceiling window on the north side.

The building is built entirely of pressed red brick. Trimmings of the building are of east stone and all entrances have east stone archways.

Entrance to the building is at the center of the building through a stone archway and wide doors. The entrance is flanked on both sides by two plate glass windows 8x5 feet in size.

There is a private entrance to the east, similar in design to the front entrance. The building was formally opened in October, 1928, and housed the Claseman Studio for many years. Presently a private party owns the building and lives in the studio.

St. Mary's Catholic Church (3)

On July 10, 1869, John P. Tweed, as trustee for the Long Prairie Land Company, offered Block 6, Original Townsite on condition a church be built within two years.

Block 6, Original Townsite, was the slope of a hill, ending in a duck pond. It was enclosed with a high fence against cattle that ranged as freely in the village as through the country. Members of the parish came with teams, plows and scrapers and leveled the block, creating a gently sloping terrace.

St. Mary's Catholic Church, a substantial and imposing structure, which has served the parish as a place of worship since 1896, was built for an estimated cost of $6,500.

A large, three-story brick school, St. Mary's, was built in 1905. A new rectory was constructed in 1918.

The first steps to the church were wooden. About 1914, these were replaced with concrete steps. The concrete steps were removed and new concrete steps were constructed in the early 1990's.

Arthur H. Sheets House (4)

The Arthur H. Sheets House, now owned by Jerry and Marcy Casper, was built at the corner of Elm and Ford. The street names were changed to First Avenue and Todd Street in 1962.

he house sits on property that was originally purchased from the United States Government by John P. Tweed in 1866. The property consists of Lots Four and Five on Block Two of the Original Townsite of Long Prairie.

Tweed held the land for many years and it was sold by his estate to John H. Sheets in 1878. Sheets sold the property to his brother Arthur H. Sheets and his wife Ella in 1881. The house was constructed in the 1890's and is of the Victorian Era. Sheets was the publisher and owner of the Todd County Argus. The house was built for Sheets, his wife and their 10 children.

The house has been meticulously and lovingly restored by the Caspers. They have sided and roofed the house and the garage has been remodeled. The interior, which at one time was divided into apartments, has been restored to a single family dwelling.

The Lee Houses (5)

The four houses located on the north and the west side of the water tower block were each built by the Lee family.

The stucco house west of the water tower was built by Rudolph Lee, for many years publisher of the Long Prairie Leader. Carl C. Carlson, his son-in-law, lived here after he took over publication of the Leader.

The house just north of it was built in 1907 by Rudolph's father, William Lee. William Lee was founder of the Bank of Long Prairie, a State Representative, and one time Speaker of the House. The house features an outside open stair entrance, two stone lions adorn the stairs.

The corner brick house was built in 1922 by Harry Lee, son of William Lee. Harry managed the six Lee Banks. Two stone lions adorn the front entrance of this house also.

The house was remodeled in the 1970's by Robert Hart Jr. The porches, upstairs and downstairs, were removed and replaced by larger bedrooms upstairs and a larger dining/family room downstairs. There is a walkup unfinished attic which adds to the large look of the house.

The last house on the north side of the block was also a Lee house. This house was built for George Lee, the son of Harry Lee.

Ignatius Reichert House (6)

This two-story Queen Anne style house at 120 Eighth Street SE was built in 1900 by Ignatius Reichert, founder of the Reichert Hotel. Originally, the house was the farm house of the Reichert farmstead. There was a curved driveway that ran around the house to the carriage house in the woods. The present garage was built by Brian Cowdery in keeping with the style of the original carriage house.

Major renovation was done on the house in 1984 by owners Gary and Sharon Brown. The house had many owners over the years and was purchased by the Browns from Brian Cowdery in 1984. Plastered ceilings and walls were replaced. The kitchen was completely rebuilt, featuring frosted glass doors on the cabinets. Sets of pocket doors in the dining room and parlor had been removed at some time and that caused the walls to begin to buckle. The ceiling was jacked up and a new support wall, featuring beautifully carved scroll work integrated with musical symbols, was installed. The woodwork was found in a commercial building in Eagle Bend.

The lamp post in the yard is one of the original lights from Central Avenue. The front porch was also rebuilt by the Browns. A new custom made keyhole window, made by Kolbe and Kolbe, was also installed as part of the renovation. An old door from the Reichert Hotel is the entrance door between the garage and the house. Several old doors from the Long Prairie Leader office were used for replacement doors throughout the house.

The Browns sold the house to Michael and Cindy Sieve in 1989.

Michael and Anna Reichert House (7)

Michael and Anna Reichert built this American Four Square style, three-story house at 106 Eighth Street SE in 1914 with plans provided by an architect from St. Paul. Henry Tucker, a Long Prairie carpenter, was the contractor in charge of the construction of the house. Anna Reichert supervised the building of the house.

Michael Reichert was the son of Ignatius Reichert and the property on which the house was built was part of the Reichert farmstead.

In 1943, Edmond and Grace Norris purchased the house from Michael Reichert with the agreement that he live at the house for one year. Michael lived on the third floor for one year. Between 1958 and 1983, the house was divided into four living units. The Norris family lived in one unit and the other units were rented out.

In 1983, Grace Norris took great pains to reinstate the house to a single family dwelling. The third floor still remained an apartment. There is a fireplace in the kitchen that was added by Mrs. Norris.

The house was purchased by Richard and Rosemary Robinson in 1998. In their renovation process, the Robinsons have taken care in keeping the home's original floor plan.

The house has 17 rooms, three bathrooms, one lavatory, two fireplaces, two staircases and five entrance doors. The home has hardwood maple floors, with the exception of the kitchen and bathrooms. The dining room is embellished with white oak beams and picture rails. To the left of the formal entrance, French doors lead into a sitting room. In this home, you will find glass and brass door knobs and wavy window glass as well as a lovely open staircase.

Todd County Fair Grandstand (8)

The Todd County Fair Grandstand was constructed in 1940. It was the largest WPA (Works Progress Administration) project in the county. The workers began pouring concrete for the structure in the spring of 1940 under the supervision of Matt Schwinteg.

One section of the huge structure was completed in time for the 1940 county fair, which was held Aug. 5-8. The heyday of the fair was in the 1940's. During that decade many improvements were made to the grounds and attendance increased every year. Fair attendance in 1941 was 20,000 and a record was set for number of displays that year.

The grandstand was a labor-intensive effort. The size of the work crew was doubled in May 1940 so a portion of the grandstand would be done in time for the August fair. The workers spent hours and hours in hard, hand labor. The cement for the structure was poured into forms, which had been erected and dried for 28 days before the cement was poured. The workers poured cement for six steps at a time, working from dawn to late evening. The interior of the grandstand was designed for use as a dormitory and display room. During the spring of 1940 another grant was received to add a second section to the grandstand, which doubled the capacity of the old grandstand.

Some of the grandstand shows at the 1940 fair included the Unicus Troupe and the 3 Echoes 3. There was also a "Swing High, Swing Low Revue".

The grandstand was dedicated Aug. 6, 1941, during the 59th annual Todd County Fair. It was a huge event and Gov. Harold E. Stassen was the featured speaker. Todd County Agricultural Society Secretary Logan O. Scow accepted the grandstand on behalf of the society. C.L. Blakeslee accepted the grandstand on behalf of the county's 4-H clubs.

The grandstand is still in use at the fairgrounds. It was renovated by placing wooden planks over the cement steps seats several years ago.

Long Prairie Cemetery (9)

The Long Prairie Cemetery is actually made up of three separate cemeteries side-by-side-by-side. These cemeteries are located in the northeast section of Long Prairie. All three sections of the cemetery face west with ornate gates marking the main entrance to each of the three sections.

The oldest of these cemeteries was established Oct. 7, 1875. It is commonly known as Evergreen Cemetery. An additional four acre tract of land directly south of the original cemetery was purchased in May, 1926. This piece of land was known as the "Van Dyke" tract.

The Catholic Cemetery adjoins Evergreen Cemetery on the north. Five acres were purchased for cemetery purposes and were solemnly blessed Oct. 21, 1878. It is believed that some burials from the old Catholic Cemetery, west of Hwy. 71, were moved to this new cemetery. A center island in St. Mary's Cemetery contains several religious statues of white marble and the graves of three priests from St. Mary's. One of these priests, Father Schenk, was accidentally shot in 1883. A white marble monument was erected in his memory by members of St. Mary's Church in August 1884. This monument is to the south of the main statues. The monument has a square base with a cross on top and is about five feet high.

Lutheran Cemetery was platted in November 1887 and is directly north of the Catholic Cemetery. This cemetery is 279 feet north to south and 462 feet east to west.

Reverend W.F. Hitzemann was pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church for 27 years. He died March 22, 1907. Members of Trinity Lutheran erected a monument to his memory in September 1909. The large granite monument is southeast of the main gates to Trinity Cemetery. To find the monument go east about 100 feet down the main roadway and straight south about 50 feet. The monument stands over six feet in height and is three feet wide. It weighs over 6,000 pounds.

In November 1975, St. Mary's purchased three and one half acres of land located directly north of the Lutheran Cemetery. Additional shrubs and trees were planted in back and along the roadways.

Fisher House (10)

The three-story brick house known as the Fisher House was built in 1884. The walls are made of two layers of brick, which were manufactured at the Schroeder Brick Yard in

Long Prairie. Shortly after the house was completed, it was purchased by Dr. Fisher, a veteran of the Civil War. In 1892 Dr. Fisher left his wife and family and moved to the southern United States.

To support her family, Mrs. Fisher turned the large house into a duplex and rented out half of the house. She lived in the home with her daughters Cora and Dora. Dora was a member of the first graduating class of Long Prairie High School and was the class valedictorian. She worked as a teacher in various towns, moving back to Long Prairie in the 1950's. She then served as librarian at the local school until her retirement. Cora continued to live in the house throughout these years and worked at Hart's Store in Long Prairie. The Fisher sisters lived in the house until their deaths.

The house had several owners until it was purchased by Reta and Orvis Dahlen of Long Prairie in 1987. In the early 1980's a fire destroyed much of the fine woodwork on the first floor. However, an elaborate wooden staircase has been preserved. The Dahlens have done much work on the house and have converted the attic, which has 11-foot ceilings into an apartment. The house is currently divided up into three apartments.

The Christie House (11)

The Christie House stands as an example of architecture prevalent at the turn of the 20th Century. Structurally unaltered since its construction in 1905, the two story house is located on the corner of First Street and Central Avenue.

The house was built for Dr. George R. Christie, his wife and four children for a cost of $5,000. The house was donated for public use by Donald Christie, son of George and Frances Christie. The last Christie to live in the house was Dr. Robert Christie, who died in 1976 after a lifetime of service to the community.

The home is operated as a museum by the Christie House Historical Society. Inside the house are antiques and artifacts from the early 1900's, most in mint condition. The house is open to the public from Memorial Day through Labor Day Wednesday through Sunday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Volunteers conduct tours of the Victorian home, presenting a history of the house and the family.

The house features hand crafted woodwork, an impressive open stairway, ornate fireplaces and sliding wooden doors.

Todd County Courthouse (12)

The Todd County Courthouse, constructed in 1883, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The courthouse is prominently sited on a small hill, which rises above the commercial district of Long Prairie. The courthouse and other government buildings occupy the entire Block 13 of the Original Townsite. The old courthouse has been joined by a new court facilities building on the corner of Third Street South and First Avenue. The courthouse is surrounded by a fieldstone retaining wall, originally built in 1895 and rebuilt in the 1930's.

The courthouse was constructed in 1883. The original courthouse is of brick construction and measures approximately 60 feet by 80 feet. The building is designed in a simplified Italianate style. Cream colored common-grade brick is the primary building material. The foundation is of split fieldstone.

The courthouse has been altered several times since it was built, but the changes made do not affect the historical integrity of the building.

To the east of the courthouse is the county's new court facilities building.

War Memorial (13)

In December 1918, William E. Lee tendered to the county a monument to be erected in honor of Todd County soldiers who gave their lives in World War I. The monument was to be placed on the Courthouse Square and the names of the soldiers were to be inscribed on tablets. John Karl Daniels, a St. Paul sculptor, was chosen to do the sculptor work.

Daniels was born in Norway in 1875 and died in Minneapolis in 1978. His work in sculpture covers virtually every medium from medals to reliefs and figures in the round. One of his earliest works in St. Paul is the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument near the Cathedral completed in 1903. In front of the State Capitol is Daniels' memorial to Governor Knute Nelson (1928). Other Daniels' monuments in the state include a figure of Leif Erickson in Duluth and a granite bison in front of the North American Life headquarters in Minneapolis.

His work in Long Prairie is unique in that a woman is in the design. The monument was dedicated June 3, 1920. The stone is Vermont granite. Two cannons were gifts of the government to the county, presented in May 1920. In 1942, the cannons were converted into scrap iron and were donated to the war effort. The monument also includes the names of soldiers who died or were listed as missing in action in World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War.

Long Prairie Armory (14)

Long Prairie's National Guard Armory was completed in October 1921. The armory was funded with $25,000 of federal money appropriated for the construction of an armory through the National Defense Act of 1920. The building was occupied by Company I of the Sixth Regiment in October 1921 and the facility has been home to a guard unit continuously since that time. It is now utilized by the 65 members of Echo Company of the 434th Maintenance and Support Battalion. The unit specializes in missile repair and maintenance.

In 1920 the city of Long Prairie purchased land for a new armory on the north side of the street (First Avenue) facing the courthouse. The city put up $7,900 to purchase the property. The armory facility was to be built with federal, state and local monies and the facility would be available for public use. The city wanted to use the building for a city hall, public library and fire hall. Farmers and others in the county also wanted to use the facility for large meetings. Additional funds to make the building suitable to serve public needs were sought from the county board by the local armory commission. The county board turned down a petition for an appropriation for the armory, delaying construction. In February 1921 the matter came before the county board again. A group of 50 farmers lobbied hard for the county to kick in $4,000 in additional funds to facilitate construction of the armory. The petition was opposed by the Non-Partisan League and apparently quite a rancorous meeting took place. The upshot was the farmers got disgusted and asked the armory commission to withdraw its funding petition. The farmers then pledged to raise the money themselves and conducted a successful fund raising drive.

A contract for the building was let and the structure was approved by the State Armory Board in April 1921. H.W. Albrecht served as the contractor. The building is a castle/fortress type design. There are many armories around the United States with a similar design as the design was very popular with the Armory Commission of the National Guard Bureau in the 1920's. The main floor of the new armory had room for the village council and fire department as well as rooms for officers and non-commissioned officers. The building contains a 100x60 foot drill floor. An addition was made to the building in the 1930's and it got a facelift in the early 1990's.

The building, now privaely owned, served as headquarters for Company E until it relocated to its present headquarters near the high school.

Wolf Meat Market (15)

Stephen Hennek erected this one story brick building in July 1903. The building, which currently houses Finch Paint Store, is 65 feet long with a 22-foot frontage.

Hennek founded Hennek Butcher Shop in 1903. Peter Klick owned the meat market from 1909 to 1915. From 1915 to 1969, George and John Wolf and later Francis Wolf ran Wolf Meat Market.

A new building front was constructed in May 1930. The old front was torn away and a new brick veneer front with new windows was built in its place. Rocky Elmes and later Leo Putzkey were owners in the 1970's.

The building was originally constructed to be a meat market and served in that capacity until it was purchased by Dennis and Janice Finch in 1975.

A few remnants of the old meat market days can still be observed. In the back is a holding pen for animal remains and inside there is still a meat smoker.

Christie-Williams Buildings (16)

On the north side of Central Avenue, east of Michael's Cafe (Lee Building) are two almost identical buildings, each constructed in 1895. The upper level of each building has three windows, each with a brick curved arch. Over each of these windows is decorative brick work.

Henry Williams started his building, the one to the east, and shortly after Dr. Christie began his adjoining building, just to the west. This left a space of 22 feet on the east side between Williams Building (Special Touch) and the new Williams Building. This section with two windows on the upper level was built on at a later date.

The two-story Williams Building is 25 feet wide and 80 feet long. The building is made of cream-colored brick. The bricks came from the Browerville brick yard.

The Williams building was home to Lano Hardware from 1911 until it went out of business in the 1970's. The upper level was rented to an organization, The Odd Fellows, from 1895 to 1936.

The Christie Building is also two stories high. It is 27 feet wide and 80 feet long. It, too, is built of cream-colored brick from the Browerville brick yard.

The first occupants of the Christie Building were G.W. Maynard and Dr. George Christie. G.W. Maynard operated a general merchandise store. Dr. Christie's office occupied the upper level.

Numerous businesses have set up shop at this location over the years, including Dixon Clothing Store, M-W Associated Hardware and Victor Clothing.

The Christie building was nearly destroyed by fire in March 2004, only the front brick wall was saved. The building has been rebuilt, center upper windows boarded up and the building is now painted white.

The Bank of Long Prairie (17)

The Bank of Long Prairie Building, now Michael's Cafe, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building, constructed in 1903, is a two-story commercial structure, which occupies 39 feet frontage in the center of one of the main commercial blocks of Long Prairie. The stone and brick facade is divided into two unequally sized bays, reflecting the building's original dual use as a bank and a jewelry store. The second floor contained office space.

The design (Romanesque and Classical Revival) of the facade freely uses elements from several architectural styles popular at the turn of the century. Rusticated sandstone laid in a random pattern is used on the facade up to the height of the second floor window sills. Polished red granite is used on the three squared piers that support the arches. The smaller west arch is about 12 feet in width, while the east arch is about 25 feet wide. Column capitals are carved sandstone and feature cherubs set in a pattern of acanthus leaves. Keystones have an acanthus leaf pattern.

The exterior has excellent architectural integrity and has undergone just minor changes.

The present cafe entrance is through the original jewelry store entrance. The storefront on the east bay has been altered by the addition of brick and a new glazing panel to refill the original recessed entry.

Long Prairie Bank founder and president, William E. Lee, commissioned a St. Paul firm to design the modern banking house, which Lee felt would add to the appearance of Osakis Street.

First National Bank (18)

In 1909 the First National Bank erected a beautiful building, a one story structure, twenty-three feet wide and sixty-five feet in length, built of brick and concrete. The lobby floor is tile with marble wainscoting. It has a circular skylight, decorated with leaded art glass. The front of the building is made of Bedford Rock, and the two pillars in front are of solid rock. The building was erected at a cost of $6,000. At the time it was built, the building was noted as one of the finest buildings in Long Prairie.

The People's National Bank purchased the First National Bank in June 1927. This building became the new bank location after the bank merger and served as a bank until 1964. The building was then donated by the bank to the city of Long Prairie to be used as its city hall. The city hall moved to a location on Third Street in the 1980's and the old bank building now houses correctional offices.

The Hart Store (19)

The Hart Store has a frontage on Osakis Street (Central Avenue) of 107 feet and the building extends back on Willow Street (Second Street South) 125 feet. The building is two stories high with a full basement. The construction is of hollow tile overlaid with stucco. The front of the building is brown pressed brick with stucco background and trimmings.

The front of the building is arranged as an arcade. The visitor on entering either of the front doors will find "Hart's" inlaid in tile on each door step. Once inside a person will see a handsomely appointed arcade with show windows on all sides. The arcade has a tile floor in red and green with the center tile inlay containing Hart's double heart symbol.

When Hart's Store opened in 1916, the Cozy Theatre occupied the west front section of the building. The store proper was one large room with an 18-foot ceiling. All the departments were on one floor. The store featured two open balconies, one at the entrance to the building and the other one at the rear of the building.

Hart's opened their first store in Long Prairie in 1907. The present building was designed by architect R.C. Buckley, Minneapolis, and built by the O.C. Evanson Construction Firm of Minneapolis.

In the 1940's Hart's Store closed for a time. Clarence Olson operated a furniture store and mortuary in the main building. The east part of the building housed Hart Sisters Ladies Wear, operated by Eva (Hart) Hillman and Grace Hart. In October 1952 the Hart's Store re-opened as a major department store. The department store closed its doors in November 1986.

Hart Mall is presently sectioned off into small retail stores and offices. The current owners are Dennis and Ann Finch.

Presbyterian Church (20)

The building, which has housed the Prairie Arts Center since 1984, began its long life as a church. The building was constructed by the First Presbyterian Church around the turn of the century. In 1903 church members published their first cookbook. Trustees of the church at that time were: John E. Williams, president; Frank Simmons, secretary-treasurer; Dr. J. Frank Locke, Charles H. Taylor, and Jas. H. Deskins. William George Palmer was pastor of the church in its early years.

Over the years the building has changed little, but a tall spire has been removed. The church was sold to the American Lutheran Church in 1938, the year the First Presbyterian Church merged with the United Methodist Church in Long Prairie. The American Lutheran Church built a new church in the 1960's and sold the building to the Assembly of God Church in 1962.

The Assembly of God Church sold the building to the Prairie Arts Center in August 1984 after building a new church near the fairgrounds.

The Prairie Arts Center was located here from 1984 until 2004 when the building was sold and it is once again a church.

Reichert Hotel (21)

The Reichert Hotel, which is now apartments, is a two-story brick commercial building sited facing south. U-shaped in plan, the two-story building's overall dimensions are 107 x 140 feet.

The building is designed in simple turn-of-the-century classical revival commercial style. Centered on the parapet wall are carved stone nameblocks, the south facing nameblock reads Reichert Building while the west facing nameblock reads Reichert Hotel. The glass and wood paneled lobby entrance on the west is set back from the street behind three brick arches. Polished granite columns with sandstone capitals support the arches. The detailing of the brickwork on the (Loggia) arches is repeated above the three dining room windows immediately to the north. The entry on the south side has four engaged stone Tuscan piers which support an entablature.

Alterations which do not affect the outside integrity of the building have been made over the years.

The hotel was built by the sons of Ignatius Reichert in 1902-03. The Reichert incorporates a sophisticated plan and detailing that is unusual for a town the size of Long Prairie. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2001 the Reichert Hotel underwent extensive restoration. The revamped hotel was transformed into apartments, and is now know as the Reichert Place.

Sidewalks of Long Prairie (22)

The first sidewalks in Long Prairie were constructed of wood. In July 1901, several businesses on Osakis Street (Central Avenue) replaced their wooden walks with cement sidewalks. Later that year additional cement walks were put in on Pine Street (Third Street) by the old VFW building. A news article dated July 25, 1901, stated, "These new cement walks are very substantial and look quite metropolitan."

In the following years all the wooden walks in town were replaced by cement sidewalks.

In the 1930's the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) laid or replaced sidewalks. These sidewalks were stamped with the W.P.A. seal. W.P.A. 1937 stamp can be seen in the sidewalk on the northeast corner of St. Mary's block in front of the priest's house. Another W.P.A. 1937 stamp is located on the sidewalk on Third Street in front of Kirk Olson's Law Office.

Sternquist Brothers laid city sidewalks in the 1940's and 1950's. They also stamped their work. One of these stamps, Sternquist Bros.-Long Prairie, Minn. can be seen in the sidewalk east of the public school in front of the apartment building.

Arvid Sternquist laid city sidewalks in the 1950's and 1960's. The stamp, laid by Arvid Sternquist-Long Prairie, Minn., can be seen in the sidewalk on the west side of the old Hart Press Building.

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