Ely Minnesota Downtown Walking Tour Introduction

1. Ely Downtown Walking Tour Introduction

This tour provides a brief account of Ely's historic downtown area. In the past the buildings here contained boarding houses and grocery stores and taverns - more than one might expect in such a small community. But its history started earlier.Indian tribes occupied the Ely area for thousands of years. The Sioux, followed by the Chippewa, were the most recent native inhabitants. In 1884 an early prospector discovered what he thought was gold. The gold, however, turned out to be iron pyrite, commonly known as fool’s gold. Soon, after a brief and disappointing gold rush, the massive iron ore deposits were discovered, and Ely was born. The community, initially called Florence, was established in 1887 and renamed “Ely” on April 23, 1888. That same year, the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad reached Ely, allowing the mines to ship their ore, and supporting transportation into the fledgling village. The population in March 1888 was just 177 people. Twelve years later in 1900, the population was 3717. Ely was a boom town. And the early years were rough and ready, with rooming houses where the miners slept in shifts and saloons where brawls were commonplace. Billie Sunday, an early evangelist, said that the only difference between Ely and hell was that “Ely (had) a railroad into it.” As the town grew, new businesses were needed, families formed, and schools and churches were built. In 1930, Ely reached its peak population of 6151. The early settlers who built Ely are gone, but we honor their legacy by appreciating their buildings and their stories. Additionally, we value the business owners of today who have chosen to maintain these buildings as a reminder of Ely's amazing past. And we thank you, for participating in the tour and hope you find it enjoyable. For more information on Ely’s history, visit the Ely-Winton Historical Society housed in the college at the east end of town.Sincerely, the Ely Heritage Preservation Commission with support from the Ely Winton Historical Society.

2. Ely City Hall

The Ely City Hall was built in 1930 for $150,000. When it was dedicated in December of that year, over 5000 people attended the open house. Tours took place from 9:00 a.m. until late into the night. There was a dedication at 4:30 then a banquet and speeches followed by a dance held at the Washington School. The three-story building contains Ely’s fire department, police department and city offices. Initially and until 2005, there was a courtroom on the top floor where Municipal Court was held. The court room now houses the Council Chamber and meeting room. The building is open to the public on weekdays.

3. The Ely Post Office

The Federal Building or Post Office was built during the Great Economic Depression in 1938 by the U.S. Treasury Department. It was one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal projects. It cost $85,200 and was completed in 330 days by the Mads-Madsen Construction Firm from Minneapolis. The outside dimensions of the main building are 84 feet by 63 feet. Today, the main floor provides post office space, and the lobby is open to the public. There is also a basement used for post office storage and mechanical functions. The upper floor has eight offices. These were initially used for federal activities. They now are rented to private businesses.

4. The Ely State Theater

The Ely State Theater is an impressive example of Art Deco Architecture. It was designed by Liebenberg and Kaplan Architects, who in a 50-year period designed over 200 movie theaters, generally in the Art Deco Style. The theater was commissioned by the Swanson family and opened to the public on Sunday October 15th, 1936. The Swanson Family ran the business for forty-seven years. The theater closed in 2008 and was facing certain demolition when it was sold in 2014 to the Ott Family, owners of Alley A Realty. They completed a stellar restoration of the building.The theater is now operated by a committed non-profit organization called Ely’s Historic State Theater. They offer live entertainment and a variety of movies, as well as a surprisingly impressive concession stand.

5. Ely's Old-Fashioned Candy

As late as 1914 this block had open lots with some homes and retail establishments scattered in-between. By 1924 it was filled primarily with retail establishments. Our information about the businesses at 228 Sheridan starts in 1940 (or before) with the Arrowhead Tavern. The Arrowhead was a quiet establishment which was only licensed to sell beer and only beer with a low alcohol content – beer with 3.2% alcohol or less by weight. As was traditional in this type of establishment, an illegal bottle of hard liquor was stowed under the bar to allow trusted patrons the option of purchasing a non-licensed and illegal shot of brandy to supplement the weaker malt beverage legally served. Read the backstory below to learn more about the Arrowhead. After 30 plus years as a tavern the building was acquired by John and Mary Reichensperger who sold shoes here under the name The Ely Family Shoe Store for another 30 years. It spent time after that as a gift, furniture, and antique shop. In 2017 it was purchased by Michael J. Gronski and became the Old-fashioned Candy Store you see today.

6. Ely Folk School

There was a small Jewish immigrant community in Ely at the city’s inception. Joseph Bloomenson was one of these early immigrants. Joseph had a small clothing store at this site in a building on the west side of the lot, which was later replaced by the larger structure you see today. Joseph immigrated from Lithuania/Russia in 1893 with his wife and three of his children, Abe, Rose, and Esther. They had four more children in this country.Joseph began making his living in Ely as a peddler, selling his wares from a pushcart. He eventually owned the small building on this site and later a general merchandise store on Central Avenue. By 1911 Joseph and Jennie moved to Minneapolis, leaving their son Abe to run the Ely enterprise. Two years later, in 1913 Abe left Ely to serve in WWI, leaving his sister with the responsibilities for running the stores. When Abe returned after the war, he sold the businesses and left Ely, eventually settling in Duluth where he did well in finance.The Ely Community will always be indebted to Abe Bloomenson for his generous donation in 1958 of $100,000 (over one million dollars in today’s dollars), to help build the Ely Bloomenson Community Hospital which has faithfully served Ely, its residents and visitors, for over 65 years and continues to this day.For more of this Sheridan Street building’s history, please continue reading below.

7. Wintergreen Northern Wear

The Wintergreen Northern Wear Clothing building was constructed in 1902 (about). It had a varied history as a grocery store, a tavern, and electronics shop before becoming the storefront for Wintergreen Northern Wear that it is today. The clothing business was established in 1985 by Susan and Paul Schurke. Susan designed the clothing initially to support the 1985 North Pole Expedition co-led by her husband Paul Shurke and explorer Will Steger. The clothing, known for its warmth and charming Nordic design is manufactured and sold in Ely. In 2021, the business was sold to brothers Jackson and Gabriel Harren who continue to provide the styles designed by Susan.

8. Insula Restaurant

This building was constructed in 1917 (about) by John Kovall Senior. It covers two lots. John Senior built it to expand the grocery and clothing business he had purchased in 1915 from the Saritori family located in the building next door to the west. His sons, John Junior and Steven, joined him as partners in the new business, “Kovall and Sons”.The building is amazing, constructed with 4x12 inch floor joists set 12 inches apart. The walls are brick to avoid fire, which was an early risk in Ely. A building like this could support a family business for generations. But that is not what happened.

9. Kess Gallery

As early as 1900 this building was a private residence. And in the early years, it was the personal residence of the ‘notorious’ Nellie McCarthy.Nellie ran a stylish establishment that catered to the many single men who came to Ely for work at the turn of the century. However, as civilization spread, she was forced to move her business multiple times to keep ‘ahead of the law’, as they say. She eventually moved her business to a location between Winton and Ely where she would be free from the worry of municipal ordinances. But her home was here on Sheridan Street.Continue reading to learn the later history of 130 East Sheridan.

10. Pengal's Basswood Trading Company

This building started as a general store in 1900 and remained a general store through 1906 (or later) when it was owned by the Satoria Brothers, Frank and Dominik. We find them in the 1900 U.S. Census, living on the second floor above the store, with Frank’s wife, Angelica, and his daughter Maria. Frank and Dominik are young immigrants from Italy who have partnered to start their business on Sheridan Street. By 1917, they have sold their business and left Ely. Their fate is unknown to us. In 1917, Frank Pengal, an enterprising immigrant from Slovenia, bought the building and started a General Merchandise outlet at this location, beginning a 106-year history of Pengal ownership that continues to this day. The Pengal story follows.

11. Roots Hair Salon

Although the early history of this building is somewhat unclear, it appears to have existed as early as 1900 when it was the site of a saloon. In 1906 the building was vacant. In 1914 a Variety Store was located here. And in 1916 it was home to Pengal’s Dime Store. Mr. Pengal had started a business on Central Avenue, and then moved to this location. In 1917/1918, he relocated again to the building next door to the east which continues to house the Pengal business today. Later this building was home to Poljanec’s Bar and in the late 1940s it was the Hillside Café operated by Theresa Agnich. Theresa’s story follows.

12. Tom Brown’s Bottle Shop (1947); Wildlife Liquor

In the early years there was a small building in this space, sometimes used as a livery stable for the larger building to the north. At some point, it became a part of the larger building, owned since 1923 by the Anton Stepec Family. The Stepecs rented the first-floor spaces to local businesses and lived on the second floor. In the 1930s or earlier, this smaller space was a liquor store, managed by Mr. Bouska. In 1947 Big Tom Brown continued the liquor business at this location. Big Tom Brown was one of Ely’s more famous (or infamous) residents. For more information on Big Tom, read below.

13. BOATHOUSE BREWPUB

In early 1900, this was an empty lot. Soon after, the building you see today was constructed by Matthew Gleason who ran a hardware store and mortuary on the first floor. It was customary during this period for hardware stores to provide end-of-life services as well as standard hardware products and furniture. The building continued with its mission until the late 1970s when it was purchased by Emery Bulinski and remodeled as a bar and restaurant. For thirty years, it was Cranberry’s. Then in 2008 (about) it changed ownership and became the Boathouse Brewpub and Restaurant. Read further to learn more about the early hardware days in Ely.

14. The First State Bank Building

This site originally housed a retail establishment. In 1913, the building you see today was erected as a bank, The First State Bank, with Mike J. Murphy as President. Mr. Murphy was also an early mayor of Ely in 1927 and 1928. At opening, the capital stock of the bank was $25,000 and was funded completely by the people of Ely during a time when banks were not always trusted. The columns on the front of the building are made of imported Italian marble, meant to convey a sense of permanence and reliability. However, this bank, as so many banks in the 1930s, did not fare well in the Depression. It closed its doors in 1936, following the federally declared bank holiday, leaving depositors with considerable losses. There are still people in Ely today who want to get their money back from this unfortunate bank failure.

15. Steger Mukluks

In 1898 this location housed Gust Maki Senior’s shoe and leather shop. When Gust died prematurely of a ruptured appendix, his widow Amelia sold the leather shop property to the Finnish Stock Company, a grocery, dry goods, and women’s apparel consortium. The Finnish Stock Company had been in business since 1900, through the efforts of three Finnish immigrants, John E. Porthan, Eric Lund, and Andrew Watilo. In 1914, they built the larger building you see before you today. The building housed the Finnish Stock Company from 1914 to 1960. The building rested for a time, but ultimately was purchased by Patti Steger in 1999 who completed a stellar restoration and returned it to its retail roots.

16. Portage Bar

The Portage Bar has a long history of dispensing spirits and during much of its life provided both short-term and long-term housing on the second floor. In the early years it was billed as a hotel, although sometimes functioned as a rooming house. By the mid-1950s the second floor provided housing for the saloon proprietor and his family. This was a relatively common choice for merchants in downtown Ely – ‘to live above the store’ – eliminating any commute and being available night and day to monitor the business. The details of 16 East Chapman follow.

17. Dee's Bar

This site remained vacant from 1900 to 1924 and perhaps beyond. Although the Vail Hotel had been located to the west of this lot in 1900, after it burned in 1905, the four lots from Central Avenue east remained empty. Later in the 1920’s John Harri, an early Ely Mayor, built his hardware business, Ely Hardware, at this location. He sold the business to a consortium of Charles Merhar, Louis Champa, and Pete Kayute. Ely Hardware operated here under their ownership until the 1930’s when they moved their business to Chapman Street and First Avenue (see the Ace Hardware Story at 48 East Chapman). John Dee (Debeltz) bought the building in 1935. In 1937, he received a license to sell hard liquor and Dee’s Bar was born.

18. Brandenburg Gallery

In Ely’s early history, half of this lot was part of the Vail Hotel which was located on the two lots to the west. The part of the building, located here, provided a meeting room for traveling vendors who used the space to show samples of their wares to local retailers. After the Vail (and the sample room) burned in 1905, this lot remained empty for over twenty years until the building you see today was erected. Initially it was Palcher’s Sweet Shop, later Maki’s Bar, then Maki’s Upholstery, Defenbaugh Law and ultimately the Jim Brandenburg Gallery. Read below to learn about the more interesting tenants of 11 East Sheridan.

19. Hand-Done T-Shirts

As neighbors came and went, this location remained empty through 1924 and possibly later. The first known business at this location was Welsh’s Hamburger Stand. It was run by Charles M. Welsh, a Pennsylvania native who served from 1917 to 1919 as a cook during WWI. With this to his credit, he opened his restaurant in Ely in 1930 (or earlier). After Mr. Welsh’s passing in 1952, Fannie Yadlosky opened the Voyageur Café at this location but quickly sold the business to Sylvia Wilmunen who was the restaurant cook. Sylvia was an industrious Finnish immigrant with a talent for business and for home cooking. Her story follows.

20. Mealy's Gift and Sauna Shop

In 1900 through 1914 and possibly later, this lot was occupied by outbuildings for the boarding house to the North. The first documented record of a significant building on this site, appears in 1924. The original occupant is uncertain although there is evidence that in 1920, Sam Cohen, owner of the Boarding House, used this building to collect and store fur pelts purchased from local trappers. Once collected they would be transported to Duluth to be made into expensive mink and fox coats, and beaver hats. By 1930 Mr. Cohen and his family had moved to Duluth where he managed Master Furriers. A series of businesses followed until 1987 when the current owners opened their gift and sauna shop at this location. Read more to learn about the history of this building.

21. Piragas Northwoods Company

This building must be a singularly hospitable place. It has only housed three businesses during its 116-year history. The initial clothing business remained here from 1906 (about) until 1957, when Bill Mills, moved the business to Chapman Street. Then, a local advertising publication, The Ely Shopper, spent 34 years here. The last caretakers have been Steve and Nancy Piragis operating their Northwoods Company at this location (and the adjacent building – 105 North Central) since 1991. Although there have not been many owners, the stories are indicative of Ely’s history. They are the stories of the hard work required to build a business – and the taking of risks, of doing the work and of succeeding.

22. Northern Grounds

This location was home to one of the earliest buildings in Ely. In 1890 and 1891, this was a bodega run by Thomas Donnelly and John Hosking. In 1900, Matt Gustafson’s Saloon and Lunchroom was located here. In 1905, Peter and Hulda Bergleen, Minnesotans of Swedish descent, operated a saloon on the site. By 1917, the Bergleens had moved to Seattle. And in 1919, the building owners, brothers George and Thomas Hoskin from England, sold the building to the newly formed Ely Jugoslav National Home Organization for $7500. The National Home owned the building for 37 years. In 1956, they sold the building to the Ely Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) who retained it for another 59 years.The stories of the Jugoslav National Home (also known as the National Home, or simply, The Home) and the Ely VFW follow.

23. Legacy Toys

In 1888, the first Ely Merchant, James Cormack, opened the Cormack Mercantile business on this site. It was in a large log building that was moved, log by log, from Spalding. The retail establishment was on the first floor in the front. The Chandler House Hotel was in the back and on the second floor. In 1924 Jacob Pete, built the brick structure you see today. The main floor served as a car dealership and car repair shop for decades. Business offices filled the top floors. The lower level was used to stage product for Jacob Pete’s other businesses. The story of the Pete family and further information on the building follow.

24. Sisu Designs

As the design of the building indicates, this was originally a private home. In the 1920s August Haapala bought the building and ran his shoe repair shop here for decades. In 1978 his granddaughter, Susan Saari, opened her knitting shop in the building, calling the business Sisu (pronounced see sue) Designs. Sisu is a Finnish word, and although the Finns claim there is no equivalent word in English, it may be best described as a combination of grit, guts, perseverance, and spunk. It is Sisu that allows the Finns to swim in icy water after a winter sauna. Susan retired from the business in 2013. It is now under the care of Susan’s long-time friend and fellow knitter, Anna Shallman.

25. Britton's Cafe

In 1900, Charles E. Ayers ran a jewelry store in a small building at the front (southwest corner) of this lot. The rest of the lot was part of a large livery stable that covered the remainder of this space and the back of the lot to the west. The livery stable operated until 1920 (about), when the popularity of cars, caused many liveries to be converted to garages. That did not happen here. The livery was torn down and in 1920 the building you see today was constructed. It spent much of its life providing photography and camera services before becoming the restaurant it is now. Read below for additional history.

26. Treehouse Broadband

This building was completed in 1891 or before. In 1891 it housed a saloon. In that year Axel Bakkala and Isak Jansen applied for a liquor license from the City of Ely for this location. We have no reason to believe that it would have been denied and so they were likely the proprietors. In 1907 Nastor Mattson ran a saloon here and lived in the building. Later Mike Sihto owned the building and perhaps ran a saloon as well. Although saloons tended to be profitable enterprises in Ely at the beginning of the century, in 1915 (or earlier) Matt Herranen converted the building and operated a clothing store here. Later in 1926 Gust and Senja Maki bought the building and established their men’s apparel store, Maki’s Clothing. The building remained a clothing store for 42 years before becoming home to the Ero Laine record and camera business. It later serves time as a print shop and later a sign shop. The history of Gust Maki and the other businesses follow.

27. NAPA Auto Parts

The history of this building is inextricably connected to the Hoskin’s Building on Sheridan Street and Central Avenue (now Northern Grounds Cafe). It was in that building that the Jugoslav National Home organization united eight independent Slovenian fraternal groups and the Slovenian Library for the purpose of developing a common library and meeting hall. The ‘Home’ bought the Hoskins Building in 1919 for $7500. By 1945, the organization began discussing expansion. To that end, they purchased the Vail Building where the Chocolate Shop and Murphy Clothing were located. Ten years later, they reached agreement on a plan to demolish the Vail Building and build the building you see today. Read more of this building’s history below.

28. Merhar's ACE Hardware

According to the Ely Times (December 26, 1890), the ACE Hardware building is the oldest brick building in Ely. It was built by John Anderson, initially the Postmaster in Tower, who walked to Ely before the railroad was brought in. He opened the building as a general merchandise store, calling it The Big Store. Shortly after, he took on a partner, Otto G. Korb and the business became Anderson and Korb. The building has continued as a retail establishment to this day. Read further to discover the owners and businesses and their stories.

29. Ely Steam Bath

This building was constructed by Emil Ahola in 1915 (about). He poured the concrete foundation and the 8x16” cement blocks himself. He designed a hot water heating system originally fueled by wood, later converted to coal and then to oil. The Steam Bath business stayed in the Ahola family for 87 years. In 2002, the Petrzilkas bought the business, continuing this important community service to this day. For more information on the Ahola family and the Ely Steambath, continue reading below.

30. Ely Community Center

This Grande Dame of Ely’s Downtown is now closed to the public. Its marble stairs and terrazzo floors feel no footsteps. Its marble walls carry no posters of upcoming events. Its fabulous auditorium is silent. After 75 years of service, the Ely Community Center was closed on November 14, 2014, when its last tenant, the Ely Public Library, moved to a new space on Chapman Street. In 2016, the Community Center was added to the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its history and striking architecture. In 2022, it was purchased by a developer, who will bring a new purpose and a new life to this jewel. The community now awaits the re-opening of this amazing building.

31. Wells Fargo Bank

Unlike so many other buildings in Ely, this building has had only one purpose in its entire history. It was built in 1913 to be a bank and it has always been a bank. It has no secret history of other activities. Initially, however, it was less than half the size it is today. Need for space drove several additions, but the building always retained its historic look. Be sure to see the photos (below) of this building when it was less than half the size it is today.

32. James Drug West

The James Drug building is one of Ely’s earliest structures. It was built by Abijah James in 1888 and provided a venue for the sale of medicines and medical supplies for over 100 years. While the drug store business flourished on the main floor, the second floor was filled with offices and small businesses. In 1999 James Drug closed and the building was left vacant. Fifteen years later the Ott Family (Alley A Realty) purchased the building and completed a stellar renovation. It is now a kitchenware and gift shop, called Potluck, with offices in the back and once again on the second floor.

33. James Drug East

The James Drug building is one of Ely’s earliest structures. It was built by Abijah James in 1888 to house his medicinal drug business (see the history of James Drug West). Abijah ran the drug store on the west side and rented this side to other businesses until 1967 when the drug store expanded to include both sides of the building. Initially, this side of the building appears to have been vacant. By 1913 it housed the Federal Post Office and from 1938 on, it was occupied by various retail shops. Read interesting details of this building’s history below.

34. Kekekabic Studios

In 1900, this was an empty lot but by 1907 Peter Schaefer, editor and publisher of a local newspaper, The Ely Miner, moved his business from the north side of Chapman Street (across the street) to this location where it remained for over eight decades. Later, the building was active as a food co-op, and then as a gift shop. More recently, in 2011, the current owners, John Bowe and Rosemary Shepherd bought the building to display their stunning stained glass and wood working art at this location. Their business is known as Kekekabic Studios. For more information, read below.

35. J&L Annex Building

During Ely’s early history, this location remained an empty lot as businesses grew up to the west of it and houses to the east. In 1941, the building you see today was built on this location by sisters Christina (Tina) and Alice Seliskar. The sisters had been running their beauty salon across the street at 141 East Chapman for more than a decade when they decided to construct a building to specifically meet the needs of a beauty shop business. Their grand opening was held on October 9, 1941. The sisters ran their business here for over 30 years and lived in the apartment upstairs even longer. For more information on these early businesswomen and the history of their building, read further.

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Ely Minnesota Downtown Walking Tour Introduction

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