Unknown Photographer                 Photo courtesy of Dave Kline                  Linda Oster - Researcher

     The First Annual Boy Scout Merit Badge Exposition Parade on Mitchell’s Main Street in 1934 showcased the Sioux Area Council.  This view is looking north towards the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Main Street.  Notice the phone booth on the right side of the photo. 
    Businesses along the east side of Main pictured are: Gilbransen Pianos-Redline Piano Co at 316 N. Main under Clayton Rackliffe; Central Market under Kusler and Spratford; Nicholls Drug Co under Biersdorf with a sign on it advertising Gilpin Radio Service at 111 E 4th owned by Kenneth E. Gilpin; Blynn Shoes at 321 ½ N Main under Raymond Blynn in the J.N. Crow building; Mitchell Hardware at 400 N Main under Lavrits Peterson. 
      No other details of the parade could be found, if you have any details please let us know by emailing info@mithellcarnegie.com or call the Carnegie Resource Center at 996-3209.

Published in the February 1st, 2025 Mitchell Republic.

Unknown Photographer                                Circa 1950’s                           Linda Oster - Researcher

Railroad Avenue looking west in Mitchell, SD after a major blizzard.  The wrecker truck shown is from Mitchell Motor Company located on the right at 124 South Main Street.  The building shown behind the wrecker truck to the south is Pepsi Bottling Company.   The Milwaukee Depot sat to the left (east) of the Pepsi building.

Published in the February 8th, 2025 Mitchell Republic. 

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Unknown Photographer          Armour, SD circa 1890’s                      Linda Oster - Researcher

Armour, Douglas County, SD was established in 1885 and is named after the industrialist of meat packing fame, Philip Danforth Armour. The City took on the name of Armour because Philip Armour was the chairman of the railroad that  eventually went through the town in 1886 from Tripp to Armour for a total of 20.47 miles of track by the Milwaukee and he donated a bell to the local Congregational Church. The population of Armour in the 1890 census was 482.
     Every once in a while a picture shows up in the archives at the Carnegie Resource Center that raises some questions. This is one of those photos. There is a crude corral made of wagons and farm machinery. Apparently some type of contest is taking place with the barrels and the man with the bull (highlighted). There is a man standing on a ladder behind the barrels on the left (highlighted), perhaps he is the judge. The sign on the side of the building on the right says it’s a real estate office and the sign on the front says Reservation Land Office.  On the same side of the street is a Furs and Grocery store. The left side of the street has a Billiard Hall, a hardware store selling corn stoves and a drug and jewelry store. If anyone can shed some light on what is going on in this picture and help satisfy our curiosity, please let us know at the Carnegie so we can add to our knowledge base. You can call 605-996-3209, email info@mitchellcarnegie.com or stop in and have a chat with us at 119 W 3rd Avenue (open from 1-5 pm - Monday-Saturday).

Published in the Jan 4th 2025 Mitchell Republic.

Photographer Unknown                        March 26, 1914                  Linda Oster - Researcher

     This theatre was built by L.O. Gale at 311 N Main and opened November 10, 1906.  Mr. Gale was one of the men who came up with the idea of the Corn Palace in the summer of 1892. The theatre towered three stories and had seating for 1,200. It boasted twelve dressing rooms, two balconies and eight boxes. It should be noted that the population of Mitchell around this time was approximately 4,000.
     At 8:50 a.m., March 26, 1914, this impressive building had smoke coming from it, and by noon nothing was left but four walls. The call to the fire department was hampered and when firemen arrived, the new water hydrant was frozen and had to be thawed by pouring hot water over it.  The ladders at the time were made of very heavy wood. Each piece had to be hauled and attached with another to reach higher levels. The hoses being used were cotton – not very fire safe. These fires were very dangerous for the firefighters. The rubble seen in the foreground is from the Alexander Mitchell Hotel fire (November 3, 1913).

     Rebuilding took place on this spot and opened under the name of the Metropolitan Theatre in 1915. This prime site has seen several transitions over the years: 1932 - Paramount Theatre; 1952 – the Minnesota Amusement Co. (State Theatre); 1972 - Jeff Logan showed the last movie in 1989; Logan sold to Area Community Theatre (ACT) and during remodel in May 2004 the building again burned. The lot where the Gale originally sat is now a vacant lot.

Published in the February 15th, 2025 Mitchell Republic. 

Schlimgen Sign        Linda Oster - Researcher

This sign was used by Edward E. Schlimgen for his transfer business.  The sign reads” E.E. Schlimgen Baggage and Transfer  à You Call We Haul”.  Edward was in the transfer business for 54 years called Draymen in the early years.  Customers could leave orders for Schlimgen at Hotel Widman and Hotel Mitchell or call for service.  Schlimgen also hauled the wet hoses back to the fire station for the Mitchell Fire Department.  In 1959, Schlimgen was honored for being with the Mitchell Fire Department for 60 years and named an honorary Chief.   The sign measures 43” x 17” x 1” and hangs in the Lyle Swenson Gallery at the Carnegie Resource Center.  

Published in the January 25th, 2025 Mitchell Republic.

Back In Time 2025

                                                                   122 Years Young

Postcard found in archives at Carnegie Resource Center                  Linda Oster - Researcher

     The Carnegie Library building, now the Carnegie Resource Center was built in 1903. On February 3, 1902, Andrew Carnegie agreed to provide the city of Mitchell, $10,000 to construct the library if they agreed to spend $1000 on maintenance and operation of the building. An additional grant of $2,000 was later obtained from Carnegie to finish the building and add aesthetic enhancements such as decorative hand-carved oak elements on the interior and cut stained glass windows. After the second amount of $2,000, Carnegie required that the city guarantee a sum of $1,200 yearly for upkeep.
     Additions were made to the building in 1930 and 1960. After the library materials were removed from the Carnegie building in 1971, it was leased to the Mitchell Area Arts Council for a dollar a year. After the Oscar Howe Museum moved out of the building, it was used by the YWCA for a few years and set empty until the Mitchell Area Historical Society (MAHS) got possession of the building in 2006.
     This historic building is 122 years old this year and has served Mitchell in several roles over those years. The Historical Society has had possession of the building for 19 years and is looking forward to a celebration of the 20th Anniversary of ownership in 2026. Please look for details as the time grows closer and help MAHS celebrate “Saving the Carnegie” because it would not have been possible without the support of many donors and volunteers that helped preserve this treasure for Mitchell, SD.

Published in the March 8th, 2025 Mitchell Republic.

Unknown photographer                        Porter Motor Co Circa 1950                Linda Oster - Researcher

     Porter Motor Co, 601 North Main, Oldsmobile Dealer circa 1950, is now the current location of the Chamber of Commerce.  Porter Motor Company owned by Leon Porter, was located at 200 East 2nd Avenue before it moved to this location at 601 North Main, circa 1948.  In 1958, it was then known as Dakota Motor Company owned by Delmer W. Olson and Wilson Tire Company owned by Ernest G. Wilson. Olson later moved Dakota Motor Co. to 1409 North Main.   In 1959 Wilson started selling Volkswagen's and changed the name to Import Motor Company.  In 1974 Wilson sold the business to Ray Case and Darwin Webb.  Import Motors was at this location until 1976, when they built a new building at 1901 North Sanborn Street.

Published in the January 11th, 2025 Mitchell Republic.  

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Rozum Motor Co.                                   1922 – 500 North Main                                  Linda Oster - Researcher

     This photo, donated by Dick Rozum to the Mitchell Area Historical Society, shows Rozum Motor Company building (500 North Main) under construction. Mark Wold Construction Co. out of Brookings, SD is the contractor shown in the photo.  
     Rozums got their start in 1917 when Anthony J. Rozum purchased the Ford Dealership in Mitchell from Art Miller.  The first building was located at 200 North Lawler and was relocated to 105 North Main in 1919. 
    Another move took Rozums to a location that had formerly been the site of the second Corn Palace torn down in 1920; Rozums remained at 500 N Main until they built a new building at 2300 North Main in 1980.  The 500 North Main location was sold to Boyd Reimnitz; the city eventually got ownership and made it into a city parking lot. 
     The 2300 North Main location was sold to Scott Krantz in 2006 and was operated under the name Mitchell Motors. Vern Eide Ford is now located at 2300 North Main.

Published in the January 18th, 2025 Mitchell Republic.

Photographers Unknown        The Ice Business - Circa 1917-1950    Linda Oster - Researcher

     Cutting ice on Lake Mitchell was done during the winter to supply ice for the entire year to ice house customers.  Ice Houses had a driver go around from house to house to deliver to their customers.   Residents could either call their order in or place a card board sign in their window as to how much they wanted the driver to leave.  Young children would follow the drivers down the street and beg for ice chips to eat, like they would follow an ice cream truck in later years.  The top photo was taken on Lake Mitchell circa 1940’s or 50’s.  World Wars I and II helped keep the ice industry alive. “The government worked to promote the use of natural ice to relieve the burden of the shortage of ammonia and coal used in the production of artificial ice. After the wars, the natural ice industry collapsed into insignificance, and the industry turned to artificial ice and mechanical cooling

systems.” 

https://www.antiqueicetoolmuseum.org/cool_timeline/world-wars-helped-to-boost-the-natural-ice-trade 

     The middle photo shows blocks of ice after they have been harvested from the lake. The ice companies would harvest the ice blocks in the winter from the lake, store the blocks in buildings or pits until summer when the demand for ice was high. Anderson Ice Company located at 119 East 11th Avenue had delivery wagons like those shown in the bottom photo. This ice company was started about 1917 by William Anderson and later run and owned by his sons, John, Joseph and Charles. They supplied the needs of Mitchell residents and businesses and provided ice for the many railroad cars stopping at Mitchell that had refrigeration.  The delivery wagon photo was donated by Lee Anderson of Spearfish, S.D.

     The featured ad was placed in The Daily Republic on May 18, 1928.  As the ad states the average bill for Mitchell families in the summer was $2.84 a month; with this the family could store all their cold food items.  The Ice Houses went out of business as electric refrigerators became more affordable.

Published in the February 22nd, 2025 Mitchell Republic.