I’d expect Saturday to be a busy time in a small town, but that wasn’t the case when we stopped by West Concord, Minnesota, on our way to Rochester from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.
Perhaps this has not always been the case. The mural painted on the side of Wescon Lanes (the local bowling alley, which is closed over the summer) portrays the city with streets filled with 1950s era cars, although oddly devoid of people.
Maybe it’s a hazy memory from the past or maybe it’s a reference to the summer Hogs and Hot Rods motorcycle and car event. Whatever the case may be, both cars and people were in short supply when we came through town at the end of May.
(I like the way Main Street ends at the grain elevator.)
I didn’t check the liquor store (housed in the historic City Hall), but none of the other businesses were open. Although some looked as though they may not have been open in a long time, there were plenty of benches available should customers suddenly appear!
Shoulder surgery seems like a good reason to be closed, but I was disappointed that I couldn’t take a closer look at the fascinating collection of merchandise inside Woody’s Auto Literature and More.
I was equally disappointed to find that the historic Methodist Church wasn’t open either.
I wonder if the interior has the same simple elegance as the exterior.
Despite the dearth of activity I found on a random Saturday afternoon in spring, West Concord appears to be an active and engaged community with its own local festivals, bowling teams, and beauty princesses. There is even a large history museum (closed on Saturday afternoons) located in the old school. Still, there is no place to get a bite to eat on a Saturday afternoon.
If you are interested in learning more about West Concord, Minnesota Prairie Roots has a series of posts on the town and, particularly, the museum.
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Love the pictures. We haven’t been there for a long time. Jim used to have relatives living there.
It seemed like a nice little town, just wish a few more things had been open. . . but I guess that gives me a reason to stop back again someday. Thanks for stopping by.