Pipestone History Moments

Spudnut Donut Shop History 1959 to1968

Got this information and photos from Susan and April Lange regarding the Spudnut Donut Shop that operated in downtown Pipestone from 1959 to 1968. Spudnut Donut Shop was owned by Susan’s Uncle Wes Lange, and she reached out to the family to find some history on Spudnut Donut Shop and got photos and a write up from her cousin April Lange.  We even got six photos from 1964 to help bring back memories. You might even recognize some of the kids in the photos from 1964! If more history becomes available on the Spudnut Donut Shop I will update this posting.

Enjoy this Pipestone History . . .

BIG thanks to Susan, April and Kerry!

Write Up from Kerry Lange via April Lange (Susan’s Cousin)

I was five when mom and dad purchased the Spudnut from Bob Meddal (spelling?).  That would make it 1959 or 1960.  Was named Spudnut as that was the brand name of the flour that was used.   Had to go to Sioux Falls to get the flour from Dixie Bakeshop.   

Dad made the doughnuts for Lange's Cafe too until we moved, and the cafe bought the equipment.   Also provided the doughnuts to the vocational school in Pipestone every morning. 

Not sure what year it was when they entered into an agreement with the city to keep the back room open on the weekends for the teens.  I'm thinking I was in junior high so maybe 1965.  (The pictures are dated 1964) Some parents would book the back room for their kid’s birthday parties.

For Crazy days always had the Crazy Dozen, 13 doughnuts to a dozen.

The Spudnut closed in the spring of 1968.

Thinking it was the only place in town at that time that had pinball machines and they had a record player in back they played 45 RPM records on. 

Before it was Spudnut it was the Rainbow Bar 

More history on Spudnut coming thanks to April Lange . . .

OUR GENERATION!

WE ARE A GENERATION THAT WILL NEVER COME BACK . . .

A generation that walked to school and then walked back.

A generation that did their homework alone to get out asap to play in the street.

A generation that spent all their free time in the streets with their Friends.

A generation that played hide and seek when dark.

A generation that made mud cakes.

A generation that collected sports cards.

A generation that found, collected and washed & returned the empty coke bottles to the local grocery store for 5 cents each, then bought a Mountain Dew and candy bar with the money.

A generation that made paper toys with their bare hands.

A generation who bought vinyl albums to play on record players.

A generation that collected photos and albums of clippings of their life experiences as a Kid.

A generation that played board games and cards on rainy days.

A generation whose TV went off at midnight after playing the National Anthem.

A generation that had parents who were there.

A generation that laughed under the covers in bed, so parents didn't know we were still awake.

A generation that is passing and unfortunately it will never return no matter how hard we try.

I loved Growing up when I did. it was the best of times!

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New Web Tours of Pipestone's Historical District

Presented by the Pipestone County Historical Museum

Tour Information

Pipestone Commercial Historic District was originally recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The character of the district is derived from the extensive use of Sioux quartzite as a building material. Sioux quartzite is an exceedingly hard stone which varies in color from dark red to light pink depending on the location of the quarry.

Most of the pivotal buildings in the district were built in the 1890s by local tradesmen in the vernacular style with some Italianate and Romanesque architectural details. Contrasting colors of Sioux quartzite were often used to decorate the facades of the buildings.

The visual continuity of the district is also derived from the common height and scale of the buildings. The pivotal Sioux quartzite buildings are generally two to three stories in height. Complementary buildings built around the 1930s generally are of the same height and scale.

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Ticket to a 1969 Kegger . . .

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Three Band Photos from 1970 Shared by Steve O'Connor

Click On Photos to Enlarge

The Amazing History of the Pipestone

"C.B. Thomas" Ben Franklin Store

Many of us grew up buying things from our little Main Street Ben Franklin Store and did not realize how famous and influential Pipestone was in the history of store retailing while we were growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. There had been two locations for the Ben Franklin stores in Pipestone. The mastermind behind both the original and final store, was local Pipestone resident Clarence Benedict Thomas (1885 – 1980), better known as C. B. Thomas around town. He opened the second Ben Franklin Store we all remember on Main Street in 1944.  What I found intriguing in my research is that C. B. Thomas’ father’s name was Franklin Benjamin Thomas, maybe the reason C.B. Thomas wanted to buy into the Ben Franklin franchise so much? . . .

Interesting bit of side information at least!

What is incredible to know is that C. B. Thomas was a brilliant entrepreneur, with truly visionary ideas; like many other successful businesspeople living in Pipestone back then. Many people are not aware that Sam Walton himself of Walmart fame, visited both the Pipestone and Worthington stores, and talked to C. B. Thomas in the early 1950s, as both stores were owned by C. B. Thomas. It was C. B Thomas that gave Sam Walton his initial concept of running a self-service, “register up front” store that eventually became the Walmart standard. Along with other major retailers, and the rest is history as they say!

Below is an excerpt from Betty McCabe’s article for the Pipestone Historical Museum:

In the late 1940s, C.B. Thomas spent considerable time while on vacation on the West Coast in studying a new “self-serve” merchandising method in operation in variety stores in that part of the country, and he was convinced it was more efficient. By March 1950, he converted the Ben Franklin store in Pipestone into a self-serve operation and had another grand opening celebrating this new system. The store had been completely redecorated and remodeled during a ten-day closed period. A mural was painted across the entire front of the store depicting Indian scenes in keeping with the history of the area. Customers were able to select the items themselves and bring them to cashiers in front of the store to purchase. Thomas estimated that about 12,000 people passed through the store during the three days the re-opening celebration was in progress.

Managers of some of the largest chain stores in the country visited the Pipestone Ben Franklin store to check on this method of operation before making their own changes to self-serve. “Self-serving” was a concept patented by Clarence Saunders in 1917. He licensed the business method to independent grocery stores; these operated under the name “Piggly Wiggly.” One of C.B. Thomas’ family said that even Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, came to the store to check on the process and implemented self-serve in his first Walmart. According to Sam Walton’s book “Made in America,” one of Walton’s first jobs in retail was running a franchise for Ben Franklin. It was called Walton’s Five and Dime and he was obsessive about staying on top of every new idea in retail led him to Pipestone in the early 1950s.

Sam Walton writes: “I read an article about these two Ben Franklin stores up in Minnesota that had gone to self-service – a brand-new concept at the time. I rode the bus all night long to two little towns up there – Pipestone and Worthington. They had shelves on the side and two island counters all the way back. No clerks with cash registers around the store. Just checkout registers up front. “I liked it . . . so I did that too.”

Just some more amazing history to know about that happened in Pipestone to verify that we all grew up in an incredible little town brimmed with history without any doubt!

For some more detailed information on the entire history of the Ben Franklin Stores, please click on the link button below to the PDF file of an article written by Betty McCabe in 2018 for the Pipestone Historical Museum.

Note the Bright Yellow Canopy and Red Background Ben Franklin Sign with its Unique Gold Letters on the Far Left of this Photo

Photo of Pipestone Ben Franklin Store in its 1950 Reopening Celebration - Thomas estimated that about 12,000 people passed through the store during the three days the re-opening celebration was in progress

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Dave Gangeness Scrapbook Memories

Dave Gangeness has graciously shared some of his scrapbook memories with all of us

Enjoy the Photos Below! Click on Photos to Enlarge

First Lutheran Confirmation September 1968

Halloween 1964

Halloween 1964

First row: Unknown, Jana Jensen, Alison Ronning, Susan Lange, Julie Will, Nikki Johannsen

Second row: Unknown, Jean Hoogland, Susan Krick, Mary Larson, Carolyn Keyes, Brother of one of the hostesses

Third row: Cindy Tverberg, Unknown, Loretta Gilliland, LaVon Merrill, sister and brother of hostess

NEED YOUR HELP! Can anyone identify the unknown kids in this photo?

PHS Class of 1971 Website Email Address: pipestonehsclassof1971@gmail.com

Click on Photo to Enlarge

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Mayfair Motel Circa 1965

Pipestone County Star - Mayfair Motel

Nov. 15, 1965 — A Storm Lake Iowa man purchased the Mayfair Motel in Pipestone from Vic Feldman and he and his family took possession. Wesley Smith, who also owned motels in Storm Lake and Excelsior Springs, Mo., would live at the motel with his wife, Rita and three children, Billy, 13, Mary, 12, and Richard, 16. The Mayfair was the largest motel in Pipestone, including 70 units, a swimming pool and a restaurant. Information on purchase price of the motel was not available.

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Pipestone Area Vocational School Opening 1967

Pipestone County Star - Pipestone Area Vocational School Opening

Nov. 27, 1967 — Pipestone residents had patiently waited to see the Pipestone Area Vocational School since it opened September 5. Open house for the general public was set for Sunday, Dec. 3, from 2:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon with refreshments served at various spots in the building during the afternoon. The school opened its doors September of 1967 with 178 students attending eight courses.

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New Pipestone Swimming Pool - 1968