| A History of STRUM and the TOWN OF UNITY by Roy Matson |
| THIS IS PAGE 71 | TABLE OF CONTENTS | PAGE BACK | PAGE FORWARD |
| The last of the early buildings on the east side of Main Street is one of the oldest business buildings and was used for years for oil storage. It was still standing in 1979. Sivert Rekstad built it to house millwork and builders’ hardware when he worked for the lumber yards. Main Street of Strum, Looking North About 1911. Picture-Description. Going north on the west side, the AMPI service station had its beginnings at the hands of Basil Johnson. Glen Haukeness succeeded him and made several additions. Bernie Campbell owns the old MWA hall, built by John Olson around 1901. The Strum Manufacturing Co. building was erected by Jewel Berge in the early '50's. A previous blacksmith shop occupied ground just north of the present site. Harry’s Shoe Shop opened for business in 1963. Ole Nysven's little Post Office stood a few feet north. The lumber yard had its beginnings with far less shed room than now. Only a small office building provided shelter for workers. The lumber lay in the open. H. George Peterson built the Ford garage, now Preston Press, in 1915. The frame building next door is on 1907 pictures and served at first as a sort of hardware store. It has served as a cafe and tavern and now houses an antique shop. Hans Jacobson owns the corner block and erected the block store himself after the 1955 fire which destroyed the original frame structure on that site. Ted Hulberg lost the former Mathison store in the same fire and erected his grocery afterwards. The bank and drug store were built by John J. Dahl in 1905. The original Robbe's store was erected at different times. Willumson put up the north part first, shortly after the railroad came into Strum. The first telephone office had space on the present church lot. The building burned and the little brick structure went up about 1912. H. H. Strand erected both the next buildings. Pictures show the present Olson's Hardware building serving as a restaurant. John Klungseth operated the next building, now dismantled. He built furniture and made caskets. The Phillips service station was erected in the early twenties and has been rebuilt several times. |
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