NOTICE

The City of Remer Water Maintenance Department wishes to give notice effective immediately, fire hydrant flushing will be done each month on the 1^st Tuesday of the month starting at 8:00 AM.

The city realizes that hydrant flushing may cause some inconvenience, however, the flushing program is necessary to maintain a good water supply for both firefighting and domestic consumption.

This will cause “red” water and you should not do laundry on the day that flushing is scheduled in your area to avoid staining your clothes. The water will clear up and is not harmful.

If you notice any water smell, odor or color please run your water until it is gone.

Memories of early Remer

Central to Remer was the Soo Line Railroad that ran from Duluth to Fargo and beyond. It carried box-car loads of grain from North Dakota to Duluth. One of the Remer grain customers was Charlie Graham, who owned the block warehouse next to the tracks, where he sold feed and seed to the local farmers and had a gas station that fronted route 34/6. The Soo Line Station agent was Ed Trombley, who oversaw the comings and goings of the train, which, by the way, also provided a passenger train. The passenger train went through town twice a day, once each direction. The West bound train stopped in Remer and the passengers, who wanted to eat, got off the train and went to the hotel for lunch. The hotel was owned by Axel and Mame Rosdahl. Axel ran the hotel, bar and pool hall and Mame ran the restaurant.

During WW II loading docks were installed on the southwest side of the tracks so that loggers could offload pulp wood into railroad gondolas and these loads went to paper mills. Large box cars full of lumber were also shipped to Duluth and beyond as material to make ammunition boxes.

The north side of main street, starting at the diagonal street that paralleled the tracks had the Remer Hotel, Myre’s Fairway Foods & clothing store, Sanborn’s hardware & grocery store, vacant lot (that became the Lucus Bar & Hotel) and a Drug store, that became a sporting goods store, on the corner. Then the next block was a corner gas station, Ozzies bar, dance floor and card playing area, where the men played rummy. Then Jim Sharp built a two-story block building that became the Remer Trading Post, then Werner Free’s Barber shop, then Bob Horton built a block building that was an L. B. Hartz grocery store that later became Kral’s Drug Store, then the Post Office, Gambles store that became a Red Owl grocery store, alley, and Wehrle’s Print shop that became home for the Newspaper with a header that said “Remer Star of the North” and on the corner another garage. Next across the north south street was a vacant lot and King Lumber Yard, managed by Louie Mohr.

The south side of main street starting near the large vacant lot next to the tracks, which was used as a collection point for junk for WW II, was Henry Bloom’s Mobile gas station and then the Security State Bank building (later became post office) then a north south street and Elmer Spartz’s Royal Garage & Sinclair gas station, which had an underground storage area where locals rented space to store their cars in the winter. Then Hoepner’s grocery & butcher shop, later became a café, then the city built the Liquor Store, with WPA labor. A Theater followed by two buildings owned and operated by Levi Pronovost. Levi sold International trucks, pickups and farm equipment. Then Andy Anderson’s garage on the corner. That pretty much identifies Main Street owners and businesses at that time.

During the WPA days, before WWII, sewer and water lines with fire hydrants were installed in all the dirt roads north of main street. They were then paved and cut stone curbs were installed with a boulevard and the adjacent sidewalks were put in place. During this same time the concrete addition to the school was built with the first real standard size gymnasium. At about this same time the Village Hall and water tower were also built. The Village Hall was also home to a local band that was headed by Harry Swenson, local painter, whose son Jimmy was a star trumpet player. Remer was the envy of a lot of small towns in the area because of the “pride of ownership” that the town showed off. WWII Vets came home and added new energy, life and pride to Remer and the surrounding area.

My Grandfather, H. D. Bloyer, started the original telephone service to the Remer, Boy River area by setting poles and running lines and providing a switchboard to connect everyone on these lines where there were “party lines” serving multiple families and private lines for individuals and businesses. The Dust Bowl of the Kansas, Oklahoma area brought young men to Remer with the CCC’s (Civilian Conservation Corps) who were encamped north of Remer and worked with the U. S. Forest Service to manage and reforest the area forests following fires caused by draught. Some of these CCC’s became lifelong residents of Remer as they enjoyed the opportunity to hunt and fish like the locals. The CCC camp later became a prisoner of war camp for WW II German prisoners who were trucked into the area woods where they cut timber and hauled it to the rail yard where it was shipped for the war effort. Logging, pulpwood and sawmills that produced lumber became major industrial efforts that created a lot of jobs and contributed to the business of the Soo Line Railroad.

As a boy growing up in Remer we could watch a blacksmith hammer out horseshoes and tools for the woods, walk into a garage and watch a mechanic overhaul an engine, watch a butcher cut up a hog or quarter a beef, watch logs become lumber, or watch a horse having its hooves trimmed and shoes hammered onto them. We made our own fun, played “kick the can” and soccer in the streets without any fear. I have many good memories and am proud to say that Remer is “home”.

Russ Bloyer