Garage buliding demolished

A Mankato landmark has in recent days yielded to to the crushing blows of an excavator, but as its fell current and former residents of the community shared their memories of the building on this newspaper's Facebook page.

For much of its existence, the building housed a Chevrolet dealership operated by a series of owners, but it was more than a place for automobiles. After the dealership closed it had other tenants including a donut shop, chiropractor's office and income tax accounting business.

In the 1950s, it was but one of several Mankato buildings which housed new vehicle dealerships. Ralph Waugh sold Pontiac, Oldsmobile and GMC vehicles where the community center is now. Just north of Waugh's business was a Chrysler products dealership.

In addition to the above mentioned dealerships, the Chilcott dealership sold Kaiser Frazer automobiles. The business had a sign with the slogan "We sell the best and junk the rest."

Where the State Exchange Bank is now located was the McCarthy Hardware Company's Studebaker dealership. South of the post office housed both the Beardmore Buick dealership and later the Morris & Andersen Ford dealership. A Ford dealership had been located in the building prior to the Beardmores.

The Chevrolet garage was for decades located on Jefferson Street, across the street north of Bob's Inn and east of the First National Bank. The Chevrolet agency was operated by a number of people including Emory Beam, Herb Lundgren and Tom Lehrling.

An envelope found while tearing down the buillding indicated the Chandler and Dick Motor Company was located there in July of 1926.

Posting of pictures of the demolition on social media sparked a number of comments.

Gerry Waugh reported it was great place to work when he was employed there as a mechanic in 1976 and 1977. He recalled the time Ed McMillan helped him fill a balloon with oxygen and acetylene and lit it. He said at least 100 years worth of dirt came out of the roof. He was glad Tom and Colleen Lehrling were gone to lunch as it was a far bigger explosion than expected.

Lynette (Lehrling) Alexander, said the building was in sad shape and the sky could be seen from the mechanics' area. She recalled patching holes in the roof with tar and screen squares in 1983 and noted the building had lacked TLC for probably eight years.

William Hesser commented that his dad had worked in the back of the building for 30 years.

Debbie Tegthoff remembered buying a brand new 1974 Chevrolet Monte Carlo there.

The buiding was more than an automobile dalership. It also housed a beauty shop operated by Sheryl Tice. Sandy Davis Boler was one of the beauticians. It also housed a chiroprator's office operated by Jamie Parks. Tuckers had a donut shop in the building and Carla and Deb Underwood prepared income tax reports in the building.

Daniel Powell recalled having his first automobile repainted there by Norm Hesser.

Elaine Lippold reported buying a red Chevrolet there in the early 1980s when the business was operated by Lehrling.Gloria Schlaefli and Gerry Waugh remembered buying Frigidaire appliances there.

Others remembered in the early days of television gathering outside the building at night to look through the window and watch shows playing on the demonstrator television sets.

For a number of years the Mankato Opera House was located directly east of the Chevrolet building. When it developed problems, Beam tore it down and used the lot to display his automobilies.

Mel Brown said he bought a new Citation from Lehrling Chevrolet in 1980 but the business closed before the car arrived. He had to go to the dealership in Cawker City to take delivery and on the drive home the radiator had a small leak. Norm Hesser fixed it in Mankato.

Curt Rafferty reported in the fall of 1923 the Chandler & Dick firm took over the agency for Chevrolet cars. During the year 1923, the firm sold 22 new cars. In 1925 they sold 77. In 1926, the number was 84, in 1927, 97 and a whopping 217 in 1928.