Next  gen  rural  retail:
​Houston,  Minn. 
by  Lillian  Carlson

about  our  storyteller

what's  happening  on  main  street?

In small-town America, the health of a community is often determined by the vitality of its main street businesses--and if you've traveled down any main street in recent decades, you've probably noticed that it's not uncommon for towns to have lost two of their local staples: the hardware and grocery store. In spite of this national trend, the City of Houston has both a locally-owned True Value store, Cox Hardware & Appliance, and the cooperatively managed, Root River Market. At the same time our main streets are losing, or struggling to hold onto these economic staples, the national Dollar General chain is rapidly expanding throughout rural America, operating 15,227 stores in 44 states as of November 2, 2018. In 2018 alone, the company was slated to open 900 stores, with one planned for Houston, Minn.

Image courtesy of the Houston County Historical Society archives

watch  the  story:  NEXT  GEN  RURAL  RETAIL  IN  HOUSTON,  MINN.

"I  work  in  town,  too."  >>  Carlson  roasting,  houston,  minn.

"Carlson Roasting is an artisan small batch coffee roasting company located in downtown Houston, MN. It originated from my dad’s passion for excellent quality coffee in November 2015.  Like most businesses, it started in our garage. It quickly moved to 214 E. Cedar St. in Houston.  After a year we had outgrown that location and moved 101 W. Cedar St." You can find Carlson Roasting coffee in the Root River Market and International Owl Center in town. The beans are also available in various other grocery stores and coffee shops in the region and online, including The Wired Rooster in Caledonia.

Historical  research

Downtown  houston  >>  evolution  on  main   street

At the Houston County Historical Society archives, Lilli uncovered historical evidence of her own town's main street transformation. She found similarities between what happened locally in Houston and what occurred nationally throughout the rural American retail landscape. After locating and scanning several archival photographs of downtown businesses--and the buildings that once housed them--she had the opportunity to chat with HCHS volunteers, Jim Skree and Roger Johnson, about their memories of downtown Houston. Lilli learned that Roger met his wife (married 1956) while seated at the counter at Lloyd's Cafe, and they received wedding gifts from the furniture store in town. The two also recalled Benson's Cafe, where they served beer and became known for their fish sandwiches. Roger recalled that women--including his wife--"did not go in, [they] stayed in the car and waited for their husbands." (His wife, Shirley Johnson, corroborated his memory.)

Historic photos have been added to the map below with help from Ian Ehrnstrom and HCHS.

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Do  you  have  a  memory  of  downtown  Houston,  Minn.  to  add?

Image courtesy of the Houston County Historical Society archives.

Do you have an image or more info to share? 
Contact us at StoriesYesHouston@gmail.com