Recycled life history

I came across this old building this fall, after being drawn near it by the sight of a very large old willow tree. The building was obviously an old store, and at some time in its life it resided in a town.

Old buildings are of particular interest to me, as like people, they also have a history. Regrettably the store front lacks a sign of any kind and the interior has been stripped of all clues as to its origin or occupation.

Sad to say, its last use was as a cattle shed. It sits far out of sight on the edge of a field far from a road, where is slowly sinks into oblivion. It seems it has been here for at least the last twenty years ago, protecting cattle from the cold winds of a northern Minnesota winter. If you look closely you will notice the faded front where a store sign originally proclaimed its identity.

It appears some attempt was made to board up the door and windows to keep out the snow and the cattle in. A large hole was ripped in the side to allow entry for the cattle, but this in turn has weakened the side wall and hastened the collapse of the structure.

A feeble effort was made to close up windows that were swollen open by countless rains. Most of the panes of glass gave up from the weather and the winds of time. This is a structure that is giving up,  inch by inch.

This is an interior window view of the large pasture and big old willow tree, as enjoyed by many a cow.  It is also a window that countless customers  looked out at a different view in some small unknown town.

An examination of the field around the store showed that a large corral once controlled animals in a restricted space, but all but a few sections remain, struggling to hold their heads above the tall grass.

My enquires to date have suggested this building originally came from the town of Lake Bronson. Other avenues of search suggest it once was a restaurant in Lancaster. The search for facts continues. I have purposely not revealed where the building sits as the present owners are reluctant to have people on the property.