the old cast of Lanesboro’s farmers and stone millers have been replaced. First with a revolving stock of starry-eyed tourists, and then with it, a colony of artists who aim to stay put. These new characters bring new money into Lanesboro, and they keep the storefront doors open wide.
The newcomers are drawn to Lanesboro because of its mummified main street, a perfectly preserved downtown. The strip is a direct result of years of economic hardship, which left room for absolutely no rebuilding. It was not until the state invested in transforming the railroad tracks into a bike trail that the city found its path to a new, revitalized future.
Lanesboro’s bikers, campers, honeymooners, and retirees drink up the scenic views on their drive to town—land peppered with vestiges of the old farming community—and they make plans to attend the galleries, theaters, and eateries that whisper hints of fashionable urban influence. The town has enjoyed many years of growth. Yet some with roots stitched deep into the surrounding farmland miss the old Lanesboro, and resent the portrait propped up for the enjoyment of tourists.
“Some say it isn’t real. It’s a pretend town made for people who visit and not for the people who make a life here.”
SCENE FROM DOWNTOWN LANESBORO.
A VIEW OF MAIN STREET.
L: SPUD BOY DINER EXTERIOR. R: SPUD BOY DINER INTERIOR / PROPRIETOR, GORDON TINDALL.
SCENE FROM DOWNTOWN LANESBORO.
L: LANESBORO PASTRY SHOPPE. R: RENOVATION OF AN OLD SPACE FOR A NEW BAR, HIGH COURT PUB.
SCENE FROM DOWNTOWN LANESBORO.
SCENE FROM DOWNTOWN LANESBORO.
RIVER RATS OUTFITTERS.
“This way of life is not just a novelty down in the corner of the state. The idea of nostalgia is so interesting, so pervasive. People come here and they see the historic buildings and they love feeling like they’re a part of this beautiful nostalgic town. And then there are the people who are nostalgic for the Lanesboro that was before all the tourists came and they yearn for that more simple, realistic, authentic life too.”
THE LANESBORO ARTS BUILDING WAS ONCE A GENERAL STORE, SUPPLYING THE TOWN WITH DRY GOODS, FABRIC, AND CANDY. THE BUIDLING WAS ERECTED IN 1879. A GROUP OF ARTISTS OPENED THE GALLERY IN THE 1990s.
COURTNEY’S DESK. COURTNEY IS PART OF A TEAM BRINGING FUNDING TO THE LANESBORO ARTS CAMPUS. IT IS AN ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPEMENT INITIATIVE BASED ON THE BELEIF THAT THE ARTS HAVE THE POWER TO TRANSFORM SPACES AND DEFINE COMMUNITIES.
THE LANESBORO ARTS JURIED SALES GALLERY FEATURES WORKS BY OVER 90 ARTISTS FROM MINNESOTA, IOWA, AND WISCONSIN. ABOVE: LINDA LEWIS.
COMMONWEAL THEATER.
“I could ultimately see myself doing community art and building community through the arts in small towns as my life’s work. I love the idea of being able to use creative thinking and art to revitalize communities and make space for people to come together. I feel like the arts are a permission giver. And so you have to be totally transparent about your agenda. If you support an idea, and you want to help someone make their idea a reality, you have to be completely transparent about what it’s going to do for you, and not just take advantage of them.”
“My post office box symbolizes a real authentic connection to place. It’s such a communal space and it’s a place where people have to acknowledge each other and people come together in community and that type of interaction is what makes small towns so special.”
COURTNEY’S P.O. BOX.
THE LANESBORO POST OFFICE.
COURTNEY AT THE SALOON. THE SALOON CATERS TO THE LOCAL POPULATION, BUT IS HAPPY TO SERVE A TOURIST TOO.
THE LANESBORO DENTIST.
“But I am still feeling pulled to this idea of having an authentic relationship with my roots, which are agriculture and good old boys, and very much connected to the land and the generations that have been here for many years.”
COURTNEY’S FAMILY RAISES CATTLE. 
AN OLD TRACTOR FOUND ON BERGEY LAND. 
THE LANESBORO GRAIN COMPANY, NO LONGER IN OPERATION. 
A LANESBORO HOME, RIGHT OFF MAIN STREET. 
THE AMISH COMMUNITY IS A HUGE PART OF LANESBORO’S FARMING AND TOURISM INDUSTRIES.
“The barn was destroyed in a storm a couple of years ago and my family was just devastated because it was kind of the symbol of agricultural families. But after the barn fell, we could actually see the view into the valley and the gorgeous fields and forest behind it. Do I make a parallel to the idea of Lanesboro having to become a ghost town in order for people to really see the potential, and respect the past, but also see the potential in what lies beyond it? That is kind of the metaphor I just say to make myself feel better because I miss the barn, but yes.”
VIEW FROM THE BERGEY FAMILY FARM. 
VIEW FROM THE BERGEY FARM. 
VIEWS FROM THE BERGEY FARM. 
COURTNEY’S FATHER, JERRY (ALLEN) BERGEY. 
COURTNEY’S FAMILY HOME. 
COURTNEY IN HER FAMILY HOME. 
COURTNEY’S GRANDFATHER, ROGER HANSON, MOWING THE LAWN. 
COURTNEY’S GRANDMOTHER’S FIGURINE DISPLAY. 
COURTNEY’S GRANDMOTHER, GLORIA GARNESS BERGEY. 
VIEW FROM COURTNEY’S GRANDMA’S HOME. 
VIEW FROM COURTNEY’S GRANDMA’S HOME. 
VIEW FROM COURTNEY’S GRANDMA’S HOME. 
A BERGEY FAMILY PORTRAIT. 
PHOTOS FROM THE PAST ON THE BERGEY FAMILY FARM. 
THE BERGEY FAMILY FARM.
Further Reading
- Reflections from Rural Minnesota, Center for Small Towns
- Jay Walljasper: Small Towns, Big Ideas — Reimagining Southeast Minnesota, Commissioned by The McKnight Foundation
- Rural Counties in Minnesota Leading Economic Recovery, Star Tribune
- Snake People Continue Urbanization Of America, Leaving Small Towns, NPR
- A Population Slowdown for Small Town America, Brookings Institution
- America’s Fastest-Growing Small Cities, Forbes
- Burn the Maps, MN Artists
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