Rediscovering Emmaville

Upcoming Dinner Specials

2012-01-04T09:20:00.000-06:00

Emmaville is now serving dinner from 5 to 8 pm Friday and Saturday nights!

Also, we are now offering wine and imported beers!

Please join us - reservations recommended.

Here are our upcoming specials:

Jan. 6th: Spare Ribs & Sauer Kraut
Jan. 7th: Salmon Pasta

Jan. 13th: Chicken Marsala
Jan. 14th: Smoked Pork Chops with Cheesy Potatoes

Jan. 20th: Pork Roast with Raspberry Chipotle
Jan. 21st: Beef Stroganoff

Jan. 27th: BBQ Ribs
Jan. 28th: Lasagna

Dinner & Burger/Sandwich Menus also available

New Years Rockin' Eve at Emmaville!

2012-01-02T15:15:00.000-06:00

Thanks to all the friends and neighbors who joined us for dinner and "White Elephant Bingo" on New Years Eve. Alot of valuable and fun prizes were awarded to participants. At midnight, the few remaining hardy ones helped us greet the New Year with a champagne toast.

See celebrity pix by local paparazzi below:

Let it snow, let it snow PLEASE let it snow!

2011-12-30T12:56:00.000-06:00

Our first snowmobiler of the season

We got about 3.5 inches of snow this morning, and are hoping for more tonight. This brave soul rode the ditch up from Park Rapids. He is the first out on the trails, so he should have good sledding. We hope y'all are praying for snow out there - we miss the snowmobilers.

Thanks to everyone who came out for our Christmas Open House - it was great to get everyone together to share some good cheer. Ray Rosenberg, still recovering from his heart attack, was feeling well enough to come out and play some music for us. A great time was had by all!

Ray and LilyLu

Our friends and neighbors in the bar...

and in the cafe.

Coming up: our New Years Eve party, featuring "White Elephant Bingo". Guests are encouraged to bring their unwanted items and will have a chance to win new treasures brought in by their neighbors. We'll start serving dinner at 5 pm, with a Steak Shrimp Special and our full dinner menu. Hope you can join us!

'Tis the Season

2011-12-01T10:49:00.000-06:00

First of all, thanks to all the deer hunters who stayed with us, stopped for a meal or gassed up at the store - we had a great week, and we appreciate your business. Just a few hardy muzzleloaders left - almost time to switch gears to ice fishing. Local lakes are freezing up with good, solid ice - no snow to complicate things. We hope to have sufficient ice by the weekend for fishers on foot. (Please don't try to drive on the ice just yet.) Stop in and check out our new ice fishing tackle - we'll have waxies too.

We're also getting ready to celebrate the holidays - we put lights up on the store, and Santa came in for a landing while test-driving his new sleigh! Melinda and Mary did a great job decorating the tree.

We are planning to have Christmas Open House for all our friends, neighbors and customers on December 11th, starting at 3 pm. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Lotsa Orange

2011-11-06T10:41:00.000-06:00

First light - Opening morning

Lotsa orange around, deer hanging in trees - must be deer season in Emmaville! We're in full swing here, cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for hungry hunters, selling coffee, caramel rolls and flashlight batteries, and providing lubrication for the telling of stories by successful (and unsuccessful) hunters and assorted deer camp philosophers.

The end of a long day for Clayton

This week marks our first anniversary as owners of Emmaville, and what a ride it's been. Not sure how many wagers were made on us making it the first year, but we like our odds going forward.

We're thankful for all our customers who have come to rely on Emmaville again for their gas and groceries. More so, we are blessed by all the new friendships we have gained over the past year. We have been wandering around the country for 30 years looking for a place where we belong - it's great to be a part of this community - it's great to be home!

ATTENTION DEER HUNTERS!! (And anyone else who likes good, home cooking).

2011-11-02T22:16:00.000-05:00

To better serve the deer hunting public, Emmaville will have extended hours during Deer Season:

                         Store Hours:     Café Hours:
Thur, 11/3       7 am – 10 pm    7 am – 9 pm

Fri, 11/4          7 am – 10 pm    7 am – 9 pm

Sat, 11/5         4 am – 10 pm    4 am – 9 pm
                                                  (Breakfast Buffet)
Sun, 11/6        4 am – 10 pm    4 am – 9 pm
                                                  (Breakfast Buffet)
Mon, 11/7
thru                7 am – 10 pm     7 am - 9 pm
Sat, 11/12

               Hunters Supper Specials
                 (Everyone welcome!)

Mon: Meatloaf                                    $8.95
Tue: Taco Buffet                                $7.95
Wed: Spare Ribs
   & Sauer Kraut                                 $8.95
Thur: Fried Chicken                           $8.95
Fri: Wild Alaska Salmon                   $9.95
Sat: Green Chile Cheeseburgers        $6.95

Appetizers and Grill Items also available

Sunrise at Emmaville, 7:36 am

2011-10-21T13:13:00.000-05:00

The best time of the year - time to slow down and enjoy a good cup of coffee and conversation. The coffee pot is always on here - come join us one of these mornings.

Fall comes to Emmaville

2011-09-25T19:12:00.000-05:00

Fall is here! Please note our fall hours: 7 am to 8 pm Sun-Thu, 7 am to 10 pm Fri-Sat. Our last Tuesday Taco Buffet is this week, and the cafe will be closed on Tuesdays.

We will have extended hours during deer season - stay tuned....

Fast Eddie returns with some hardware

2011-09-23T15:52:00.000-05:00

Emmaville's best athlete, "Fast Eddie" Rousseau recently returned to show off his latest awards, including a gold medal for 1st place in the World Masters Marathon as part of the US team, 1st place in the North Coast 24-Hr Race, where he set a new 12-hr record in the 70 to 74 age group, and recognition as an All American, by USA Track & Field. Great job, Eddie!

Yes, you read right - Ed is 72 years young. He loves to train in the woods here, near his cabin on Bottle Lake. Ed Rousseau, just one of the characters to be encountered in Emmaville!

Food from the Good Earth: Local Produce Featured at the Emmaville Cafe

2011-09-15T14:07:00.000-05:00

Our thanks to neighbors Norm and Martie at North Star Farms for providing us with the freshest produce around. We'll enjoy while it lasts!

Emmas of Emmaville

2011-08-20T20:33:00.000-05:00

Ever since we opened last winter, we've had Emmas stopping by to see "their" town. One day, a young lady named Emma stopped in on her 16th birthday and had her picture taken with our new sign.

Melinda mentioned to her that we should get a bulletin board and start taking pictures of all the Emmas that stop in. Not long afterward, this Emma, who hails from Grand Rapids, brought us a hand-decorated bulletin board and a copy of her picture to start our collection.

The bulletin board is starting to fill up; here are some of the other Emmas we've met this summer:

A little Emmaville history

2011-07-26T12:59:00.000-05:00

Our neighbor Rod Lof recently brought over a DVD with some photos from his grandmothers' photo album that provide a glimpse into life in the neighborhood in the early years. They include a lot of pictures of loggers and logging operations as well as pictures of trophy bucks, family picnics and "new" cars.

We picked out 4 photos we are certain were taken at Emmaville and had them enlarged for display. We mounted three of them behind old window sashes from nearby Trails End Lodge and hung them in our cafe. We're still trying to decide where to put the fourth. Anyway, here they are:

Emmaville School (now the University of Emmaville) circa 1914.


Community members gathered for a picnic(?), 1914.


Mrs. Ida Mae Hagen (Willie's grandma) entering the store, 1963.

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Lanning (left of center) and friends gather at Emmaville, 1963.

We've been having fun identifying folks in this photo; Willie Hagen identified his grandma, Ida Mae, on the far right. Rod's grandma is seated on the far left. Next to her (we think) is Mrs. Charlie Valentine; Mr. Valentine is the gentleman standing on the far right (we think).

The picture appears to be a gathering of veterans; judging by their ages, they would be vets of WWI. If you have any guesses as to the identities of others in the photo, let us know!

Fish On!

2011-06-18T09:35:00.000-05:00

Here's some shots of lunkers that have come through Emmaville of late:

We've also got a shot of a 52" muskie on the Monster Board, caught on Mantrap last week.

Fish are biting, come on up!

Happy Birthday to Clayton!

2011-06-02T20:38:00.000-05:00

Clayton celebrated his 89th birthday with lunch and birthday cake with friends at the Emmaville Cafe. The party continued into the bar, where Clayton passed out birthday cake and accepted well wishes from our customers the rest of the day. Clayton is a joy to have around, whether he's chatting up the customers, sweeping the floor at closing time or commiserating with Mike over a Twins game. We are blessed to have him.

Business has been good at the cafe, and the menu is slowly expanding. This week, we've tried out bison burgers, breakfast burritos, and Mel's newest invention, brownie in a cup. Our first Sunday breakfast buffet was an apparent hit, as we served over 70 people (mostly) without a hitch.

Hungry fishermen attack a sample of Mel's latest creation.

Our cafe is now open from 7 am to 2 pm for breakfast and lunch. The Sunday breakfast buffet is served from 9 am to 1 pm. Come on in!

Shh! Don't Tell Anyone...

2011-05-26T08:36:00.000-05:00

THE EMMAVILLE CAFE IS OPEN! (Kind of).

We began our trial runs of the new kitchen this week, with Mary making the first cheeseburgers on the "new" old grill. Clayton and Mike have been getting spoiled, trying out the menu.

We're going to keep it simple to start with, to make sure we have all the bugs worked out (figuratively speaking, of course!). Mary working out the rust (again, figuratively), having not run this kitchen for a few years, and Mel is remembering how to waitress after coming out of retirement after 15 years.

We've got a simple breakfast menu to start with, same with lunch. Bear with us while we develop both over the next few weeks. Come on in and try us out!

Cool Emmaville Stuff Now Available!

2011-05-16T14:22:00.000-05:00

Our new hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies are in and selling fast! Be the first on your block to own authentic Emmaville stuff. We even brought back the classic University of Emmaville hoodie - our thanks to neighbor Larry Teslow for providing an original to copy. Get one today and you could look almost as good as Larry!

Clayton is back!

2011-05-10T09:08:00.000-05:00

Clayton catching up with Kenny on the latest news from Emmaville.

Our friend Clayton rolled into town last week to check up on our progress and resume his duties as our official Ambassador, Wecoming Committee, Handyman, Tour Guide and Historian. He's been keeping busy visiting with the regulars, doing some yard work and pouring concrete. Yes, you read it right - he wields a mean trowel! We promise we haven't been working him too hard, but Clayton's not too good at sitting still.

Stop in and say hi to Clayton!

Spring Comes to Emmaville

2011-04-08T18:02:00.000-05:00

Did you miss us? We've been busy working on the cafe, trying to get it ready to open this spring. Today, our kitchen contractor installed new/used exhaust system and make-up air system, which are the biggest pieces of our kitchen upgrade.

In addition to upgrading the kitchen, we've completely reconfigured the dining area to make it roomier and brighter (pictures coming soon).

As you can see from the pictures above, the snow is slowly leaving us, revealing all the stuff that got buried last fall. Looks like we've got lots to do outside, too. Come see us - and bring a rake!

CELEBRITY SPOTTED AT EMMAVILLE!!!

2011-02-18T19:25:00.000-06:00

Big excitement in Emmaville today, as a famous celebrity stopped by today. Their limo pulled up to buy gas at our little store! It was obviously a very important celebrity, as they stayed inside and kept their tinted windows rolled up. Probably, somebody really big, like Louie Anderson or Lonnie Anderson, or that one guy who was governor....

A Cool Little Bar

2011-02-08T17:42:00.000-06:00

It's been a fun couple of weeks since we last posted - lots of folks coming through, getting gas and groceries, coffee and a snack. The snowmobilers have rediscovered us and are grateful for having a key gas stop reopened on the trail.

Our little bar has been doing a good business - we've gotten lots of compliments on our decor. Our Hamms signs are especially popular:

Our "lounge" is a great spot for couples to relax. It's also popular with families - we have coloring books and puzzles for the kids.

Of course, the best thing about our bar is the stereo - it's an old Packard Bell Hi-Fi in a beautiful walnut cabinet and it sounds great! Come check out our cool little bar!

Emmaville has gas! Officially opening Saturday, January 22nd!

2011-01-21T17:36:00.002-06:00

Almost Gas

2011-01-21T07:45:00.001-06:00

Our contractors have been here since Wednesday, working in biting cold to get our gas pumps up and running. We're almost there - they're testing the tanks today and finishing up the installation. We can't thank them enough for their dedication - it's been well below zero the last couple of days, but they've been out there, busting their butts to get us up and running.

We should have our bright, shiny, new (ok, they're not new or even shiny right now) pumps ready to go by the end of the day. BUT, not sure if we will have the test results and the necessary State approval today, so we may not be pumping gas til Monday. Stay tuned.....

Nice article in the Enterprise, featuring Mel, the standup comic!

2011-01-12T18:55:00.000-06:00

http://www.parkrapidsenterprise.com/event/article/id/26806

Thanks to neighbor Sarah Smith for writing this up!

A Sneak Peek

2011-01-08T14:03:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of quick snapshots from this morning, to give you an idea of what the store looks like.

We're Not Really Open Yet, But ....

2011-01-08T13:52:00.000-06:00

Lots of rumors flying around about whether Emmaville is open for business - sorry for the confusion. We're not officially open yet because we still don't have working gas pumps, nor, at the moment, a functioning cash register. We are expecting our contractor to start on the gas pumps, controls and leak monitoring system this week.

It seems that the great deal Mike got on a "new-used" point-of-sale system (what they call the new cash registers these days) wasn't so much a great deal. When the technician came in Thursday to set it up, we found out the display doesn't work. So, it's in the shop right now. We tried Plan B: firing up the cash register that came with the place, but we don't have the key to program it. We even tried Plan C: firing up the really old cash register we found in the garage, but it's a boat anchor now.

When I say "we" I mean Mary Saf and Mike. Yes, Mary is back! She came in to help us get organized this week and will start full-time next week. We're really glad she wanted to come back to Emmaville - hopefully, we won't drive her too crazy.

We have had a few snowmobilers come in to warm up, us the restrooms and grab a candy bar and pop. And yes, we had a few volunteers help Mike train in as a bartender - a round of Grain Belts constituted our first unofficial sale on Friday.

So, we aren't really open, but please stop in - we are fully stocked and can make change out of a shoebox for now. If nothing else, stop by, say hi to Mary, and have a look around. We'll be here!

Merry Christmas from Emmaville!

2010-12-25T00:39:00.000-06:00

We hope this finds you all well, warm and surrounded by family and friends this holiday season. Melinda and I are taking a break from renovations to spend time with Adam and Hannah, who are home on their winter breaks. Both have brought home the latest viruses from their respective campuses, so we're going through quite a bit of Theraflu and Kleenex this week.

Much has gotten done at the store over the past few weeks. The heating system and new doors and windows are in - it's nice and toasty inside now. The floor is done and we bought shelving, which will be set up next week. Our grocery stock will arrive on Jan. 6th.

We got our liquour license in the mail last week, which is good for 2011. Our liability insurance and the license will only allow us to sell 3.2 beer for now, but we hope that will be a good start. Mike is nearly done refinishing the old bar- it's going to look great!

We've been putting Adam's two Masters degrees in English to good use this week - unloading a huge freezer for the kitchen and figuring out how to put together the shelving. Once Hannah is feeling better, she's going to be working on our new logo and other graphics. Nothing like free labor from your kids to make you appreciate having family around for the holidays.

Stay tuned for some new pics of the renovations after the holidays - meanwhile, remember the reason for the season!

One Month In: Plugging Away

2010-12-01T06:03:00.000-06:00

Ok, it's been almost a month since we walked in the door, time for an update on progress. The store is slowly emerging from the rubble - we've painted and stained all the walls and have started installing the new floor. Mike is installing the new "old" countertop this week: we're recycling a wooden Sunday School table from the old Lutheran church in Nevis. The counter will feature a display case for all the Emmaville memorabilia we've been finding.

The roofers are working their way across the building - all the snow has slowed progress here. New windows are due to arrive any day now. The furnace guys are supposed to show up next week to put in the new heating and air conditioning system. We can't wait to turn off the hanger heaters we are currently using - ka-ching!

The petroleum equipment people tell us we will need to leak test the tanks and lines leading to the pumps (insert prayer here). Looks like we'll be sticking with the old mechanical pumps for now. Sorry, folks, but you won't be able to pay at the pump in Emmaville - you'll have to come in and say hi. We promise to greet you with a smile.

Last weekend, we had some extra help on hand when the kids came home for Thanksgiving. Son-in-law Matt did some drywall repair (he's a pro) and some demolition work in the bathrooms. Daughters Emily and Hannah boxed up all the kitchen stuff to get it out of the way and helped with painting the ceiling. Much fun was had with hairnets found in the kitchen. We also celebrated granddaughter Marley's 6th birthday. Happy Birthday Marley!!

We'll keep plugging away into Month 2 - still lots of work to do. Right now, it looks like we will be fully operational in time to celebrate the New Year, although we hope to be pumping gas before then.

Thanks to all the folks who have been stopping in to wish us well, check progress and offer advice - we really appreciate it!!

Meet Clayton

2010-11-20T09:56:00.000-06:00

It's hard to get a good picture of Clayton - he keeps moving. Clayton is always on the go, raking needles off the roofs, cleaning gutters, clipping shrubs. When we began looking the place over last summer, it was Clayton who gave us the "nickel tour" and answered all our questions. Clayton knows where all the breakers, switches, and valves are. More importantly, he knows the history of how Emmaville was operated. To us, Clayton is the essential man.

Clayton came to Emmaville after his wife passed away in the early 90s. When the store was up and running, it was Clayton who came in and got the coffee going, and organized the retiree brigade who assembled the morning newspapers to ready them for sale. When former owner Cal Jensen got sick, Clayton was there, helping take care of business and Cal. When Emmaville closed two years ago, Clayton stayed on to keep an eye on things. Clayton has been there when no one else was, somehow keeping Emmaville alive.

Emmaville has lots of local fans, many of whom have stopped in to thank us effusively for getting the store up and running again and to wish us well. They've given us lots of assurances that the place used to do a booming business and will again. But Emmaville's biggest booster is Clayton. Clayton believes in Emmaville, and, we hope, in us.

When we showed up the day before deer season as new owners, Clayton had all the motel rooms ready for the guests, and the campers checked in. He made sure everyone was accommodated and we were lined out with keys to all the buildings, then he headed south for the winter, as he does every year. He doesn't go far - just to southern Minnesota where his kids live.

Clayton will be back in late April or early May to check on us and resume his duties as coffee maker, handyman and storyteller. We look forward to helping him celebrate his 89th birthday in June.

Oh, boy....

2010-11-11T18:59:00.000-06:00

"Ok, the banner's up - good luck, honey, I'm going hunting."

What a first week! We took possession of Emmaville last Thursday and immediately had customers - deer hunters who have been coming to stay in the motel and campground for years. Melinda scrambled to make sure they had the basics: linens, toilet paper and working lights. Although the store, cafe and bar are not open, Melinda had coffee and baked goodies ready for mornings. (Mike left for the annual family deer hunt - how convenient!)

Our hunting guests left earlier in the week, so it's been relatively quiet. We caught our breath and had a chance to look around....we have some work to do. Ok, we have alot of work to do. Emmaville has fallen on hard times over the past several years.

Our store on day 1.

We've spent the last several days just cleaning, sorting and fixing the immediate problems (e.g., new septic tank, fixing gas pumps, replacing windows). Going through the accumulations of the past 20 years has been interesting - we've found a few old photos and other mementos from years past (more later on these). Two trips to the landfill so far, and the garage sale pile is still growing.

Anybody know how this thing works??

We've decided the store and gas pumps are the first priority. We expect snowmobilers to be coming through starting in mid-December, looking for gas and hot coffee or cocoa. Hopefully, we can offer that, and maybe a beer too. Stay tuned....

Emmaville's Famous Signs

2010-10-31T13:48:00.000-05:00

Emmaville has long been a popular stop for tourists, many of which come to see the quirky signs. Even though the store has been closed, people still stop and have their pictures taken in front of the signs.

We are planning to restore and maintain these signs to keep the original look about the place. We will also be restoring the "main" sign in front of the store:

However, we'll be moving this sign to a new location to make room for our new welcome sign. Here's a prototype we designed, let us know what you think:

We'll be using this design as a logo for t-shirts, etc. and have some other design ideas we'll be sharing soon. Stay tuned!

Just where is (and what is) Emmaville?

2010-10-22T15:21:00.000-05:00

Emmaville is located about 12 miles north of Park Rapids, Minnesota on County Road 4 (Lake George Road).

According to Wikipedia, Emmaville is "a small, unincorporated community" that "is currently a ghost town." The first part is true, but Emmaville certainly is not a ghost town! It currently has one full-time resident, Clayton Severtson, who serves as caretaker and unofficial historian. Although the store has been closed for over a year, the motel and seasonal campground are still in business.

Although official records are sketchy, Emmaville is believed to have been established over a 100 years ago, initially as a logging camp and boarding house (Park Rapids Enterprise, June 3, 2009). It's not clear when a store was first established there, but in 1940, the owner, a Mr. Cleghorn, built a "new" store to replace the old one (Enterprise archive). This new store is believed to be what is shown on the postcard with VW Beetle parked in front.

Emmaville was put on the map, so to speak, in the 60s and 70s by the owner of that era, Cal Jensen. Based on the stories Emmaville patrons have told us, Cal appears to have been a colorful character. (Mike may have met him once, while on a fishing trip to Lake George with his Grandpa Ray, but that was a long time ago...). Cal is most remembered for the numerous signs he had put up promoting Emmaville (more on these later). Cal is also likely the first person to start billing Emmaville as the "Biggest Little Town in the World." Tourists have been known to come from far and wide to visit the Biggest Little Town in the World and get their pictures taken next to one of Cal's signs.

Beginning at the beginning

2010-10-19T21:38:00.001-05:00

It all started with an article in the local newspaper, titled "Town for Sale at the Right Price," published in June 2009. Not long after that, we were out for a drive and decided to check it out. Joe, the owner, was there mowing the lawn, and was nice enough to answer our questions. Mostly, we just wanted to know why Emmaville was closed - what had happened? Joe explained he had tried selling it contract-for-deed, but got it back when the buyer couldn't make a go of it. Joe's health wouldn't allow him to continue running it.

Driving home, we talked about the possibilities, but quickly dismissed the idea. Who would want to work 14 hours a day, 7 days a week?

As the months went by, Emmaville occasionally came up in our conversations: "if we had Emmaville, we could...". Out hunting rummage sales or returning from a shopping trip to Bemidji, we would find ourselves driving by: "Huh, still closed...what if...?"

In the spring of 2010, Mike had the opportunity to take a buyout from the company he cofounded 18 years earlier. As we contemplated what to do next, we knew we wanted to stay close to home - no more business travel. Looking around the area, we didn't see many attractive opportunities to start or buy a business. Meanwhile, Emmaville kept surfacing in our conversations: "yes, it would be a lot of work, but it could also be a lot of fun...". The more we talked about it, the more ideas we had for creating something unique.

On the plane during his last few business trips, Mike began looking at a cash flow analysis - it was doable. A business plan was drafted, potential show-stoppers (were the gas tanks in compliance?) were checked out. We made an offer in September. We'll close by the end of October.

Folly? Perhaps. An adventure for sure.