Shoreline Drive, As It Once Was

Real photo postcard

Today we find ourselves in a semi-familiar spot in Mound! Before reading further, take a moment to see if you can decipher where we’re standing and what we’re looking at.

In this photo, taken in the summer of 1971, we see some buildings that exist in the 21st century and some that do not. Where are we? Downtown Mound. To be more specific, we’re near the intersection of Shoreline Drive and Commerce Blvd. However, the Shoreline Drive of today is in a very different spot. Today, Shoreline intersects with Commerce about a block to the North of where we are standing in 1971.

This portion of Shoreline Drive was disconnected when the road’s trajectory was changed in 2005. The new route saw Shoreline Drive bow Northward and intersect with Commerce near Wells Fargo. As a result, this section of Shoreline Drive was severed and the businesses on that road immediately felt the impact.

Today, only two of the eight buildings seen in this photo still exist. If you’re unsure of exactly which two they are, they'd be the Minnesota Federal (now Minnesota Lakes) bank and the Mound Pilot newspaper building which is now the Lost Lake Creamery. Until 2024, there was another original building next to the creamery. An old house painted white. This was demolished in 2024 and the lot currently sits undeveloped.

The other buildings in the foreground of this photo were all demolished around 2010, when the City of Mound turned the grounds into a large field and park. This was part of a project done to beautify the area and potentially bring more new business to the city. Today, the land has been sold and developed into a large co-op multi-housing building which just recently opened.

Typically, I refrain from looking at history that’s, “too modern”. However, it’s often fun to look at what the view was until only the recent past. Do you recall this small section of Mound? If so, what is your connection to the scene?