The Trip to Long Lake

When the Quackenbush family lived in this area in the late fifties and early sixties, their grandparents had a farm a little less than fifty miles away. They have fond memories of spending time on their grandparent's farm in Long Lake. They were befriended by the neighboring family, the Slominskis, and they remember nostalgically, walking into the little town of Long Lake on Saturday nights. The men of the community would gather at the tavern. The women would get together at the creamery across the street. The kids would run back and forth. They especially loved going into the tavern to buy cracker jack type of treats with nickels, dimes or quarters in the box. So we had to spend Saturday evening in Long Lake as a finale to the Heritage tour. 

The Saturday tour started out near the family farm where we had been the day before, near Aberdeen. Our fearless leaders (Ross and Paul) wanted to drive around the perimeter of the original farm to check it out. We started down a gravel road, in sight of the house and barn, but the gravel road quickly turned to a mud road, as the weather had also turned from fair to fowl. It was raining pretty hard; windy and cold. It quickly became apparent that this was a bad idea, and both vehicles had to find a place to turn around and head back to the paved road. This was not an easy task and as we fish-tailed through the mud, we prayed we would not get stuck and have to go ask the nice Haalands to pull us out with their tractor. Fortunately, we made it out of the mud and headed on toward Richmond.

Richmond is a ghost town in the vicinity of the farm. According to the statement we saw in the Prairie Museum today, it is one of those many little South Dakota towns that was started around the beginning of the century, that simply failed to thrive. Paul and Ross were looking for the train depot, the train track, and the grain elevator where they had spent much time.

The one room school house where both the older boys had started their education was also missing. Someone told them that the elevator was taken down just last year. Not far down the road from the former town is a lovely campground situated on Richmond Lake. There were many people camping in the rain there. Our leaders pointed out the part of the lake where they used to ice skate.

We headed out of the camp ground towards a spot further down the road called Metonka, which also used to be a town and where Clayton Quackenbush had a second farm that he tended. The only business in Metonka now is the Neon Blue Bar, and it was closed and up for sale.

Continuing on back roads, which were paved, but in terrible shape from the severe winter just passed, we came to a more thriving town called Leola; the rhubarb capital of the world. We were all cold and tired and hungry by that time, and it was a relief to stop at the D and M cafe and bar for lunch and a bathroom break. We were treated well there, and took the option of ordering rhubarb malts and pie. Rhubarb pie is not my "cup of tea" but those who love it said it was definately homemade and the best they'd eaten. I tasted the malt and thought it was pretty good too. There was a very friendly local fellow there who talked with us for quite awhile. He told us a bit about Long Lake and what to expect when we got there. He filled us in on local history.

We drove on toward Long Lake with full stomachs and great expectations. Unfortunately for Ross and Paul, Long Lake is getting to be a ghost town as well. The post office is still open, but all the other businesses except the Long Lake Bar and Cafe (it's the same tavern they used to got to on Saturday nights.)  We had called ahead and told them we were coming. They have a Saturday night special buffet: chicken and ribs. But it was still early afternoon, cold and rainy, and not much to see and do. 

Paul and Ross directed us to the former baseball field, where their dad and their Uncle Russ had played on the Long Lake Longhorn team. The ballfield is now abandoned, but the back stop and sign is still there. By this time, none of us wanted to get out and walk around the place because it was so cold and wet outside of the cars, so we all watched Paul and Ross, walk and walk and talk and remember their special places that are no more.

This included Grandad's farm. There is little left to indicate it ever existed, except one barn and a couple of foundations. Never-the-less the intrepid adventures spent much time out in the cold retracing the steps of there past. The same was true of the Slominski Farm down the road, except that there were more out buildings left; no house. I caught a glimpse of the lone occupant of that farm, a raccoon, peaking out of the upstairs window of the barn. The old abandoned buildings were picturesque and quite typical of many other places we had seen that day. Farms are now much bigger than they were in the 50s. It takes much more land to make a living at farming, so they have been bought up by corporations or landowners that wanted to expand. Some folks from Minnesota have also bought up land in the area and use it only once or twice a year for their own private hunting grounds.

After spending most of the afternoon sitting in the cars, watching Paul and Ross trapse around abandoned farms and towns, we headed back to the Long Lake Bar and Cafe for the Saturday night special.... and it was quite special! The food was all home cooked and very cheap. They people were very friendly and welcoming. One of the cook's husband, Charles had actually worked for Grandad as a young man. He came in especially to talk with us. There were others who came in that also remembered the Quackenbushes, so there were many good conversations all around.

Before the end of the evening, we had to celebrate Cara's 29th birthday with another Rhubarb and a Blue Berry pie and candles. I'm quite sure she will always remember this birthday celebration.

And that was basically the end of the Heritage Tour. Cara and Kelly left us this morning, and the rest of us will be taking off tomorrow morning. Paul and I are heading for Souix Falls and from there to Minneapolis and from their to Baltimore and Washington D. C.  The Family Hertiage Trip appears to have been a great success. We are all tired out, but so glad we did this.