Mellin Grocery Store

The most prominent and long lived business building in the area is the grocery store, now called Len's Family Foods. Built in 1900 by James P. Hanson as a two-story structure, with a grocery store on the main floor, and residential quarters above, this building has served its original purpose for over a 100 years. It is probably one of the few, if not the only commercial building in Stillwater, that is still used for the same purpose it was built. Hanson, who had a general store on South Second Street, and lived in Dutchtown, owned the property and constructed this building, but he did not operate the store. Instead, its first operator was Eugene J. Mellin, a former hostler, who resided on the second floor of the building.

By 1910, the store was in the possession of Ernest Carlson who, a few years later, purchased the house at 212 S. Greeley Street. Carlson, and later his assistant, Oscar Olson, ran this neighborhood grocery store and meat market for decades. It was known in the area as the "Carlson-Olson store."

In 1995 the store was purchased by Len Nelson, who owned the business until he passed away in May 2021. Len’s grandson, Jake Blum, then took over as the store manager. Blum later partnered up with his cousin Jeremy Hale and his business partner Blake Verdon to purchase the store.

Behind this grocery store is a public lot which was purchased by the Stillwater Water Department in 1898. Once the site of a water tower, today it is a mini-park with its picnic tables and park benches.

—Donald Empson

Donald Empson is the author of A History of the Greeley Residential Area of Stillwater, Minnesota.