Before the northeast corner of Highways 2 and 92 was the Clearwater County Veteran’s Memorial, it was the site of the old First National Bank building and Olson’s Meat Market. The First National Bank moved to its current location on the corner of Getchell and 92 and the Meat Market eventually was torn down. The Meat Market was situated between the bank and Ernie’s Recreation, which still stands today.

Olaf Olson, the 29-year-old son of Norwegian immigrants Sam and Lina, moved into the location in 1919. The origin of the building is unknown, but it was already there at that time. “Ole” made it into a meat market and grocery store, one of many in Bagley at that time. Ole sold out to his son Henry (Hank) in 1940.

Besides meat that was cut or ground to order, you could buy cereal, bread, canned goods, coffee and produce in the store. There was a big counter in the front of the store behind which were the saws and walk-in refrigerator. Towards the alley there was an office space and side room, then in the back end there was storage for non-perishables plus room to trim and grind meat.

Nels Halvorson worked at the meat market for many years, plus Hank’s younger brother Harold for a time. Hank’s wife Selma taught school in the area. She taught at Shevlin and at Ebro in the early ‘60s. Hank and Selma had two children: Kathryn and Steve. Kathryn graduated from Bagley High School in 1954 and currently lives in Princeton. Steve graduated in 1962. The Olsons lived in a duplex on the west side of town until Hank built a home on Getchell in ’56 or ’57.

Steve recalled helping out at the store to earn money when he was a young teenager because he wanted to earn enough money to buy a phonograph. “Yes, you can help at the store, but this isn’t something you want to do in life,” Hank told him. Steve was put to work in the back trimming beef and dusting shelves. His pay was $10 per week and all he could eat. For lunch he’d go to Ernie Moen’s Rec with a steak brought from the meat market and have them fry it up. This way he was only charged 25 cents. After six weeks his parents went to the Melody Shop in Bemidji and bought him a phonograph. Unfortunately, the free album that came with it was Perry Como, not the rock ‘n roll Steve wanted.

Steve took his dad’s advice and ended up going to college and becoming a social worker after a four-year stint in the Navy which included Vietnam. He and his wife Helen, a retired teacher, live in Mille Lacs.

Hank retired from the Meat Market in 1978, and after a few years the building was torn down by the city of Bagley.