Ely's 150th Celebration

 

 

   IT ALL STARTS TOMORROW NIGHT, AUGUST 12TH, AS ELY CELEBRATES 150 YEARS           

 

... FRIDAY NIGHT, 6PM ... We will be presenting opening remarks about the history of Ely in the big tent east of the Community Center on Rowley St.

 

... FRIDAY NIGHT, 8:30PM ... Don't miss the ELY AFTER DARK STORIES in the big tent. Bring your memories of Ely to share!

 

... SATURDAY: 9AM TO 3PM ...THE HISTORY CENTER WILL BE OPEN in the lower level of the Community Building. Please make time to come and view historical items we have on display. There will be a HISTORY SLIDE SHOW running in the Senior Dining area. You may also want to view the HISTORIC STORY BOARDS throughout the building.

 

... SATURDAY: 9AM TO 4PM ... HISTORY SLIDE SHOW. Take a rest and cool down in the sanctuary of St. John Lutheran Church while you view the slides!

 

... SATURDAY, 10AM TO 5PM... HISTORIC AG & FARM EQUIPMENT SHOW at Krob's lot on Main Street.

 

 

SLIDE SHOW:  Here is a slide show of all the historic signs that have been placed around Ely. (Just click on the screen when you are ready to advance to the next slide.)

 
Click on the above three vertical dots and choose "Enter full screen. You may click on the screen to advance to the next slide.

COMPLETE WEEKEND SCHEDULE:  Click the image to enlarge it, then click again.

 

Sesquicentennial Historic Photos of Ely

This slide show contains a number of photos of Ely from the past, in honor of Ely's Sesquicentennial, which will be held August 12th and 13th, 2022.

Click the below link and follow the instructions. Enjoy!

 Historic Photos Of Ely - A Look Back

First lots sold in Ely

 From a Facebook post by Ed Vavra

On June 5, 1872, the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Minnesota Railroad Co. treasurer, John F. Ely, signed over land owned by the railroad for public use as the village of Ely.

The town had been platted into 6 residential blocks consisting of 18 lots each. 3 blocks along each side of the railroad tracks were platted for businesses.

The first lot purchased was by Wesley Svacha on June 29th, 1872 for $100. Svacha would build a home and harness shop on this land where the library now sits.  He sold the house and harness business to Wesley Valenta in 1880.
 

House and harness shop (left) built by Wesley Svacha and sold to Wesley Valenta. This photo was taken in 1895 and shows the 3rd owners of the property, the Frank Hanzlik family. This was on land where the Ely Library is today.

 

The second lot was purchased for $1 by the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church whose congregation had built a church East of Ely around 1859. They had hoped to increase attendance and financial support and moved their building into town. Lack of a permanent preacher and no new membership forced the church to close in 1885.  Members of the St. John’s Lutheran church south of Ely purchased the building for $225 in 1886; this congregation still worships here today.

St. Johns Lutheran Church building around 1910. This building was originally built by a
Methodist congregation and located east of Ely.

 

John Dolezal built a saloon on a lot on the northwest corner of Dows and Walker streets.  He advertised a dance in his "newly furnished saloon" to be held on November 25, 1872. In addition to his saloon, Dolezal was also an early farm implement dealer in Ely until his death in 1879. His saloon was purchased by Frank Poduska in 1876 who operated it for the next 25 years.

 Poduska Saloon on Walker St. (far left) looking to the north from Dows St.

As Ely grew, men with an entrepreneurial spirit came from surrounding towns hoping to make their fortunes offering the business and services a new town would need.  Most of these "outsiders" did not make it long and the Bohemian presence in the surrounding area moved in to fill these needs as Ely grew over the next 20 years.