歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI 鈥� There will soon be a new look at the Third Street entrance to downtown Bemidji.

The Morell鈥檚 Chippewa Trading Post business has been sold and relocated, Morell鈥檚 owner Roxi Mann is retiring, and Kevin Johnson plans to move his myBemidji store into the Morell鈥檚 building at 301 Bemidji Ave. N.

The initial stages of the transition began on Monday, when the popular Native American statue that had been stationed outside of Morell鈥檚 since 1963 was taken down and began the journey to its new home at the American Giants Museum along historic Route 66 in Illinois.

Morell鈥檚, in business for nearly 79 years, is now owned by Marissa Annette and John Lambert. They have relocated the store to 1500 Bemidji Ave. N. and renamed it Morell鈥檚 Anishinaabe Trading Post. The store sells Native American merchandise, including Minnetonka Moccasins, but no longer carries some of the gift items that were sold at the old store.

鈥淥ne of the reasons we wanted to keep the name, especially since we were moving, is we wanted people to be able to find us,鈥� Annette said.

Mann, whose family has owned Morell鈥檚 since 1990, said she will sell some of the remaining gift items at vendor shows in the coming months as she eases into retirement.

鈥淚've been selling merchandise to other stores,鈥� Mann said. 鈥淏ut I still do have quite a few things and they're not things that other stores would probably want. I'll get rid of the stuff one way or another.鈥�

Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer

Meanwhile, Johnson was not planning to move his retail and graphic design business for the second time since 2023. But when the Morell鈥檚 building became available, that all changed.

鈥淚t's the prime location in Bemidji,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚t's the spot everybody wants. I think I would be a fool not to take it.鈥�

Annette and Lambert have been working at Morell鈥檚 for about two years with the hopes of purchasing the business. They learned of the opportunity through Annette鈥檚 father, whose handcrafted wooden feathers have been sold at Morell鈥檚.

鈥淚 bought from Marissa鈥檚 dad for many years,鈥� Mann said. 鈥淥nce when he was here, I was telling him that the business was for sale, and he said, 鈥業 may know someone.鈥� I'm just really happy that the kids are going to have the store. They've got their own views, they're young, and they鈥檝e got energy.鈥�

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Annette said they decided to name the store Morell鈥檚 Anishinaabe Trading Post to reflect her family鈥檚 heritage. A White Earth Band member, she grew up in Callaway, Minn., and attended Detroit Lakes High 歪歪漫画 and the Perpich Center for Arts Education.

鈥淚 prefer being referred to as Anishinaabe, and most of my family is the same way,鈥� she said.

Annette and Lambert met while both were working at a Fresh Thyme Market natural foods store in the Twin Cities. But the potential to have their own business brought them to Bemidji and Morell鈥檚.

鈥淚鈥檓 just excited to finally have it after two years in the making," Annette said.

Mann is just as excited about the changeover.

鈥淚 am feeling so liberated,鈥� Mann said. 鈥淚 might shed a tear the last day as I walk out the door, but really I'm just feeling good. There's an end in sight. I've loved it, but now it's time to have some more adventures.鈥�

Pioneer file photo

Maurice and Ella Ross started the business in a converted school bus parked on the south shore of Lake Bemidji in 1946, combining parts of their first names and calling it Morell鈥檚 Trading Post.

Two years later, they moved it to the former Lake Shore Hotel at Second Street and Bemidji Avenue. Lyle and Phyllis Wolter bought the store from the Rosses in 1973. The building was torn down in the 1980s, forcing Morell鈥檚 to move one block north to its current location. Roxi Mann鈥檚 parents, Ade and Evelyn, bought Morell鈥檚 in 1990, becoming the third family to own the business.

Kevin Johnson ran his Great River Design business for 20 years, mostly out of his home. The self-taught web designer created myBemidji in 2015 as a venture into the social media world.

Johnson operated from a LaunchPad site on the lower level of the Mayflower Building but eventually relocated to his first storefront at 318 Beltrami Ave. NW and began selling souvenirs and clothing.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have an intention of becoming a store,鈥� Johnson told the Pioneer in a 2023 interview. 鈥淏ut then I had a really cool logo that people wanted to see on merchandise, so I made a few hats. Those just flew out the door, and it kind of took off from there.鈥�

In the summer of 2023, he moved across the street to 317 Beltrami. He plans to transition all of his merchandise and equipment to the new location in the next month.

鈥淲hen I tell people that I'm going to move again, their eyes get real big and they say, 鈥楢re you insane? You just moved in here,鈥欌�� Johnson said. 鈥淭hen I tell them where it is and they get it.鈥�

He said the public can expect his new location to have an updated look both inside and out.

鈥淭he opportunities are endless,鈥� said Johnson, who is also president of the Bemidji Downtown Alliance. 鈥淚 keep thinking of new stuff I can come up with. I'm excited; it's going to be a whirlwind of activity.鈥�

Annalise Braught / Bemidji Pioneer