If These Walls Could Talk: Preserving the character of downtown Bemidji

Third Street 1917.jpg — This 1917 photo looking west on Third Street shows a number of wood-framed buildings, but two of Bemidji's most historic brick structures can be seen in the background. They are the Dalton Hotel (now Patterson's Clothing) and Northern National Bank (now the Northwest Minnesota Foundation).

By Dennis Doeden

August 26, 2023 at 4:20 AM

Editor's note: This is part of a 15-story series titled "If These Walls Could Talk" completed by Pioneer reporters with help from the Beltrami County Historical Society for our 2023 Annual Report.

Mitch Rautio loves downtown Bemidji, and he鈥檚 on a mission to preserve the character of some of the older buildings that he owns.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so nice to keep the buildings as close to original as possible within reason,鈥� Rautio said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have all the character of the downtown. Nothing against Maple Grove; what did they try to create? They tried to create an old-looking downtown. We have it. Let鈥檚 keep it.鈥�

Rautio came to Bemidji from his hometown of New York Mills in 1991 to attend Bemidji State University, where he studied construction management and played football and baseball. He met his wife, Janna, at BSU.

They lived in the Twin Cities for a few years but returned to Bemidji and bought Keg N鈥� Cork Irish pub, which they owned for 18 years. They still own the building but sold the restaurant in 2019.

鈥淎bout halfway through that I realized you never put enough money away for retirement,鈥� Rautio said. 鈥淢y life and what I went to school for was construction. So I decided to start buying buildings, fixing them up, renting them out and just getting them to cash flow for themselves.鈥�

Besides Keg N鈥� Cork, he now owns another seven buildings downtown, including the M.E. Ibertson building at 405 Beltrami Ave. NW. Rautio runs his businesses 鈥� Specklebelly Properties, Puddle Duck Properties and Back Country Construction 鈥� from offices on the second floor of the Ibertson building.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e all been downtown just because it鈥檚 a wonderful place,鈥� Rautio said. 鈥淲e love the downtown through and through.鈥�

Gill Shoes.png — Crazy Days shoppers fill the sidewalks on Beltrami Avenue in this undated photo. Among the businesses shown are J.C. Penney's (now the Headwaters Science Center), Steve's Cafe (now Wasabi) and Gill's Shoe Store (now Formalities).

The Ibertson building site, known as Block 11, Lot 10 of the Original Townsite, was purchased for $100 in 1899, three years after the village of Bemidji was incorporated. Like many early buildings downtown, the original structure was made of wood.

M.E. Ibertson lived in that building and in 1907 opened a funeral home there. Ten years later he decided to construct a new brick building on the site.

A Bemidji Pioneer story in 1917 reads:

鈥淢.E. Ibertson isn鈥檛 holding back in his intention to erect his contemplated handsome brick business building, to be two stories and replace the present frame structure on

Beltrami Avenue. 鈥� The frame structure will be moved undoubtedly to the rear of the lot, to make way for the new brick structure.

鈥淭he building will be modern in every detail and on the second floor will be offices. The steel for the new building has been purchased and is scheduled to arrive soon.

When completed, the building will have involved an approximate outlay of $10,000 and will be a welcome addition to the business district.鈥�

In 1936, Ibertson moved his funeral home to a new site at Bemidji Avenue and 10th Street, and a Coast to Coast store opened in the Ibertson building.

Ibertson 1932.jpg — The Ibertson building at 405 Beltrami Ave. NW next door to Johnson Corner Drug is shown in this 1932 photo from the American Legion parade.

Dean and Donna Beattie of Lake Region Paint and Decorating Center bought the building in 1989 and opened Downtown Decorating, which they ran until 1996. Later, Snow Goose Gifts moved from Union Square to the Ibertson building and remained there until 2006.

Paul Iverson, who owned Iverson Corner Drug next door, bought the building in 2006 for his Progressive Health Care business. In 2011, structural damage was discovered on the front of the building. A metal support beam had rusted through and the entire brick front had to be replaced.

鈥淲e redid the front exactly to the way it was before,鈥� Iverson said. The name M.E. Ibertson was replicated near the top.

Minnesota Public Radio鈥檚 Bemidji operations were on the second floor of the building for many years. Sadie Rae鈥檚 Quilt Shop has been located on the main floor since 2021 but will be moving out and relocating to Wilton next month.

Rautio bought the building from Iverson in 2021. He鈥檚 optimistic about the positive changes he is seeing in downtown Bemidji.

鈥淚 have a goal to put a historical plaque on the front of each one of my buildings,鈥� Rautio said, 鈥渨ith information about when it was built and what it was built for. I think there are currently some new building owners downtown who are excited about revitalizing things. We have such a jewel to be on the lake.鈥�

By Dennis Doeden

Dennis Doeden, former publisher of the Bemidji Pioneer, is a feature reporter. He is a graduate of Metropolitan State University with a degree in Communications Management.