This building used to house the post office for Mendota, MN — a little city just south of the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. Mendota is an interesting place with quite a bit history: not only was it one of the first locations in the region to be settled by Europeans, and before that, of great significance to the Dakota people, for a while it was also home to The Emporium of Jazz; the Twin Cities destination for New Orleans jazz.

However, the Mendota I remember visiting in my childhood is a run-down little collection of buildings down by the river — whose main attractions were a strip club, a failing restaraunt called the “Ragin’ Cajun” (in the building that used to house The Emporium of Jazz), and a post office. I also remember the scandal that ensued when people renting out the back of the post office building were busted for growing a pretty substantial crop of Cannabis.

I snapped this picture as we passed the building on Mother’s Day. Within the last 10 years the area has more recently undergone a bit of gentrification, with some fancier restaurants opening up (I joined my mom for lunch in a building that used to be the strip club). While you can’t go to the old post office building to buy stamps (or drugs) anymore, I was glad that the new owners are still using it for their own form of public service.

(For anyone interested in learning more about Mendota’s history, it looks like there’s a walking tour next Monday)