Early Context & City History

The area now known as Pine City sits along the Snake River, in what was originally Ojibwe and Dakota land. Over time, as European settlers moved in, lumber and logging became a dominant industry in this region. Pine City was platted in 1869 and incorporated in 1881, and grew around rail and lumber trade. The City has many things to offer its residents and visitors - it was a wonderful place to grow up! See more on the city website here.

History at 615 3rd Ave SW

Thanks to the Pine City Area History Association, there is a detailed history of our location in Pine City. Similar to us, the original business at this location was started by siblings Anna Janecek Lahodney (recently widowed) and her sister Mary Janecek. The sisters put in the original building and started a millinery (women’s hats) and dress shop. Their purchase of the land from Hurley and Hodge, on the backside of Hetzenecker’s saloon, was announced in the Pine City Pioneer February 25, 1898. Ms. Lahodney and Ms. Janececk traveled twice a year to both the Twin Cities and Chicago to bring back recent fashions and the finest hats to Pine City. In 1947, after Anna passed away, her daughter, Ella took over running the shop and it had a good run for about 30 years. In 1978, the hat & dress shop was torn down and in 1981, our current building was constructed by John and Avis Bible. The Pine Abstract Company, managed by Avis, occupied the building until April 28, 2023. Pam and Steve Wiener purchased the business and the building from the Bibles in 1994 and Pam managed the business until it’s closure. Also during this time period, the bottom floor was occupied by Swanson & Spear law firm. We purchased the building from Pam and Steve on October 9, 2025 and the layout is absolutely perfect for offices and sharespaces. We look forward to continuing the community benefit and history in this location.

More history about various addresses and Pine City is available at the Pine City Area History Association website, including historical maps, images, and digital galleries. Local museums include the Rural School, and the Pine County Historical Society Museum. We are incorporating local and our location history into various aspects of Snake River Sharespace, so be on the lookout for them when you visit.