The Store
At Kay's Attic, we take your consignments, recycle them and send you a check. Kay carefully looks at going prices and tries to get the best price for both consignor and consignee, while making life affordable again to those who appreciate recycling. Click on "recycle" in the navigation bar to learn more about what Kay means!
Jodi Deboer and Loretta Nelson of "Remember When" are notable consignors of "Shabby Chic" and other fascinating items that bring back memories. Click on "Shabby Chic" in the navigation bar for ideas! Check out "photos" in the navigation bar to see Jodi and Loretta - Crookston residents!
In the store, you'll find the layout of an old fashioned downtown department store. Our displays include everything from Vintage Linens to Antique Hand Tools. Click on "About Us" in the navigation bar to read about the history and extensive renovations of our historic building. Stop in today - we have all our Valentine's items, a lot of them are vintage! out on display.
Our Story
The store is located at 111 West Robert Street in Crookston, Minnesota. The building dates back to 1890. Most known for its S & L department store days, and more recently as the Quist Trading Post (lots of vintage war items, other second hand items), it is located right in the middle of downtown Crookston...
Kay bought the building in the spring of 2005 from Lyle Quist. She wanted to accent the pressed "tin" (really iron) ceiling and wanted lots of light and brightness. She called on longtime friend, Gail Myers, a registered Interior Designer for help. After Kay picked the metallic copper/rose for the ceiling, Gail designed the walls to look like an attic with wallpaper. Kay did a lot of the painting, but as she says, "It takes a village to start a business in Crookston." Plus she relied on helpers from the local shelter, next door neighbor, "Chumley" Kieth Oin from Crookston Paint & Glass, and good friends like Pam Applequist of Crookston, and her daughters, Lydia and Sara Hegge. Ethan Hegge, her 10 year old son at the time helped too.
After things got cleared out and the cleaning and painting done, Kay had a tough decision to make: Clean and wax the tile floor that didn't fit the color scheme or tear out the floor, and the coatings underneath. The glue was the hardest part. It some areas, we had to get on hands and knees and scrape with a razor blade. Harold from the Shelter was of immeasurable help with this and with sanding the edges of the beautiful hardwood maple floor. Harold progressed some too and started speaking to people and laughing again. At last the day came when Kay could put the tung oil finish on the floor. It was Christmas Day 2005! With help from more good friends, like John Reitmeier we opened on March 3, 2006, earlier than planned, but we needed to run a petition to save the former Palace (Wayne) Hotel on Second street in Crookston. With assistance from Cindy Altepeter (my angel, volunteer and good friend) we have continued to improve the store daily. It is indeed well-lit and bright. Come see!
Click on "About Kay" to learn about Kay's non-profit business - the Prairie Skyline Foundation.
History of the Union Building
| Year | |
|---|---|
| 1878 | Robert Houston sold lot to Fletcher & Loring. |
| 1879 | Alex McKinnon bought the land from Fletcher & Loring for $400 then sold it a month later for $250. |
| 1890 | Alex McKinnon bought the land back for $2350 and built the building. |
| 1893 | Odd Fellows Block. |
| 1899-1900 | C.G. Baldwin, Jr. & Co. |
| 1904 | Singer Mfg Co., and Iverson Sisters on main floor, Offices of A.C. Clausen, A.A. Just, A.W. McKinnon, C.H. Mix, Peter Schneider upstairs. |
| 1908 | Iverson Sisters entire commercial floor, Queen City Business College upstairs? |
| 1911 | Golden Rule Bazaar – Women’s Clothing & Dry Goods – entire commercial floor. |
| 1915 | Cowley & Holmboe Co. probably upstairs. |
| 1930 | Charles E. Lewis, dentist, Thos Mortenson Beauty Parlor probably shared main floor. |
| 1935 | Coast to Coast Hardware and Hartz Store shared main floor. |
| 1942 | S & L Department Store used all the space and redid the storefront into one bay. |
| 1970 | Named Union Building. |
| 1972 | Tiny Tiger Store. |
| 1973-1976 | Vacant. |
| 1976-2006 | Quist’s Trading Post. |
| 2006 | Kay's Attic & Antique Emporium! |
Union Building
