about

The Lincoln Depot Established in 1990

The Lincoln Depot was purchased in 1990 from the Grelsens. At the time of purchase, it was called
The Dew Drop Inn. It was a 3.2 only bar with a small two bedroom apartment attached. We derived
the name Lincoln Depot because of being located on Lincoln Avenue and the proximity to the railroad
tracks. We began remodeling immediately. The building was very old, with lathe and plaster, and
newspaper insulation dating back to the 1920’s. The more we dug into the demolition the more work we created.

The end result we gutted the building to the bare walls, completely rewired, re-plumbed,
reroofed (from a flat to a pitched), new windows and doors, tore down interior walls and rebuilt all the
floors. While shingling the roof, the last person to holler Train! when a train came, would have to
go down the ladder to get the next bundle of shingles. That is why even today, the first person that
hollers Train!, when a train goes by receives a free drink.

In the days of old, St. Cloud was a major railroad community. While this location was never a train
depot, we hoped our décor would create an ambiance to honor those memories. We put a lot of sweat
equity into the remodel with the help of many family members. After two months of remodeling we were
ready to open. The menu ideas came from my dad, Jimmy Lynch of Jimmy’s Pour House, as did the
whole idea of purchasing the Dew Drop. He thought it the perfect fit for a neighborhood bar and grill.
As we all know, Father knows best. Later in 1996 we added on, resided, and remodeled again. Over
the years we have heard many stories regarding the location. One in particular is about a man named
Frank Gould. He began as a grocery stand, then added on to become a pub, groceries and gambling hall.
He was a very nice and well-respected man in the area. Recently in the summer of 2007 we had a visit
from Frank Gould’s children, who are now in their 80’s. They were here for a family reunion. They
shared many stories with us. They were fascinated by how their old home looks today and were thrilled
with the tour we gave them. They also enjoyed the food as we hope you do. The Lincoln Depot is a
family-owned and operated business that makes us somewhat unique. We welcome all walks of life
with our hometown atmosphere and friendly staff.

~Thank you for your patronage! Mary Isaacs and Staff~