Glimpse: History of Salet's Department Store

Edie Schmierbach, The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
·2 min read

Dec. 18—Russian immigrant Leon Salet came to Minnesota in 1892 with his wife and two sons. He sold goods off a horse-drawn cart from farm to farm before 1896, when he opened a menswear store on Front Street in Mankato, near its intersection with East Main Street.

His son Louis joined the business in 1914. In 1917, they opened another store, Salet's Department Store.

The two stores were near each other, which made it convenient for customers who wanted to shop at both establishments.

After many years of doing business in Mankato, the Salets began to branch out into other locations. In 1929, a Salet's department store opened in Owatonna. A third department store opened in Winona in the 1930s.

By the 1940s, the Salets had stores in Mankato, Owatonna, Winona, Rochester, New Ulm and South St. Paul.

In 1935, the Mankato building was remodeled. New display tables and new clothing racks were installed on both floors and the building's lighting was updated.

The basement of the store also underwent renovation at this time. It was common for early department stores to have basements where customers could shop.

In 1950, Leon Salet left the company and Louis Salet became the owner.

Continuing the tradition of the store being operated by father and son, Richard Salet joined Louis' business.

They ran the business together until 1963, when Louis died.

Starting in the 1960s, the Salets began closing various stores. Richard managed the Mankato store until 1973, when it closed.

Urban renewal that began in Mankato during the 1970s may have helped some of the businesses in the downtown area, but not Salet's.

Richard Salet announced in 1973 that his store, slated for demolition to make way for the Veterans Memorial Bridge, would not be relocating.

Many of his employees were retiring and Richard did not want to hire new people. He thought a new building would be too much of an investment for the store.

In 1974, a year after the store closed, the building Salet's had occupied was torn down.

For more information, stop by Blue Earth County Historical Society's Museum, call 345-5566 or visit: BlueEarthCountyHistory.com.