Leng’s Fountain

Leng’s Fountain was THE place to go in Grand Marais when I was a kid in the 70s and early 80s. It was a classic soda fountain and they had a huge selection of comic books and magazines. And their cherry cokes and fresh raspberry sundaes were amazing. I remember spinning on the stools and sitting on the floor for hours looking at Casper and Archie comics. It was the destination my brother and I would walk to from our family cabin that was up the road just on the outskirts of Grand Marais. It wasn’t until I was looking for photos of Leng’s Fountain (which is now a T-shirt shop) that I found links to an oral history project focused on Leng’s Fountain (https://archive.wtip.org/content/remembering-lengs-fountain) and realized how special this place and the Leng family were to so many people. While Leng’s is long closed, on the side of the building there remains a mural to remind us of what once was. I’m grateful that the city of Grand Marais and the building owner have preserved this remembrance.