Press Bar & Parlor

Originally known as Acadia, (or “upper town”) St. Cloud’s first business sat on the very spot well over 100 years ago. Joseph Edelbrock’s General Store occupied the site where Joseph not only ran the store, he also acted as the first Postmaster, Mayor, Alderman, County Sheriff, Register of deeds and U.S. Marshal.  He built the building out of wood in 1855. The building also housed the first post office, the first St. Benedictine mass and first school room that taught a whopping 10 students.

That original building was tore down and rebuilt with wood and red brick and is what we still know as the Press Bar building. Before officially being called the Press Bar & Parlor in 1942, then owned by Fritz, “Fritzie” Frank, the building was used as D.B. Searle’s law office, a cigar store, a beauty parlor, retail and liquor store, pool hall, apartments, and most importantly, the St. Cloud Times, hence the name “The Press”.