Land for the park was donated by the Janesville American Legion and Fire Department in 1928. The Chicago and Northwestern Railroad donated the south portion of the park land. The park is home to a Veteran’s memorial monument donated in 1955 and the Veteran’s Memorial pavilion built in 2008 by members of the Janesville American Legion and community members.

Doll in the Window:  For years, a haunting image of a child peered down from the attic window of the house owned by Ward Wendt, rumored to be the site of the first house erected in Janesville. The doll became a tourist destination and attracted thousands of people until the owner died in 2012. The legends grew and took on a life of their own as the many tales were spun that told a story of why the doll was placed there. The doll currently resides with friends of the owner. 

Janesville Creamery to the South:  The Janesville Cooperative Creamery was formed in 1895. The new creamery was built on this site in 1918 by Charles Arnoldt. The building was torn down in the early 1990’s and there is a single-family residence on the property. Imperial Gas Station On the west side of Janesville Built by Pure Oil in about 1932 by Julius Kopischke and Walt Kohlmeier. Later known as G & S Gas, managed by Robert Westphal from 1961-1973 and then by Mike Lund. For many years this was one of the last full-service gas stations in Janesville. It has been replaced by a residence moved in from East Third and Teal. 

Bee Bearded Man:  Beekeeper Charles Hofmann (1908-2009) was the owner of the historic Hofmann Honey Apiary, north of Janesville on East Elysian Lake Road/County Road 3 on 420th Ave. He is shown here riding in the Janesville 1956 Centennial Parade. The apiary is now owned by his son, Larry Hofmann, and it has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Carnegie Library:  Built in 1912 with the help of philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. The building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It is one of the few remaining Carnegie Library buildings that continues to operate as a community public library.

Shell Gas Station:  The original building was moved in from Old Town in 1870. After the East Janesville fire of 1887, a new brick building was erected on this site that has been home to various oil and gas stations, a construction business, a corner café, known as Frenchie’s Café, a tire service, power washing and repair service. It was operated by the Strunk family as Janesville Oil for 30 years. It is currently serving Janesville as a laundromat. 

Janesville Fire Co. No. 1 was organized in 1894:  The Fire Department equipment shown here was housed in the Power Plant building built in 1931. The old water tank (tower) is in the background. A new fire barn was built across the street at 301 N. Main in 1978 on the site of the DeGraff Hotel. After the closing of the hotel, the building served as the Janesville Hatchery for several years until it was torn down and replaced by the current, modern Fire Barn which was built in 2015. The Janesville Fire Department is an all volunteer department. 

Fury’s Barber Shop:  John Fury bought this shop in August of 1946. He and his wife, Ruth, lived in the apartment while having six children after which they moved to a home on Main Street. Along with the barbershop there was a beauty shop as well. John’s son, Jim, bought the shop in the fall of 1976. Jim still cuts hair and once again, there is another beauty shop there as well. John passed away in 1981. 

Janesville Main Street July 4, 1895: Businesses began to line the street in East Janesville beginning with the first building in the late 1860s on the southwest corner of Main and First Streets. A fire destroyed almost every wooden building along Main Street in 1887. This July 4th photo shows a Main Street parade eight years after the fire. The buildings in the background are the hardware store and hotel and are facing east. 

In 2017 the new, JWP athletic complex was completed with a rubberized track and artificial turf football field. Also included in the complex is a turf softball field, new seating, a concession stand, and bathrooms. 

Janesville Opera House/Town Hall:  The Opera House was built in 1878. It was the site of many cultural events, concerts, social programs and traveling performers for many decades. It also served as the Town Hall.  Then in the 1940s, it housed a satellite factory of the Minneapolis Knitting Works for about four years.  The building was later used by the Janesville School District for additional classrooms. It was razed in 1968 to make room for the new Janesville Medical Clinic. 

Janesville High School 1907: The first public school opened in 1870. In 1885, the Janesville School District #76 built the brick veneer two story four room building seen on the right. In 1896, the section seen on the left was added. This structure was replaced in 1964 with the current high school. There was additional remodeling in 1998, and today you see the modern building that houses District #2835 JWP K-12 students and special programs. 

Lake Elysian Sportsmen’s Fishing Contest:  Lake Elysian is located about two miles north of Janesville, via North Main Street. Beginning in 1956, the Smiths Mill-Janesville Sportsmen’s Club sponsored an annual fishing contest. The fishing contest continued into the late 1980s. The organization is no longer in existence. 

Threshing Machine River Incident: The threshing machine was a breakthrough invention for our farming community. With their extreme weight ranging from 12 to 20 tons, bridges of the 19th century were often not strong enough to support them as they crossed, often resulting in both loss of life and equipment. 

Horses and Steam Engine at Sawmill at Unknown Location:  Several sawmills operated near Janesville in the late 1800s. One nearby mill was built by Peter Smith of Smiths Mill in 1873. The C & NW Railway was near enough to take on the native lumber that was processed at this mill. The DeGraff farm west of the Lake Elysian outlet set up a lumber mill and cleared all the timber on that property. 

Janesville Street Commissioner Ken Lau (1928-1987):  Ken was a long time Janesville resident and well respected by the community. He was a hard worker and known to always lend a helping hand when needed. As a longtime city employee, he retired in 1987. The Lau family home sits on the corner. 

Janesville Policeman Bill Schoeb (1909-1997):  Bill Schoeb, Janesville police officer, is standing by a 1959 Ford which was a new Police Car for Janesville. Bill was on the Police force for 8 years from 1959 through 1967. After leaving the police force, he was hired as a night custodian at the Janesville School by Darwin Lochner, then superintendent, and worked from 1969 through 1974. 

Janesville Baseball Town Team ca 1908:  Backrow: Davis, Jones, Murphy, Arnold, Shepard, Hagen, Wilkinson, Lynch and Shepard. John Byron, team manager and Janesville Bank owner, is third from right in back row. In front right, bat boy, John F. Byron, son of the team manager.  Photographer, A. S. Hellebo

Janesville Baseball Team ca 1920: Team members posed in front of Janesville High School Identified players: Joe Byron, Lyle Morrill, Frank Barden, Russ Strunk, Herb Finley, E. Volz, W. Scott, Walt Buyer, Sig Gilday, Pip Webbe and Carl Aaberg.  Photographer, A. S. Hellebo 

Janesville Baseball Team 1912:  1912 baseball players in action, likely a Janesville town team.  Photographer Benny C. Barber

St. Ann’s Catholic Church:  The church of St. Ann was built in 1876 New St. Ann school dedicated in 1961; replaced by new parish hall in 2022. Extensive renovations to church building in 1974-1976 during it’s Centennial Year. Father Clayton Haberman, shown here, served during the 1970s. He passed away in 2019. 

United Methodist Church Building 1878-1965 Faith Lutheran Church (ELCA) 1965-2005:  The church was sold and became the Steeple Apartment Duplex in 2017. A new fellowship hall was constructed in 2006 on the east side of town with a chapel being constructed in 2012. 

Janesville United Methodist Church:  Groundbreaking ceremony in 1965. First service was held in 1966 and continues to serve the Methodist community here with Pastor Kathy King. 

Trinity Lutheran Church (MO Synod): First frame building erected in 1885. Present brick structure erected in 1923. A new disciplining center was added in 2005. 

St. John’s Episcopal Church:  St. John’s Episcopal Church building stood on this corner from 1875 until 1996 when it was torn down. Prior to 1996 it was an antique store owned by local residents. The property is serving as a parking lot for St. Ann Catholic Church. 

Jennison Bank at 100 N. Main:  The bank opened in 1894 in this corner building. In 1926, Jennison merged with the Citizen’s Bank and changed its name to Janesville State Bank. It opened in the new building erected on the corner of North Main and First Streets where the Janesville State Bank still operates. The old corner bank building subsequently housed a funeral home, meat market and a meat locker plant. It is now an established antique shop known as Ms. Macs. The Citizen’s Bank that was located at 127 N. Main, housed a meat market and the Janesville Post Office until 1967. 

Jennison Bros. Banner Flour Mill built in 1873: In 1877, a Mower County Diadem Mill was dismantled and moved to Janesville where it later merged and was operated with the Banner Mill under one roof. In 1916, it was sold to the Empire Milling Co. At the time of its closing in 1930, the whole structure was nearly a block long and stood five stories high. In the early 1900s, the historic old Banner Mill was torn down. Its old storehouse opened at the Janesville Feed Mill until it too was torn down. 

Star Theatre:  This property was first owned by Emil Diudonne as a farm implement store. In 1938, the building was sold to Sully and Mathilda Walthers who rebuilt it and opened it as the “Star Theatre” that operated until about 1955. Radio and appliance businesses, a Minnesota Natural Gas Co. center, the Radke Plumbing & Heating business, a mail order business and “Jethro’s” entertainment center were the last businesses to occupy this space. 

Businesses shown here in the 100 block of North Main Street include Bill’s Bar owned by Willard Arndt, Arnoldt Furniture and Funeral Home and the Werdin & Schmidt Clothing Store. Vinson Hardware was located on the first floor of the corner Miner building which closed in 1970. The next business to open in this space was a restaurant called the Heritage House. It is now the office of State Farm Insurance with apartments above. 

Janesville Citizens Bank:  Building built in 1909 and operated as a bank until 1926. In 1927 it operated as a meat market and then the village post office until 1967. 

Janesville Dairy Queen:  Since 1956, the Dairy Queen has operated at the same site by various owners. Original vintage 1950s DQ sign. 

Main Street Funeral Procession for Al Yonke 1914:  Main Street looking north; buildings and businesses in view: Hirscher Drug Store, The Wonder Store, Davidsons, Gilday’s (current Law Office), Thielke store, Rogers building, Dooley Cream Station, Carnegie Library, City Hall/Opera House/ Baptist Church. Notice the hitching posts on the street. 

Johansen’s Frozen Food Lockers 1950: Former Jennison Bank, then a Gosewich funeral parlor until 1937 when it became a meat market owned first by Joe Dugan and then by Joney Olson. Axel Johansen purchased this building in 1946 and operated a grocery and meat market until his son Ken became the sole owner in 1961. Ken remodeled the building into a complete meat processing plant. Standing in the store are Axel Johansen and his son Ken Johansen. It is currently the site of an antique store, Ms. Macs.

Downtown Street View Facing South 

Downtown Windmill:  Although it can’t be confirmed, it is believed this is a photo of a windmill by the Janesville Railroad Depot Downtown.

Janesville Facing North:  In view, 1909 Water Tower behind the Power Plant at 219 N. Mott Street. Aerial photo as seen from the height of the our mill near the railroad tracks. Businesses and buildings on the west side of Main Street can be identified starting from Front Street and going north; Lake Elysian in the far distance about three miles out.