"After lumber milling ceased at St. Anthony Falls, there was no need to keep lumber supply yards near the river. In the early 20th century, east Como was home to a number of such yards. They had rail spurs near major railroad lines that brought lumber from Canada, the West Coast, and the South. In the late 1920s Bernt Eidsmo, an immigrant Norwegian carpenter, bought the fuel and lumber yard at 3011 Como Ave. SE that had belonged to the Home Supply Co.

Beginning in 1945, Eidsmo watched as the University of Minnesota used its power of eminent domain to take land to the west and south of his yard as sites for temporary veterans’ housing. The University gave two ex-G.I.s just several days to get their small sign-painting business off land it bought across Como Ave. from Eidsmo; he immediately built them a shack on his own lot for their business.

Then, one Thursday in 1946, two “suits” from the University visited Eidsmo at his lumberyard; they wanted to buy his land and his business. One of the “suits” was Vice

President Middlebrook, who realized that Eidsmo had no idea of the post-war value of his fine hardwood lumber. The University began to write up a formal offer to buy Eidsmo’s land, buildings, and all his stock for an amount that Middlebrook knew was far below its market value. Eidsmo would have to go back to his carpentry for a living.

Two days later, that Saturday, there was a tragic accident at the lumberyard. The raised bed of Bernt Eidsmo’s dump truck collapsed on him, killing him.

The University made his widow a low-ball offer to buy the business and the land, but generously agreed to Mrs. Eidsmo’s request that she be allowed to keep her deceased husband’s car and his personal carpentry tools."

Como People of the Past article

By Connie Sullivan

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