Iron Horse
There were several music venues located at 5630-36 Lakeland Ave. in Crystal.
- Scandia Supper Club: October 9, 1961 to May 1964
- Crystal Coach: April 1966 to March 1969
- Rusty Nail: March 1969 to 1997
- Iron Horse: July 1977 to January 25-26, 1997
SCANDIA SUPPER CLUB
Leonard Nordquist built the building in 1961. By 1962 he had run out of money and was selling an interest in the business in order to raise the capital needed to complete the piano room, etc. The building had two stories.
October 22, 1961
March 7, 1963
THE CRYSTAL COACH
The Crystal Coach was owned by Bob Stein of Winona. It opened to the sounds of Irv Williams and his combo, 7 nights a week. In 1967 you could dance nightly to the Mel Calvert Trio.
Hmmm….. The Mann Act is a law that puts a man in Federal Prison if he transports an underage girl across state lines for nefarious purposes. The name of this duo probably wouldn’t fly today!
December 24, 1967
There was also Go-Go dancing downstairs, featuring the Checkmates.
October 13, 1968
RUSTY NAIL
The Rusty Nail was owned by Virgil Miller. Miller was remodeling in March 1969.
March 21, 1969
June 20, 1969
In 1970 the Main Lounge featured the Riverboat Ramblers, and the Lower Lounge featured the more outa sight sounding Sea of Tranquility.
February 10, 1972
IRON HORSE
Virgil Miller sold the club to Phil Eder in January 1977. The Iron Horse opened in July 1977.
1977
Michael J. Paepke offers this memory of the Iron Horse:
Two unforgettable performances come to mind: “Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush,” where I stood right in front of his mic stand the entire show watching his hands, and the “Pat Travers Band,” kickin’ my ass playing every one of his hits! Great venue to see live music, excellent sound, tons of memories! I really miss the EMBER’S restaurant right down the street where all the bands used to hang after their shows – tons of hair-spray, leather and denim!
Photo of a very foxy Lonnie Knight posted by Robert Burtis.
The view inside the Iron Horse in 1982, also courtesy Robert Burtis
Flier courtesy Sandra Kenyon
The Iron Horse became famous for its noontime lingerie shows where scantily clad models entertained. Jesse Ventura briefly worked at a bouncer there.
The last musical genre presented at the Iron Horse was Heavy Metal Hair Bands. Its demise over the weekend of January 25, 1997, was reported in the Strib by Jim Meyer (January 24, 1997).
The building apparently ceased to be a music venue when the Iron Horse closed.