Aug. 15, 2016
The triangular shaped plot of land greeting those who enter McCleary from the east was at one time the home of a business establishment called-- The Triangle. I understand it changed hands several times and served different functions, including that of a restaurant, grocery store, and gas station. One old timer told me he thought the Tornquists ran it for awhile and had a pet monkey in the store.
By the mid-1950s the building had become derelict and was torn down. The City acquired the plot and named it Eddie Biers Park, after Edward F. Biers (1914-1979), former Simpson employee, City employee, and Korean War veteran. At some point in the last decade or so the Eddie Biers Park sign has been taken down and few remember it is in fact a named piece of public land.
Main St., to the left, was the main artery into McCleary until the automobile became dominant, ca. 1910, and the road was deemed too close to the school. So 3rd St., to the right, became the "main" street.
McCleary has weird plats anyway. Ever notice how most of the alleys on the east end of town are north-south, and those west of 4th St. are east-west? The Third Addition (Ash St.) are north-south.
And speaking of monkeys, I believe there was a story about a pet monkey running loose in McCleary in the 1960s and about half the town was chasing this little critter all day before it was finally nabbed. I recall hearing about it at the time and wish I could've seen the fun.
