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The Brainerd Brewing Co. began in 1880 as a brewery on the east shore of Boom Lake near where Kiwanis Park is today. The beer was mostly enjoyed locally. But Prohibition put an end to the brewery in 1914.
Brainerd’s historic water tower was built over a four-year period from 1919 to 1922. The iconic structure near the downtown area has come to represent Brainerd even though it is not used to hold water anymore and it is in disrepair with ongoing efforts to save the landmark structure.
Design Consign, a high-end consignment store in downtown Brainerd, is housed in a former bank building that was shot up by gangster Baby Face Nelson in the 1930s. The current owners preserved some of that history with window overlays and have kept remnants of the building that were left with bullet holes.