BEMIDJI — It once was a happening place, a town square of sorts.

That was a few decades ago. Now, the Paul Bunyan Mall is pretty quiet, with at least 10 empty spaces and two more stores planning to leave soon. JCPenney is the only remaining anchor store from when the mall opened nearly 50 years ago.

A recent weekday at the mall included a few customers getting their hair or nails done, a handful of shoppers checking out thrift stores, and two couples taking their daily walk through the corridors.

“It’s always 72 and sunny in the Paul Bunyan Mall,” were words from a jingle the shopping center used in its early years. Back then, the mall included locally owned stores like Patterson’s Clothing, Thomas Drug, Ken K. Thompson Jewelry and Dairy Queen. It even had a couple of local eateries, Sa

See Full Page