Aerial view of the Southview Country Club in West St. Paul in 1951 and 2021

Then & Now: Southview Country Club

Thanks to Southview Garden Center for their support.

Here’s a look at two aerial photos of Southview Country Club 70 years apart.

Then: 1951

(Photo credit: Minnesota Historical Society by Ver Keljik)

In this historic aerial view looking southwest, Southview Country Club dominates the center of the frame. Mendota Road runs across the frame and intersects with Robert Street. What’s now Highway 62 is at the top of the image. Carol Lane is at the lower right with then-new houses going in. What looks like a curved structure just above the center of the frame is the Corral Drive-In. At the very top right you can see Sunfish Lake. Top left is Schmidt Lake. The clump of trees in the lower middle is what is now Southview Park.

The history of Southview Country Club goes back to its founding in 1919.

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Now: 2021

In 1951 there was very little development at the corner of Robert and Mendota, but now it’s exploded. On the left side is Home Depot, Office Max, Walgreens, and Aldi. On the left side the building with the blue stripe is Twin Cities Magic & Costume and then Southview Animal Hospital, Bank of America, AT&T, and Petsmart. Across the street is Cub Foods. The multi-story building on the far right is the Dakota County Northern Service Center. The car dealerships of Inver Grove Heights are also visible. In the foreground we can see the tennis courts of Southview Park and the very edge of Carol Lane, mostly obscured by trees.

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