
Stop the City's Unlawful Shutdown of the Calumet
Donation protected
HELP! On March 10th, The City of Pipestone came in with zero notice & on bogus terms, slapped big red “condemned” signs on the doors, and SHUT US DOWN! According to every building expert and all five lawyers I have consulted, this “condemnation” was based on absolutely SHAM premises and was done in a horrifically UNLAWFUL way. All of Pipestone should be outraged! If they can do this to us, they will do it to you!
THEY HAVE SLICED OFF OUR INCOME that would otherwise fix very minor issues that no one was even aware of until the day before the shutdown. Now we have legal fees (to force the city to reverse the shutdown), utilities to pay, cancelled reservations, cancelled events, employees to pay and repairs to make.
You guys, we were just exiting our winter season and were so excited for the best summer bookings yet. And now this!
FRIENDS: We need help to keep our heart ticking. So this gorgeous building does not sit and rot, and get looted and vandalized like what happened to the Historic High School. This is literally the reality we are facing.
The City had ZERO proof that this building was “unsafe.” What they did was wrong, illegal, and harmful to our local economy. We have diligently and consistently worked to make sure this building is safe and up to code. The “condemnation” notice was mostly full of incredibly minor “violations” (most of which I’ve already had fixed by professionals—it literally took a matter of minutes for each item). There are a couple of other VERY manageable items that are due to be addressed this Monday, but these cost money!
We need to get the right people in here to get their assessments done, repairs made and get the doors opened back up before the utilities get shut off and we have no way of saving the Calumet.
Even one week of being closed and the stigma of a “condemned” building spells disaster for years to come! People are already cancelling huge reservations, parties, class reunions, tours, and deciding not to buy gift certificates.
Do you know how humiliating and painful it is to knock on beloved guests’ doors, explaining that the landmark they traveled so far to visit has now been CONDEMNED, and that they must evacuate immediately?? I had just given these folks a warm welcome, and now I’m kicking them out, one by one, and refunding their money! Unbelievable! One sweet elderly guest was kicked out of her king jacuzzi room…she had booked an entire week here for her birthday, because “there’s no other place I want to spend my birthday at than the Calumet”…it was literally her first day and she left absolutely bewildered and heart-shattered. We also had to kick out several long-term guests, causing a loss of long-term income, and we are still having to turn away several incoming reservations.
Employees who depend on their paychecks to put food in their families’ mouths are now also out of a job. This is causing us to lose many of our fully-trained and highly valuable employees, possibly forever. We spent a lot of time, energy and money training our crew, and some have already been forced to accept new jobs outside of Pipestone. Do you know how much heart and energy I put into gathering a cohesive team after 1.5 years of being here? Do you know how much these folks and their talents meant to me?
Things were looking up for us until last Tuesday.
The Calumet is in the midst of forming a 501c3 non-profit sub-entity that, in the future (if we can re-open), will help fund the ongoing renovations and upkeep of our historic building, as well as promote its significance. We are hoping to host more art, cultural, and other conferences. We were already hosting artists (with artist residencies) and promoting projects that were promoting the arts, culture and history of the area. We give discounts to Native Americans who come here for Sundance Festival, and we give discounts to those who come work at the Monument.
We are the CORNERSTONE, the gem, the lifeblood, to the famous Historic Downtown District—which are primarily buildings made from the famous Sioux Quartzite. Sioux Quartzite is what the Native American quarriers have to break through before getting to the layer of holy Pipestone. The Pipestone from the quarries is the most famous and sacred stone for Native American peace pipes. “Calumet” was a word used by French fur traders to describe these pipes. Without the Calumet, the historic district would not be nearly as grand.
The Calumet is very significant to the history of Pipestone and the world. The meetings to form the Pipestone National Monument (the only place on earth where the sacred red catlinite is found) took place in the Calumet Inn. Many dignitaries and travelers, including Charles Lindberg, have stayed and/or dined here over 131 years.
Harvey Sampson was a previous proprietor and resident of the Calumet. Harvey lived here with his wife and children. One of those children grew up to be the "Paratrooper Padre" MG Francis L. Sampson. Sampson was the real character that the film "Saving Private Ryan" was loosely based on.
This is just a tiny portion of the Calumet’s history. People come from all over the world to visit us.
We need to save it. A huge part of American history is at risk of being lost forever. Please help give what you can.
Please include your name. If you don’t, at least give your name and contact information to one of our organizers.
When everything is done and we are re-opened; we would like to put a MEMORIAL PLAQUE at the Calumet with the names of all the people at this critical moment in time that stepped up to save this building. We would also like to pay you back with a FREE HOTEL STAY in the future for your donations. Thank you so much for your support!!!!!
Forever grateful for your kindness,
With SO much love and gratitude,
Tammy Grubbs
Organizer
Tammy Grubbs
Organizer
Pipestone, MN