Contributed photo
This photo which is not dated shows what would become Denny’s Food N Sport from across the railroad tracks in Henning. 

To the Editor,

When Denny’s (located on the corner of Inman and Holden) is demolished this winter, it will be the end of an era. 

The buildlng was built as a lumber yard back in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s (not sure of the year). It was a thriving business in 1914 (Dower Lumber Company) and survived as such until 1932. 

John Traub converted the business to a gas station and store and ran it until selling it to Art Fessenbecker and Isef Skjegstad in 1940. They ran the Highway Co. Gas & Grocery until 1953 when they sold to M.J.Trana (who died in 1967) and whose family ran Trana’s North Star until they sold it in 1976 to George Christenson who later sold it to Denny & Ellen Nosbish. 

The building has been modified and down-sized dramatically over the years. When the P.H. Gust elevator burned in October of 1948, the top monitor roof and rear of the building received fire damage and had to be removed. 

Denny has since enclosed the open drive-thru area for the pumps (which were relocated) and added a lean-to addition to the SW side of the building.

The old “bones” are still there. If only they could talk.

Marvin Trana