2016 White Bear Lake Manitou Days Hunt

The first clue invited all to join in pursuit of the treasure medallion. Many residents may have heard that the Pioneer Press Treasure Medallion was hidden in Bald Eagle Lake Park in January (or even tried their chance in finding it!). Quite ironically, we had already chosen our hiding place in the same neck of the woods and had written our clues for this summer – only to have many of the landmarks we had named also be used in the Winter Carnival clues. So, we moved to a different location for this year’s hunt. The last line of the clue told hunters that this year’s treasure was not hidden far from a spot previously used; in 2012, the medallion was hidden just across Highway 61 near the depot. “Blue” pointed to the Blue Spruce under which the medallion was cast. Lastly, our site also had a connection to Ma Barker. She was born with the name Arizona Donnie Clark. Clark Avenue was just south of our chosen hiding spot.

Manitou Day’s theme this year is “Musical Bears,” as was mentioned in the first line and music was the subject for the entire first half of the clue. The gazebo is an outdoor playground for musicians and those who enjoy listening to music, especially during Manitou Days. “Staying in shape” also referred to the fact that the medallion was hidden at Washington SQUARE. The second stanza referred to the large amounts of construction in the area this year and, specifically, an orange construction sign on southbound Highway 61 warning of major work near Highway 96 and Interstate 35E. Hunters should avoid any construction areas. “Bumpy road near the treasure” referred to the Cobblestone Café, just east of the hiding place.

When the first European settlers arrived, they would have seen several Native American burial mounds along the west shore of the lake. The largest mound was located at the end of Shady Lane (“shady tale”). Before it’s destruction in 1889, a scientist from New York visited William Markoe, who owned the property where the mound was located, and said that the city of New York would pay $1,000,000 if the mound could be moved to Central Park via raft. When this plan never came to fruition, the mound was destroyed (“razed after a raft couldn’t disembark”). After the remains and artifacts had been exhumed, they needed to be moved to another permanent location (although two bodies were reinterred by Markoe on the property at 4581 Lake Avenue). There was a plan to move them to Railroad Park (“move the sacral here?”) but, because residents were ashamed of the decision to destroy the sacred land, they were instead reinterred in the southwest corner of Union Cemetery near Park Avenue. The second stanza referred to two features that one could have seen if transported to the hiding spot in the earlier days of the city. “Red clapboard” referred to a long, red roof (made of clapboard) that once stood over the platforms at the train station. It would have been the first thing that visitors from St. Paul saw when approaching the town. That station was torn down in 1935 to make way for the current one, which now houses the Chamber of Commerce. A “relative of a lime” could be a lemon. Lemon’s Hardware Store was once located along Railroad Avenue (now Washington Square). Even when it went out of business in 1919, the building was still referred to as The Lemon Building. Today Washington Square Dental stands at the site.

This clue referred to a historical plaque found in the park titled “Railroad Park,” which mentions the number three on three different occasions. Near the end of the inscription there is a connection to James J. Hill (“before getting your fill, you’ll spot the hill”). In the second stanza, “spirit” and “seek something higher” referred to Elevated Beer, Wine and Spirits, located northwest of the hiding spot.

The first stanza pointed to the water fountain found in the park and how a nearby sign indicates that it is not for play. Instead, swimming locations can easily be found nearby on White Bear Lake. “Affix your eyes” referred to White Bear Eye Clinic & Optical, located across the street from where the treasure was hidden. “You might just make out a boat” pointed to the metal structure of a sailboat located to the north of the treasure site in front of The Station. “From letter to note” pointed to the building to the south of the site. It was originally built as the city’s post office (“letter”) but now is a bank (“note” – as in banknote).

The first stanza referred to Benny’s Barber Shop, located to just east of the treasure’s hiding spot. The word “cut” pointed to all of the haircuts that take place within the business. Other references attempted to get hunters to think of Elton John’s 1974 hit Bennie and the Jets. The word “jet” was included in the first line. Axel Rose said that it was this song that first inspired him to pursue music (“it could inspire a rose”). “Weird,” “wonderful,” and “spaced-out” are words used in the song to describe the fictional band about which the song is written. The second stanza spoke to our observations from the night that the medallion was hidden. We were running out of time and went out in the rain in order to accomplish our goal. “Workplaces were empty for the night” pointed to the businesses along Washington Square that had closed for the evening, hinting at a downtown hiding spot. Perhaps most importantly, an anagram was also incorporated into the first words of each line of this stanza. “Hard,” “Rain,” “Or,” “A,” and “Workplaces” recombine to say, “Search Railroad Park Now.”

The first stanza confirmed that the medallion was hidden in the city of White Bear Lake. If you add another “bear” to White Bear and “drop a letter” – specifically the ‘e’ – you arrive at White Bear Bar. “Impair” hinted to the alcohol served within. The business could be seen from the medallion’s hiding place. “Special tree” and “tasty fruit” referred to Olive’s restaurant across the street from the treasure’s hiding place. The second half of the clue made mention of the WPA-era stone structure with flagpole (“flag stones”) on the other side of Premier Bank, which has fallen into great disrepair. The monument was built to honor the fallen of World War I (“The Great War”).

Large banners (“local swank”) can be found throughout downtown White Bear Lake depicting a lake, sailboat, and moon in the sky. The banner welcomes people to downtown. “Bank” pointed to Premier Bank, which borders the park to the south. “We could never tell a lie” was a play on a quote attributed to George Washington, which claims that he could never tell a lie. The second stanza told hunters that the medallion was hidden in clear view of “Walton’s home,” which would be the Coldwell Banker Burnet offices, just north on Highway 61. Finally, “good things” and “around the bend” pointed to the store Good Things, just around the corner on Fourth Street. The last stanza spoke to the importance of the number eight. There are eight sides to the gazebo at the center of Railroad Park. “Edgy” further hinted that we were talking about the sides of a structure. “Ovation” referred to the many musical groups who play at the gazebo during the summer and the applause they receive. “Oxidation” and “mettle” (a homophone for “metal”) pointed at rust, the enterprise responsible for building the gazebo.

The first stanza spoke to the flurry of activity in Railroad Park, especially during Marketfest. The second stanza pointed out Fourth (“forth”) Street and spoke to the fact that Railroad Park is just north of where Clark Avenue ends. Railroad Park is certainly the centerpiece of our city. The medallion was hidden under a blue spruce. The color blue was mentioned in the first clue. Hunters are also warned not to disturb other plants as they look for the medallion.

Final hints to the location of the 2016 Manitou Days Treasure Hunt medallion.