Mystery Place: How Abell's Corners got its start
Photo at left: Abell's Corners. More Mystery Place photos are GALLERY
Landmark north of Elkhorn began as a small restaurant
Abell’s Restaurant and Bar is located in Abell’s Corners, at the intersection of highways 12 and 67 and County Highway ES.
Before the swamp was filled in north of the current intersection, U.S. Highway 12 came out of Elkhorn on what is now County Highway H. It then turned right onto Foster Road, proceeded to Stallman Road to County Highway A, and then right to Bethel Church where it proceeded on the current Highway 12 toward Whitewater.
The swamp was filled in during the early 1920s, and old Highway 12 became Foster Road.
Lulu Abell sold soda and sandwiches to the highway workers during construction of the road because she didn’t want them to get hungry.
Her first food stand was made out of a piano case, and the sign said, simply, “sandwiches.”
A reporter at the time wrote that the menu included hot dogs, hamburgers, coffee, milk and pop. Hot dogs and hamburgers were 5 cents.
Abell made enough money to buy stools for customers to sit on.
After the road was completed, there was more traffic, and Abell continued to operate her restaurant.
In 1932, a fire destroyed the building and a new, larger restaurant was erected. Later, Abell’s son, Arthur took over. Wally and Clarita Abell were the last of the family to run the business.
Abell’s became a landmark for giving directions in this area, and it became known as Abell’s Corners. In the late 1950s, this crossroads was noted on the state highway maps and has remained there to this day.
The restaurant remained in the family through three generations, until it was sold in 1976. The name remained however.
Earl and Lulu Abell owned much of the property around the southeast corner of this intersection. The 1921 plat book shows the Abells owning 119 acres. In the 1930 plat book, 29 acres had been sold.
Wally and Clarita indicated his grandfather had his hand in a variety of ventures, and then would sell them. At one time, he bought and sold cattle. To the south of the restaurant, he had an Allis Chalmers franchise.
To the west of the restaurant, there were cabins, which they rented. In fact, one of the houses in that area was originally two of the cabins, which were moved together.
A celery farm used to be located on the northwest corner of the intersection.
It also is interesting to note that while the road was constructed, the “comfort station” for the crew was located where the Crossroad Restaurant is now — opposite of the Abell’s Restaurant location.
Jul 30, 2010 at 9:29 a.m.
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Here's more from a family member with new information on the history of the restaurant:
The last of the Abell family to run the restaurant was Margaret Abell. She and both of her sons, Wally and Donald, formed a corporation just a few years prior to selling in 1978, not 1976.
Although their wives, Claritta and Janet, were named in the corporation, they had no part in running the restaurant.
When it started, Lulu Abell first bought a case of Coke to give the workers something cold to drink when they came to rest under a big tree on the farm. She sold that the first day and ordered a truckload to be delivered. Her husband thought she was crazy. That was quickly sold, and Lulu decided to expand to sandwiches.
She did use a piano bench to use as a “cash box." Soon there was a food stand with stools, much like what you see at the county fair.
Abell’s Country Lunch was so named because it was one of the first restaurants not located in a town (thus country) between Chicago and Minneapolis.
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