Submitted photo Pictured is the Vesta depot from the south side of the railroad tracks circa 1950s.  This photo is on public display in the Vesta Community Center.

We have been learning about David Hansvick, who grew up in Vesta during the 1950s and ’60s. Having already figured out Redwood Falls’ Lincoln School and made friends during junior high school, Dave was better prepared for his high school years.

Dave recalled that obtaining a Minnesota driver’s license was a big change.

“When you got to drive around in high school, that was freedom. When you were a Vesta kid, you didn’t drive around Redwood, you’d hit every town. You’d go from Lucan to Belview to Echo to Milroy and Seaforth. You just hung out and see what everyone else was doing.”

Dave recalled other activities with friends.

“When you could get a vehicle, often you’d drive around and hang out. A couple of these were farm kids that I went to high school with like Steve, Fred, and Gary. I’d drive to their place and we’d go into town and go the movies and stuff. You could go to The Golden Cue, the pool hall there.”

Between Redwood Falls’ two movie theaters, Dave and his friends had a distinct preference.

“Always the Falls Theater. I went to a few movies at The Redwood, but I don’t know how long that lasted after high school. The Falls seemed like a little nicer theater and it seemed more popular.”

Summers offered another format for attending movies.

“We’d go to the drive-in theater a lot in the summer. That was a pretty popular thing to do. More than once, somebody came in the trunk and we let them out so they’d come in free. We’d do these dusk-to-dawns all the time. They’d have four features (Dave laughed) and you’d go all night watching movies. They weren’t very good! (Dave laughed) You’d come home and go to bed.”

Summers offered other entertainment options as well.

“We went to the A&W Drive-in. We’d go to stock car races at the (Redwood) fairgrounds on Sunday nights and then get out fast so you could get a spot at the A&W. You probably drove as fast as any of those stock cars did (Dave laughed) to get out of there and down to the A&W to get one of the stalls.”

Dave explained that Vesta still had rail service via the Chicago & Northwestern.

“The railroad came to Vesta and we were the end of the line. They would take away the grain. They’d come underneath the elevators and come by my dad’s Standard Oil bulk plant. They delivered barrels to him — big, 55-gallon drums.”

Passenger service had ended before Dave’s time, but Vesta still had a rail depot.

“They had an old depot and I remember going into it. I don’t think there were ever any passengers, but they had a depot right by Main Street. They had to get rid of it and took bids. I think my Uncle Floyd from Belview paid $36 and got it, but he had to take it out. The big train platform there had 24″ by 36″ beams. He hauled them off and built an entire garage from all this wood.”

That railroad spur line led to a major, nighttime, teen adventure for Dave and his friends, Keith and Dale.

“One time Dale had his old, three-speed Rambler. We were driving around like always and somebody had gotten us a six-pack of beer. We were going to drink a round. Dale was sitting there and he said, ‘Look. This fits right on the tracks. Wow! That’s so cool!’ We deflated the tires a little bit and it kind of sat right on the tracks. It was late at night — 11 o’clock. We took off and went to Seaforth on the railroad tracks.”

This adventure had more elements than just Dale driving his car on the rail line.

“We were sitting in the Rambler; shooting off bottle rockets; and having a good time. Dale said, ‘Look! It steers without me! So, let’s get on top of the Rambler!’ We got on the hood of this car and we were going down the tracks. We had it in 2nd gear with the choke out and it’s moving along at about 15 mph. We knew there were no trains coming.”

When they crossed the Redwood River railroad bridge, Dave had misgivings.

“I remember looking down at the river below when we went across the bridge that we used to go to as kids. Now we were older kids and I thought, ‘Wow! That’s a long way down there! (Dave laughed) Maybe somebody should be in the car.'”

The three friends motored on in 2nd gear.

“We went to Seaforth and started to go to Wabasso, but kept hitting these approach roads that were taking us off the rails and we ended up in the ditch. We had to get back in the car and get it back up. So, we turned around and came back.”

Their adventure had one, last concerning moment.

“As we were coming back into town, it was probably 1:30 or 2 in the morning. We had gotten back in the car and Dale was driving, as it was his car. We were driving underneath the elevator and approaching Main Street. I looked over and the deputy sheriff was sitting by the bank at 2 o’clock in the morning. I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness!’ We came off the tracks and kept on going through Main Street. He just looked at us and never did a thing. (Dave laughed) We’d never get away with that now.”

Dave’s high school years were fun, and sometimes adventurous, for other reasons as well.

©2026 William D. Palmer.