The following was written by S.E. “Stu” MacDonald, who owned and operated along with his wife, Dorothy, Stu’s Drive-In during the summers of 1949 to 1961. This was a popular place for young people from all over southwest Minnesota to meet their friends and “show off” their cars. Food orders were taken and delivered by “carhops,” young girls usually dressed in a uniform with a hat. The window on the driver’s side was rolled down part way in order to hold the food tray.

Stu’s was located on the triangle piece of land along West College Drive in Marshall where the Armory now stands. The drive-in was moved across the street to 310 W. College after being forced to make room for the building of the Armory. Mr. MacDonald also taught physical education at Marshall High School for 35 years, retiring in 1981. He served as head coach in basketball, golf and girls’ tennis, and junior-high coach in football and basketball.

“From the late 1940s until the early 1960s – those years were the heyday of what were called the “drive-ins.” As a business, they came and served their purpose and in turn were replaced with another way of doing business. Today there are only remnants of this idea – ‘do from your car what you normally had to get out to do.’

The drive-in did not originate in southwest Minnesota. When World War II ended, several things happened: one was the return of the service men/women who had been ‘around’ and seen things and used them; second, was the wonderful fact that now tires, gasoline and new cars were more plentiful. America, including southwest Minnesota, went to a celebratory frame of mind. We now had better ‘time,’ which meant money to buy the tires, gasoline, etc. We now literally took to the roads. The idea of being entertained or fed without getting out of that wonderful automobile proved to be just what the public wanted. The idea took off like a rocket, much to the dismay of the traditional restaurateur or soda shop operator.

In the late 1940s two drive-ins came to Marshall: Stu’s and the A & W. Stu’s was located where the armory now stands, the A & W on the northwest end of town.

These were the first businesses of this type in the immediate area. Shortly, the Star-lite Drive-In Theater opened near the Marshall Golf Club, featuring movies and food. Several years later the ‘Spur’ came in on the east end of Marshall, and what is now known as ‘the little Dairy Queen’ opened across the triangle from Stu’s.

All of these businesses were seasonal, closing when the weather dictated. None were built with the idea of staying open year-round. About this same time the smaller towns in the vicinity had drive-in businesses open. It is interesting to note that almost all of the above are now gone.

The concept of drive-in, drive-thru, was put to use by Carrow’s Cleaners. You drove up to a window and handed your dry cleaning through your window and into theirs. That too is gone.

The ease of doing business from your car resulted in the application to the banking business, for mailing letters, paying utility bills, etc. Others followed.

The seasonal businesses that started this trend were replaced for several reasons. It became increasingly difficult to pay taxes, insurance and upkeep costs on a year-round basis, but with limited seasonal income. Fueling the demise was the appearance of the large-investment, year-round buildings with inside seating, supplemented with a drive-thru window. Those that didn’t start with a drive-thru window soon added this feature. Apparently, they found out what they had to do to compete. The public, on occasion, didn’t want to get out of the car. This concept was now firmly ingrained, and banking from your car, picking up take-out food, etc. seems here to stay.

Yes, I believe we can say that the ‘drive-ins’ started it.”

Source: “Autos Changed Ways We Did Business,” S.E. “Stu” MacDonald.