New Ulm on a cool spring day. (Photo by Art Hanson.)

New Ulm got some solid pats on the back from persons answering a questionnaire about shopping in the city.

Courtesy ranked high on the list, being cited by 88persons or 29 per cent of those answering the survey as the thing they liked most about shopping in New Ulm. “The merchants are great people,” said one shopper,”and are really putting New Ulm on the map.”

One person even said, “We come from Mankato to do shopping. At first, it was because of Dannheim, but now for other shopping also. Nice stores to shop in, not too high-priced.”

Other persons simply mentioned courtesy as the thing they liked most, but didn’t elaborate.

THE DRIVE by stores to build on New Ulm’s Ger-man heritage received a number of favorable comments.

“Hearing people talk in German as readily as English adds tremendously to the city’s atmosphere,”one person pointed out.

Another added, “New Ulm’s inhabitants and area residents are a momentary credit to their founders for combining their fine heritage values with modern foresight so necessary for continued progress.”

A Redwood Falls Shopper said: “As an out-of-towner, I wish store hours would be printed with your ads. But I love your German tradition.”

“Store fronts look good in the German styling,” one person said. “Don’t allow other styles. Keep up the German tradition – it’s good for New Ulm’s own tradition.”

One person said the drive to improve New Ulm’s appearance and shopping atmosphere should be carried on with vigor. “Our stores have done a great job at taking care of appearance. Let’s not let them down as we don’t want our town to be a ghost town.”

THIRTY PERSONS or 10 per cent of those answering the survey cited a unified business district as a thing they liked.

“The retail division seems to work well with the farming community,” one person said. “That’s a definite advantage for the entire area.

“Don’t try and compare our nice-sized town with the big-shot towns,” another respondent said. “It just invites trouble.”

A Courtland shopper said: “We like it the way it is.”

FORTY PERSONS responding to the survey said they considered merchandise selection one of the main advantages for New Ulm shoppers.

And although there was some dissension, many persons responding to the survey said they considered the appearance of New Ulm an asset. A total of 26 persons or 9 per cent of those responding said being an attractive city made New Ulm the place they enjoyed shopping. Another 24 or 8 per cent said they liked the cleanliness of the city.

Other comments on various subjects included:

“New Ulm is a good place to shop. Out-of-town guests are impressed.”

“Forget about doing a lot of things in the name of progress. We should know by now that they are not beyond creating new problems far worse than the problems we tried to correct. We’ve had a good stable community. Let’s keep it that way.”

“We live on the hill. We’ve often wished there would be a grocery store up here.”

‘Keep prices competitive and fair, “another said,”and I think people will be satisfied and ‘gang’ stores won’t be needed.”

“I’m glad we’re getting more eating establishments. Competition is great.”

A Westbrook shopper said:”On our trips to Mankato to the medical center, we always stop in New Ulm to shop.”

New Ulm Daily Journal

April 6, 1976