County Road 122, Homer Minnesota
Up on County Road 122. The road that leads to the King Mansion. It's the only maintained road I know of in Winona County that dead ends. You can go right and see the defunct Watkins Experimental Farm (I know, weird name) or you can go left and it leads you past two turrets down a long gravel road about a half a mile that opens up to a view of sprawling French country style manor. That would be the King Mansion.
King was a local bank owner and safari goer in the early 20s. We've been on the estate twice. It's huge. It has a swimming pool with an underwater viewing window. Tennis court with an enclosed viewing area and shooting range. A former grounds keeper told me it has an underground cistern large enough that you could float a ship in it. I'm dubious but still I like the story.
A lot history there. A suicide. An car injury that left one of the inhabitants in a wheel chair (you could still see the lift that lowered her into the pool), and extravagant parties (I heard that from a former maid). There is a mansion below this house. I guess it wasn't good enough for King's daughter when she married into the Watkins family. They built her this one, but it was done on the cheap because of WWII. It's amazing that it was even built during that time, but money talks.
A lawyer owns it now. He took us up the second time we saw. Terribly run down. He talked about demolition. That was about 8 years ago.
I wonder if it still stands.
This road is like a portal for me. I have something for it--or it has something for me. I'm not sure if I even believe in that stuff. It's the road--the place I thought about most when I moved away from the area. I can daydream about it for hours. All those people and all that life packed up on that bluff, looking over the valley.
County Road 122, Homer Minnesota
Up on County Road 122. The road that leads to the King Mansion. It's the only maintained road I know of in Winona County that dead ends. You can go right and see the defunct Watkins Experimental Farm (I know, weird name) or you can go left and it leads you past two turrets down a long gravel road about a half a mile that opens up to a view of sprawling French country style manor. That would be the King Mansion.
King was a local bank owner and safari goer in the early 20s. We've been on the estate twice. It's huge. It has a swimming pool with an underwater viewing window. Tennis court with an enclosed viewing area and shooting range. A former grounds keeper told me it has an underground cistern large enough that you could float a ship in it. I'm dubious but still I like the story.
A lot history there. A suicide. An car injury that left one of the inhabitants in a wheel chair (you could still see the lift that lowered her into the pool), and extravagant parties (I heard that from a former maid). There is a mansion below this house. I guess it wasn't good enough for King's daughter when she married into the Watkins family. They built her this one, but it was done on the cheap because of WWII. It's amazing that it was even built during that time, but money talks.
A lawyer owns it now. He took us up the second time we saw. Terribly run down. He talked about demolition. That was about 8 years ago.
I wonder if it still stands.
This road is like a portal for me. I have something for it--or it has something for me. I'm not sure if I even believe in that stuff. It's the road--the place I thought about most when I moved away from the area. I can daydream about it for hours. All those people and all that life packed up on that bluff, looking over the valley.