by Lois E. Johnson

Dave Talbot Jr. was intrigued by Moose Lake every time he passed through during the years that he was growing up and as a young man. Little did he realize that he would be playing a pivotal role in its history later in his life. Nor how the people in the town would embrace him and support him when he faced major surgery - a lung transplant.

“I grew up in Proctor,” he said in a recent interview. “It was a railroad town, similar to Moose Lake. That was part of the reason that I was attracted to Moose Lake.

“We camped here a few times and went to the city park for picnics with family and friends.” Dave’s career began in Duluth, and he later worked in Hibbing.

When that job ended, Dave found himself unemployed.

“I saw an ad in the Duluth News - Tribune that the City of Moose Lake wanted to hire a city administrator.

“I liked the town so that ad peaked my interest.”

However, Dave did not get a good impression when he came into the city offices in the old hospital building.

“I saw Jean vacuuming before the interview,” he recalled. “The ceiling tiles were hanging in a vee shape, ready to fall. I was wearning a three-piece suit.

“I asked myself, ‘Do I really want to be here?”’

Dave was about to leave when was stopped by a city councilor.

“I ran into Jon Brown,” he said.“ Jon said ‘Don’t even look at this place. What we really need is a community center.”

Dave stayed for the interview, heard the vision of Mayor Clayton Hartman and the council, and listened as they described the framework that they had set for the future.

“After that, I couldn’t wait to get here,” said Dave.

That was 14 years ago.

“Those 14 years have been the busiest and most tumultuous years of my life, he said.

The highest priority at the time that he was hired was arranging a financial package for the emergency response center and the community and civic center.

“The city council and the fire department had a clearly defined vision of what they wanted,” he said. “We considered several sites but chose to keep the city hall downtown to keep the downtown viable.”

Dave said that he pulled a creative financing package together, including funding from the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Program.

“They don’t allow anyone to do it the same way I did anymore,” he said. “Both of the facilities got done but no other will ever be done that way again.

“It’s the tenth anniversary of both of those buildings.”

“It’s Dave vision that resulted in the chamber building and visitors information center.

The building was purchased for $1 from the DNR when the department started construction on a geologic interpretive center at the state park, and most of the remainder of the amenities on the ground were donated.

At its location at the intersection of Highway 73 and 61 near the south entrance to the city, it’s one of the most visible parks in the community.

“It was one of those projects that was fun to do,” said Dave. “And there was minimal investment.”

The list of projects goes on: the water tower and water lines, two sewer projects, two housing subdivisions (one with a street bearing his name), the streetscape project, securing three Mighty Ducks grants for additional to Riverside Arena and artificial ice- making equipment, a new apartment building, single-family housing, commercial development, the municipal liquor store and Veterans Park.

As a veteran of the war in Vietnam, Dave has a soft heart for veterans.

“That was probably my favorite project,” he said.

Dave continues to live in Duluth to be close to family and physicians. But he spends the Fourth of July in Moose Lake, and has appeared in every parade except the one following his lung transplant three years ago.

This year, instead of chauffeuring the grand marshals in former Mayor Hartman’s 1946 Ford convertible, he will ride in the back and receive the honors himself from the throngs of people along the parade route.

As he reflects on his years in Moose Lake, he said: “It goes without saying that it has been a privilege to have been selected as the first city administrator for the City of Moose Lake,” he said. “Each issue that comes or arises is a major project.

“I can’t come up with the words to express my appreciation to all of the people that I have met and have been involved with over these 14 years. This really is like being home.”