302 Division Street, built in 1876, was bought by Norman Butler & Diane Burry in May 1999. Norman (recent immigrant to the USA and shop keeper in the Archer House hotel) got together with Paul Lewsey (high 
school art teacher and soccer-coach at St Olaf College) and Gill Anderson (high school art teacher in Faribault) to create a British Pub in the basement of the three story building.
302 was the original City Hall, then converted to a fire station - firemen on the top floor, fire engines on the main level, horses stabled in the basement - and latterly as an antique store on the main level and a violin maker on the top floor. A jail house was built behind the main building on the same lot about 1910. The basement was half developed and half rock and dirt.
Starting June 1999, it took us 3 months to design, dig it out and build it from scratch and we opened on the first day of the Defeat of Jesse James Days (DJJD), early September 1999. We knocked down the old jail building in 2001 to create a split level patio and added a deck to this in 2004. The lower patio was enclosed in 2007 to increase the available space inside the pub and we intend to add yet another deck in spring 2009.
The motto of the town is ‘Cows, Colleges and Contentment’ and from this Barbara Burke conjured up the name ‘The Contented Cow.’ The motto of the Cow is ‘good beer, good food, good company’ and this was our inspiration and is our raison d’etre. We were the first non-smoking establishment of its kind in this City, probably the State and perhaps the USA.
From the start, we also determined not to have televisions, electronic games, pull-tabs, bar stools, and crap beer - just good domestic craft beers and imports on tap; we started with 8 taps and now have 13. Our food is simple, mostly home made and nutritious and we pride ourselves on being family-friendly.
Paul and Gill moved east in 2002 but Norman is still hanging on in there. Julie Bixby (with her daughter in right photo) joined the Cow in 2002 and is still with us. Shareholders include Norman and Diane, Julie, Jim Herreid (local businessman), Richard Hanson (local architect), Mike Wade (Prof at the U of M), and Peter Hancock (Prof at the U of Florida in Oviedo). Our Operations Manager is Terry VanDeWalker, also drummer for The Big Wu.
The Contented Cow is a place to visit with old friends and meet new friends. It is our living room and everyone is invited to stop by.
