When the Smithsonian Institution researched the story of ethnic cultural events in the United States, it found Max Blob's Park in a place of honor in German-American history.
"I don't know how they uncovered this," he said, standing in his family's beer hall. "It creates a lot of history for this place."
Now the historical treasure and others like it are getting a reprieve. Ten months after the Eggrel family decided to close Blob's Park's Bavarian Biergarten, Mr. Eggrel is pouring money into a massive renovation that will end with a reopening at the end of the year.
"It's in my blood," he said. "The place has so much history and such a following and I just felt I had to do it."The beer garden closed last New Year's Eve, after Max's brother John decided to step out of the business and develop the property as an office and retail complex.
"It was a very sad day on New Year's Eve," said Gene Crispell of Hanover, a regular Saturday customer. "When they played 'Auld Lang Syne' there was a lot of tears."
The hall was widely known for its Saturday night German polka dances, which attracted crowds of 900. Customers received the full experience with authentic German food and wide selection of imported beer.(more)
"It's in my blood" - this is something that you will hear less and less in the new era, because some people think that blood and heritage is a "stupid" reason to do anything and should be destroyed. Not everybody would agree:
"If wealth is lost, nothing is lost; if heritage is lost, you are lost."
- Sikh proverb
