1951
Clear Lake Centennial Celebration –A time capsule was buried in the southeast corner of City Park covered by a replica of the centennial coin. It contained copies of Mirror-Reporter, 1951 phone book, 1951 city directory, seed corn, beans, seed oats, and many pictures.
1952
New Highway 18 opened along the Milwaukee rail line leaving the route along the lake shore.
1954
Sunset School Elementary opened.
1955
Ludwig Wangberg Bandshell – Clear Lake’s earlier band shells were in the center of City Park. Lud Wangberg came to Clear Lake High School after the retirement of Clear Lake’s only other band director, John Kopecky in 1951. The band shell was renamed the Ludwig Wangberg Bandshell in 2001 in recognition of his 50 years of service to the community.
Clear Lake has three new hotels, Blue Horizon Hotel, Hi Moon, Lake View and new rooms at the Silver Boot, in addition to the Lake Shore and Park Hotels
Clear Lake Telephone and Clear Lake Bank and Trust open new buildings
Bowen’s Food Center opens at S 4th and S 2nd Ave after moving the AB Phillips house. The Store is renamed the Lake Food Center.
1956
The Easter Brothers purchase the Lake Food Center and rename it Easter’s Super Value, in 2000 the store is sold to Econo Foods and later to Randy’s Market.
New Methodist Church at 3rd and 2nd Ave opens.
1958
Bayside Amusement Park closed and the Roller Coaster demolished by Roy Law. The roller coaster had been rebuilt in 1942 by owners Howard O’Leary and Jack Shea after the 1931 tornado had damaged. The land was then sold to Mason City realtors who developed lakeside condominium complex.
1959
Rock and roll stars, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) and pilot Roger Peterson were killed in a plane crash after leaving the Mason City – Clear Lake airport. They had just finished their performance at the Surf Ballroom were heading for a play date in South Dakota. A marker is displayed in the rural area where the plane crashed.
Clear Lake Bank and Trust replaced the 1895 Bank building and the adjacent 1890’s Ford building with a modern two story banking facility.
A new St. Patrick’s Catholic Church is opened.
1960
Local and national chain informal restaurants open including Lighthouse, Barrel Drive In, Lake Crest, Dairy Queen, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Also local dining around the lake included Witke’s, Ritz, Muskie, Ventura, Lakeshore Hotel.
Rail passenger service ends and the Milwaukee station is closed.
The USPS moves to a new building at 1st Ave N and N 4th street on the site of the 1870s Methodist church.
1961
Jerry Jensen builds a new large grocery and meat market on the 400 block of Main street. Named Jensen’s Super Market then later changed to the Red Owl brand.
The new high school opened on the east side of town.
1964
New Congregational Church opens on Highway 18.
The Mason City and Clear Lake RR ceases freight operation into the Farmer’s Elevator.
1965
New City Building opens combining City Offices, Fire Department and Police Station.
1966
Lake Shore Hotel demolished replaced with apartment buildings
The route of the new Interstate 35 near Clear Lake is published and the owners of the Holiday Lounge on Highway 18 open an adjacent 67 room Holiday Lodge Hotel. Later owners convert to a Best Western branded hotel.
1969
Des Moines based Fareway Stores opens a new market at Main and 8th Street after the Farmer’s Elevator silos and the Mason City and Clear Lake RR station on Main Street.