Bryhne, of Fort Dodge, has fond memories of the Crossroads Mall from his childhood growing up in the 1960s and 1970s. Back then, the center of the mall was open air.

“In the wintertime, there would be snow and at Christmastime, they’d have train tracks and we’d ride on the train when we were kids in grade school,” Bryhne said.

He said he remembers visiting the snack bar at the Woolworth’s store in the north wing.

At 6 p.m., the Crossroads Mall retired quietly without fanfare.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Shoe Sensation, the last retailer in the north wing of the Crossroads Mall, is moving to 1513 Second Ave. N.

“I’m really sad to see it close down,” said Larry Jessen, who was the manager of Crossroads Mall from September 1981 to January 2018.

“I think it served our market well,” he added.

The last store that was in the mall, Shoe Sensation, is in the process of moving to its new location at 1513 Second Ave. N.

The next-to-last business to be open in the mall was the restaurant Hacienda Vieja. It moved last week to the former Buford’s location in the Best Western Starlite Village Inn & Suites, 1518 Third Ave. N.W.

Demolition of the mall is expected to begin later this month as the property continues its evolution into Corridor Plaza, a multi-use development that will feature stores, restaurants and a gathering place called the plaza and pavilion.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
The former Bath and Body Works store, which closed in the Crossroads Mall back in January, still held remnants of the scents of its products as the mall closed for the final time on Tuesday.

Two of the mall’s anchor stores, Sears and JC Penney, have already been leveled. The wing that once housed the third anchor store, Younkers, is still standing. It will be renovated to become a kind of strip mall.

Construction of the mall began in 1962. JC Penny, Walgreen’s and Woolworth were the first stores.

Initially, it was not fully enclosed. The corridors that mall shoppers of recent years recall were actually sidewalks between the buildings that housed the stores. The mall was enclosed, essentially putting a roof over those sidewalks, in the late 1960s. That enclosure created the center court, which Jessen said originally had a large permanent stage. He said that stage was later removed to create a more open center court area.

In about 1978, the mall was expanded by about 100,000 square feet. Jessen said that expansion created all of the space east of the public restrooms.

He said the 1980s were probably the high point for activity in the mall.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
The Crossroads Mall closed for the final time on Tuesday evening.

The arrival of Santa Claus at the beginning of every Christmas season was always a highlight. He arrived in a fire truck or a stagecoach. The Fort Dodge Senior High School and St. Edmond High School marching bands led him into the mall, playing Christmas music all the way. Jessen said Santa was often joined at center court by Ralph the Reindeer.

The Christmas season also brought an influx of temporary stores that set up kiosks in the corridors of the mall.

In the spring, the Easter Bunny would take his place in center court. But according to Jessen, the bunny was never quite as popular as the jolly old elf.

Over the years, center court also hosted Elvis tribute performers and soap opera stars. Flower shows and baseball card shows were held there. In October, Dayton’s antique fire engine would be parked there to commemorate Fire Prevention Week.

The mall merchants held numerous promotions over the years. Jessen recalled one known as Auction Bucks. He said stores placed merchandise in center court then gave their customers Auction Bucks for every purchase they made. Those Auction Bucks could then be used to try to buy the items in center court when they were auctioned off.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
The hallways of the Crossroads Mall were bare as the building closed for the final time on Tuesday.

Jessen said a combination of things happening nearly at the same time caused the eventual demise of the mall. He said the anchor stores — Sears, JC Penney and Younkers — closed in quick succession and there was a change of ownership.