An Oasis no longer

Ran on Tuesday, August 14, 2007

An Oasis no longer
Fire destroys Osseo bar, restaurant

By Keighla Schmidt
Leader-Telegram staff

OSSEO - For the past six years, Dave Oliver and Karen Olson have provided a galley for Marines and other veterans at their downtown Osseo business.

Those vets will have to find another place to eat after Oliver's Oasis Saloon and Restaurant on Harmony Street was destroyed by fire early Monday morning.

Oliver and his son James Oliver are both Marine veterans, and the tavern was decorated with Marine memorabilia.

Dave Oliver said he was thankful firefighters from Osseo and several other departments were able to salvage many items, including photos, buffalo and bull skulls, and five new rifles.

"They saved everything of value," Oliver said. "We got a lot of stuff in there. It was almost like a house.

"The Fire Department did an excellent job. They were here quickly in the middle of the night. They were polite, professional and managed to save an adjoining attached building."

A realty office attached to the saloon had minimal damage.

Oliver hasn't decided if he will rebuild the eatery. He will wait until he hears a verdict from an insurance agent. "I don't know what the whole thing entails," he said.

The Osseo Rural Fire Department and other departments worked from about 1 to 5 a.m. putting out the fire. Assisting Osseo were firefighters from Whitehall, Eleva, Strum, Augusta and the Township Fire Department.

No one was hurt in the fire.

Osseo Fire Chief John Haugen said the old construction of the building made extinguishing the fire difficult.

The fire apparently started in the basement of the building, where Oliver kept dry storage and electrical equipment, Haugen said. The cause of the fire was not known.

Janet Morris of Whitehall often ate at the restaurant.

"They had really good food," she said. "They always had daily specials and fish on Fridays."