A new water treatment plant and 50,000 gallon water tower replaced the standpipe in the park.

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.

New Highway 18 opened along the Milwaukee rail line leaving the route along the lake shore.

Sunset School Elementary opened.

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 Telephone and Clear Lake Bank and Trust open new buildings

Clear Lake has three new hotels —Blue Horizon Hotel, Hi Moon, and Lake View —and new rooms at the Silver Boot, in addition to the Lake Shore and Park Hotels

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. The Easter Brothers purchased the Lake Food Center and renamed it Easter’s Super Value. In 2000, the store was sold to Econo Foods and later to Randy’s Market.

New Methodist Church at 3rd and 2nd Ave opens.

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.

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.

Local and national chain informal restaurants are open, including Lighthouse, Barrel Drive-In, Silver Boot, Lake Crest, Dairy Queen, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Also, local dining around the lake included Witke’s, PM Park , Ritz, Muskie, Billy’s, Harbor Inn, and Lakeshore Hotel.

Rail passenger service ends, and the Milwaukee station is closed.

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.

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.

New Congregational Church opens on Highway 18.

The Mason City and Clear Lake RR ceases freight operation into the Farmer’s Elevator.

New City Building opens combining City Offices, Fire Department and Police Station.

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.