Hadley Bank is an abandoned old bank in Leeds Township, Murray County, Minnesota. The bank is located at the townsite of the former Hadley town or as many would like to call it Summit Lake-town. The bank was abandoned and left to rot when the town of Summit Lake (Hadley) was deserted.

The story behind Hadley Bank

The little town of Hadley which was a small community of farmers was established in the early 1880s. The Railroad Company took interest in the region and surveyed it for the construction of the railroad that would connect St. Paul and Sioux City. The construction of the railroad came with the development and a rise in the population of the town. Prominent families from the neighboring towns saw potential in Hadley town and soon flocked the town and established homesteads and businesses. A church was constructed with finances from the railroad to serve the religious community of the town. A prominent local by the name of Claus Clauson donated land for the cemetery and construction of a school. Only ten years to the town's existence, it had all the amenities a town required at the time. From a church, a school, a hotel, a bank, and electricity which came to the town in 1917. Hadley town had the best baseball team nicknamed the "Butter markers."

The Downfall

In 1923, Hadley Bank experienced a robbery that nearly grounded its business. This happened only 7 years after it opened its doors for business. Further misfortunes followed the town when a fire outbreak closed down the lumberyard in 1962. As if it was not enough, the railroad company abandoned the railroad passing through the town in 1970. These and the effects of the great depression led to the official closure of the Hadley Bank in 1932. The town's population slowly dwindled as the residents left the town for greener pastures elsewhere.

Hadley townsite today

Today, the Hadley Bank and the whole townsite is deserted. The railroad has since been ripped off and the metals hauled away. Hadley Bank which still stands is covered by vines and tendrils of climbing plants giving it a gruesome appearance. Other structures collapsed over time leaving almost no signs of ever existence of the town.  Hadley Bank is covered by vines that harbor dangerous animals like snakes and spiders. Hadley Bank and the town stand in despair with no hopes of ever being restored. The townsite and the bank are not private property and therefore are open to the general public to visit at any given time. There is no organization that offers guided tours at the townsite. One is advised to visit the town site with the company of a friend and don’t forget to be careful when visiting the historic townsite.