Stranger than fiction: Nopeming Sanatorium's history of tuberculosis, ghost hunts and ownership scandals

As medications for tuberculosis became available, the need for the sanatorium waned. While the transition to nursing home care began in the 1950s, by 1971 it officially became a St. Louis County nursing home, known as Nopeming Nursing Home. By 2002, the county made the decision to close the facility, ending another chapter of Nopeming’s history. Just a few years later, a new chapter began when the building was purchased by Frank Vennes Jr., a Twin Cities businessman now serving prison time for his involvement in Tom Petter’s Ponzi scheme.