In the 1970s Donald Cline and two brothers, John and David Thomas, bought a farmstead near Downsville, Wisc., about 70 miles southeast of the Twin Cities. Not long after Cline met a woman from England. They married, moved to England and have been there ever since.

In 1974 Cline relinquished his ownership to the siblings he'd bought it with, and by the mid 1980s they and other family members had transformed a 1906 creamery on part of that property into what eventually became a popular inn and restaurant called the Creamery.

With a shady bike trail and the winding Red Cedar River next door, the Creamery became a daytrippers paradise. The Thomas' eventually sold the property to a group that quickly ran into financial trouble, and it went into foreclosure. Cline, who ran and later sold bookstores in England, caught wind of the troubles and came back to the United States for the April 20 auction, hoping that he and the Thomas brothers and their wives, might be the winning bidder and hopefully have a hand in the rescue of the Inn.

"Our interest was really because of the family connection," Cline said. They paid $370,000 at auction and have spent close to $100,000 in back taxes and deferred maintenance. Originally appraised at $1.3 million for the restaurant and four rooms in the original part of the building, along with an 8-room addition built in 1997, the property is now on the market for $750,000. Or, the group is willing to divide into two pieces: the restaurant and four guest rooms, and the eight-room inn for $450,000 each.

Cline, who gained some experience with such projects after he and his wife renovated an old train station in England and turned it into a mixed-use non-profit, says that he has no interest in running the property himself. He simply wants the place to get a second chance. "We would love to see someone make a good go of it," he said. "That it might sing again." For photos and details, go to www.creameryinn.com.