The little insert is the first Thomson Township Apostolic Lutheran Congregation's old Church, and the larger photo is the new Thomson Township Apostolic Lutheran Congregation's church building, in 1936. It was dedicated to its holy purpose on Sunday, November 22, 1936, as the Finnish caption says.
The Evangelical Headquarters Dining Hall was a fundraiser for the Evangelical Hospital and Deaconess Home in St. Paul. This Hospital became the West Side General Hospital. The group is sitting at the "Rail-O'matic" serving machine also known as "Baitinger's Automatic Eat". This device patented in 1923 helped serve hungry visitors at the Minnesota State Fair, Evangelical Dining Hall. In the spring 1919 edition of the "Life Line", the newsletter of the Evangelical Hospital and Deaconess Home, Rev. Baitinger describes it like this, "All foodstuffs will be automatically conveyed to the guests seated at the table, also all return dishes will find their way back into the kitchen automatically. No waiters will be necessary in this dining hall; everything will take care of itself. The only business of the guest is to take what he wants, all he wants and eat to his heart's content."
Contributing Institution:
Minnesota Annual Conference United Methodist Church