Depicted in this photo is Abraham Mallinen and his family, in of their farmstead, along with their horses. He was the first licensed minister of the Town of Thomson and served as pastor of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of Esko when it was first organized. He settled in Thomson Township with his family in 1883 on his farm, which was located west of the present day Thomson Road and north of the Palkie Road.
St. Benedict's Academy (1883-1909); St. Benedict's Monastery (convent), St. Joseph, Minnesota. Academy class of 1883-1884, front row sitting left to right: Neville Ensor, Mary Schwartz, Elizabeth Spies, Tillie Keppers, Barbara Venne, Margaret Sanz, Ursula Glatzmeier, Anna Herron, Bertha Linnemann, Carrie Smith, Alta Letson, Frances Pfannenstein, Lena Bernick, Mary Rhodes, Lucretia Mutschlechner. Second row sitting: Rose Black, Mary Merten, Anna Brockmann, Theresa Schreiner, Margaret Klein, Stella LaComb, Margaret Kerst, Josephine Friend, Anna Wagner; (Third row sitting): Anna Kahl, Laura Bosworth, Margaret Lauermann, Magdalen Theisen, Barbara Eich; (First row standing): Eliza Darbelly, Louisa Maurin, Sister Alexia Kerst, Mary Roach, Clara Otto, Mary Kennedy; (Second row standing - next to building): Johanna Madigan, Mary Brockmann, Jennie McLean, Sister Bonaventure Kapsner, Margaret Claesgens, Margaret Farrell, Sarah Farrell, Louise Wall, Mattie Bosworth, Josie Smith, Mary Zimmer, Sarah Kelly, Lavina Huber, Sister Pius Roche, Sister Celestine Marschall, Josie Gerard, Mary Hoffmann. While the sisters rejoiced at the increasing enrollment, they were concerned about maintaining a small enough number to assure a homey atmosphere and a community spirit. In the early 1880s, because many of the students were of grade-school age, there was a built-in family atmosphere in the academy. Gradually, however, the academy drew students of high school age and older; by 1909, the academy was ready to consider offering college classes (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Early ventures in St. Joseph, Minnesota (1880-1890). Because the government opened the contract for any number of students to attend St. Benedict's Industrial School, an addition was constructed on the west end of Marmion Hall so that the building could accommodate 150 students. When in 1896, the government dropped the contract system of Indian education, the school remained open for two more years when it was forced to close due to lack of funds. The west addition to Marmion Hall was then converted to a school for little boys (ages 6-12), often referred to as "Bethlehem School for Boys." The sisters reserved the east end of Marmion for the formation of its new members (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives; McDonald, page 122).
St. Benedict's Academy (1883-1909). As St. Benedict's Academy's enrollment increased, a larger study hall included a stage so that the study hall could serve as an auditorium when needed. The school year was enhanced with performances by the Drama Club, Choral Group, and enriching lectures by guest speakers. One guest speaker, Herman Zschokke, chaplain to the Austrian imperial court and ex-rector of the University of Vienna, later described his visit to Minnesota in a book, "Nach Nordamericka und Canada." As the academy became a college centered on the west campus, a large Benedicta Arts Building/Petters Auditorium was built; it not only serves the college and Benedictine community but also central Minnesota (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives; McDonald, pages 107-108)
White Bear Lake Church, 1867-1933. The name changed to Barsness Lutheran Church reflecting its location in Barsness Township in 1933 and remains an active congregation in 2010. This image shows the exterior of the church built in 1883, north and west facades as viewed from across the cemetery. A new basement was built under the structure in 1930 and was fully remodeled and redecorated in 1937.
Black and white photograph. View of Sacred Heart Church from balcony-alter in alcove behind large arch, serval pews and chandelier in foreground, curved arch over alter, carved wood pulpit on (photo's)right of alter, statues on either side of alter, with small cloth covered alters (candles and other items on alter) directly under statues, four frames hung on wall from ceiling coving (frames lean away from wall), religious paintings on either side of alter (high on wall) - above on heavy cardboard - embelished in corners geometric design and edges with lines in gold ink. Rear handwriting reads; blue ink "Sacred Heart Church", black ink "176", pencil "p169 top 100%", pencil "041" in circle.
The Bernadotte Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bernadotte, Minnesota, was known as the New Sweden Church until 1890. This photo shows an interior view of the congregation's first church, on which construction began in 1872.
Congregation outside of Camp Release[?] Lutheran. Back of photograph labeled, "Camp Release Mgh's kirke Yellow Medicine Co, Minn. Byget aaret [begun] 1887. Disbanded."
Exterior view of the Center Chain Congregational Church, built in 1896 by William and Jim Clark. It was later sold to the Rebecca Lodge and moved to Armstrong Iowa.
Schools in north-central Minnesota (1871-1909). New Munich began with a few small buildings built by two men, Burns and Sutton, in 1855. They also ran a small "wayside" inn for the stagecoach that ran north-south through this part of the county. The town gradually settled around the church built by the German Catholics. In 1879 three sisters came to New Munich to teach in the district school at the request of the pastor. The trustees and the people did not agree with this decision and hired a lay teacher. The pastor then opened a parochial school in the church basement, but attendance was very small and leaders of the antagonism made it almost impossible for the sisters to live there. Despite the set-backs, the sisters won the good will of the people so that the following year the school opened with over 100 children enrolled (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, Olsenius, page 120; Jaakkola and Frericks, page 77).
Schools in north-central Minnesota (1871-1909). In 1882, three Benedictine sisters opened a mission in Millerville and began teaching in the district school; 88 pupils were registered. However, after ten years of working in crowded and undesirable conditions, the sisters closed the mission. When the parish school, St. Mary's, was built in 1914, the sisters returned. High school classes were added for some time (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).