St. Mary's Mission, Red Lake Indian Reservation (Red Lake Nation). In 1904, fire destroyed the temporary church that had been converted to a boys' dormitory. A year later, the sisters' and girls' first house was also destroyed by fire (see photo). The wood-burning stoves were a constant hazard for the early pioneers. In one of his letters, Father Thomas Borgerding, OSB, describes the agony of not being able to save the building because of the intense wind. Father Thomas wrote to Katherine Drexel requesting funds and she responded with an $800 donation. Using 30,000 feet of lumber stored at the mission, a new building was built by 1905 which housed the boys' residence on the upper level and the sisters and girls on the lower level. By 1906, construction was begun for the sisters and girls' residence and was completed after many summers. [SBMA Lindblad, p. 54-58]
Exterior view of St. Joseph Catholic school and convent, located on the corner North Park and Fifth Streets. The first Catholic church in Red Wing stood where the school appears in this photograph.
This panoramic picture of the Danebod Folk School (founded in 1888) and surrounding buildings shows people attending the 25th anniversary celebration. Buildings identified (left to right) are: 1) Wooden school-8 grades; 2) Stone Hall built by Kristin Klink, first person to be buried in cemetary; 3) Snack stand; 4) Stone commemorating founder H.J. Pederson; 5) Wooden folk school, which burned shortly after and was replaced by a brick building.