— In the 19th century, the small churches that dotted the prairie were more than places of worship. Immigrants and settlers would gather at them as places of community, a chance to discuss the price of wheat, the weather or any number of other matters of the time.
When the Old Log Church of Norway Lake was constructed nearly three decades ago, it didn’t just rebuild a church, it rebuilt a community space. Now, 27 years after the church’s construction and 175 years after churches like it were built in the American frontier, a local event brought people together once again.
“People came here and they started building communities and the church was sort of a gathering point of community. It was a religious thing at first but people came here to talk about anything. … We are trying to carry on that tradition,” Norway Lake Lutheran Historical Association President John Hanson said.
The 27th anniversary celebration of the Old Log Church of Norway, located between
and
was held Sunday. The Norway Lake Lutheran Historical Association was organized to lead the 1999 building project.
“A bunch of people are interested in this, partly because they have roots here, but others don’t. What brings the church alive is that we have events associated with it,” Hanson said.
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The celebration included music, food, a play and plenty of Norwegian. The original church was built by Norwegian immigrant communities so songs were sung and prayers were said in the language.
The church is a replica construction of one built in 1868. According to Norway Lake Lutheran Historical Association Vice President Jeff Johnson, settlers moved to the area in the 1850s but when the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 broke out, many settlers left the area, returning later in the 1860s after the war.
“They didn’t come back until 1864 or ’65 and by 1868 they had built a new church here. By 1875 they (the settler community) were too big, so they needed a new church and they built East Norway Lake Church and then they built West Norway Lake Church. What we are doing is celebrating that time from 1862 all the way to the founding of East Norway Church in 1875,” Johnson said.
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The event brought together nearly 100 longtime members of the association and community members to enjoy a summer’s day at the church. As a nonprofit, the Norway Lake Lutheran Historical Association relies on volunteers and donations to put on events.
To help put the event on, board members and volunteers like Susan Stenson, head of event planning, met to put together all aspects of the event. Alongside a catered meal, Stenson and other volunteers helped to set up dining space, a stage and prepare extra food including fruit, drinks and desserts.
“There were eight people cutting fruit yesterday at First Norway Lake Lutheran,” Stenson said.
The celebration was a place for guests to meet, talk and learn a bit more about the heritage of the communities in the area that they call home.
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Levi Jones is the West Central Tribune’s business reporter. After growing up in the Twin Cities, Jones attended Hamline University for journalism and media communications. After graduating in 2020, Jones has worked as a reporter covering anything from sports to politics.