One More Minnesota Post

 This last August post is about some of the interesting historical sites we happened upon while geocaching to and from our E Family gathering in Minnesota earlier this month. 

Christdala Swedish Lutheran Church

built during the summer of 1878 at a cost of $230

interesting story about the Younger Gang and the beginning of the church

(you can click on the photo to enlarge it)

a fine crop of cattails

another pioneer family tragedy

(click any photo to enlarge it)

Finnish Pioneers in the Dassel & Cokato area

Temperance Corner

Monument at Temperance Corner

first Savu Sauna in MN, 1868

built and used by 3 Finnish families

Lee School at Temperance Corner

The first school house was built on this corner in 1891 for the area Finnish Families. It was destroyed in a fire in 1921 and another school was built that summer to replace the first school. That building was moved from this location but the Lee School, built in 1899 was donated and moved to this location. It was used until 1971. The original teacher's desk and the school bell from the original temperance Corner school was saved from the 1921 fire and are located in this school house.

Temperance Hall

The Temperance Society was formed in 1896 and this hall was built for the community at this location. The building served as a sporting hall hosting boxing, gymnastics and wrestling. It also hosted plays performed by locals and traveling troupes of actors. Temperance Hall also hosted musical events and lectures. It was a temporary school in 1921 when the original school building burned to the ground in the middle of the winter. The school also used it for their programs over the years. The Helping Hand Society met in the hall and offered assistance to Finland when Russia invaded Finland in 1939 and 1940, during the Winter War.

This log cabin was originally built in 1866 and sat on an 80 acre claim 1/2 mile west of this location. It was moved to Temperance Corner in the 1970s and changed from a granary to its original state as a pioneer log cabin. It was the first permanent cabin in the area.

Once again, we would not have known about the Finnish settlement and Temperance Corner if not for geocaching.

Mushroom Building

This unusual building was constructed in 1931 as a gas station, but it has also been a dentist office and a realtor's office. It was a gas station until 1934. One day a week during the summer, it hosts events and serves ice cream.

some beautiful flowers in somebody's yard