Speech delivered by Evelyn Russ Shumway on December 8, 1954 to the First Congregational Church of Robbinsdale
Did you ever say “My, how I’d like to have lived in the good old days.”? No cares or worries, no electric lights, no gas or oil to heat with, no vacuum cleaner, no automatic washer or dryer, no electric refrigerator or deep freeze, no radio or T.V. and but few telephones, no automobile or airplane, no atomic bomb.
If they didn’t have all of these, what did they have, and how did they go about laying the foundation for the life that is ours to enjoy today. Let’s turn back the years and get a close-up of the beginnings of this church and building where we are gathered this 8th day of December, 1954.
Minnesota was a vast wilderness when the early settlers came to this area, Minneapolis was a promising young city, and Fort Snelling a place of protection from the Indians who had been pushed farther west and north. It was 1855 when my grandfather, John P. Shumway, first came from Connecticut to Minnesota, settling on a claim near what is now Elk River; the stay there was brief as the rattlesnakes and mosquitoes were unbearable. After a short visit home, his courage was renewed and he returned to the wide open spaces and purchased the land where he was to enjoy the rest of his life. It meant lots of hard work, clearing the land, building a hut, planting the crops and it wasn’t long before he went back to Indiana and married Lousia A. Russ and together they faced the challenges of life in a new country and the anxious separation when the men answered the call to arms in the Civil War.
Like experiences were had by all of those early settlers in this area which was called Crystal Lake, Minnesota. The settlers coming mostly from Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Ireland, Prussia, and Norway.
It was a peaceful country side with its two lakes and shady country lanes. The amount of land cleared and put into crops was increasing and along came a land boom in 1887 and they were offered up to $700 an acre for land they had paid $25 for; this was excitement for all and at the same time a man by the name of Andrew B. Robbins appeared on the scene. A man who had come here after having helped to lay out the town of Willmar. He purchased land from Mr. Shumway and the townspeople had never seen so much ado as went into the building of their 16-room house which was the grandest in the Northwest. From then on things began to happen.
But let’s go back to 1889. January first made a beautiful entry, 20° above, little snow on the ground and an eclipse of the sun. That first week was typical of daily living – school, music lessons, home styled hair cuts, skating, churning, washing, ironing, trading at the grocery (that meant trading eggs and butter for supplies), a prayer meeting in a house, going to Minneapolis shopping, dressed the old rooster and made a pie out of him, did baking, had callers, the Vetches’ house burned down and not much saved, sawing wood, packed beef and pork in snow, made sausage, baked bread, sewed, took team and went calling, had horses shod, went to Salvation Army meetings twice, got ice from the lake to melt for washing.
Then came Sunday, went to Salvation Army meeting at the Hall at three in the afternoon and stayed through to the evening service to help serve the supper we had brought for them. Peter, the hired man, went but he didn’t like it, guess he won’t go again but Mr. Gibbs made a start to live and lead a better life.
And so it went, each week filled with countless tasks, neighbors coming to borrow, always a prayer meeting and a Salvation Army meeting during the week and once a month, on Saturday afternoon, a covenant meeting at the Free Will Baptist Church, or the Little White Church, as we used to call it, that was located on what is now Highway #52 and the Bass Lake Road.
Spring made an early appearance that year; heard the first robin and bluebird on March 18th and got the plow sharpened and hotbeds started. Sharing with each other played such a big part in living and brought rich rewards of lasting friendships – they loaned their horses, plows, wagons – they helped each other plow, butcher, make hay, thresh, cut wood, raise house and barn. “A friend in need was a friend indeed.”
March was not only the beginning of Spring but also talk began to start about getting a steady preacher and about raising money for a furniture factory Mr. Robbins began to build his house, and before the month was up, papers had been signed for the factory and a meeting had been held with a group from the Stevens Avenue Church and much thought and talk as to which denomination would suit the majority.
April brought spring house cleaning with the taking down of the coal stoves and putting fresh corn husks or straw in the mattress tickings. It also brought an upset in the Free Will Baptist Missionary Society but knowing that “a soft answer turneth away wrath” it was soon forgotten and meetings went on as usual. The streetcar conductors went on strike (the streetcars ran as far as Penn and Lowry), and the surveyors staked out the land for the factory on what is Hubbard Avenue and Rockford Road.
Elder Woodworth called to see if it would be best to have preaching at the White church, our folks thought not and on Tuesday, April 23rd, two Congregationalists called to see about starting a Sunday school in the Hall; Mr. Gibbs didn’t like the idea of the Salvation Army giving up the Hall; but changes must be made and on Saturday, April 27th, Mr. & Mrs. Shumway went to the Covenant meeting at the Little White church and entered their resignation. Mr. Shumway from his office of Clerk and Deacon.
May Day was a little cool with not many spring flowers but a long hoped for dream was beginning to flower, and Sunday, May 5th, was a bit cloudy, with a strong South wind but all went to the Hall to organize a Sunday school with the help of Rev. Herrick and Rev. Morley from the Congregational headquarters. After much talking, Mr. Oliver W. Newell was elected Superintendent and it was voted to leave the rest until next Sunday.
Sunday, May 12, was a real nice day, all went to meeting and Sunday school; Rev. Morley preached after which they finished organizing the Sunday school. John Shumway was elected Treasurer and Secretary, Miss Nathan Russ, teacher of infant class, Mrs. John Shumway, the class next to it, Elder Woodworth, young folks class – no teachers yet for the young married folks Mr. Roth, teacher for old folks Bible class. All went in the afternoon to Salvation Army meeting – what a busy day.
It was not quite as simple as that, all were not satisfied. The next week brought a call from Mr. Robbins to discuss church matters, he being a Presbyterian, and a call from Elder Woodworth who feels terrible about church affairs but Sunday, May 19th, was pleasant and all went to Hall in the morning. Rev. Earl preached, and had 71 in attendance at Sunday school, and on Monday, May 20th, a meeting was held in the Hall to see about organizing a Congregational Church, and on Friday, May 24th, Mr. Shumway and Mr. Newell went to town to see about Sunday school matters and in the evening went to Mr. Johnsons’s to see about church matters and the month of May ended with a church meeting at Mr. Newell’s where they heard the creed and covenant read and voted on them.
Saturday, June 1st, was cool and, as was the usual task, did baking to feed the Salvation Army – which was no small job. brought lots of “no small jobs”, meetings were held with Rev. Voltau, we paid up our dues to the Missionary Society and asked to have our names taken off the roll; the Methodists were holding meetings at the White Church too, but none of us went – Mr. Newell came fixing our letters for the new church we can’t have the examining meeting here as we expected to as Roy is all broke out with Scarlet fever. Jessie Dutton drove in to leave more church letters and on Friday, June 14th, the Hall was cleaned and decorated and a council of Congregational ministers came by train from Minneapolis and met with us and the final decisions were made to have a church. Grace Johnson, Louise Roth and Clara Smith were baptized and Mrs. Lizzie Tyler was sprinkled and a church of 28 members was organized; they were:
Mr. & Mrs. H.K. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. J.P. Shumway Mrs. Ellen Bisbee
Mrs. Nathan Russ
Mr. & Mrs. L.C. Roth
Mr. & Mrs. 0.W.
Newell
Mr. H.S. Newell
Mr. & Mrs. W.C. Gilbert
Mr. & Mrs. E.K. Wilkins
Mrs. F.P. Munson
Miss Lizzie Munson
Mrs. H.W. Downs
Miss Lulu Downs
Miss Louise Roth
Mrs. W.A. Tyler
Mrs. J.B. Johnson Miss Grace Johnson
Mrs. Kate Craig
Miss Clara Smith Mrs. David Malban Mrs. Sewell Parker
Mrs. W.H. Johnson
Mrs. Louise Roth Conover is the only one of the charter members now living On Friday, June 21st, the church members (13 of them) met at Mr. Newell’s to choose officers and the following were elected:
Mr. Newell and Mr. Roth, Deacons Mr. H.K. Smith, Treasurer
Roy Newell and Perry Smith, Ushers
June also brought eleven new families from Sauk Centre, who will work in the chair factory and the factory whistle blew for the first time on June 21st.
July came in hot as ever, the new folks were busy making hay. The Fourth dawned a perfect day, ushered in with salutes at 2 a.m., and in the afternoon we joined the many carriages of townspeople out viewing the new buildings, a flag floated skyward from the cupola on the new factory. On July 11th the factory was in full swing and we got a chair to put on the piazza. It was half past ten when we got home from a prayer meeting at the Hall on Wednesday, July 17th, but we had chosen three trustees; Mr. Gilbert, Mr. Tyler, and Mr. Shumway. We were a bit tired next morning and it was the warmest day yet but we had work to do, a Festival and we had promised a marble cake and a coconut cake; heat and all we had a full turnout and took in $26.60. The day after was spent cleaning up from last night’s spree but many hands made light work of getting the Hall ready for Sunday again. On Monday, July 22nd, the young people met at the Hall and the Christian Endeavor Society got its start on Wednesday, July 31st, the ladies met from 2:30 to 5:30, and out of this gathering the Ladies Aid was organized with Mrs. John Shumway as president. This organization was to be the lifesaver of the church on many occasions.
August came in with a bang, a call from Mr. Robbins asking for $1,000 or an acre of land to help launch a new factory, this time a streetcar factory but we were interested in launching something else; we had a meeting at Mr. Gilbert’s on Tuesday, August 6th to talk over the possibilities of building a new church this fall. On Monday the 12th we went to Minneapolis to see the Cyclorama of Jerusalem and liked it very much.
A strong wind from the South brought in September and that meant State Fair time and back to school again, and not enough room in the old school, so a meeting was called on September 16th to see about building a new one. The new Norwegian Lutheran Seminary was dedicated and it took three extra trains to handle the crowd. The first touches of Fall called for a New England dinner on Friday, September 27th and we made ginger bread, baked beans and brown bread, fried cakes, pumpkin and apple pies. The men set up a cook stove in the Hall to make coffee on; we took in $26.80. Rev. Voltau preached his last sermon for us on September 22nd, he bid us good-bye to take a church in New Haven, Connecticut.
October’s bright blue weather meant bringing in the crops and making jelly and catsup. It also meant looking for a new minister to take the team and calling on the members to see how much would be subscribed toward one. Each Sunday we had a new preacher on trial and on October 27th we had a Rev. Fanning, we all liked him. The month ended with a Ladies Aid meeting at the Hall and they forgot to bring the work so spent the afternoon visiting a good time had by all.
A chilly Northeastern and rain gave November a send-off and Mr. Robbins stopped by and told us he thought he had done pretty well toward making a village this summer. Sunday, November 10th, Rev. Fanning preached for us again, think he will preach for us for a year, at least that is the talk now – and next week the men are to take turns and move the minister’s family to a house by the streetcar turntable. The month ended with a Christian Endeavor basket social that netted $17.55.
December 10th brought a thunder shower and it also brought Mrs. Tyler and Mrs. Roth to see what we would give for the Reception next Friday for our new minister. We promised two roasted chickens, jelly, and butter. The day of the reception was so warm it was more like spring than winter and busy we were baking and making endless trips to the Hall with table settings, had a very pleasant time, and home a little after eleven. As the old year ends we bid goodbye to 1889. Perhaps due to the mild winter and lack of snow the first two months of 1890 saw a siege of influenza, we were all busy caring for the sick and lending a hand to help the neighbors with washing, ironing, cooking, and tending the livestock but by the end of February we were all back on our feet again and our main interest was expressed in the meeting held at the Hall on Monday, February 24, to see about building a church and where to locate it. Another meeting was held on Monday, March 3rd and Mr. Shumway offered to give a piece of land for the church. Things really began to take shape then and on Friday, March 7th, Mr. Parker and Mr. Shumway took a team and spent the whole day soliciting a building fund. March also brought a petition to change the name of our village, and new map laying out Robbinsdale, and the cellar for the new schoolhouse was dug.
April and May went by with several church building committee meetings and on Monday, June 2nd, the men met on the church lot and stuck stakes where the corners of the building would come.
Friday, the Fourth of July, saw a church picnic at Shaffer’s Grove and we loaded our parlor organ in the wagon too, and such a good time was had that it was a big shock to us on Sunday morning to hear that Rev. Fanning’s daughter in Montana was seriously ill and we voted to give him 4 or 5 weeks vacation so he could go to her. Sunday, July 13th, was hot and blowy and the clouds around us looked bad and we learned the next day that a cyclone had hit Lake Pepin, upsetting a large steamer and 175 lives were lost.
August brought Rev. Fanning back and September had its ups and downs. Mr. Roth and Mr. Coulter came to see if we could pay now what we signed to the Building fund and the Building committee voted to go on with building of church. September ended with our giving a kettle of mashed potatoes, a pail of milk and a ball of butter for young peoples Christian Endeavor supper at the Hall.
Friday, October 3rd, we went to the opening of the new school house and on Monday, October 6th the boys went to school but the teacher didn’t come so they came home. But some things did come; two loads of stone for the church on October 7th, on the 13th found we had the wrong church plans, on the 16th tool chests on church grounds, on Friday, October 17, broke the ground for the church. On Sunday, October 19th, we voted to have Rev. Fanning another year, don’t know if he will stay or not but hope he will. Monday, October 20th, two teams on church grounds excavating the cellar, Tuesday, the 21st, load of planks for church, Wednesday, men came to our house for water to mix mortar for the church foundation. On Wednesday, October 28th, men met to see about a church tower, and the building contract was signed calling for $3,450. The month ended with pushing the church right along.
November was a bit chilly with a touch of frost in the air but this seemed to make the work move a little faster. On Friday, November 7th, Mr. Shumway went and helped lay the first piece of timber for the church, and at the same time the first ties for the streetcar track were being laid.
Tuesday, November 11th, got the floor laid on the foundation of the church, with only two men working. Friday, the 14th, raising the church, Monday, the 17th, 4 men working on church boarding it up and Mr. Wilkins came to see about the tower on the church. Tuesday, November 18th, saw the two gable ends of the church go up and the Robbins family spent the first night in their new home and the Lutheran Seminary students were busy working on streetcar tracks. November 19th, the roof was put on and 8 men were at work shingling.
Thursday, November 27th, was Thanksgiving and on the way home after listening to Rev. Fanning in the Hall, most of the folks stopped by the church and Mr. Wilkins showed us the stained glass for the windows, there were 12 men shingling.
December came in pretty cold but not much snow so work went on. On Wednesday, December 3rd, they tore down the steeple to build it higher and on the 5th they had it back again and it looked much better. Monday, December 8th, the furnace came and on the 9th they were ready to plaster. On Wednesday, December 10th, Rev. Fanning called in to tell us he didn’t think he would stay here much longer and on the 11th the chimney went up and Mr. Swift came with a petition for us to sign to change the name of our Post Office but we wouldn’t sign it. Sunday, December 21st, was a beautiful day but it was Rev. Fanning’s last Sunday with us and on Monday men began to plaster the church and the building committee met that night to talk matters over. By Saturday, the 27th, the plastering was all done and will let it dry for a while before putting on the finish. “Our prospects for 1891 are that we will have a church, that Rev. Fanning has left us sure and we will have to look for another minister.”
January 1891 had its rain, ice, and snow but what caused more concern was the Presbyterians holding meetings here with the idea of starting a church and we think it would injure our new Congregational Church. It caused a stir, our village was in quite a commotion over the churches, and to our great relief Mr. Robbins stopped in on Thursday, January 15th, to tell us that the Presbyterians had given up the idea of a church here. On the 19th, Mr. Parker came to see about frescoing the church, and on the 21st they put the windows in the church. January ended with an entertainment at the Hall that netted $30.00.
February first came on Sunday and after listening to Rev. Morley preach we had a meeting of the church to see about our debt; next day Mr. Parker stopped in to tell us that Rev. Fanning was dead.
March came in like a lion, 16° below and a southwest wind but Mr. Parker and Mr. Shumway went to town on church business and Mr. Newell stopped in to talk about a minister.
Between April showers much can happen. On April the 5th, John Shaffer was lettering a new name on our Post Office – “Robbinsdale” and the deed for the church came and we decided to call Rev. Merrill. April closed with a Ladies Aid meeting at which we got our first look at Mrs. Merrill, we had a goodly number out and voted to get chairs, lamps, and carpet for church platform.
Spring was putting on her finishing touches in May and we were busy doing just that on the church. Tuesday, May 5th, we held a reception at Hall for Rev. and Mrs. Merrill and on Thursday the 14th was the first Ladies Aid meeting to be held in the church, it was spent cutting and laying the carpet on the platform.
On Monday, the 18th, Mr. Tyler and Mr. Shumway went to town for chairs and the church lawn was being graded and men came to fix the six lamps that hung from the ceiling. On Friday the 22nd, Mr. Shumway went for lumber for a walk to church and laid it. Saturday, May 23rd, was most like moving day, bringing the chairs, hymn books, organ, and bookcases from the Hall, and the afternoon was spent decorating the church with plants and flowers and all was ready for our long-awaited dream.
Sunday, May 24th, was a bit cloudy, but not our spirits. Mr. Shumway went with the team to get singers at Silver Lake Church, Mr. Newell came to get money matters concerning the church and at the appointed time we all joined in the dedication of our new church building. Reverends Merrill, Lovejoy, Morley, and Baker did the preaching and begging and raised a little over $300 for our building fund. One text I remember was Isaiah 54 the second verse “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not; lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.”
The source for Shumway’s detailed account of the events of 1889 was probably her mother’s diary. The image at the top of the post depicts members of the church at a Picnic in the 1890’s.