Ten days after the Town Hall was dedicated in 1888, the Salvation Army came out from Minneapolis and held an afternoon service. Many of the town folks went – they said the speaking and music was good. The Army came nearly every Sunday after that – holding services in the afternoon and evening. The ladies of the community that attended brought food to feed the Army between services. Things weren’t going well at the “Little White Church,” so many of the people that had been going there resigned and attended the meetings at the Town Hall instead. As more families moved into the town the forming of a church was discussed. Much talk as to the denomination occurred. Some were for a Presbyterian church as that was what the Robbins family wanted. But the Congregational people won out. On May 5, 1889 two Congregational men came from Minneapolis, helped to organize a Sunday School, naming Mr. O. W. Newell as the superintendent. The next Sunday they had preaching by a minister from the city, there were 71 in attendance. From this Sunday school the church was organized. Talk of a church building soon came up. J. P. Shumway donated land at Lake Drive and Highway 52. The Church was erected at a cost of $3,450 in 1890. When they built the steeple it didn’t look right, so they tore it down and built it higher. The steeple, towering above the tree tops could be seen for miles around. There were 28 charter members. This building was demolished on March 3, 1965. Their new building is at 4200 Lake Road.
This material was gathered from the North Hennepin Post and the diaries of Ellen M. Bisbee, (sister of J. P. Shumway and Nathan F. Russ J. P. Shumway). It was compiled and edited by Evelyn and Esther Shumway for a Robbinsdale Historiocal Society slide show in 1980.
