This Free Will Baptist Church – always known as the “Little White Church”, stood on what is now West Broadway near the Bass Lake Road, on the farm of Josiah Dutton – who came from Vermont in 1853. His farm was at the crossroads of two government trails used by the Indians as a stopping place to rest. They had many encounters with them. The little church was built in 1876. Here the people of the community met for worship. Free Will Baptists being the church of the Dutton family, they held a rather strict hand over the congregation as to how things should be run. There were many ups and downs – often without a minister as money was scarce and it was hard to raise enough to pay his salary. When the Congregational Church was organized many. pulled away and joined the new church in 1889. This church was used off and on for several years more. On October 11, 1916 they held a 40th Anniversary meeting – took an offering of $73.00. The building was latter moved onto the Bass Lake Road — an addition built on — it was used as a liquor store which I am sure would have horrified
the founders.
-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.