Church Of St. Joseph (Elmer, Minnesota)
History
To encourage development of northern Minnesota's transportation infrastructure, the state legislature granted the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad 10 sections of land for every mile of track laid. The railroad profited by leasing the land for logging, but sought to dispose of it once it was cut over by enticing settlers to buy and farm it. One of the railroad's land agents recruited 25 Roman Catholic Austro-Hungarian immigrants from Chicago to settle what the company marketed as "St. Joseph's Colony", with this church as its nucleus.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth dissolved St. Joseph's Parish in 1962 due to a shortage of priests. The church still hosted a monthly mass and occasional weddings, funerals, and baptisms. In 1990 several descendants of the original settlers formed an organization to maintain the building, which was ultimately deconsecrated in 2001.
See also
- List of Catholic churches in the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Louis County, Minnesota
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Hoisington, Daniel J. (2002-03-01). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Church of St. Joseph (Catholic)". National Park Service. Retrieved 2019-08-11. With five accompanying photo from 2001
- ^ "Church of St. Joseph (Catholic)". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved 2019-08-11.