In 2022, our understanding of epidemics and pandemics is far greater than it was ten years ago. It is not difficult to imagine the fear and confusion the epidemics in the twentieth century caused. When we think of quarantines, whole towns shutting down, sick lists, and the race for vaccination, we could just as easily be talking about 2020 as 1918.

Revivalism in America is known, but rarely understood. The premise of revivalism is that the spirit and character of a church body or organization is renewed and invigorated to preach the Gospel and employ the teachings of Christianity in all walks of life. America has had numerous so-called "Great Awakenings" in its history, and it is through these movements that the churches we are looking at today formed.

When we consider the World Wars, it is often in context of the facts and statistics we read in history books. This Veterans Day, we're looking at the local experiences of our boys on their way to war, through training camps, crossing the Atlantic, and fighting and working on European soil. Some made it home; some did not. By tracing their journey from enlistment and conscription through the end of a bitter war, we hope you'll gain a better understanding of the local cost of the First World War.

$31,262.

That's how much money was to be divided amongst the 168 employees of Marvin Lumber Co. at the end of 1960. The amount was equal to 30 percent of the company's profits for that year, and it was distributed to employees in $2 bills, in order to keep the bill in local circulation, emphasizing the spread of money to the community. The largest bonuses that year were in the amount of $647, though the average amount received by an employee was closer to $180. 

The Baptist Church in Warroad has an interesting history, as it extends the furthest back in time for the area, and yet its history is shorter than some of the other churches we have covered on this blog. Today, we're looking at the various stops and starts of the church which became today's Warroad Baptist Church.

Proclamation!

Whereas Timber Day is known here and 'yon over the face of the earth as a festival to celebrate the proficiency of our citizens in the woods skills of Paul Bunyan; and wherefore it is of common knowledge to all and sundry that this mighty patron of Timber Day never shaved after he attained the age of seven, thereby cultivating the most luxuriant beard ever known; therefore do I deem it fitting and proper that each male citizen shall lay aside his razor and grow the rankest beard of which he is capable, thus emulating the timber beast of old, and proving his fitness to wield the broad axe, the cross-cut, the canthook, peavey and picaroon. 
In consideration of these things, I hereby proclaim that a beard growing contest shall begin as of this date and continue until Timber Day. 
Given under my hand and seal this 6th day of August, 1952.

Presbyterianism is a Christian denomination that traces its roots to the Church of Scotland, often aligned with English Dissenters groups that favored revolution during the English Civil War of the seventeenth century. It was carried into the United States primarily by Scottish and Irish-Scot immigrants and adopted by New England Yankees in the nineteenth century. This denomination shares many similarities with non-Catholic, Protestant institutions in America such as Lutheranism and Calvinism. It was within this denomination that the Warroad Union Congregational Church first began.

There is a church you've driven past many times, though possibly without knowing it or recognizing it. Atop the ridge, just west of Warroad, and just beyond the tree line along Highway 11, sits an unassuming church with an interesting history. You may see the sign along the highway, or the manger scene that is often lit up during the holidays, proclaiming the Family Fundamental Church's service hours. While this congregation has operated at Pine Ridge for nearly three decades, they were not the first to inhabit the building. Before the Family Fundamental, there was Pastor Paul Nash and the Warroad Free Lutheran Church. 

Roseau County annexed in Warroad township in 1896 and its first paper, the Warroad Plaindealer, appeared in 1899 to document any town-centric events. Warroad officially became a city in November 1901. For this year's July 4th celebration, we are looking at two "firsts" for Warroad's Independence Day celebrations. We begin with the first documented celebration in the Plaindealer. Then, we will look at the first "official" celebration after being established as a townsite in 1902!

Denominations in Christianity can be confusing to those unfamiliar to the various practices of Christian doctrine and the history of church foundings. When it comes to Lutheran churches, there are several categories that appear throughout the United States. Zion Lutheran Church falls into the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran organization in the nation. The second largest group of Lutherans are the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. The differences between these two is best outlined in this article. The most notable difference between the two denominations is that ELCA churches tend to lean towards more progressive ideologies, whereas Missouri Synod churches tend to be more conservative. 

Although we might not admit it, the majority of us like a bit of gossip. There's a reason true crime is one of the most popular genres of TV, movies, books, podcasts, and documentaries. There've been many crimes committed in this region over the years, and what better time to delve into one case than Friday the 13th?

Every year, Warroad Elementary School gives sixth graders the Minnesota History Test, since sixth grade Social Studies education is based around Minnesota History. The test allows students to show their state history knowledge. This test has taken place for over 40 years and is a list of questions produced by the Roseau County Historical Society. Students from numerous northwestern schools have participated in this competition, with the highest scorers winning fun prizes. 

The Catholic Church has long since had a presence in this area. In 1689, Father Charles Mesaiger became the first priest to serve as a missionary to the region, especially around the Lake of the Woods. Mesaiger first went to Fort Michilimackinac before joining an exploratory expedition in 1731 from Grand Portage into the Lake of the Woods. The explorer he joined was the infamous Pierre Gaultier La Verendrye. Fr. Mesaiger became ill and eventually left for Montreal. He was replaced by a young Jesuit priest named Fr. Jean Pierre Aulneau, who served at the newly-erected Fort St. Charles on Lake of the Woods from 1735–36. Fr. Aulneau was one of the twenty-one men of La Verendrye's expedition massacred by Sioux tribesmen. The bodies were recovered and buried at Fort St. Charles, and the Fort remained mostly uninhabited for nearly two hundred years.

Sometimes, life around the museum doesn't allow us to do all the research we'd hoped in time for a blog update. So this week, we're looking west of Warroad, to a church just east of the town of Badger. The following account was written and provided to the Warroad Heritage Center by the Nannestad Ladies Aid. 

In some cases, the churches of Warroad trace their histories to places outside of the local community. Such is the history of the Woodland Mennonite Church, now known as Woodland Bible Church. The Mennonite tradition originated with the Anabaptist movement during the Reformation (think Martin Luther nailing a list of arguments against the Roman Catholic Church to the doors of his local cathedral in the sixteenth century). Mennonites were a sect of these "Reformed" Christians  named after Priest Menno Simons of the Netherlands. These people faced persecution from the Roman Catholic Church and, upon hearing of other denominations like the Quakers finding refuge in North America, a faction of these Mennonites traveled the Atlantic to find solitude in America. In the early years of the Great Depression, they arrived in Warroad.

2021 marks the 120th anniversary of Warroad's official townsite. Warroad was a township of Roseau County for several years before becoming a town in its own right in November 1901. As we celebrate the holidays, we're looking back at Warroad's first town Christmas!

Many people have heard of the Episcopal domination of Christianity, but few outside of that denomination know what that means. The Episcopal Church is part of the broader Protestant denomination of Christianity. The church was originally organized after the American Revolution to separate the American churches from the Church of England, whose clergy were required to swear allegiance to the British monarchy. The church has grown to include a distinct mixture of Protestant and Catholic beliefs and traditions.

In our first part of this church series, we discussed the longest-serving church in the community, Zion Lutheran Church. This week, we're looking back at a much newer addition to Warroad's church list, the Warroad Community Church. 

Zion Lutheran Church is a longstanding church in this community. Its origins can be dated back to the turn of the twentieth century and the arrival of many Swedish immigrants to this place. Initially, those wishing to attend Lutheran services gathered in neighbors homes, hotel lobbies, or school houses. For many years, the only official church authorities came in the form of itinerant clergymen passing through on the Canadian Northern Railroad.

In 1919, the Berg and Aakers took over the management of Hotel Warroad. The managers were a Hannah Aaker Berg and Anna "Annie" Aaker. The business began several years earlier. Martin Berg, originally from Roseau, opened his bakery in late 1912 on Main Street. He had previously run a bakery on the East Coast where Hannah first met him in 1910. The two married and moved to the northwest, settling in this region. The Berg's Bakery & City Cafe opened with a fresh selection of baked goods, fruits, candies, cigars, and tobacco, with Julius Huseth overseeing the operations and Annie Aaker (believed to be either a sister or a cousin of Hannah) as its experienced baker. Berg had run a successful operation in Roseau up to this point, and there was little doubt he could manage another bakery in Warroad.