Wesley Methodist Church Records

Collection

Identifier: Mss 12

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Wesley Methodist Church Records, organized into two series, consists of the Epsworth League's publication Echo. and some Sunday School records.

The Epsworth League Echo Series, which were issued in manuscript form, began publication in 1894. This collection continues into 1899. It was designed as a literary and religious publication with a mixture of articles and news notes in English and Norwegian. Evidently the editorship position changed frequently among the members and each was responsible for writing an issue. The length of each issue varied but was usually four to eight pages. Some of the writings are not dated and constitute the miscellaneous portion of the Echo. Of special note is the three-page manuscript describing the Hillsboro Community.

The Sunday School Record Series consist of various items including an issue of Hyrde Stemmen, the weekly Sunday School paper published in Norwegian-Danish in Chicago. The Record Book, which covers the years 1917 to 1924, lists attendance and offerings at each Sunday School meeting. There are also the business meeting minutes of the Sunday School for 1929 to 1942 which included some financial sheets.

Dates

1894-1942.

Creator

Wesley Methodist Church (Hillsboro, N.D.) (Organization)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.

Copyrights

Copyrights to this collection are not held by the NDSU Archives.

History

In 1871, Norwegian settlers began arriving in the Hillsboro, N. D. area. Among them was Jonas Ostlund who worked as a Methodist missionary in a circuit of four to six places, holding regular services in the log huts and dugouts. He became a local deacon.

In the fall of 1881 Reverend P. Jensen of St. Paul, Minn. came to the Red River Valley and organized a group of twelve members and eight trial members in Hillsboro. Reverend Charles Omann was stationed there that fall and began to establish the congregation, which became part of the Norwegian-Danish Conference.

In 1882 the Sunday School and Ladies Aid were organized and in 1890 the Epsworth League elected its first officers. In 1944 the Methodist Church at Caledonia dissolved and joined Wesley Methodist Church. In 1968 Wesley began sharing a minister with the First Congregational United Church and in 1972 their Sunday School classes were joined. Today they are the Hillsboro United Parish.