politician, although at various times I have discussed principles of right and wrong, touching politics, but I en any part in political managements, caucuses, meetever preached politics. I have never sought after any n my life. It is true, I was elected county auditor in was done while I was away on a journey to Illinois, and about it before I came home. I did not accept the Going was appointed in my stead. But to return to my published only twice a month, but the burden of editing kind, together with the already crushing load of pastoral work which I had resting upon me, was rather too much ealth broke down, and in the spring of 1857, I had a age of my lungs. After having carried on the paper for the year of 1857 was the hardest one in the history of was proposed to unite it with "Hemlandet," the Swedish ed at Galesburgh, Ills., and that the united paper be icago. This proposition was accepted by both parties. time, I had been appointed as an agent to solicit funds a Scandinavian professorship in the Illinois State Uniepted the appointment, and removed with my family to he times however were too unpropitious, my agency was was instead elected editor of "Hemlandet" and another hly. After one year, I relinquished the editorship, and sh congregation at Attica, Indiana, for one year. I was I travelling missionary for the State of Minnesota, and Paul. In this capacity I continued up to Sept., 1861. in November, 1858, the congregations at Red Wing and he Rev. J. P. C. Boreen, who had recently come from ply my place for one year. At the end of that time he 1859 as permanent pastor at Red Wing; but at Vasa he y as a vice-pastor, or supply, because the congregation I would return.

ime some few families separated from the church at Vasa the Methodist Episcopal and the Baptist congregations hough small and weak, have continued to the present day. e trouble and some bad feelings also arose in the congreeference to the question of a new location for a church, contemplation. Many meetings for this purpose were

congregation. In June, 1861, the number of communicants were 143. The inconveniences were, therefore, very great, and the necessity for a church was very pressing;

He

Mr. Boreen was no doubt a good, earnest, well-meaning man. afterwards removed to Stockholm, Pepin county, where he served a congregation, and died there the 22d of March, 1865, and was buried at Vasa. In September, 1861, I was re-called to the pastorate at Red Wing and Vasa. I immediately removed to Red Wing, where I resided up to January, 1870, and entered upon the discharge of my duties.

In order to bring the question of a location for the church to a close, a meeting was called to the 7th of September, 1861, at Vasa, when a committee of eleven was appointed, consisting of such persons as lived round the whole settlement and farthest away from its center, and this committee was authorized to decide upon a place for the church, and by its decision the congregation was to abide. The committee soon after met and decided upon the location where the present brick church stands, viz., the northwest quarter of southeast qr. of section 15, town 112.

In order to secure the location the committee had first to buy 80 acres of Dr. Whitmore, of Wabasha, for the sum of $320. The congregation bought forty acres and the other forty was sold to a private person. Now, the place was decided upon, and at a meeting called on the 12th of October, it was resolved to go to work and build a church. It was to be built of frame, 60x38 feet. Soon, however, a number of families in the southern part of the settlement were dissatisfied with the location, and some other things relating to the building of a church, and withdrew themselves from the congregation. They even organized themselves into a new congregation, and talked of building a church by themselves. The congregation paid no attention to this new movement but went to work and built a small church, on the beautiful hill where it had decided upon. But in view of so many families having withdrawn themselves, the dimensions were cut down to 40x26, with a small sacristy. In June, 1862, it was so far finished that the Scandinavian Evang. Lutheran Synod of North America could hold its annual meeting there—an occasion of historical note. The movement of the seceders fell to the ground, and by and by most of them returned to the old congregation. We were now in the times of the great civil war, and the minds of all people were occupied with that all absorbing theme. It was not a

time favorable to the growth of spirituality and the peaceful develops

nd the people, w

Ter before. N Te returned. tinued to grow

On this accour

aton. At the a

ich building

state basemen rrer church. T ng the summ pied by the

its incipiency. In regard to th as from Dece

solved by the own handshend. During wards the new ai J. Wilsey m permission fo ng the pastoral

de trustees and of 1868. T er of 1868, and ing, being the ammer of the n imensions are:

A parsonage w

of the new BL5.22. The

ed and disbu who, since 1 With the begin was divided

I did not rem

The following Caderstorm fro

, was during that time awakened in the congregation as Not a few of its members went into the war, and many 1. In numbers and material wealth, the congregation row during the war. At its close it had 314 communicants. ount, the church soon became too small for the congree annual meeting of 1865, it was proposed to move the ng from the top of the hill to the east side of the lot, put ent under it, and to make preparations for erecting a This proposition was adopted, and the church was moved nmer. In the following fall and winter the basement was he Congregational school and by the orphan home, then cy.

› the erection of a new church, there were many deliberaecember, 1865, to the 2d of January, 1867. It was then he congregation that I should take the whole matter in s-solicit subscriptions and direct the work from beginning ng the winter and spring I had some $8000 subscribed new building, and during the summer Messrs. J. Paulson v made 350,000 bricks. My health failing again, I had to n for one year-from November, 1867-to recruit; and leavral work to my assistant, and the erection of the church to and a building committee, I went to Sweden in the begin

The foundation to the new church was laid in the sumand the church was put up in 1869. Mr. D. C. Hill, of Red the architect and contractor for the work. In the early me next year the church was finished and consecrated. Its re: length, 118 feet; width, 50 feet; side walls, 22 feet

ge was also erected late in the season of 1869. The whole new church and parsonage as completed amounted to The gentleman to whom belongs the credit of having colisbursed the greatest part of this sum is Hon. J. W. Peterce 1870, has been the worthy treasurer of the congregation. beginning of the year 1868 the pastorate of Red Wing and vided. I then resigned the former and retained the latter; I remove to Vasa before January, 1870.

ving gentlemen have been assistant pastors: Rev. P. A. from 1867 to 1870; Rev. J. Magny, from 1870 to 1871; Rev.

merly missionary among seamen at Constantinople, Turkey, and lately at Baltimore, was elected vice-pastor.

Mr. L. Engberg has been the pro-singer since 1862.

Statistics for the last synodical year, from 1877, to June, 1878: members, 1,288; communicants, 758; baptisms, 70; confirmations, 34; received by letters, 35; deaths, 21; excluded, 17; marriages, 13; Sunday school, 1; congregational school, 1; contributions for church purposes, missions and mercies, $4,064.27.

Synodical Connections.-This congregation first belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Northern Illinois up to 1860. From that time it has belonged to the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod of North America. This synod has now a membership of 68,702, with 39,559 communicant members, in 302 congregations, with 123 min. isters.

THE ORPHAN HOME AT VASA.

This institution of mercy is under the control of the Minnesota Conference of the Augustana Synod. It owns ten acres of ground back of the Lutheran church, and a two-story frame building, and contains at present twenty-two orphan children of various ages. The Home was established by myself in the fall of 1865, and I carried it on alone for eleven years, when it was placed in the hands of the Conference. The free-will offerings for its support have, for the most part, come from Vasa and the Swedish Lutheran churches of Goodhue county. The institution is carried on upon the principles of a Christian home, and has been a blessing to many an orphan child.

FEATHERSTONE.

This township derives its name from William Featherstone, who with a large family settled there in 1855. That year John Spencer, Phillip Starkel, Mr. Goldsmith, and Mr. Coleman, settled in the township, and in the two or three years following came William Freyburger, George Featherstone, J. Meacham, and Rev. John J. Watson. It is claimed by some that Robert Locke settled on section one as early as June, 1853.

The first death was that of Mr. McMahon, who perished from exposure as he was returning from Red Wing one cold night in January, 1857. James A. Jones and Miss Marv Libby were the first to embark on the

Mary Co shanty on

ober 21, 18 hosen chair

ees consiste Featherston aring the na

date were s

re township. at a cost of $2,500 eac

1856 the firs

In 1862 $1.000.

156 Ezekie ne it for t ized in 1858

ox taught the first school in the summer of 1856 in a the land since the property of Mr. Freyberger. 857, Wm. Libby called a school meeting. F. N. Leavitt irman, and Geo. Featherstone clerk. The first board of ed of Wm. Freyberger, Wm. Libby and Wm. Watson. ne was clerk; a singular coincidence in the fact of their name of William. The children of legal school age at seventeen, although the district embraced nearly the b. In the winter of 1857-8 the first school house was of $250. There are now eight or ten, some of which cost ach.

rst church service was held at the house of Wm. Feather2 the Methodists built a church, 26x40 feet, that cost

iel Burleigh built and opened a hotel but did not long the accommodation of the public. The township was 58, and the first election July 5, 1858.

HAY CREEK.

o was organized in 1858. The first settler was Mr. Eger, laim on section two, near the line of Wacoota township, 1854. Erenest Schubert, Mr. Wakefield, George Steele, nzih settled in the township in 1854. In the fall of that ederick, father of Mr. Frederick, of the firm of Frederick Wing, came to the township, but removed to Belle Creek ter.

ol house was built of logs in 1857, on section 24, where k mills now stand. This school was taught by a young

aves.

riage was solemnized between E. Schubert and Miss 359, by William Hayman, the first justice of the peace

FLORENCE.

p was organized in 1858. It was named in honor of