History of the Apostolic Lutheran Church in Ely, MN

This former Temperance Hall which was purchased by Apostolic Lutheran Church Society of City of  Ely  on April 13th, 1896 with 300 dollars. The Purchase included one wood heating stove, one hanging lamp, one bracket lamp, two chairs, ten spittoons and two oil cans.

 I wrote this article for the local paper Ely Echo in 2004

Glimpses from Ely’s Finnish American past

 

On 13^th of April it will be 110 years since former Apostolic Lutheran Church Society of the town of Ely was established

City of Ely has been years famous port to the Northern Minnesota wilderness and especially Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This area has not always been a place for relaxing and peace of nature. In the end of 19th century the situation was totally different.

One person said in the glory days of frontier town Ely: “The only difference between Ely and hell is that Ely has a railroad to it” Similar comments have been made of many mining towns on America’s mining frontier. Such places as Tombstone, Deadwood, Cripple Creek and Leadville have made American mining towns with their dance halls, saloons, gamblers, gunfighters and marshals well-known all over the World. In many of those wild American mining towns there have also lived Laestadian believers. They have battled to keep their living faith. That was the situation in Butte, Montana, in Lead-Deadwood area in South Dakota and mining towns in Northern Minnesota. There were many Laestadian congregations in Northern Minnesota Iron Range area in the end of 19th century and in the beginning on 20th century.  The northernmost congregation was in Ely. This article goes back to the history of Laestadians in Ely, Minnesota. 

Mining boom begins in 1880’s

The existence of iron ore in Northern Minnesota became public knowledge in 1852 and mining began 30 years later. In the end of 19th century Northern Minnesota became the most important producer of iron ore. The Mesabi Range alone produced 12 million tons of iron ore in 1902, 29 million in 1910 and 32 million in 1912. In 1907 there were only 11 iron mines in the world that produced over one million tons. Of these nine were on Mesabi range.   All three ranges: Vermilion, Mesabi and Cuyuna were dependent on the eastern steel market. Decisions made by executives and corporate directors happened in Detroit, Cleveland and New York. Along with mining, extensive lumbering took place in both Vermilion and Mesabi ranges. Large numbers of people came to Tower, Winton, Virginia and Grand Rapids, where some of Minnesota’s most productive sawmills were located.

Among first immigrants arrives also Laestadians

The opening of the Vermilion and Mesabi ranges in 1880’s and 1890’s was shortly followed by Finnish settlement in many mining towns and villages, among them Tower and Soudan in 1885, Ely in 1887, Hibbing, Mountain Iron, and Virginia in 1893, and Biwabik and Eveleth in 1894.  Many immigrants had heard many stories in ”the Old Country” of what a wonderful place America was.: “Everything  was beautiful in America. A person could get rich in America. There was gold in the streets of America!” But the reality was different: “On a particular morning, just when it was getting light, the night freight pulled into Ely, bringing with it a young family from Finland. The little daughter looking out of the train window saw Ely for the first time in the gray light of a Sunday dawn. She saw streets of mud, ugly frame buildings, board sidewalks on which drunken men slept. Mother, mother, she asked, Did we pass America in the night?”.  Work in the underground mines was very dangerous. It was hard to put together a crew of experienced miners. Most men lasted maybe a year or two underground. Replacements arrived by the hundreds- Swedes, Slovenians, Italians and Finns.   In Ely there were four mines: Pioneer, Chandler, Zenith and Sibley. In 1956 Pioneer (opened 1888) and Zenith (opened 1892) Mines were still operated.

First Finns arrived to Ely in 1887.  Among them were also Laestadians, which began very soon there religious activity.  Church activity and Laestadian services begin in Ely at the latest in 1889. On 14th of October, 1894, Gust Josephson, Henry Jängälä , Henry Saari, Isack Hamari, John Hamari, Ewald Esko and Otto Pikkarainen called first official meeting for a local congregation. Meeting was held at Isack Hamari’s residence on November 3rd 1894. The purpose for meeting was to elect officers for this newborn congregation and incorporation of the church by the laws of Minnesota state. At this constitutive meeting the Apostolic Lutheran Church Society of the town of Ely was established. The chairman of the meeting was Henry Jängälä  and secretary Otto Pikkarainen. For the Board of Trustees were chosen following persons: Henry Jängälä, chairman, Otto Pikkarainen, secretary and treasurer, Isack Hamari, John Hamari and Henry Saari, Trustees.

The congregation bought its own church building in 1896

Congregation purchased own church building in 1896. First there were discussions about building a new church. A building committee was chosen with Chas Pyyny, Henry Saari, Otto Pikkarainen and Gust Josephson as members.  When the local Finnish Temperance Hall came for sale in April 1896, purchased Apostolic Lutheran congregation that building. The Finnish National Brothers Temperance Association of the city of Ely sold first (on April 11th)  their building to the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran church of Ely with 50 dollars. Two days later (on April 13th, 1896) same building was sold to Apostolic Lutherans with 300 dollars. The church building was on the land of Chandler Iron Company and was located on Lot five, in Block one (at East Washington St) in South Chandler Addition to city. Congregation paid one dollar in a year (1901) for lease.

First minister of the congregation was, as said earlier, Henry Jängälä, In 1895 there were plans to call Andrew Rajaniemi  to this duty. This project was planned together with Ely, Biwabik, Virginia and Tower congregations. It never became reality, but Henry Jängälä left his position and congregation was without permanent minister and preacher some time. After Henry Jängälä was Arvid Hurula chosen for Minister of congregation in 1896.  In 1898 was congregation without Minister again and nobody was chosen to this duty.  This was the situation for over 30 years, to 1932.  Because congregation didn’t have own Minister, many visisting Ministers and preacher took care of congregation’s spritual needs. Because congregation’s cash- and account-book from the 1894 to 1916 has been saved among congregation’s archived papers, we know who were these visiting preachers during that time. Quite often Ely church was visited by preachers Jacob Wuollet, Peter Raattamaa, Eliel Juola, John Mursu, August Saarela, John Oberg and Isaac Lamppa. Arthur Leopold Heideman preached there only twice between 1894 and 1916. In 1910’s comes often also names of John Pollari, Sam Kovala, Matt Tauriainen, Victor Mäki and Jacob Halvary. European ministers stopped there also, Paulus Rantala twice in 1905, Erick Stock once in 1905 and Juho Kanniainen in 1912. 

Due to conflicts and splits, activity began to wane

When the splits became reality among Laestadians in the Iron Range area, majority of the Ely congregation supported Pollarite preachers. It seems that situation was unclear many years, but in 1932, when John Pollari was chosen for the Minister of Ely congregation, the final decision was made.  Some active members left the congregation. Among those who held contacts with Heidemanians ( = Conservative Laestadians) were congregation’s former chairman Jacob Isaacson (1915 – 1916, 1919 – 1929,  Board member 1915 - 1929 ) and board member Chas Randa (1919).  Both names disappear from the congregation’s minutes and records after 1932. Indirect proof of schisms in the congregation comes up in the minutes of congregation’s annual meeting in 1931.  After the splits the membership of congregation declined years after years and it doesn’t exist anymore. The church building was sold in to a private person Octber 9th in 1968 with 50 dollars and is now dismantled.