Strathcona Part One - Centennial Series

$4,358, out of a $10,000 cut in the Roseau County Historical Society’s 2004 County allocation, was reinstated by the Roseau County Board of Commissioners in July.  The reinstatement was greatly appreciated.  Soon the Society will be requesting 2005 funding from the county board.  Roseau County funding is the main source of revenue for maintaining the Roseau County collection and research center.  Your support in helping our county commissioners understand the importance of supporting the history of our county is vital to our being about to maintain and keep the collection.  As you donate objects and historical data to the collection we are able to educate future generations in what happened in the county yesterday, today.  Remember today’s new item is history tomorrow, think of the Society before you throw!

A generous donation of $1,000 was recently received from the Roseau Eagles to cover some of the county funding cut.  Memorials in Katie Langaas and Wallace Hagen were received from Myrna Sovde of Greenbush.  Several new memberships have been received due to Roy Kveen’s ambassadorship.

RCHS Focus of the Week

When the railroad expanded into northern Minnesota, small towns grew and new towns organized along the track line.  Such was the case for the small town of Strathcona. This small town “that refuses to quit” will be celebrating its centennial this coming weekend.  In remembrance of the past 100 years a centennial committee put together a remembrance book. Over the next few weeks we will focus on some of the people, organizations, and events with articles and stories taken from this book.  The book is available at the Roseau County Museum.

This week is an introduction to the early days. “In remote Northwestern Minnesota, the Jevne Trading Post was erected in 1900 a short distance to the southwest of the present day Strathcona area. Then in the fall of 1901, the Jevne Post Office was established. At the time, the area was most commonly known as Jevne Minnesota, names after some of the earliest settlers.  In the summer of 1902 the Great Northern Railroad began to clear a right-of-way for the proposed railroad tracks to come into the area.  In 1903, the Great Northern Railway Company acquired the land for laying the tracks and work began the following spring.  By October of 1904, the tracks were complete and the train came steaming into the area. Thus begins our journey into the life of the community that refuses to quit, Strathcona.

“According to a February 1905 issue of the Pelan Post, a post office [was] established in Strathcona on January 13, 1905 with Hans Lerum as postmaster.  Mr. Lerum expected mail to be delivered in a few days.  This building became the future Hartz Store.”
No small town would be complete without a general store and a blacksmith shop.  “Jevne¹s General Store moved from its out of town location to its new building on Main Street in Strathcona.  This building would later serve as the Strathcona Post Office until the construction of the new multi-purpose building in 1986.”

“The first blacksmith shop began in Strathcona in 1905.  Johnson’s Blacksmith Shop building also served as the Strathcona Opera House.  Many social dances were held here through the years.”
Religion was an important part of any early community and Strathcona was no different. “The first Ladies Aid meeting of the Norwegian Lutheran Ladies Aid was held at the Henry Bjerk home May 2, 1905. The Ladies Aid members were ready to start their meeting but as Pastor Njus was in the blacksmith shop with Mr. Bjerk someone had to go to call him in.  It was getting late and many chores were waiting to be done at home.

Religion was an important part of any early community and Strathcona was no different. “The first Ladies Aid meeting of the Norwegian Lutheran Ladies Aid was held at the Henry Bjerk home May 2, 1905. The Ladies Aid members were ready to start their meeting but as Pastor Njus was in the blacksmith shop with Mr. Bjerk someone had to go to call him in.  It was getting late and many chores were waiting to be done at home.

“After the Aid was organized and the business meeting over, the ladies were wondering how they should serve.  Pastor Njus spoke up, “Set the table, please, I don¹t like the coffee cup on my lap.” This brought much merriment and laughter and thus it came about to set the table.

“The first money taken in by the Ladies Aid was used for parochial school. The Rev. N. J. Njus was the first pastor and the meeting was conducted in the Norwegian language.

“The harter members were: Mrs. Fred Wiskow, President; Mrs. T. Gilbertson, treasure; Mrs. A. Amundson, secretary; Mrs. H. Smebak, Mrs. H. Bjerk, Mrs. O. N. Gordon, Mrs. Severt Anderson, Mrs. L. Lorenson, Mrs. H. S. Gjovik and Mrs. Hamness.” (all quotes from Strathcona Centennial Committee, “Strathcona Heritage, 100 Years 1904 ­ 2004, Community Spirit,” 2004) book is available at the Roseau County Museum for purchase)