Our History & Building
First Lutheran Church, founded in 1872, has a rich history. Norwegian arrivals planted the seeds of the Lutheran faith. They desired to keep a sacramental life before churches had been established. Simon Olsen’s family members were the first Norwegian immigrants to stop in this area, and they settled near Pebble Lake. Other Norwegian families soon arrived. They gathered together in homes and called their church Den Norske Evangeliske Lutheranske Kirke. When the families of Christian Aurland, Eric (Bakken) Bach, John Back, Thorsten Bjorgum, Gunder O. Dahl, Jens O. Fossen, Arne Gunderson, John Haave, Gunner Hammer, Knute Harris, Ole Huseby, Magnus Geving Johnson, Asle Lunde, Tollef Olsen, Tollef Satre, Knute Sletto, and O. M. Wick arrived, they became the Charter Members/Founders of The Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1872. The name was later changed to the First English Lutheran Church when the congregation decided to hold their services in English.
On June 22, 1919 a cyclone destroyed the church and much of the city of Fergus Falls. After the 1919 cyclone destroyed the original church, a new Gothic design was chosen. Construction of the Gothic style building began soon after plans were approved. Raising money for construction was a difficult matter not only because of the overall national depressed economy at the time but also since many church members were engaged in rebuilding of their own property. Before construction which was conducted throughout 1920, worship services were held in the basement of the destroyed church. “We put tar paper on top of the sub floor and had church downstairs for a long time,” said Reuben Peterson, also recalling that the basement walls were blue. When the lower level of the new church was finished, worship services were held there. A wood furnace heated the entire open space, which was about twenty feet long, Reuben said. "It was tied into the present radiators underneath the ceiling.” Digging of the new basement was with horses and a device called the fresno. The church ended up being about two feet higher than was planned since the groundwater prevented deeper digging. “They couldn’t handle the water. They couldn’t go any deeper” Reuben said. Congregation members volunteered many hours to work on the building. The fact that the new church was built in the shape of a cross was a decision made by the congregation. The very shape of the church symbolizes the foundation on which it rests.
First Lutheran Church, founded in 1872, has a rich history. Norwegian arrivals planted the seeds of the Lutheran faith. They desired to keep a sacramental life before churches had been established. Simon Olsen’s family members were the first Norwegian immigrants to stop in this area, and they settled near Pebble Lake. Other Norwegian families soon arrived. They gathered together in homes and called their church Den Norske Evangeliske Lutheranske Kirke. When the families of Christian Aurland, Eric (Bakken) Bach, John Back, Thorsten Bjorgum, Gunder O. Dahl, Jens O. Fossen, Arne Gunderson, John Haave, Gunner Hammer, Knute Harris, Ole Huseby, Magnus Geving Johnson, Asle Lunde, Tollef Olsen, Tollef Satre, Knute Sletto, and O. M. Wick arrived, they became the Charter Members/Founders of The Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1872. The name was later changed to the First English Lutheran Church when the congregation decided to hold their services in English.
On June 22, 1919 a cyclone destroyed the church and much of the city of Fergus Falls. After the 1919 cyclone destroyed the original church, a new Gothic design was chosen. Construction of the Gothic style building began soon after plans were approved. Raising money for construction was a difficult matter not only because of the overall national depressed economy at the time but also since many church members were engaged in rebuilding of their own property. Before construction which was conducted throughout 1920, worship services were held in the basement of the destroyed church. “We put tar paper on top of the sub floor and had church downstairs for a long time,” said Reuben Peterson, also recalling that the basement walls were blue. When the lower level of the new church was finished, worship services were held there. A wood furnace heated the entire open space, which was about twenty feet long, Reuben said. "It was tied into the present radiators underneath the ceiling.” Digging of the new basement was with horses and a device called the fresno. The church ended up being about two feet higher than was planned since the groundwater prevented deeper digging. “They couldn’t handle the water. They couldn’t go any deeper” Reuben said. Congregation members volunteered many hours to work on the building. The fact that the new church was built in the shape of a cross was a decision made by the congregation. The very shape of the church symbolizes the foundation on which it rests.