Caring for the Community

Churches were often among the first public buildings in new settlements, their bells calling people together and their variety reflecting the diverse religious traditions of the settlers. Even the smallest towns usually had multiple churches, including Catholic and Protestant congregations, and new immigrants often formed communities around shared beliefs by settling where their traditions were already established. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship continue to unite new arrivals to Minnesota today. The Bloomington Ferry Church, built in 1868 by the Methodist Episcopal congregation and originally located in Shakopee, Minnesota, was moved across the Minnesota River twice, once by ferry in 1900 and once by barge in 1970. Before a church building was completed, congregations met in homes.

Shakopee, Minnesota · United States