In the summer of 1879, five Norwegian immigrant families settled what became the village of Leer, named for Lier, Norway. They and those who followed came to Michigan seeking to own their own land, and many of the men worked in area lumber camps and Alpena’s mills until they earned enough money to establish farms. The village reached its peak population during the 1920s, and in 1922 the Leer Guernsey Breeders Association showcased its cattle at the National Dairy Exposition in St. Paul, Minnesota. The same five families founded the Norwegian Lutheran Church Society in 1882. The small congregation met in a school until it built the church in 1899, and members donated lumber and crafted the baptismal font, altar, pulpit, and pews. Services were conducted solely in Norwegian until 1922. The church, parish house, and cemetery are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.