Opinion

Visits from the preacher were far from everyday events but it appears they were welcome. Joe Mannausau recalled that all but one family in his area were Catholics and priests from either Fort Frances and later International Falls managed to see them about every two months. And how about Emma Anderson and George Watson, who proposed marriage, and they had to find out when a minister was going to be nearby. They found one but the full-time Baptist minister had to make a two- and half-day trip to officiate. It was attended by seven adults and two children, cost George $10.

Religious endeavors began in the community of Koochiching prior to the turn of the century; in fact, the first Sunday school started in early July of 1899, there were 18 enrolled. The Baptists kept the school going, even holding the first Sunday school picnic in August of 1900 and later that year the Presbyterian Church organized the Junior Christian Endeavor. The Presbyterians were firmly established in Fort Frances and helped the group in the Falls. The Baptist Sunday School group eventually led to the first formal church in June of 1903.

Joe Gardner and William Garrison had been neighbors for 2 years when they had a major argument about whose hay was being harvested. As always, the proverbial “one thing led to another,” Mr. Gardner according to his own admission, fired twice intentionally and a third shot accidentally. He also testified that he did not know that Garrison was fatally wounded. He managed to get messages to the sheriff and the coroner that there had been a kerfuffle, but he didn’t know if Garrison was dead or not.