The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-12-06
THE VERY FIRST
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Was Organized in Meddry
Township by the First
Settlers
OCTOBER 2s, 1870
WAS THE DATE
Scandinavian LutherdnS We're
the Founders

In its report of the Brookings coun-
ty Sunday school conven ion last week
mention was made of the organization
Of what is believed to be the first Sum
day school in Brookings county where
the English language was spoken and
in charge OF Protestants.
Several years ago the writer secured
brief history of the Norwegian Evan
gelical Lutheran church which partic-
ularly related to the early history OF the
that denomination. 1t was our in
tention then to make special feature
of the article along with other inn
portant facts, but were unable to Sc
cure the data and so deferred its pub
lication. We now give the story as 1t
was told ous and from that 1t will be
seen that the first Sunday school was
organized in this county on October
2S, 1870. This in no way detracts
from the organization of the English
speaking school spoken of last week,
but shows that the Scandinavians who
were the first settlers were also
first in establishing church and Sun
day school work in the county. We
here append the history OF the Luth-
eran church and Sunday school.
The Norwegian Evangelical Luth-
eran church of Medary, Brookings
county, Dakota Territory, was organ
lied in what is now Sverdrup town.
ship, Minnehaha county, in John
Thompson's house on June ID, 1870.
A constitution was adopted and off,
GERS we're elected as follows: Deacon
or ruling elder, Martin N. Trygstad;
trustees-Ole Jermstad, Nils 0. Trygs-
tad, Cornelius Trygstad and Erick
Trygstad.
The first meeting in Brookings
county was held at Martin Trygstad's
house on section 9, township lO9,
range 50, the 9th day of July 1870.
A call was extended to Rev. Emil
Christen of Gayville, Yankton county,
who accepted and preached the first
sermon to this congregation October
%, 1870, at the Martin Trygstad house.
There were sixteen members enrolled
at that meeting, and included all the
white population of Brookings county
and these were all members of that
congregation. At the same time and
place the first Sunday school was or
ganized with Martin n. Trygstad as
superintendent and teacher.
At the annual meeting December
4, 1880 the congregation divided, the
Sioux river forming the boundary
line, The east division forming the
Brookings city church. On Novem-
ber 1, 1881 the congregation again di-
vided and the Volga village church
was organized. The Bloom congrega-
ton was organized November 26, 1879,
but on March 10, 1888 they resolved to
Join the Medary church so that at this
time the congregation embraced all
the settlement from Moody county to
north of Brookings and from east OF
Brookings to Kingsbury county on
the west. All under one church regu-
lation, but not forming church cor
poration.
In 1880 the west side began building
a church. 1t was never completed,
but served for few years as a meet
ing place during the summer months.
In 1885 the Brookings members cir
culated subscription to secure funds
with which to build church and
asked the privilege of Incorporating so
as to own their new church in their
own name.
February 10, 1886 at meeting held
in Volga it was decided to divide the
congregation into four parts, namely.
Brookings, Volga, Lake Campbell,
Bloom and Lake Sinai and we believe
Brookings incorporated shortly after
this. Volga incorporated the same
year. Articles OF incorporation OF the
Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran
church of Lake Campbell, Brookings
county, Dakota Territory, were
adopted July 8, 1887 and recorded July
80 and October 10, 1887. The church
WAS built in 1890,