History

The Christdala congregation was formed on July 18, 1877, by Swedish immigrants who settled in Rice County, Minnesota. There were 13 families constituting the initial membership of the Church and Sunday services were originally held at the home of one of the founding members, A.P. Johnson, until a structure could be built the following year.

On January 16, 1878, the congregation accepted land donated by Peter Youngquist and Carl Hirdler, two early settlers who owned adjacent farms. John Johnson grubbed the stumps and cleared the original lot, which measured 165 feet wide (east-west) and 297 feet deep (north-south). The Church was constructed by local workmen during the summer of 1878 using native hardwoods from the surrounding forest called the “Big Woods,” which covered all of Forest Township at the time. Total cost of initial construction was $230.00 and contractors were required to submit sealed bids by March 18, 1878. John Lundberg laid the foundation for $73.00 and later completed the plastering for $12.00. The carpentry work was completed by John Olson of Northfield, at a cost of $145.00.