Commemorating 150 Years of Minnesota Camp Meetings!
Sabbath, June 8 – Sabbath, June 15, 2019
Reservations For Commemorative Events
Last minute changes (i.e. rain plans, cancellations, etc.) for commemorative events June 8-11 will be communicated via this website and Facebook
Minnesota Seventh-day Adventist History
Sabbath Morning, June 8 – 9:30 am
Location: John and Rita Carroll Farm, Wasioja Township,
21531 600th Street, Dodge Center, MN
(Head east from Wasioja to the first farm on south side)
Find it today: Map
About the location: The farm belonged to William Ingraham, one of Minnesota’s pioneer SDA ministers, and was the site of the first two Minnesota SDA Camp Meetings in 1869 and 1870. We appreciate the current farm owners hosting our commemorative camp meeting events. James and Ellen White along with J. N. Andrews attended camp meeting here.
What you need to know:
* Bring lawn chairs for seating!
* Historic dress is encouraged!
Events:
* At the farm where the very first two camp meetings were actually held!
* Re-enactments of 1869 and 1870 camp meeting events
* Historical music
* Children’s activities
* Lunch hosted at the Dodge Center SDA Church (directions to church)
* Reservations are appreciated to ensure adequate food
* Dodge County Historical Society events in Wasioja – self-guided tours of historic buildings, troop re-enactments at the Civil War Recruiting Station with posting of colors in a dedicatory event at 1:00 pm.
Traveling: There are a number of hotels available on the I-35 route between Owatonna and Northfield. Many lovely camp grounds are also in the area.
Reservations For Commemorative Events
Sabbath Afternoon, June 8 – 3:30 pm
Location: Medford City Park (Straight River Park)
350 4th Avenue NW, Medford, MN
Find it today: Map
About the location: This second camp meeting location was the site of meetings in 1871-1874 – most early SDA churches were in an area between Dodge Center and Medford, thus Medford was a central site and the river was lovely for baptisms. James and Ellen White attended camp meeting here.
What you need to know:
* Bring lawn chairs for seating!
* Supper – For those traveling: Bring a loaf of bread
If your last name starts with A-P, also bring a bag of chips
If your last name starts with Q-Z, also bring a dessert for 20
Arrangements are made with local churches to furnish remaining items:
Owatonna and Faribault SDA Churches bring fruit salad and tableware
Rochester SDA Church brings sandwich fillings
* Reservations are appreciated to ensure adequate food
Events:
* Historical presentation in a lovely setting described by James White!
* Historical music
* Baptism in historic setting
* Playground available for children
Traveling: There are a number of hotels available on the I-35 route between Owatonna and Northfield. Many lovely camp grounds are also in the area.
Reservations For Commemorative Events
Sabbath Evening, June 8 – 6:30 pm
Location: Historic Northfield Train Depot
204 3rd Street W., Northfield, MN
Find it today: Map
About the location: This depot is where many arrived for a week’s encampment at the 1912 camp meeting in Central Park.
What you need to know:
* Reservations Required Due to Space Limitations!
* No charge for this event but freewill donations accepted at depot
(The newly restored depot is dependent upon donations and is just opening – we are honored to be one of the first tour groups!)
* Because the depot is not officially open yet, it is not handicapped accessible.
Events:
* An historical tour will be provided for this newly restored depot
* When your tour is completed and you go to Central Park, note the Cannon River as you cross it – this is where the baptisms of 40 individuals were held during the 1912 camp meeting.
Traveling: There are a number of hotels available on the I-35 route between Owatonna and Northfield. Many lovely camp grounds are also in the area.
Reservations For Commemorative Events
Sabbath Evening, June 8 – 7:30 pm
Location: Central Park
421 E. 4th Street, Northfield, MN
Find it today: Map
About the location: Central Park was the site of the 1912 camp meeting and, thanks to a group of volunteers who restored it in more recent years, today it looks much like it did in 1912, with it’s center circle and paths to each corner of the park.
What you need to know:
* Bring lawn chairs for seating!
Events:
* Sundown vespers in the lovely setting of the 1912 camp meeting
* Historical music
* Playground available for children
Traveling: There are a number of hotels available on the I-35 route between Owatonna and Northfield. Many lovely camp grounds are also in the area.
Reservations For Commemorative Events
Sunday Morning, June 9 – 11:00 am
Location: Fraze Park
100 Cate Street, Eagle Lake, MN
Find it today: Map
About the location: Eagle Lake was the site of the 1875 and 1876 camp meetings. The earliest known photos of Minnesota camp meetings are of the Eagle Lake site – indeed, a photo of the Eagle Lake camp meeting was used in the Centennial Review and Herald in 1944 and photos of Eagle Lake are often used to portray historic SDA camp meetings in general. James and Ellen White along with Uriah Smith attended camp meeting here and it was here that Ambrose Coates Spicer, a Seventh-day Baptist minister, joined the SDA Church. His son, William Ambrose Spicer would become an SDA missionary, a GC President and have Spicer Memorial College named in his honor.
What you need to know:
* Bring lawn chairs for seating!
Events:
* Historical presentation
* Historical music
* Playground available for children
Reservations For Commemorative Events
Sunday Mid-day, June 9 – 12:30 pm
Location: Sibley Park, Shelter # 3
900 Mound Avenue, Mankato, MN
(Highway 14 west from Eagle Lake to the Mankato exit for Riverfront Drive. Head south on Riverfront Drive N., it later becomes Riverfront Drive S. Shortly after crossing Highway 169, turn slight right onto Park Lane which takes you to Sibley Park.)
Find it today: Map
About the location: Sibley Park has an interesting history and was the site of the 1884 and 1885 camp meetings. Camp meetings here were held in four languages, the evidence of which could be heard when voices of all languages joined together in singing. Nearly a thousand attended each year and about 70 were baptized each year in the Minnesota River.
What you need to know:
* Bring lawn chairs for seating!
* Lunch – Bring food for a potluck picnic (tableware provided)
* Reservations are appreciated to ensure adequate tableware
* While the shelter is only reserved until 2:30 pm, you can enjoy the rest of the park after that time
Events:
* Historical presentation and tour
* Historical music
* Enjoy the lovely gardens
* Playground and story book farm available for children
Reservations For Commemorative Events
Sunday Afternoon, June 9 – After Mankato if desired by group
Location: Minnesota Square Park
1000 S. Minnesota Avenue, St. Peter, MN
Find it today: Map
About the location: This park was the site of the 1902 camp meeting.
What you need to know:
* Bring lawn chairs for seating!
Events:
* Historical presentation
* Playground available for children
Reservations For Commemorative Events
Monday, June 10 – 9:00 am (all day bus tour)
Location: Board the bus at Maplewood Academy
700 Main Street N., Hutchinson, MN
(boarding also provided at Westview SDA Church, Excelsior)
Find it today: Map
About the location: This bus tour will stop at several camp meeting sites in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area including Anoka.
What you need to know:
* Reservations REQUIRED!
* Because of city traffic, it is not feasible to have cars following the bus!
* You may bring a sack lunch or you may purchase lunch when we stop at Lake Harriet where the Bread and Pickle restaurant has several vegetarian choices for under $10 per person.
* Supper hosted at The Edge SDA Church
* We will leave the bus at some, but not all, sites
* If you have difficulty standing for any length of time you may want to bring a small collapsible chair as room allows.
* You may extend your dorm room reservation to include Sunday and Monday nights IF, AND ONLY IF, YOU ARE RESERVED FOR THIS TOUR!
Events:
* Sites we plan to visit include Medicine Lake, Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, Pleasant Park, Minnehaha Park, Central Park, site of the Minneapolis Church (1888 GC), Merriam Park (with nearby site of former MN Conference office), Post Siding, Como Park and Anoka – please be advised that the itinerary may be adjusted due to time and traffic constraints
* Includes trolley ride at Lake Harriet (trolleys were the typical means of transportation from the railroad station to the camp meeting sites)
* Playground available at some of our stops including the lunch stop
Reservations For Commemorative Events
Tuesday Mid-day, June 11 – 12:00 Noon
Location: South Park
4th Avenue SW, Hutchinson, MN
Find it today: Map
About the location: This park was the site of camp meetings in 1877, 1878, 1910 and 1911. In 1910, camp meeting was held in Hutchinson because the SDA Danish-Norwegian Seminary was opening (now Maplewood Academy).
What you need to know:
* Bring lawn chairs for seating!
* Bring a sack lunch
Events:
* Historical presentation
Reservations For Commemorative Events
Tuesday Evening, June 11 – Sabbath Evening, June 15
The 150th Minnesota Camp Meeting!
Location: Maplewood Academy
700 Main Street N., Hutchinson, MN
Find it today: Map
About the location: Minnesota camp meetings have been held here since 1967. Come join us as we commemorate 150 years of Minnesota camp meetings!
What you need to know:
* Reservations for dorm rooms can be made after April 15 on the Minnesota Conference of SDA website – Camp Meeting Room Reservations
Events:
* Historical music
* Historical speaker presentations
* Children’s programming