Did you know that Gustavus Adolphus College was once located in East Union? Well, in a sense…
Pastor Eric Norelius established the St. Ansgar Academy in 1862 in Red Wing, Minnesota, but ongoing funding almost immediately became a problem. Thus, in 1863, it was necessary to move the school to a new location. That new place was East Union, Minnesota, at the site of East Union Lutheran Church. The first pastor of that church, Pehr Carlson, ran a grist mill on nearby Bevens Creek and used the income to support the fledgling school. The Academy shared the site with the church until in 1875 when it moved for a final time.
St. Ansgar and the Augustana Synod accepted an offer of a larger site and guarantee of support in St. Peter, and with acreage and plenty of room to grow, the school quickly became a larger institution. It would eventually be renamed Gustavus Adolphus College. And even though St. Peter failed to become the state capitol (another story), it had become a fast-growing new home for many new Minnesota settlers, including some who left Carver County during the 1862 US–Dakota war.
Those early ties between East Union Lutheran Church and Gustavus Adolphus College were often celebrated through the decades that followed. Especially memorable were visits by musical groups from the college, performances that were appreciated at the country church with Swedish roots. Sadly, this association faded somewhat over the years but both institutions remained interested in the shared history and recently efforts to renew the engagement have begun.
In the fall of 2024, a group from Gustavus came to visit East Union Lutheran Church and on April 23 at the invitation of Gustavus, a delegation from the church, led by pastor Bryant Bakkum and outreach committee chair Cheryl Hubbard, were invited to visit the college.
After a pleasant welcome luncheon, where the delegation was greeted by college President Rebecca Bergman, the group was introduced to the day’s hosts, including members of the Vocation Advisory Council and College Archivists. Discussions began on the mission of the visit, and on ways to cultivate continued ties between the college and the church.
A tour of the college featured many sites, including Christ Chapel, Nobel Hall of Science and the Folke Bernadotte Library Archives, where stored records from the founding times of both institutions were shared with the group by college Archivist Jeff Jensen.
In another highlight of the meeting, Ursula Lindqvist, Professor of Scandinavian Studies and Comparative Literature, delivered a special presentation on the historic background of the founding period, focusing on a better understanding the US–Dakotah conflict of 1862.
The delegation left with a sense of renewed connection and the promise for continuing interaction between the college and the church, whose pasts are so closely connected.
When you are next southbound on County Road 40 and have occasion to pass that picturesque brick church just north of East Union, take a moment to glance to the opposite side of the road at the white frame one story structure with the large plaque above its front door, standing in front of a farmstead. You will be taking in a view that has endured for more than 150 years: the church and the college that joined in a common beginning. And if you’d like, come and worship with us!
