It seems that this week we should feature the beautiful golf courses along OLD RED/OLD TEN. We could have been playing golf this past week. However, I will wait a couple months until the courses are all green and we can load up the clubs. So, let’s look at the Historic Churches along The OLD RED/OLD TEN SCENIC BYWAY.
North Dakota is a place where people’s faith is large. You can see this in the many beautiful churches that we treasure. The European settlers that came from Germany, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Hungary and other places came to start new lives and brought their faith traditions with them. The immigrants came west on the Northern Pacific Railroad. Frequently, their community’s church was one of the first buildings built, sometimes even before people’s houses!! Or the congregation was organized and they met in a home.
The oldest organized church along the SCENIC BYWAY is St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Mandan and was organized in 1879. Others are: St. John’s United Church of Christ in Hebron which was organized in 1885, First Presbyterian/United Church of Christ in New Salem was organized in 1901 and Salem UCC purchased the church in 1999, Assumption Abby in Richardton was begun in 1906, Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church was organized in 1884, St. Patrick’s Church was the first Catholic Parish in Dickinson and was established by Irish immigrants in 1885, St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish in Dickson was formed by German speaking families in 1902, St. John Lutheran Church in Dickinson was organized by Minnesota German Lutherans in 1901, United Church of Christ in Dickinson was established in 1887.
And others are the Sacred Heart Monastery of Richardton (for over 100 years the Benedictine Sisters have served the people of western North Dakota), St. Clément’s in Haymarsh, St. Joseph’s south of Glen Ullin, St. Elizabeth’s of Lefor. Most of the churches have been rebuilt, refurbished, and renovated. Some of the earlier wood frame churches burned to the ground in earlier years and were rebuilt with brick and stone. Why not take a drive along OLD RED/OLD TEN and view some of our historic churches?
Did you know? OLD RED/OLD TEN SCENIC BYWAY is only five miles longer than Interstate 94. Be well, do good work, and see you on OLD RED.
~ Delores Klusman
January 6, 2012
Longtime Old Red Old Ten Scenic Byway Committee member and volunteer (9.8.1940 – 11.6.2019)
OLD RED/OLD TEN SCENIC BYWAY
Before Highways there were trails