Ivanhoe town center in the early 19th century.
A memorial to the Icelandic congregation in Lincoln County and the two churches is in the cemetery just outside the town. Photo: JÞ 2019
Ivanhoe is a town in Lincoln County, Minnesota. It was created in 1901 and that same year a post office was built there which bore the name of the town. The name is derived from Sir Walter Scott and his eponymous novel. Ivanhoe’s population was never large, serving the most urgent needs of farmers in a large agricultural area. The Yellow Medicine River flows by the town. Icelanders in Lincoln County met in November 1879 to discuss congregational issues, after which 32 settlers signed the congregational constitution, forming a Lincoln County congregation. During the settlement years 1875-1900, the number of Icelandic farmers never exceeded 55, so probably all Icelandic farmers who had taken land in the county signed the constitution. During the early years of the congregation, people gathered at the home of one of the settlers and listened to a house reading. In May 1884, it was agreed to build a meetinghouse on Kristján Schram’s land, and its construction was completed on July 1, the same year. The house was intended for all kinds of gatherings, meetings and worship services. Two years later, on May 8, 1886, it was agreed to buy land from Jóhann Jónsson for a larger meetinghouse. In the same year, on November 6, it was decided that the members of the so-called Progress Association (Framfarafélag) should have 170 tree plants to beautify the surroundings of the house. That winter, money was raised to buy chairs for the house. It was in the summer of 1899 that a church was built and Reverend Björn B. Jónsson was appointed pastor. He served the congregation until 1914.
Ivanhoe was never a big town, the population in 2019 was this. Photo: JÞ
In the fall of 1922, the church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. A new church was built and consecrated in 1925.
English version by Thor group.
The Cemetery of the Icelandic Congregation in Lincoln is right next to the town.