Brooklyn Township Place: Bragdon Church

 I was the youngest and last to leave home; then my parents moved.  When I visited my mother, I'd sit on the bench at her table.  The bench had a high back, about a two inch lip on the sides to hold in the cushion, had been painted dutch blue and antiqued; it seated two small people.  My mother said the bench was a pew from the Bragdon Church.

I had no idea what the Bragdon Church was until I read in The Brooklyns (p. 97) about the Brooklyn Park Assembly of God Church located in the "Bragdon Memorial" building. The information describing the "Bragdon Memorial" cited WPA 1934, author Mrs. Edward Neill of Osseo, Minnesota.  I searched keywords "neill" "Osseo, MN" "1930-1940" and up popped Edward Neill [M1BN-Y5C] married to Eva Goodrich, [M1BN-Y52] and her parents - according to the 1870 census - had lived in the same neighborhood as Alonzo Bragdon; Eva had probably attended the Bragdon Church; maybe even married in that church.

 The First Freewill Baptist Church of Brooklyn which was incorporated March 5th 1885. The first religious services started in 1879 when they met at the Dunning Schoolhouse. Elected trustees were Alonzo Bragdon, J.B. Dunning, W.H. Gaslin, Silas Merrill and George W. Pomeroy. The church building was called Bragdon Memorial named for Eben Bragdon, a Christian soldier who died in the army during the Civil War. He had left a small sum of money which he wished to be used for gospel purposes and it was in the hands of his brother, Alonzo Bragdon. Emmett Rathburn was chosen solicitor for additional funds. Contract for the building was let in June 1885 and completed in September 1885. The cost of the church was $1,250

Found Eva's marriage certificate: she was married in the Free Will Baptist Church of Champlin.

"Minnesota, County Marriages, 1860-1949", database with images, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJGY-1Y46 : 9 March 2021), Edward J. Neill and Evalyn L. Goodrich, 1893.

A historical timeline of Baptists in the Brooklyn Area:

1854 . . . The Free Baptist Church of Champlin was established. (1)

1865 . . . Eben Bragdon [L8SR-KW9] died of disease during the Civil War and willed his estate to the gospel.

1868 . . . The Baptist Church of Brooklyn Centre was built. (2)

1879 . . . The Free Will Baptist Church of Brooklyn met as a congregation at Dunning Schoolhouse.

1885 . . . The Free Will Baptist Church of Brooklyn was built.

1887 . . . Eben's brother, Alonzo Bragdon [G3RT-LKT], died.

According to the 1887 map, the church was of the Free Will Baptist denomination. Using google maps, I plugged in the addresses of the aforementioned Baptist churches.  The Bragdon Memorial is five miles from the other two churches; one north and the other south.  In addition, the "Free-Will" denomination (3) differs from the regular Baptists that attended in Brooklyn Centre; that church actually merged with the Methodists.

Today, the Bragdon Memorial building (located at 10255 Noble Ave, Brooklyn Park) is  "The Ark of Covenant Ministry, a full gospel non-denominational church that exists to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, Help the Needy, Build and Comfort the body of Christ." 

________________________

(1) Stephens Ruth and Champlin Bicentennial Historical Projects inc. 1979. Champlin on the Mississippi. Champlin Minn: Champlin Bicentennial Historical Projects. pages 71-76.

(2) Warner, George E; Foote, C.M.; Neill, Edward D.; Williams, John Fletcher; History of Hennepin County and the city of Minneapolis: including the explorers and pioneers ... (Minneapolis: North Star Publishing Company, 1881) page 287. 

(3) Free-Will Baptist Historical Commission

Brooklyn Township Place: Historic Eidem Farm

"Historic Eidem Farm is a 19-acre living history farm telling the story of market farming in Brooklyn Park during the 1905-1920 era." It is located at 4345 101st Avenue North, Brooklyn Park. My parents, Leone and Ralph Howe, volunteered as old-time characters during the site's Christmas events, and my mother was a regular, demonstrating her art of Norwegian rosemaling. 

Sources for learning about Historic Eidem Farm are the site's website, a 2018 Master Plan prepared for the city by Miller Dunwiddie Architecture, Inc., and newspaper articles since the city's purchase of the property in 1976.  A description of the historic site, "Our Story", a defunct webpage from the site's website found at https://eidemhomestead.wordpress.com/our-story1/ without a date or author, is reprinted here so as not to lose it forever.

"In 1972 the city and residents of Brooklyn Park became determined to preserve a piece of their farming history.  The reason being the flourishing suburban growth causing many of the older homes across the city to be demolished.

Four years later, in 1976, the city bought the Eidem home and its 10 acres using a federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for $40,000.  The house, which had been owned by the Eidem family since 1894 was, despite needing some work, in amazingly good condition and structurally sound.  The next three years were spent restoring the house and outbuildings which at the time included a barn, windmill, well house, chicken coup and outhouse.

On September 23, 1979 the Brooklyn Park Historical Farm (Eidem Homestead) opened to the public with more than 1,500 people in attendance.

The East Farm

The East farm was owned by Archie Eidem, son of John & Electa Eidem, from 1918 until his death in 1977.  The property was then bought by the Seed Family, a developing company, for future development.

In 1986 the Seed Family sells 5 acres of the property along with the house, barn and outbuildings which included a sheep shed, chicken coop, and brick garage to the City of Brooklyn Park for $5.  This property then joined the previously existing west farm to create the existing Eidem Homestead, Brooklyn Park Historical Farm.

The East farm is currently closed to the public and serves as a caretaker’s residence and collective storage space for the Eidem Homestead."

The website previously posted family history of John Eidem (9V7K-6ML) and his wife Electa (nicknamed Lectie) Cotton (9DH3-FQM). Now it simply states that they purchased the house in 1894 and completed enlarging it in 1906. It does include this historic photo:

A resource study conducted for the city in 2001 by Carole Zellie Landscaper Research, confirmed the date of the house's beginnings as 1894. (1) The Study adds that "the land was previously owned by Silas Merrill and later by Willard and Rosa Bragdon. I assume the study reviewed deeds and tax list--both are posted online--but what section was the farm in? Silas Merrill (LJGQ-GK7) had several property plats, but other sources mix his with S.W. Merrill's property, Silas' brother Samuel. (LZFS-GPP) Both were brothers of Electa Eidem's mother; they were Electa's uncles.

Going to the Hennepin County wiki for a link to a modern map that shows land sections, I went to Hennepin County historic and current section map. There it was so easy to enter the address of the Eidem farm and up popped the property in section 10; it even includes outlines of buildings on the land. Now, looking at my favorite reference map from 1873, I see that the Silas Merrill property is just west of where Electa (Cotton) Eidem grew up, and adjoins the land of Alonzo Bragdon (G3RT-LKT). 

Two years after Willard Bragdon's father, Alonzo, died, he was 31 years old and married a divorcee named Rose on March 24, 1889.  His property was sold and the couple was divorced by 1895 when the MN census documented that Willard (9VPC-P6N) was living with his mother and maternal grandparents in Minneapolis. In 1900, Willard was committed to "Hospital for the Insane" in St. Peter, MN. 

The 1887 map marks that there was a house on the property that Silas sold (39 acres), and his neighbor was G. W. Pomeroy, the witness to Willard Bragdon's wedding.

Here is the 1913 map:

I have not found the evidence that Willard and Rosa Bragdon had owned or lived on the site of the Historic Eidem Farm.  That exploration will be another blog.

(1) Zellie Carole Brooklyn Park Economic Development Authority (Minn) and Landscape Research (Firm). 2001. Brooklyn Park Historic Resources Study. Brooklyn Park Minn: Brooklyn Park Economic Development Authority. pgs.99-100.  I own this publication and I am willing to do look-ups: jealeone@yahoo.com. 

Brooklyn Township Family: Searching Connection with the Eidems

My mother had a cousin who married an Eidem so I was checking out the Eidem family; I knew the City of Brooklyn Park had restored the Eidem Farm and so I was curious if there were more connections.  I subscribe to newspaper archives of the Star Tribune (1) and hit on this announcement:

Transcribed: Golden Wedding is Celebrated on Farm Home of Many Years

On the same farm where they settled nearly half a century ago, Mr. and Mrs. John H Eidem of Brooklyn Township, Hennepin County, celebrated the golden anniversary of their wedding last week.  Mr. and Mrs. Eidem were married at Selby, Norway, on June 21st 1864. Two years later they emigrated to America, traveled overland to reach the fertile farming regions of Minnesota and settled at once at the place now known as Brooklyn Township. They have made their home on a farm at that place ever since.  8 children, all but one of them came all the way from Montana for the occasion, several grandchildren and Mr. Eidem’s brother and three sisters, two of whom live in North Dakota, attended the celebration. There were also a large number of other relatives and friends.  Mr. Eidem is 72 years old and, with the exception of failing eyesight, is enjoying good health.  His wife, who is 68, is in good health and works daily as actively as she did in her younger days.  They have 14 children, eight of whom are living.  There are 16 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. [ed. Selbu is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. Star Tribune 28 Jun 1914, Sunday Page 15]

So, referring to our reference map from 1873....I am not seeing it right off the bat; referring to our reference township directory from 1881...it says 100 acres in section 4; I am looking at section 4 and it does not show him on the map. Maybe he was renting in 1873.

Referring to the Hennepin County wiki I will look at other maps; first to the table of contents so I can get directly to the maps; I am choosing the 1887 Map of Ramsey and Washington counties : with adjacent portions of Anoka, Dakota & Hennepin counties, Minnesota, and parts of St. Croix & Pierce counties, Minnesota at Library of Congress. And here he is on the 1887 map of section 4; the section aligns Champlin Township.

Some of the Eidems are buried in Champlin, but most are in Mound Cemetery, Brooklyn Center.  Looking at findagrave.com....whoa: seven 'John Eidem' have memorials at this site.  He is memorial ID 44247965.  Sometimes I make suggestions to expand or correct the information at findagrave.com, but, my first priority is to check information posted at familysearch.org. John Eidem is ID G9XL-79N at familysearch.org. That is where I like to do my genealogy work and post results; like a puzzle I love making connections with the records and finding a story. 

For the genealogy of John Eidem, I added information gathered from the Minneapolis City Directories that are online at Hennepin County Public Library.  John did not live on the farm during the last ten years of his life. in 1918 the couple moved to 2423 Aldrich Ave North Minneapolis; Christian, Julius, and granddaughter Alice also lived with them. [today this is a vacant lot] When John died, on November 30, 1928,  he was staying with his daughter at 3323 Dupont Ave N. His obituary, published on December 2, 1928 in the Minneapolis Journal, contains multiple clues (in addition to the anniversary notice) of John's ancestors and descendants. Here it is:

This blog is focused on Brooklyn Township, so rather than explore John's genealogy here [that work will be on familysearch.org] my next step is going to be life on the Eidem Farm, a historical site preserved by the City of Brooklyn Park.  That step will another blog post. 

I did discover that the cousin aforementioned at the start of this blog, had married Julius Eidem,[LRD8-X86 at familysearch.org] they had a daughter 5 months later, and were divorce after 3 years. Julius was the son of John and Ingeborg, and he came to an unfortunate death at age 50: a train accident in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[Mound Cemetery register; personal collection]

(1)  

There is no need to have a subscription for articles prior to 1930 as they are free online at the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub via the MN Historical Society's website; 1867 - 1930.  My cost for the Star-Tribune full subscription is $29.95 for 6 months.

Family Search Wiki: Hennepin County

The first go-to online helper when researching Brooklyn Township is familysearch.org's wiki for Hennepin County.  "Research Wiki" is on the drop down menu under "search".  Enter Hennepin County in the wiki search box and voila.  No need to scroll through all the resources; if you know what you want, refer to the table of contents on the top left for direct links.  Here is the link:

Hennepin County Research Wiki

The table of contents list is consistently the same for all of the research wikis at familysearch.org. Some topics are empty.  For Brooklyn Township the sections on biographies, business, cemeteries, census records, land records, local histories, maps & gazetteers, military records, periodicals, tax records, and vital records are all helpful.  The local history section is not comprehensive but can be supplemented by shopping at links under Museums and Societies.  

The link to Brooklyn Historical Society has 6 books posted on their bookstore webpage. Unfortunately, BHS does not offer a way to acquire the books, and does not have scheduled open hours at their facility.  The six books are: Patriots of Brooklyn, The Story of Pierre Bottineau, The Brooklyns, Growing up on the Brooklyn Farm, Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, and A History of Earle Brown Farm. I have those books in my personal library if one has questions, leave a comment.

My favorite book online for Brooklyn Township [listed under local history] is Warner, George E; Foote, C.M.; Neill, Edward D.; Williams, John Fletcher; History of Hennepin County and the city of Minneapolis: including the explorers and pioneers ... (Minneapolis: North Star Publishing Company, 1881). A description of Brooklyn Township, followed by short biographies of residents in 1880, begins on page 285. A directory of the landowners begins on page 670, and includes the farmers' acreage and the township section they live in. Here are the links:

Hennepin County History - Brooklyn Township

Brooklyn Township Directory 1880

There is so much to explore on the familysearch.org research wiki for Hennepin County that is useful for Brooklyn Township.  Be sure to put it in your research toolbox.

Map of Brooklyn Township 1873

 

When it comes to maps, it is a great find when a digital copy has zoom features that are sharp; I really prefer to analyze maps online versus a hardcopy in a book. This map of Brooklyn Township, for sale at Historic Map Works, is super great to view online and zoom in to unique features.  I have bookmarked it as a reference, and will be cut & pasting it throughout this blog.  Nothing better than a good map when exploring.

MAP OF BROOKLYN TOWNSHIP 1873

From Hennepin County 1873, Minnesota
Published by George B. Wright & G.J. Rice in 1873