The rise and fall of Wasioja

Historical lessons learned from unicorporated town

By Patricia Buschette

Jim Checkel of Kasson is researcher, teacher, collector, conservationist, storyteller, traveler, farmer and historian. He is standing outside the renovation site of the Free Will Seminary at Wasioja.   Photo by Patricia Buschette

Jim Checkel, lifelong resident of Kasson, Minn., believes in the value of history. To make his point, he recited the well-known quotation often attributed to George Santayana, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Jim cited this quotation to point out the importance of Wasioja, an unincorporated community located in Wasioja Township, Dodge County, approximately five miles from Jim’s home.

According to Jim, Wasioja is a Native term translated as “a cluster of pines.” He told the twin stories of the history of Wasioja and the Civil War with captivating detail as he has taken a role in the promotion and renovation of the historical site.

Jim, a retired Mayo Clinic researcher, grew up in the shadow of Wasioja, and was familiar with the site as a young boy. “My father used to take care of gardens for some of the residents and we would walk around the grounds,” he said. As the years have passed, he has become increasingly knowledgeable of the history, the growth and then the demise of the community. He told the story of the four buildings that comprise the historic district.

Jim explained the history of the buildings and their construction. “Settlers to the area soon discovered the existence of a very high-grade limestone that has been used for construction of buildings in Wasioja as well as area hospitals and courthouses,” he said.

Jim Checkel at the site of the Wasioja Seminary renovation site which is marked by a sign from the Minnesota History Society which explains the site’s history and significance. Photo by Patricia Buschette

Four buildings were to play an important role in history. In 1855 Mexican War veteran Col. James George built a law office and bank building in Wasioja. As Wasioja grew, in 1858, the citizens of Wasioja built a structure as a home for the new Free Will Baptist Seminary.

Minnesota was not yet a state and there was no public education, “Students from the surrounding area attended an education program in the seminary building,” Jim explained. “They ranged from 5 years to 18 years of age. A boarding house was built for students who came from a distance and stayed on site. A horse stable was constructed for horses used as transportation to school,” Jim said, as he pointed out the location of buildings that no longer exist.

By September of that year, 300 students had enrolled in the seminary that served as a school. That year marked the height of Wasioja’s prominence. The seminary was dedicated, and the town reached its peak population of 1,000, rivaling Rochester, Minn.

Many of the buildings of the historic district were built from limestone mined from quarries located behind the seminary building.

Other historical buildings exist in the community that include a Baptist church. Construction of this church building was begun in Feb. of 1858, but before it was completed, a national financial crash prohibited completion. With volunteers and whatever resources available, the church was completed. It is no longer active, but is preserved to tell the story of the early years of the community.

The Wasioja Elementary School was built in 1860, also of locally quarried limestone. The school housed students through grades 1-4 on the main floor and grades 5-8 on the second level. A large rock remains on the corner of the property and, while there was an effort to remove it, the effort was abandoned as the children used it for a slide. The school was closed in 1959 due to school district consolidation.

Jim went on to explain how the community grew, and its ultimate demise as the young men of Wasioja participated in the history of the Civil War.

The interior of recruiting station looks like this today. The building initially served as the law office for Col. James George and a bank The Dodge County Historical Society bought the recruiting station in the early 1960s, refurbished it, and filled a portion with Civil War memorabilia. 

Minnesota’s Governor Alexander Ramsey was in Washington at the outbreak of the Civil War. President Lincoln asked for help to preserve the Union, and Minnesota was the first to pledge troops to the Union army. Gov. Ramsey sent word back to Minnesota that troops were needed. Col George said, “Hey, I have a school of young boys who would be willing to fight.”

“Young boys were told that the war wouldn’t last much longer than six months,” Jim said. “They walked from the seminary to the building that had initially served as a law office for Lt. Col George and a bank, and later as a recruiting office.”

“While they were the first in the state to be recruited,” Jim said, “they had to walk from Wasioja to Fort Snelling, and by then other enlistments had arrived.”

Wasioja’s recruits formed the basis of Company C of the Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. It was Col. George who swore the recruits in and led them at the Battle of Chickamauga, where many were killed.

“The recruiting station is the last of its era in the state,” Jim said. “It is believed to be the last recruiting station west of the Mississippi River and north of the Mason-Dixon Line. When the war was over, of the 80 who had enlisted, 25 returned, some having been casualties, and there were some who chose not to return to Wasioja.”

“These recruits were to be the future leaders of the community. They no longer worked on family farms, were not bankers, lawyers and workers in mines,” Jim said. “The community didn’t recover from the loss.”

Free Will Baptist Church constructed, built in 1858, was the first church building in Dodge County and is now part of the Wasioja Historic District. Photo courtesy of the Dodge County Historical Society 

What other factors caused the demise of the community? “Cement was developed, and limestone that had been sold, was no longer needed,” Jim explained. The village lost its bid to become county seat, and the railroad line abandoned the city that was to be the shining city on the hill. With public education, a school was built. Later, other denominations took over the school, and it finally closed in 1894. “The area went into fast decline,” he said.

In 1905 the seminary was destroyed by fire. Trees and brush grew up, shading the site. “The shaded area became damp, and the limestone deteriorated. In 2012 a crew, with the help of draft horses, cleared out the area, and the site was re-landscaped,” Jim said.

The years have taken their toll on the building as mortar has disintegrated and stones have fallen. It was necessary to take action to protect what remained of the historic building.

Jim explained the process, “The stabilization of the ruins begins with the installation of eight large anchor bolts around the outside of the building and surrounding the outside of the building with a wooden frame that attaches to the anchor bolts. Loose material is removed from the outside and any mortar between the blocks is removed and replaced. Upon completion, the interior debris is removed, anchors are installed inside the walls and a permanent steel structure is constructed within the walls, then attached to the steel structure. Once stabilized, the outside wooden frame is removed.”

Financing for its preservation was obtained with funding through the State of Minnesota.

The Wasioja Elementary School was built in 1860 of locally quarried limestone. The school housed students through grades 1-4 on the main floor and grades 5-8 on the second level. At one time there was an attempt to remove the large rock in the corner of the property, but the effort was abandoned as the children used it for a slide. The school was closed in 1959 due to school district consolidation. The main floor is now being used for offices by Wasioja Township. Photo by Patricia Buschette

Jim explained that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has visited the site, bringing others to see and hear the story. He has called Wasioja a “hidden jewel that needed to be made more prominent as a lesson for who we are as a state and a nation.”

Jim quoted the govenor’s statement that Wasioja site is second in historical importance to Fort Snelling.

There is another concern that Jim Checkel raised. He pointed to the divisiveness in this country and the possibility of another civil war. 

“We don’t want another civil war. This is proof of what can happen to a community,” he said as he gestured to the seminary building.

The story of a community with such promise and decline will be told as visitors to the site will learn of Wasioja and the lessons it offers.