Grand Marais History
During the latter part of the 1800s, Grand Marais was
a bustling town with many businesses, stores and services
of all types available to the area. With the influx of so
many people coming into the “Boom Town”, the population
really started to grow, making it a necessity for various
congregations to build local churches.
In 1894, the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Grand
Marais was organized with the Rev. Richard Hancock as pastor.
Having no church building, services were held in the hall
over McBain’s Meat Market, which originally stood south
and east of the Post Office.
By 1895-96, a church building had been erected on the
south side of Veteran Street, near Crawford. It was of frame
construction with a vestibule and an auditorium. Since the
congregation could not afford pews for their new church,
they used chairs. But, if they did not have pews, they did
have a mortgage and it was a happy day when they met to
“burn the mortgage”. The congregation then moved on to getting
carpeting and purchasing a new organ. Shortly after this,
pews were installed. These pews are the ones still being
used in our present church building on the hill on Main
Street.
After the pews were installed, a parsonage was bought
on October 17, 1899 from John Chisolm for $6,000. As the
church proper had no rooms to use for meetings, two rooms
were reserved in the parsonage for the use of the Ladies
Aid. This parsonage (on Main Street across from the Superior
Hotel) was sold in 1928 and was later destroyed by fire.
As the years passed and the church became in need of many
repairs, it was decided to sell the building and purchase
the vacant Presbyterian Church (built in 1898). The pews
and other furnishings from the old church were installed
in the new location which became known as the Community
Methodist Church. The name was subsequently changed to the
Grand Marais United Methodist Church.
The year 1910 was a memorable year for Grand Marais, for
that was the year the railroad was removed. By 1915, so
many families had moved away it became impossible to pay
a resident minister.so the congregation became Presbyterians.
After 1915, Grand Marais was supplied with guest speakers,
lay preachers and ministers through the Marquette District
of the Methodist Church. For three years (from 1938 through
1941), the McMillan Circuit supplied speakers and ministers.
From 1942-46, the Munising Circuit provided a minister.
There were many very lean years from the 1970s through
the mid 1980s when the church simply could not maintain
a “winter schedule”. Jim and Faye Gribbell of Engadine faithfully
led services from September 1983 through December 1986.
Their dedication, along with that of Charles and Karla Bugg,
was instrumental in holding the church together. During
the summer months student ministers served, ministering
to the tourists as well as the community residents.
Rev. John Grenfell III served as pastor from 1987-1991,
and since rental housing would no longer fill the needs
of this growing ministry, plans were made to build a parsonage.
With funds from the Marquette District “Mission of the Year”
program, and a generous bequeath of $35,000 from Archie
and Mary Jane Newberg, land was purchased and construction
was begun by members of this congregation and members of
the United Methodist Church of Plymouth, Michigan. Construction
was completed by November of 1989. The parsonage is located
on Brazel street (right across from Woodland Park and Lake
Superior).
In the year 1994, the Grand Marais United Methodist Church
celebrated its 100th anniversary. With a small but vital
membership, we are confident that the United Methodist Church
will be a part of the community for many years.
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