Vasa Children's Home

While there had already been rapid growth in European settlement of the area largely against Dakota wishes, as US leaders pushed the Westward Expansion, the 1851 treaty further encouraged the wave.

[4] Vasa prospered agriculturally and was notable for hosting a US post office on the original Minnesota Rural Free Delivery route until the 1950s when core businesses closed and growth became stagnant.

[4] Eric Norelius immigrated to the United States in 1850 and after completing a course of study at Capital University was ordained by the Swedish Lutheran Church in 1855.

[5][1] These first residents were recent immigrants whose parents Mikola and Anna Erikson had died of illness shortly upon arrival in the United States.

Britta Nelson, a Christian school teacher from Stockholm, Wisconsin who was known as "Aunt Brita"[6] to her wards, cared for the children from 1865 to 1869.

A hasty small building typical of pioneer architecture described by Norelius as "a simple hut, yet warm"[7] and as a "shanty" by a later surveyor[9] dedicated to the care of orphans was built.

The home was entirely rebuilt after a tornado demolished it 2 July 1879 in which four children died, and again after a fire caused by a resident child 16 January 1899.

In 1876, Norelius transferred supervision of the home to the Board of the Society of Mercy, part of the Minnesota Conference of the Augustana Synod, in order to focus on his growing missionary efforts.

He returned to local business and social ventures including Vasa Children's Home when honorably discharged in 1865 at 28 years old.

He immigrated from the area of Stockholm, Sweden in 1882 and graduated from Augustana College and later its theological seminary in Rock Island, Illinois.

"[7] Construction began 21 April 1926 with Lutheran blessing rites from the Minnesota Conference vice president Dr. C. J. Sodergren and the cornerstone was laid by visiting Crown Prince Gustaf Adolph VI of Sweden.

The new home officially opened 16 October 1926 with a second highly attended event and housed 50 children and resident staff.

[17] About the historical significance of the location, they expressed gratitude on their Facebook page for the patrons who told them stories of when the home was still in operation.