The OAHC regular meetings are held the second Saturday of each month at 9:00 a.m. at the Oronoco Community Center unless otherwise notified.  All are welcome! 

New members are welcome.  Annual dues are to be paid by the end of each year.  Pro-rated amounts are charged for partial years.  Suggestions of other ways to support the Center are monetary donations, helping at meetings and events, and donations of historical memorabilia and items for displays.  Oronoco and the surrounding area has a rich and interesting history.  The Oronoco Area History Center is a place where history can be kept and made available to the public.  Please help support the Oronoco Area History Center!

Thank you for visiting our site!

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By Barbara Smallbrock

THE BEGINNING

A group of German settlers came to this area in the mid 1800s and homesteaded along the south branch of the Zumbro near what was later known as “white bridge.” Many of these settlers were of Lutheran background.

Rev. William Lange, a pastor at St. Peters church near Pine Island served this group as early as 1875. He resided at Poplar Grove.

They would gather for services at the Coon Grove school house.

Later, for a time, Rev. Schaaf, of Rochesters Missouri Synod served this group. He helped organize them as St. Pauls Lutheran Church in 1879. In 1880, Rev. Lange once again served this group and joined them with St. Peters of Poplar Grove and Minneolas Township congregations as a single parish.

In 1900, about half of the people left the congregation and founded their own church in Oronoco. They continued to use the Coon Grove School building for worship. During 1907-1908, the membership had grown so much that the schoolhouse was too small. So for a time they had their services at the Presbyterian Church in Oronoco where they met afternoons.

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Here’s a new tidbit From our treasurer Kris Wiens for your enjoyment of a piece of history:

Brothers George, Edwin, and Agon Mohlke and their sister Esther were early settlers of the Oronoco and Rochester area.  Until 1922, the brothers and their wives produced only boys, but that year was different.  Myra was born in April to George and Mary in Oronoco; June arrived in June (of course!) to Agon and Mabel in Rochester; and Irene (Kris’ mother) was born in July to Edwin and Martha in rural Rochester. The Mohlke girls shown in the photo below are (from left to right) June Mohlke Hubmer (now lives in Mankato); Kris’ mother Irene Mohlke Peters (died in 1995); and Myra Mohlke Markham, who grew up in the Oronoco area and married a young man from her neighborhood.  The couple lived in Oronoco for many years until they both died in 2007.

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