EPISCOPAL CHURCH. DIOCESE OF MINNESOTA:

Correspondence, minutes, legal documents, parish histories, financial records, printed materials, and miscellany documenting the administration, finances, and property holdings of the Diocese of Duluth, from its inception in 1895 through its 1944 merger with the Diocese of Minnesota. Most are files of Jay W. Lyder, treasurer of the diocese from 1908 to 1924, and of Charles H. Richter, diocesan chancellor from 1930 to 1948. There are very few papers of the diocese's bishops.

Richter's correspondence is concerned largely with the meetings and work of the board of trustees; Lyder's with the diocese's property holdings and investments. The records as a whole center on diocesan property and finances. There is considerable overlap between the correspondence file and the property file, particularly with regard to the affairs of various parishes.

The files also provide information on candidates for ordination to the ministry; missionary work among the Ojibwe Indians; major revisions made to the diocesan constitution and canons in 1938; parish finances and support; details of the merger with the Diocese of Minnesota, and the subsequent merger of the two property-holding corporations; the diocese's investments in building bonds and other properties; and a legacy left to the diocese by Lucy M. Warner. Also present is Lyder's personal file on the Port Authority of Duluth, of which he was president and secretary (1933-1937).

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These records are divided into the following three sections:

The papers of Lyder and Richter are interfiled with other records of the diocese into a single chronological file of Correspondence and Related Materials, which is supplemented by a few subject files. A series of Property Files were probably also kept by Lyder.

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A set of data sheets (P1035 - Box A) contains additional details on the content of the files.

See the inventory for the Episcopal Church Diocese of Minnesota for information on other diocesan records in the Minnesota Historical Society manuscript collections.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Episcopal Church. Diocese of Minnesota. Diocese of Duluth Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 15,348; 17,416. See 1773B for additional accession numbers.

Processing Information:

Processed by: Cheri Thies and Lydia Lucas, 1980-1981

Box numbering is not uniform.

Catalog ID number: 001734946

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The correspondence and related materials include letters, printed announcements, notes, resolutions, legal papers, and bulletins, and are concentrated most heavily in the years 1938-1945. Principal correspondents are W. H. Lightner, Heman F. Parschall, J. W. Lyder, Charles H. Richter, Frank A. McElwain, Benjamin T. Kemerer, Stephen E. Keeler, Granville G. Bennett, E. C. Biller, E. R. Coppage, Conrad H. Gesner, and David E. Bronson.

1895-1929: Records for this period include letters and legal papers relating to church property, legacies, and investments; to Ojibwe lands reserved for missionary purposes (1907-1908); and to applicants for the ministry (1914-1915). There are a few letters concerning missionary work among the Ojibwe; the articles of incorporation of the Missionary District of Duluth (1896); a few letters from Bishop James D. Morrison, including one to Lyder (1925) discussing the diocese's financial problems; letters and clippings of Bishop G. G. Bennett; and a list of diocesan real estate holdings (1928). In a separate folder are minutes of meetings of the diocesan executive council (1923-1929).

1930-1938: In addition to correspondence regarding diocesan property, insurance, and finances, there is a substantial group of letters and canonical papers from candidates for ordination to the diaconate and priesthood. Other correspondence deals with diocesan administration and salaries; the Minnesota Church Foundation; Bishop Bennett's salary; and opposition by members of St. John's Church, Lakeside, to Rev. Edwin D. Reed (1934-1935).

Correspondence regarding meetings and work of the board of trustees begins in 1936, and there are also a few papers relating to the standing committee and the executive council.

Major revisions were made in the diocesan constitution and canons in 1938, and the records for 1937-1938 include correspondence, notes, drafts, and the final report of the Committee on Constitution and Canons. There are also reports, articles, and a letter from Richter regarding canons covering clergy trials, marriage, and divorce.

1939-1942: Records for this period concentrate on diocesan property and finances; the work of the executive council, the board of trustees, and the standing committee; the finances of the national church; parish finances and support; and diocesan clergy. There are a few letters and canonical papers from candidates for ordination.

Other papers include correspondence about Trinity Cathedral, Duluth (1939) and St. John's Church, Lakeside (1941-1942); papers of the diocesan convention of 1940; correspondence regarding the canon governing divorce (1940); and a draft of a canon on financial safeguards (1941).

1943-1956: Most of the records for 1943 consist of correspondence and notes relating to the proposed merger of the dioceses of Minnesota and Duluth. They reflect the arguments for and against merger, and the legal and administrative problems involved in such a move. Papers for late 1943 through 1947 discuss the new constitution and canons for the United Diocese of Minnesota. Papers relating to diocesan finances, property, and board of trustees meetings continue throughout the period, until the formal merger in 1944, and the subsequent transfer of the Diocese of Duluth's properties to the Diocese of Minnesota. Materials for 1945 and 1953-1956 also relate to the merger of the two property-holding corporations.

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These files, arranged alphabetically by name of community, consist of correspondence and legal papers relating to the title, sale, and purchase of church property; insurance and insurance claims; mortgage, rental, and upkeep on church and rectory buildings; taxation of diocesan property; and parish finances in various communities in the northern part of Minnesota. J. W. Lyder's name appears prominently in the correspondence, and he probably kept these files as diocesan treasurer.

In addition to parish property holdings, there are files for building bonds and other investments held by the diocese in California, Chicago, Kansas City, Detroit, and Minneapolis; maps showing the locations of parishes and missions; a list and report on diocesan property (1929); and papers relating to a legacy left to the diocese by Lucy M. Warner. Four folders of correspondence and tax receipts pertain to oil and grazing land owned by the diocese in Chouteau County, Montana.

The container list that follows gives the names of all parishes represented in the property file, and the dates of the papers pertaining to each parish. The data sheets (Box A) give details on the items included in each parish's file.

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Church management -- Minnesota.

Church property -- Minnesota.

Church work with Indians -- Minnesota.

Ojibwa Indians -- Missions.

Religious institutions -- Minnesota -- Mergers.

Organizations:

Episcopal Church -- Clergy -- Training of.

Episcopal Church. Diocese of Duluth.

Episcopal Church. Diocese of Duluth -- Constitution.

Episcopal Church. Diocese of Duluth -- Finance.

Seaway Port Authority of Duluth.

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