The Lutheran Church
Dalesburg Church, Dakota Territory
"In the late 1860's emigrants from Sweden came to Clay County, Dakota Territory to file on claims under the Homestead Act. As more settlers came to occupy the land, churches and schools were organized. Dalesburg Lutheran Church was organized on January 3, 1871 in a sodhouse with S.P.A. Lindahl as the organizing missionary pastor. In the beginning the congregation was part of the Swedish Augustana Synod, based in Rock Island, Illinois. The first resident pastor was Carl Beckstrom who was a new seminary graduate" (Dalesburg Scandinavian Association, http://www.angelfire.com/sd/dalesburg99/).