On This Date In Twin Cities History - October 24, 1859

On this date in 1859, the First Universalist Society of Minneapolis is established. The meeting to establish the society, chaired by flour milling magnate William D. Washburn, was held at the Cataract House, on the corner of what is now Washington and Portland Avenues in downtown Minneapolis. The church holds significance in Minneapolis’ history, since many of its leaders were important figures at the time. The list included men such as Minneapolis’s first mayor, Dorilus Morrison, Thomas Lowry, Charles M. Loring, Charles A. Pillsbury and the aforementioned William D. Washburn. In 1866, under the leadership of the church’s second settled minister, the Reverend James Harvey Tuttle, the church’s first building was constructed at 5th Street and 4th Avenue South where the Hennepin County Government Center ramp now stands.