Pass Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Salem Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 14, 2024
1. Salem Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church Marker
In 1924, Sibley Township was set aside for settlement by Danish homesteaders. Eager to take advantage of the opportunity to own land, many Danish immigrants underwent great trials to clear land and build houses in the region. One of the newcomers' first acts was to establish the Salem Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1929. The simple wooden church, typical of the style of village churches in Denmark, opened in 1932. The church was central to community activities and helped the homesteaders to pull together. Despite many hardships, buildings and clearings emerged. As the settlers began to realize their dreams, the colony started to thrive, establishing the community of Pass Lake.
Erected by Pass Lake Historical Society and Ontario Heritage Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Immigration • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.
Location. 48° 33.794′ N, 88° 43.2′ W. Marker is in Pass Lake, Ontario, in Thunder Bay District. It is on Pass Lake Road (Provincial Highway 587) 7.3 kilometers south of
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Ontario and specifically in Northwest Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, in the Great North Woods, on the Great Lakes, on Lake Superior’s North Shore, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least one other marker is within 3 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Aqua-Plano Indians of the Upper Great Lakes (approx. 2 kilometers away).
Also see . . .
1. Celebration Set for Pass Lake’s Big Milestone.
(By Carl Clutchey, August 19, 2024) Excerpt: As Pass Lake residents prepare to mark the 100th anniversary of the Danish(Submitted on November 30, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)settlement next weekend, they marvel at how much has progressed since the time of the first homesteaders who toiled in rugged wilderness. Most Pass Lake homesteads were patented from 1935 to 1950, starting at 50 cents per acre. Though the area was bustling with logging activity, electricity didn’t arrive until the late 1950s. On Aug. 24, 2024, the 100th anniversary is to be celebrated at Pass Lake’s annual country fair. Though a traditional Sunday church service is to take place on Aug. 25, that event won’t be held in the community’s re-built church building as hoped; construction is nearly complete, but not quite. The previous church on Highway 587 burned down four years ago. It was constructed in 1932 after a congregation called the Salem Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church was established in Pass Lake. The new 1,500-square-foot building, which has been erected just behind the site of the one that burnt, appears almost exactly the same as the original, although it’s about three meters wider.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 14, 20242. Salem Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church MarkerLooking east from Pass Lake Road, the church is about 25 meters behind (east of) the marker.
2. Pass Lake historical records were kept in destroyed Salem Lutheran church (6 Photos).
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 14, 2024
3. Salem Lutheran Church of Pass Lake
The marker is visible at the left edge of this photo. The congregation is known today as the Salem Lutheran Church of Pass Lake.
(By Gary Rinne, Jun 9, 2020) Excerpt: Already distressed by the destruction of their community church and gathering place to an early-morning fire, residents of Pass Lake are left to worry that they also may have lost their historical records. Documents collected by the Pass Lake Historical Society, going back to the 1920s when Danish settlers arrived, were stored in the basement. The damage is so extensive, there is little chance of finding any evidence of the cause of the fire.(Submitted on November 30, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 14, 2024
4. Salem Lutheran Church of Pass Lake
Construction of this new church building was almost completed for the Pass Lake centennial celebration on August 24, 2024. It is nearly identical to the previous (1932) church at this location, which burned down on June 9, 2020.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 28, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 109 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 30, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
