Koochiching Museums

Jeremiah Johnston convinced Chief Blackbird that if a Church was built on the site of his father’s home it would be seen as a monument to the old Chief. Chief Blackbird was very much taken with the idea. The Church was a very neat wooden building, clapboarded on the outside and the inside walls and ceiling were boarded. It was built in a cruciform and had a chancel, Jeremiah made the chancel rail and a reading desk, the inside very bare. It needed texts, a turret and a bel

Jeremiah Johnston convinced Chief Blackbird that if a Church was built on the site of his father’s home it would be seen as a monument to the old Chief. Chief Blackbird was very much taken with the idea. The Church was a very neat wooden building, clapboarded on the outside and the inside walls and ceiling were boarded. It was built in a cruciform and had a chancel, Jeremiah made the chancel rail and a reading desk, the inside very bare. It needed texts, a turret and a bel

Old Chief Great Hawk was not pleased when Jeremiah was giving a sermon concerning Gods word and his decree was that Jeremiah could talk about schooling but not about his god, he told other members of his Tribe to leave and said “goodbye.” It did have an impact on some of the members including The Chief’s son Red Hawk and his grandson and they wanted to know more. Fellow missionary James Taylor Rogers examined the Chief’s grandson in writing, reading and drawing, they asked h

Jeremiah Johnston, fellow missionary James Taylor Rogers, and a Native left the School at Little Forks in a canoe that would see them down river for about thirty-five miles. The Indian sat in the bow on a piece of bark, Mr. Taylor in the middle with Jeremiah steering with his paddle at the stern. Mr. Taylor twisted and turned to try to get a comfortable position for his feet and legs, he found kneeling upright to be the least cramped, for a time he sat down which was comfor

In 1895, Jeremiah Johnston was called to take a special course for the ministry and was ordained and assigned to The Long Sault. By September of 1896, he had cleared five acres of land and a house and church were built. James Taylor Rogers traveled from Toronto to Rat Portage (Kenora, Ontario) where he saw Indians buying items from the various shops, some of whom had received their treaty money, five dollar per head. Mr. Rogers took the river boat The Kenora and on July 14th