Civil War Buildings Restored in SE Minnesota, Now Open to the Public

When you think of the Civil War you think of the fights in the south and east, not usually Minnesota. But there are actually a couple of significant Civic War buildings that are in SE Minnesota that were just restored and are now open to the public.

These two buildings are in the small town of Wasioja, just north of Dodge Center, where some of Minnesota's first recruits for the Union Army came from.

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Wasioja, MN Seminary Ruins

The recruits were students and teachers at a seminary school. In April of 1861, MPR writes that "seminarians and teachers walked out of their school building ... and marched into a recruiting station four blocks away".

Former State Sen. Dave Senjem said, "'They didn't know slavery. Are you willing to die for something you hardly understand? And somehow they were.'”

The seminary and a recruiting station are the two buildings that have been restored and are now available to visit. The seminary, however, was badly damaged in a fire in 1905, so it's only the remaining walls of the building you'll be able to walk through and see.

wasioja, mn seminary ruins from the civil war

Wasioja, MN Civil War Ruins

Former State Sen. Senjem is actually a big reason there was funding to restore these buildings. He said, "'You just get a little older in life, honestly, and you understand that there are stories like this and indications of sacrifice that should never be forgotten.'"

Funding was able to be secured a few years ago, and on Tuesday of this week, a ribbon cutting ceremony took place to officially open these buildings to the public.