When Ulysses S. Grant was President of the United States, and Henry P. Baldwin was governor of Michigan, and Bartholomew Shea was Sheriff of Houghton County, and when Ignatuis Mrak was Bishop of the Diocese of Marquette, and when the Calumet Mining Company combined with the Hecla Mining Company to form one larger company, on the 12^th of June, 1871, the first Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph Church of Lake Linden, with Bishop Mrak dedicating the building on August 27 of that same summer. At the time of its dedication, the church was under the patronage of St. Joseph Calasanctius (born in Arran, Spain in 1556). Reverend Francois Héliard served the parish for the first decade.

As early as 1867, priests had begun to serve the people of the community growing around Torch Lake (which was at one point called Linden Lake and ultimately was named Lake Linden) by celebrating Mass in people’s homes. At its 1871 inception, St. Joseph Parish included twenty-five families.

Come back here for more sneak peaks in the coming weeks!