St. Olaf College: A Selected Chronology (1874-1904)

November 6, 1874: Articles of Incorporation for St. Olaf’s School signed in Northfield, Minnesota.
January 8, 1875: Formal opening of St. Olaf’s School, Rev. Thorbjørn N. Mohn installed as principal. St. Olaf’s School located at the corner of Union and 3rd Street (site of Northfield’s original schoolhouse). Opening day registration: 36 students. First teachers were Mohn, Lars S. Reque and Ella Fiske.
June 16, 1876: Negotiations completed for the purchase of 30 acres on Manitou Heights at a price of $1,250 (Reque and Harald Thorson selected the site).
September 7, 1876: James-Younger Gang attempted bank raid in Northfield.
June 1877: First graduates of St. Olaf’s School: Marie Aaker and Esther Thompson.
September 10, 1878: Student body moved to Main Building.
November 6, 1878: Dedication of the Main (tower portion not completed until 1884).
November 6, 1879: Dedication of Ladies’ Hall (original schoolhouse moved and rebuilt on site near the Main).
1881: Prof. O.G. Felland hired.
1882: Prof. H.T. Ytterboe hired.
1883-1884: Student enrollment surpassed 100. (Enrollment did not surpass 400 until 1905.)
January 1887: The first issue of the Manitou Messenger published.
June 20, 1889: Board of Trustees passed a resolution to change name from St. Olaf’s School to St. Olaf College. Th. N. Mohn officially named President of the College.
June 13, 1890: Formation of United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America (United Church).
June 18, 1890: First three Bachelor of Arts Degrees conferred upon Anton Engebretson, Carl J. Rollefson, and Anders O. Sandbo.
June 1893: First woman college graduate, Agnes Mellby.
1893: United Church discontinued financial support of St. Olaf College. (From 1893-1899 Pres. Mohn and Prof. Ytterboe solicited funds to keep the College solvent.)
June 28, 1899: United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America voted to reaffirm that St. Olaf College is the college of the Church at its annual convention in Minneapolis.
June 29, 1899: Rev. John Nathan Kildahl succeeded Th. N. Mohn as president of St. Olaf College.
November 18, 1899: Death of Pres. Th. N. Mohn.
May 25, 1900: Rev. B. J. Muus, considered the founder of St. Olaf College, died at his daughter’s home in Trondheim, Norway.
November 6, 1900: Cornerstone laid for Men’s Dormitory (later renamed Ytterboe Hall).
February 11, 1901: Manitou Cottage completed as the president’s residence. (Structure demolished in January 2007.)
June 15, 1901: Dedication of Men’s Dormitory, with the delegates to the annual meeting of the United Church arrived by a special train from Minneapolis (the Main no longer served as a residence).
November 6, 1902: Dedication of Steensland Library (gift of Halle Steensland).
Fall 1903: F. Melius Christiansen named Director of Music at St. Olaf College – also served as Band Director. (He founded the St. Olaf Orchestra in1906 and the St. Olaf Choir in 1911-1912.)
May 1903: Publication of first college annual, The Viking, by the class of 1904.
February 26, 1904: Death of Prof. H. T. Ytterboe.
May 17-18, 1904: First Music Festival.