Harriet Elmblad Wilson (Mrs. Donald) Excelsior bookJune. Big Island Park began its second The Acte had brought people from Mound and the Upper Lake to Excelsior, and
season with many new features. The largest more recently, to Big Island Park. If picnickers missed the last boat and ferry from the
was a Music Casino with enclosed band island at night, they still had one hope left: John Seamans and other robust young
shell that could seat an audience of 15,000.men often came in rowboats to transport desperate passengers to the mainland.
More conspicuous was the spotlighted,
200 foot "Electric Tower" whose powerful October 30. For many months Elva New-
beams could be seen from all over the 4 ton and Willis W. Wilson had been making
Lower Lake. Picnickers had free use of plans for their wedding to take place in
four concrete kitchens with stoves and ice Trinity Episcopal Church on this date.
and running water, while young couples When the day came, they found the little
enjoyed walking under trellised pergolas stone church had been raised on timbers
when not dancing in the pavilion.ready to be moved to a new location. The
1 move was delayed one day for their "wed -
August. The "new," or second, Acte k ding on stilts."
burned. When the original Acte burned ten The church was being moved because
years earlier, Capt. Cheely had its machin-4 fix e the streetcar's double tracks were to be
laid through its site (on Third Street)ery placed in the second Acte. Now the
engine would come to life a third time on the way to Tonka Bay. When localy
when installed in Captain Johnson's tug Charles M bu and contractor,moving companies refused to take the risk,
Priscilla, successor to the old barge of the with his wife, Annie Schmidt Miller, about feared they would have to
same name. (OB, 48)1900'demolish the chapel and rebuild elsewhere
with the $4,000 received for the land. The
q church was saved, however, when a Chi-1
cago contractor accepted the challenge,
got the building up on timbers, and inched
it along for more than a block to its
z present lovely site on a hill, facing Second
Street.
Years later, a daughter of the bridal
couple, Harriet Wilson Elmblad, wrote
a poem about the "Little Church on the Hill," saying (in part):
It has woven a thread through the lives of us all1‘ ..ifl. N''' _"
in important events through the years;
NO It re- echoes our joys on the happiest days —
i brings solace through sorrows and fears. 12
fit, -zs ' °m
4
a
Capt. Cheely's Acte, 1906
Standing, L-r: Evelyn Cheely, Carol Cheely, Isabel Bladon, front center, Roberta Wright (with long Trinity Episcopal Chruch was ready to be moved when Willis Wilson and Elva Newton (upper left)
dark hair). Adult in white dress, Mrs. Bladon; others unidentified were married on October 30, 1907
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