Churchill, Renville County, Minnesota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Churchill
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former unincorporated community
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 Churchill, Renville County, Minnesota
Location in Minnesota
Churchill, Renville County, Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Renville |
| Elevation | 1,086 ft (331 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 320 |
| GNIS feature ID | 641221 |
Churchill was a small, unofficial community in Renville County, Minnesota, USA. It was never an official town.
In the early 1900s, Churchill was a busy place. It had a railway stop, a Methodist church, a creamery (where dairy products were made), a town hall, and a school. However, a big storm in 1904 damaged many of its buildings.
Contents
Where Was Churchill Located?
Churchill was part of Brookfield Township. It was located north of Hector, along the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway. This railway was important for connecting communities.
A Look Back at Churchill's History
People sometimes called this area "Churchill" or "Church Hill."
The Churchill Church
In April 1876, a Sunday school started here. It was part of the Methodist Episcopal Church. At first, the church group met in homes and schools. In September 1901, they finally built their own church building. The church was designed in the Gothic Revival style. By 1922, it was known as Churchill United Methodist Church.
Life in the Settlement
By the early 1900s, Churchill was a small "settlement." It was one of many small communities in Renville County.
Two early settlers, Neil J. McCall and Thomas Simmons, helped build Churchill. Neil McCall helped start the Churchill United Methodist Church. He also helped build the Churchill creamery. Thomas Simmons was the secretary for the creamery. Besides the church and creamery, Churchill also had its own school.
The Big Storm of 1904
On August 23, 1904, a very strong storm hit Churchill. The sheds next to the Methodist Church were destroyed. Many nearby homes, barns, and granaries were also ruined. Farmers lost their livestock, grain, and equipment. The storm was so bad that it was reported in newspapers across the state. The Minneapolis Journal wrote about the damage. After hitting Churchill, the storm moved on to Boon Lake Township, causing more destruction.
Later Years and What Remains
In 1960, the Brookfield Township Hall, which was in Churchill, burned down. This building had also been the schoolhouse before. Farmers saved a road grader from inside the burning hall by pulling it out with a tractor.
The Churchill United Methodist Church held its last service on December 30, 1979. The church members joined the Hector United Methodist Church nearby. That same year, the Renville County Historical Society bought the church building for just $1. In 2008, the Churchill Methodist Church was featured in a book called Churches of Minnesota. This book was published by the Minnesota Historical Society.
By 2008, the historical society planned to stop taking care of the church building. It had fallen into disrepair, and they thought about tearing it down. At that time, the Methodist Church was the last building left from the old village of Churchill. However, the Churchill Methodist Church is still standing today.
In 2016, Churchill was mentioned in a local newspaper as a former village. Many small villages like Churchill could not compete with larger towns. This was especially true after Rural Free Delivery started, which meant mail could be delivered directly to farms.
Today, the Minnesota Department of Transportation estimates that Churchill has a population of about 20 people.
Images for kids
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Community of Churchill, near Hector, Buffalo Lake, and Lakeside in Renville County, in 1981
