Title
Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Hamline Church Dining Hall at the Minnesota State Fair.
Body
WHEREAS, the Hamline Methodist Episcopal Church has served the Midway neighborhood as a local faith community since its first church service on the Hamline University campus in 1880; and
WHEREAS, the Hamline Methodist Episcopal Church Ladies Aid Society sought ways to raise money for the congregation’s own building; and
WHEREAS, the Hamline Methodist Episcopal Church Ladies Aid Society in 1897 opened a modest food stand at the Minnesota State Fair; and
WHEREAS, the women sold sandwiches and lemonade to provide financial support for the church; and
WHEREAS, the effort by women to support their church financially began a tradition that continues today - a tradition that generations of church members and friends have taken part in; and
WHEREAS, the dining hall has continued through two world wars, the Great Depression, the 1940s polio epidemic and the recent COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the dining hall continues to provide good food and fellowship, even though white linen cloths and vases of fresh flowers no longer grace the tables and mischievous children no longer throw apples at fairgoers from the building loft; and
WHEREAS, the dining hall has become the oldest continuously operated food service establishment at the fair today and is a traditional stop for many fairgoers; and
WHEREAS, the dining hall proceeds have supported Saint Paul nonprofits including Keystone Community Center and Emma Norton Services; now
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Thursday, August 25 is declared Hamline Church Dining Hall Day in the City of Saint Paul.