Village of New Trier 

The history of New Trier centers around a church and a group of German Catholics that first settled in Hampton in 1955. They came mostly from Luxemburg, many living first in Stillwater in Washington County. St. Mary’s Catholic Church began on May 8, 1856, when Father Keller, the first Catholic Priest to settle in St. Paul, Minnesota. The mass was held in a claim shanty owned by Fred Fuchs. He came monthly to say mass until a proper log church was built in 1857. The first baptisms took place on May 8, 1856. There were six children baptized that day. The first marriage recorded was on July 4, 1856. Marcus Lies married Catherine Goergen. They had nine children before they moved to Kansas. The first death and burial, of Nikolaus Riplinger, was on February 17, 1857. The first confirmations took place on November 3, 1912. 146 children were confirmed. This same year, the beautiful new church was dedicated. Built at a cost of $40,000, St. Mary’s is the oldest German Catholic church in the Archdiocese of St. Paul. Construction of the church began in 1910 and it was completed in 1912. The stained-glass windows were added in 1928. Up until now, St. Mary’s served the Catholic communities of Miesville, Vermillion, Cannon Falls, and Hampton. By 1912 all these heavily Catholic-populated places had their own churches.

 

Situated in the Northeast part of Hampton, the Village of New Trier was incorporated on March 3, 1874, Francis Gores was elected the first president. The village needed a name. One group wanted to name the town New Luxemburg and the others were in favor of New Trier. Two stories exist about how this dilemma was settled. The first has the people voting and the second has the popular Father Keller making the decision for them. New Trier at one time was a booming town. Besides the church, convent, and parochial school there were three general stores, one hardware store, one harness shop, two shoemakers, three blacksmith shops, one cheese factory, five saloons, one big dance hall, a doctor’s office, and five feed barns. Unfortunately, the railroad built a station in Hampton and bypassed New Trier and the village population gradually declined. 

 

What makes New Trier unique today is the many fourth, fifth, and sixth generations of the original settlers and their families that still reside in and around the village. These families make up most of the population. Like their forefathers, they have maintained their trades, making it a unique little German town.