Rural Municipality of Caledonia No. 99

The Rural Municipality of Calidonia No. 99 is located in the southeast portion of the province and has a population of 225.

History

The RM of Caledonia No. 99 was incorporated as a rural municipality on December 13, 1909.

There is one historical building located within the RM:

Bethesda Lutheran Church

Bethesda Lutheran Church is a Municipal Heritage Property located west of the Town of Milestone in the Rural Municipality of Caledonia No. 99. Situated on a grassy 0.4-hectare parcel that is surrounded by cultivated fields, this property features a wood-frame church that was constructed in 1912 and a cemetery.

The heritage value of Bethesda Lutheran Church resides in the property’s association with the religious history of Caledonia Rural Municipality Number 99. Many of the settlers in this rural area originated in the United States but were of Norwegian descent. Norwegian Lutheran services were held as early as 1904, and in 1910 the Bethesda Norwegian Lutheran congregation was organized. In 1912, Martin Johnson, a carpenter from South Dakota, was retained to construct Bethesda Lutheran Church with the assistance of the congregation. Situated on an open parcel, the graceful steeple of this church can be seen for miles across the flat prairie landscape. Modernized in 1928 with a concrete basement and furnace, the church served the surrounding rural community for church services, weddings, funerals, meetings and bazaars. Many of the area’s first settlers rest in the cemetery, which is located at the rear of the church. Because of a steadily diminishing congregation, Bethesda Lutheran Church closed in 1973.

The heritage value of Bethesda Lutheran Church also lies in its architecture. Like many rural churches in Saskatchewan, Bethesda displays a Gothic influence illustrated by the pointed arch-windows and centrally-placed tower that incorporates the main entrance. Graceful in its detailing, the bell tower includes a bell-cast base, decorative gables and an eight-sided spire. Interior architectural features emphasize the generous proportions of this heritage property and present an air of simple elegance. One key element of the church interior is the pressed copper tile that lines the vaulted ceiling and the top part of the walls. Decorative columns frame the raised church sanctuary, which features an ornately carved altarpiece that is encircled by a matching chancel rail and an elegant raised pulpit.

Geography

The following urban municipalities are surrounded by the RM:

• Town of Milestone

The following unincorporated communities are located within the RM:

• Organized Hamlet of Parry
• Dummer