Groundbreaking for the Lake Auburn Home for the Aged occurred in the spring of 1928.  Though it was built to last for centuries, the Home didn't survive for even eighty years.  The Cornerstone, which was retrieved with some difficulty in December of 2006, contained several artifacts in addition to The Moravian quoted above, most of them paper products of one sort or another.
It included The Holy Bible, King James Version, "conformable to the Edition of 1611."
It included a 1928 Text Book of the Moravian Church with Doctrinal Texts for that year.  Leafing through the pages, one reads, "Seek and ye shall find ..."
Said Frank Jones, current Pastor at the Lake Auburn Moravian Church, "Those little books have been printed for some 250 years."  He presents the latest shiny blue-covered 2006 edition for the editor to finger.  Leafing through the pages, one comes upon, "If you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me says the Lord."
The Cornerstone included Der Bruder Botschafter, a German publication featuring the Home, dated 23 Mai 1928, published out of Watertown, Wisconsin, all printed in German.  Its subtitle:  "Das Lake Auburn Altenheim, Lake Auburn, Minnesota."
It included the Weekly Valley Herald, a Chaska, Minnesota, publication featuring the groundbreaking for the Home, dated April 19^th, 1928.
It included contracts and agreements with Ekman and Holm Company, the architects and engineers for the Home.  "All materials are to be the best of their several kinds.  The work is to be done in the best and most workman like manner."  Construction cost was around $30,000.
It included an envelope with a Valley Forge 2-cent stamp and a postmark that also indicated the time of day:  11:30 a.m., May 26, 1928.
It included a program of hymns sung on the day of "Cornerstone Laying," dated Sunday, June 17^th, 1928. 

In Thy blest name we gather here
And consecrate the ground;
The walls that on this rock shall rise
Thy praises shall resound.

The Cornerstone contained many other special items, all of them historical, of course, and hopefully all of them retrieved.  It's a sad story how the contents came to light on Saturday, December 2^nd, 2006.  One might point to ignorance, lack of respect for what has gone before us, lack of professionalism, lack of communica-tion, and a host of other characteristics of this modern age.

O Christ, Thou art our Cornerstone,
On Thee our hopes are built;
Thou art our Lord, our light, our life,
Our sacrifice for guilt.

As Pastor Frank Jones wrote in his church news-letter of November 28^th, 2006:  "The City of Victoria was contacted about the cornerstone from the old Lake Auburn Old People's Home and has asked the demoli-tion contractor to set it aside for us.  We are not sure just what we'll do with that cornerstone as of yet, but we'll be looking at some sort of display possibly with the stone ..."

Builder of mighty worlds on worlds,
How poor the house must be,
That with our human sinful hands
We may erect to Thee.

As Ron Holtmeier wrote in an email on December 3^rd, 2006:  "The Elders of the Moravian Church of Lake Auburn had asked the City of Victoria and received permission to obtain the cornerstone of the old Lake Auburn Home for the Aged.  The firm doing the demolition also promised to save it.  Yesterday, December 2^nd, 2006, person or persons unknown smashed the cornerstone and removed the contents."
Ron also emailed the editor on December 8^th:  "The Fire Department started on Saturday, December 2^nd, by smashing the cornerstone and removing the metal box and smashing into it and removing the historical Moravian items from it.  Pastor Frank now has these items and we will perhaps never know if we got all the things that were in the box."
Pastor Frank emailed the editor on December 13^th:  "I have met with all concerned about the unfortunate incident with the cornerstone.  Apologies have been offered and accepted.  The church will take its time deciding what is appropriate for the contents of the box that the stone housed.  Merry Christmas and let's pray that all of us can move on."

Out with the old and in with the new.  Sounds brutal, but it happens all the time.  That shoreline property on Lake Auburn -- probably created by glaciers eons ago -- was at one time home to prairie animals and tall grasses catching lake breezes.  Then it was home to a wooden shanty and a widow from the War of 1812.  Next it was home to Carver County's first two-story duplex and the Holtmeier family and their farm.  After that it was chosen for the beautiful brick home for old folks and, later, young folks. 
What's slated next for that lovely piece of land?

Click to continue Out with the Old ...