The Dubuque Road, connecting the Mississippi River in Winona to the
Minnesota River in St. Peter, spurred a stagecoach stop in the Big Woods
named Marysburg. The first European settlers were German and Irish. In 1855
Patrick Maher donated land for the construction of a cemetery and church,
named for St. Patrick. The first church built in 1857 was a 20-foot by 40-foot
log structure. It soon proved too small and the parish broke ground for a
new church twice its size, to be named after the newly declared dogma of the
Immaculate Conception of Mary. Construction of the current church began
in 1869 and was finished in 1876. A new social hall was added in 1902. The
current bell tower was installed in 1995, relocated after a tornado destroyed
the Catholic church in St. Peter. Through much of its history, it has been a
mission parish, being served by priests from Mankato, St. Peter, Cleveland,
and itinerant Jesuits. Presently it is linked with the parishes in Cleveland,
St. Henry, and Le Center, sharing clergy, staff, and dedicated volunteers.