USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Meriden > An historic record and pictorial description of the town of Meriden, Connecticut and men who have made it > Part 54
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96
1869, his service as such continuing until April 1, 1886, when his resigna- tion took effect. His successor was Rev. A. Krafft of Otto, N. Y., who was installed pastor of St. John's church April 16, 1886, and who re- mained as such until July 10, 1890, when he left to accept a call to the Lutheran church at Fischerville, Can. Rev. William Koepchen of New Haven, who almost immediately afterwards received a unanimous call from the Meriden church, was installed as pastor August 10, 1890. The erection of the present impos- ing edifice at the corner of Liberty and Norwood streets, was determined upon just previous to the coming of Mr. Koepchen but the corner stone was laid at the end of his first year, on August 30, 1891, its dedication occurring March 13, 1892.
During his successful pastorate also, in 1897, the parsonage on Lib- erty street was purchased by the church corporation and in 1899 a commodious and comfortable parish house was erected in the rear of the parsonage by the Young People's and Ladies' Aid societies. In the same year, a very desirable tract of land containing eight acres and front- ing on Roberts and Bee streets, just off East Main street, was purchased and has since been used by St. John's parish as Gethsemane cemetery, being one of the city's most beautiful plots for the purpose for which it has been designated.
Rev. S. F. Glaser, the present pastor of the now thriving congre-
198
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
gation, succeeded Rev. Mr. Koep- chen and was installed in March, 1900; and in the intervening years the church has increased largely in membership. During the year 1902 the church replaced its defunct or- gan with one of magnificence and modern construction at a cost of $3,500. The church congregation pos-
sesses property at the present writing to the value of about $55,000. The present church building, a most imposing structure of brick with brownstone basement and trim- mings and cathedral glass windows, is of true Gothic architecture, and has a seating capacity of 800. The extreme width of the aisles, however, makes it possible for about 200 more to be accommodated when occa- sion demands. Under the pastorate of the Rev. Mr. Glaser, the attend- ance at the morning services, which are held in German, averages be- tween 500 and 600, and on the last Palm Sunday, there were about an even 1,000 people seated in the church. During the past three years, and owing to the fact that many members of the congregation have married Americans, the eve- ning services have been held in English, a most popular innovation introduced by the present pastor. There are both male and mixed choirs at St. John's Church, and the music there rendered is of high or- der. The congregation now com- prises 1,400 souls and there are 845 confirmed communicants, 185 com- prising the adult male members who
decide the matters of the church by vote. For many years there has been maintained by this church a parochial school which is held in three rooms of the basement and where, besides all the branches taught in the public schools a thorough course in German is also given. This school is. maintained by St. John's church, knowing it to be the sacred duty to give its children a thorough Chris- tian education and training. The teachers are: C. A. Burgdorf, princi- pal; Miss Elise Flora Sternberg and Miss Marguerite Nagel, assistants. The church Sunday school comprises 300 children and of this the pastor is the superintendent and C. A. Burg- dorf is the assistant.
The church council comprises the following : Rev. S. F. Glaser, chair- man; Albert Abel, clerk; and John W. Katt treasurer. The elders are Ed- ward Schwarz and Carl Schoenrock , the deacons, Herman Ketelhut, Karl Schroeder and Herman Rufleth. The trustees of the corporation are Ches. Sternberg, Albert Maronde, Albert Abel, John W. Katt and William H. Nagel, president.
The present pastor, Rev. Samuel F. Glaser, was born in Adrian, Mich. and attended Concordia College, Ft. Wayne, Ind., from which he was graduated in 1885, after taking the regular classical course embracing the studies of the ancient languages, including Latin, Greek and Hebrew, he afterwards took a three years' course at Concordia University at St. Louis, where he prepared for the
199
CHURCHES.
ministry, and from which he received his diploma in 1888. Mr. Glaser came to this city from Ashland, Ky., and his pastorate here has met with the hearty co-operation of a large congregation. Mr. Glaser is a man of intellectual attainments and through his ability as a preacher, or- ganizer and aptitude for his profes- sion has the church been brought to its present state of prosperity.
IMMANUEL GERMAN LUTH- ERAN CHURCH.
This now thriving evangelical church congregation possessing at the present writing a valuable church property and parsonage adjoining at the corner of Hanover street and Cook avenue, sprang from St. John's German Lutheran Church in . 1889. It was in that year that thirty- six families formed the new society, it being their desire to worship un- der the jurisdiction of the old syn- od which is the Ministerium of New York, and the adjacent states under the General Council of the Lutheran Church of North Amer- ica. The first meetings of the society were held at the hall of the Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation, where after the first few months of services presided over by Rev. Emil Wittmann, Rev. C. R. Tappert became the regular pastor.
A building lot had been pur- chased in the present location and in 1890 the corner stone of the church was laid by Mr.
Tappert. The church when com- pleted and dedicated began imme- diately to show a remarkable pro- gress in membership and spiritual prosperity. Two years later it was deemed advisable to buy several lots adjoining that upon which the church had been built. The land was little more than a swamp and was an excellent resort for a large congregation of lusty throated frogs. The pastor, however, saw great possibilities to be obtained from improving the land, and at a large expense the same was filled in and the same year, in 1892, the addi- tional land was purchased, there were built thereon the present church parsonage and carriage sheds, thereby greatly improving that section of the city. In 1897 the prosperity and growth of the church warranted a further outlay of $3,000 which was spent in remod- eling and beautifying the interior to a considerable extent. After the several improvements had been made the church society had a debt of $14,000, reduced to $5,000 at this writing, and continuing to be re- duced at the rate of $1,000 a year, without any special effort on the part of the society, from its regular income. This has been accom- plished without the holding of fairs or other entertainments and the reduction of the debt has been in a measure accomplished from the pro- ceeds of an established debt fund. The church has ever been a most harmonious organization and its
200
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
growth in membership somewhat remarkable .. At the present writ- ing there are 600 communicants.
school which has an average attend- ance of 125 children, who attend the public schools the balance of the
GERMAN LUTHERAN IMMANUEL CHURCH.
The Sunday School possesses a membership of 225. There is also conducted at the church a Saturday
week. The teachers at the Satur- day school are the pastor, Miss Meta Kreft, instructor at the Pe-
20I
CHURCHES.
quod Business College, and Miss Lena Knapp, teacher at the Public school of Plantsville. The church possesses a ladies' society of ninety- seven members and a young people's society of about the same member- ship.
Rev. C. R. Tappert, the pastor, was born in Hameln, Germany in
REV. C. R. TAPPERT.
1866,. and comes from a good old family in Germany, tracing his ancestry back to the year 1567. He graduated at the Theo- logical school, Kropp, Germany, and while still too young to become an ordained clergyman came to this country and took charge of a con- gregation at Greenport, L. I. He was ordained by the Ministerium
and installed as pastor of St. Peter's Church. He afterwards founded Trinity German Lutheran church in New York city with but nine members, which afterwards became a thriving society under his leader- ship. The history of this church reveals a creditable work by its pas- tor. Mr. Tappert exerts a great in- fluence in the community ; for he is also pastor of the First Evangelical Lutheran church in Southington, which pulpit he also fills for that so- ciety. He stands high in his denomination and is a member of the board of examination of the synod.
Mr. Tappert has two brothers in the ministry, the Revs. Gustave and Ernest T., both having charges in New York City. One of his sis- ters holds an important position in the Lutheran Deaconess home, Philadelphia. Mrs. Tappert is a na- . tive of Greenport, L. I. Her family is also well represented in the Luth- eran clergy. One of her brothers, Rev. W. Drach, is pastor in Syra- cuse, N. Y. Another, Rev. G. Drach, formerly pastor of an English Luth- eran Church, Philadelphia, now holds the important position of gen- eral secretary of the Board of For- eign Missions of the General Coun- cil of the Lutheran Church of America.
SWEDISH LUTH. CHURCH.
As early as 1878 Meriden contained in its population a number of Swedes
202
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
of the evangelical Lutheran faith, and an attempt, which finally proved un- successful, to establish a permanent Swedish society, was made about that time under the leadership of Dr. Lud- wig Holmes.
The first Swedes began to arrive in Meriden about 1865 but for the first ten years their numbers were few.
About 1878 there was organized a Swedish branch of the Y. M. C. A., which for a time conducted Swedish services in the homes and other places. They also maintained a Swedish cir- culating library of fair size. These first services were led principally by Dr. Ludwig Holmes, of Portland, Conn., pastor of the Swedish Lutheran church there, then the only Swedish church in Connecticut. Dr. Holmes later lived in the west for a number of years but a few years ago returned to the church in Portland over which he still presides. He is now one of the foremost ministers in the Swedish Lutheran church of the United States and is also a poet of some note.
It was not until the Swedish Luth- erans had become reinforced by sev- eral families of their nationality that the present permanent organization became effected. Services were first held in St. John's Lutheran church and later in German Immanual Lutheran church, Bethany chapel on Britannia street and Y. M. C. A. hall. The nu- cleus of the present organization was formed March 22, 1889.
The society was reorganized Feb. ruary 18, 1890, as Swedish Evangeli- cal Lutheran Immanuel congregation,
and the present church really dates its history from that day. The society became incorporated the same year.
The first officers were: Deacons, C. A. Wickstrand, Peter Fohlin and Ewald Thoren ; trustees, Peter Fohlin, C. A. Wickstrand, Ferdinand Ander- son ; secretary, J. Alfred Sjoquist.
Meriden was at first a mission- ary field and preaching services at frequent intervals were conducted. by Rev. O. W. Ferm, then of New Britain, but now in Sioux City, Iowa. He was followed by Rev. C. J. Bengtson, of Hartford, now of Rockland, Ill. Others who were not. ordained clergymen but divinity stu- dents, the last of whom was Rev. K. A. Martin, now of Schenectady, N. Y., by whom money sufficient to buy a. building lot was raised, followed in conducting preaching services and un- til 1893, when Rev. A. F. Wicklund, then studying for the ministry, but now an ordained clergyman in Swe- den, became the first resident pastor ..
Under his leadership money was. subscribed with which to begin the- construction of the church edifice on the lot previously purchased at the cor- ner of Center and Miller streets, where now stands the handsome church edi- fice. The building committee was com- posed of the following :
John Anderson, John Wessman,. Otto E. Helin, Peter Anderson, Gus- taf Swenson, Ferdinand Anderson.
Although Mr. Wicklund succeeded in making the present church a cer- tainty he did not remain in Meriden long enough to see it dedicated and
dai
ab
E = 8
CHURCHES.
203
his successor, Rev. Julius Lincoln, be- synod at Moline, Ill., and the Swedish Lutheran church here was his first charge. During his pastorate, on Oc- tober 27, 1895, the church was dedi- cated. He remained in Meriden but. came the first pastor in the new church. He preached his first sermon on the morning of June 16, 1895, and on the afternoon of the same day the corner stone of the building was laid a year, after which, much to the re-
Photo by R. S. Godfrey. SWEDISH LUTHERAN CHURCH.
with appropriate ceremonies which were largely attended. Rev. Mr. Lin- coln was an American by birth and a young man of somewhat remarkable ability as a preacher. He was or- dained to the ministry of Augustana
gret of his fast-growing flock, he ac- cepted a call to a pastorate at James- town, N. Y.
Prof. Philip Andreen, then a divin- ity student, but who afterwards be- came an ordained clergyman, and at
204
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
present the pastor of a thriving parish in San Francisco, California, of the Swedish Lutheran denomination, be- came the next pastor, and for a time filled the pulpit of the newly erected church. Upon his removal from Mer- iden, his brother, Alexis Andreen, also a student of theology, afterwards or- dained a clergyman, and at this writ- ing presiding over a church at Clinton,
REV. DAVID FRIDLUND.
Iowa, was the next to fill the pulpit. He was succeeded by Rev. O. J. An- drews, who was regularly installed in the pastorate, remaining for a per- iod of five years. Much to the regret of the people here he finally accepted an urgent call to locate in Englund, Minn., but he afterwards returned to Connecticut and is now located in An- sonia.
Rev. David Fridlund, the present pastor, became Mr. Andrews' suc- cessor in 1904. The growth of the church in membership has been some- what notable. From the time when the society became under its present permanent organization it had but thirty-three members, which has since been increased to about 300 at the present writing. There is a Sunday school of 100, and during the summer monthis there is a day school main- tained in the church by the society. The church became an incorporated organization in 1890 and the ap- proximate value of the property is now $9,000. The deacons of the church are Otto E. Helin, J. Alfred Person and Linus P. Carlson.
The trustees of the corporation are John Wessman, Martin Johnson, Gus- tav H. Johnson, Albert Holmgren, Gustav Kugge and M. A. Wickstrand. The church secretary is Otto E. Helin. There are two important societies of the church, the ladies' society and the young people's society. The former, of which Mrs. C. G. Anderson is president, and Mrs. Andrew Kugge, vice-president, is composed of all the ladies of the church. The of- ficers of the young people's society are: President, Fritz Ekdahl ; finan- cial secretary, J. Adolph Johnson ; secretary, Alton Parks, and treasurer, C. J. Lundstrum.
Rev. David Fridlund, the present pastor of the church, was born in Swe- den in 1869, and was brought to this country by his parents who located at Manistee, Mich., when he was quite
205
CHURCHES.
young. He was educated at public schools, later attending Bethany Col- lege, Lindsburg, Kan., and prepared for the ministry at the Theological Seminary of the Augustana college at Rock Island. Meriden is his first pas- torate.
THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUE.
There has been a Hebrew reli- gious society in Meriden since 1887 and the structure comprising the present synagogue was erected in 1891 at a cost of $5,000. This society has grown to 125 members from small beginnings and the founder was Meyer Abraham, who was the fourth orthodox Hebrew to take up his residence in Meriden, and in his house the first services of his faith here were held. The first Hebrew to come to Meriden was Abraham Harris, who is an indus- trious tailor and came here with his family about 1872. The second Jewish family was that of which H. Holtz was the head and he was fol- lowed by Heiman Goldstein. Meyer Abraham was attracted to Meriden in 1885 and after his friend Samuel Edlemann also took up his residence here, these two took it upon them- selves to attract others of their faith to this city, their object being the foundation of a synagogue. In 1889 Meyer Abraham, in his name, secur- ed a charter and he became the first president of the society, and has served in that capacity for nine
years in all, being the present in- cumbent of the office. It was in 1887 that Abraham Siskind, a man exceedingly well educated and held in great respect by his people, was chosen rabbi by the society and he has since filled that office without pay and in accordance with the Jew- ish custom has settled all disputes and conducted the marriages of his
Photo by R. S. Godfrey.
JEWISH SYNAGOGUE.
people. Services are held in the synagogue, which is located at 43 Cedar street, once every Friday eve- ning and three times on Saturday. There, as in other Jewish. syna- gogues, the prayer takes a most im- portant part in the services for which he receives a liberal salary,
206
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
S. Leiberman serving in that capa- city at the present writing. People of the Jewish faith become members of this society by vote of its mem- bers, three black balls being suffi- cient, however, to keep out those not desired. The society pays a funeral benefit and a certain stipu-
Photo by Akers & Pigeon.
MEYER ABRAHAM.
lated sum is collected regularly from its members for the maintenance of the society. The services are always private and none but members are permitted to take part. The Old Testament only is the Bible used. In addition to the services of the syna- gogue, on every week day except Saturday and Sunday, there is held from the hours of 4 to 8 p. m., a day
school where the Hebrew language and bible are taught by experienced teachers, and where ninety pupils are now receiving daily instruction from Principal Lewis Ginsberg. Day school is also held there on Sundays from 9 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon. The society is now an
Photo by Akers & Pigeon.
RABBI SISKIND.
incorporated body and its property, with the exception of a debt of $615, is held free and clear.
THE THIRD CONGREGATION- AL CHURCH.
This society of the Congregational denomination, also called the Hanover Congregational Church was organized
207
CHURCHES.
February 13, 1853, by twenty-five members who were dismissed from the Meriden Congregational Church by letter with that object in view. Before this, however, the church had been erected through the efforts of Walter Webb, Deacon N. C. Sanford, Ezekiel Hall, Reuben Wa- terman, L. Griswold and others. This church is of the typical Con- gregational style of architecture and comprises a wooden building of several hundred sittings. The first pastor was Rev. James A. Clark, who served from 1853-55. He was fol- lowed by Rev. Jacob Eaton, who was installed May 18, 1857 and continued until the breaking out of the Civil War, in 1861, when he left for the front as chaplain of the 7th Conn. Vols. During his pastorate an im- portant revival was held in the church which resulted in the acquisition of thirty-two new members,. Following his pastorate for several years, and until 1870, the church had no regular
pastor but in that year J. Howe Voice was installed and afterwards served as pastor until April 3, 1873. At that time the New Haven East Associa- tion supplied the pulpit with acting pastors until the regular preaching services were finally discontinued. The last three acting pastors were E. B. Crane, 1876-7, M. C. Wood, 1880, and J. G. Griswold, 1882. Elias San- ford and B. C. Eastman were the last deacons and Daniel H. Willard was the treasurer and superintendent of the last Sunday school. The church property is still kept in ex- cellent condition, and although there is no immediate prospect of suffi- ciently large congregations to war- rant regular services being held there, it is not at all improbable that the growth of the town may warrant such services at some time in the future, when this fine church proper- ty may again become used as intend- ed by the God fearing people who caused its erection.
-
208
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
SCHOOLS
BY WILLIAM P. KELLY.
The district system of school ad- ministration was early devised in Mer- iden to place the responsibility and control of the schools directly in the hands of the surrounding neighbor- hood; but to prevent deterioration through their isolation, both town and state could legislate for the districts in some matters, and the officers of each had a deciding voice in its af- fairs.
The voters of each district elected each year a committee of one or more men to hire the teacher and to attend to the business matters generally ; but the voters of the town at large elected a board of school visitors who ap- proved of the qualifications of teach- ers and of the character of the school houses and text books.
The board of school visitors through its acting school visitor performed the duties of a superintendent, visiting the schools, making recommendations to the district committees, and passing judgment on the work of the teachers.
The recommendations of the acting school visitors often had great weight with the district committees, especially when accompanied by a threat to withhold public money. In several successive reports during the seventies they publicly rebuked the Farms dis- trict for the disreputable condition of its school house, which in the report
of 1877 is characterized as "the poor- est school building in the town and enough, of itself, to demoralize a school." Finally on May 24, 1879, they officially notified the district com- mittee that "no further appropriations of school money would be made until the accommodations were made satis-
THE OLD CORNER SCHOOL.
factory." On September 15, 1879, that district had a new building realy for occupancy.
The acting school visitor received a small salary, but the others, both vis- itors and committees, served without pay. In most matters, as the district committee controlled the purse, the authority of the school visitor was lim-
.
b
SC
er
m
ha
th di
14
SCHOOLS.
209
ited to giving advice that was too often unheeded. The board of visitors met infrequently, leaving nearly everything to the acting visitor. Indeed, their power was so limited that there was little occasion to meet. The district committees had real control.
The next logical step in perfecting the administrative system was to do away with the division of authority and responsibility, and have one or-
committee of twelve men. They chose an executive officer with the title of superintendent who was entrusted with the expert supervision of the schools. Though the vote to consol- idate was carried by the slender ma- jority of five, the plan has grown in popular favor as the benefits have been more clearly seen.
There have been three superinten- dents : Charles M. Williams, 1896 to
Photo by R. S. Godfrey.
OLD MERIDEN INSTITUTE.
ganization and a single governing board for the town. This change was made in Meriden at the close of the school year in 1896. Sixty-six differ- ent men held office in the districts that year, and if some men had not held more than one office the number would have been larger.
In the fall of 1896 the town assumed the property and indebtedness of the districts, and elected a town school 14
1898 ; Albert B. Mather, 1898 to 1905 ; and William P. Kelly, since August I, 1905.
The present members of the school committee are : C. H. S. Davis, chair- man; Homer A. Curtiss, secretary ; Charles L. Upham, treasurer ; Thomas King, John A. McHugh, James P. Platt, C. E. Stockder, Jr., Napo- leon P. Forcier, Thomas A. Benham, M. B. Schenck, Cornelius J. Danaher
210
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
and George J. Stanley. Charles H. Wood is the present clerk to the com- mittee, and Adelaide R. Pender the clerk to the superintendent.
The consolidation of the districts was agitated as early as 1863. At a special town meeting that year it was "Voted, That the Board of School Visitors be instructed to mature a plan for the reorganization of the public schools and school districts of the
action in making the schools free will be defeated. Our schools should be equal as well as free or we shall lose the benefits of experience and prog- ress."
The recommendations of the "visi- tors" were rejected, but six years later the board of visitors at that time re- ported that, "the district system as it is applied in our town is a hindrance to the efficiency of our public schools.
4
Photo by R. S. Godfrey.
OLD WEST DISTRICT SCHOOL.
town, and print the same with their next annual report."
The board of visitors performed the duty and reported. "That they as- sumed this task with pleasure, fully aware that the time had come when something must be done to render the school system of the town more suc- cessful-to bring it nearer to the standard of perfection, at which we aim, and, without which, our previous
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.