History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 97

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340

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JOHN RANDOLPH HIBBARD, D. D., was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., July 23, 1815. He was a preacher by hereditary descent, both his father and grandfather, besides one maternal and two paternal uncles, having been clergymen. He was born and edu- cated a Presbyterian, but while a minor he became a minister of the United Brethren Church. While traveling as a minister of this denomination he became familiar with the writings of Swedenborg, received the doctrines in 1839, became a member of the New Church, and in June of that year was ordained a mini-ter at the Western Convention, in Cincinnati, Ohio. For some time after this he taught school in Rutland, Meigs Co., Ohio, preaching as opportunity offered. In iszt he removed to northern Ohio. . and on May 30, 1$42, was ordained pastor and missionary. Soon afterward the members of the New Church in linois invited him to visit this State with tite view of his remaining permanently as their minister. In response to this invitation he made a missionary visit to Illinois in 1843, and in 1544 moved to this State, making his home mainly in canton and Peoria. In June, 1>4 ;. he was inade an ordinary minister, and in 134y he became pastor of the

Chicago Society of the New Jerusalem, and moved to this city per- manently to reside. Under his ministry this Society became one of the most prosperous of the New Church sncieties in the world. When Mr. Hibbard came to Illinois it was as minister for the whole New Church in the State, and was recognized as the superintending minister of the New Church within the Illinois Association, but his duties were extended by invitation to neighboring States. From a brief sketch of the Rev. Mr. Hibbard, written by the Hon. J. Youog Scammon, published by Wilson & St. Clair, from which some of the above facts were obtained, the following quotation is made : " The liturgy has been much improved through his efforts, and to the exertions of no one is the establishment of the New Church

J. R. Hibbard

newspaper, the New Jerusalem Messenger, and the New Church

publishing house, in New York, more indebted than to him.

He enters with all his heart into the performance of his duties, is faithful and painstaking as a pastor, and as a missionary he seems to continually hear the command : 'Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel.' The Gospel to him is found in the doctrines of the New Church. They come down into his mind as a revela- tion from Heaven, explained through the rational mind of Emanuel Swedenborg. He regards Swedenborg as authority, and has no patience with those who would amend the latter's writings. While teaching that nothing can do a man any good except what he receives freely and understands rationally, yet he insists at all times that the Word of God and the writings of Swedenborg are the only sources of authority in religion in the New Church ; and he seems to find in the inscription on the cross ' Jesus, King of the Jews,' in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, an intimation that the truths revealed for the New Church are crystallized in these dead languages, the Old Testament having been written in Hebrew, the New Testament in Greek, and Swedenborg's writings in Latin, the spiritual sense of the Word being revealed through the doctrine of correspondences contained in Swedenborg's writings." The Rev. Mr. Hibbard's pastorate in the Chicago Society of the New Jerusalem con- tinued with but brief interruption, from 1849, to December I. IS77. during which time he was promoted from the vice-presi- dency of the General Convention, to the presidency of the the American Conference of the New Church ministers. During this period of nearly thirty years, Mr. Hibbard's position and la- bors were peculiar. He performed the duties of missionary, priest. and bishop, and was the vigilant superintendent of the interests of the Swedenborgian Church. The difficulties of his position are better understood when it is considered that, while the evangelical churches make proselyles by means of an army of priests and teach- ers, operating directly upon the emotions of men, the Church of the New Jerusalem depends more for the propagation of its subtler doctrines upon a deliberate and careful analysis, and a clear per- ception of their symmetrical proportions. The mystical superstruct- ure entitled the New Church reared upon the writings of Sweden- borg, while it may be in a broad and practical sense, a religion of the heart, yet its teachers never resort to the excitation of the sym- pathies as a means of conviction, but reach the heart and enchain the emotions if at all, through the colder medium of the intellect. Viewed in this light the work acccomplished by the Key. Dr. Hib- bard, during his pastorate of the Chicago Society, is a remarkable one, but he was endowed with the qualifications necessary to its ac- complishment. Though but of medium stature, he has a squarely built thick-set frame, surmounted by a head that would render him a noticeable man in any gathering of his fellow-men. Ilis forehead is broad and high, and his head is covered with full flowing, dark brown hair. His eyes are dark and cager, and deep set beneath brows sufficiently prominent to give the perceptive faculties a pal- pable distinctness. llis nose is slightly Koman, lips firm, and features generally prominent and clearly cut. On the 4th of July. IS;7. Dr. llibbard tendered his resignation to the New Jerusalem Society of Chicago, the resignation to take effect December 1. of that year. This step was occasioned by the action of the tiener. Convention, which had been a short time previously held in Cin- cinnati, Ohio. The Convention was unanimous in desiring Dr

Hibbard to devine all his time for a year to come at least, as Gen- eral superintendent of the work of Church extension. The restgr- nation was reluctantly accepted, with many expressions of esteem and affection on the part of the Society and stating that they coul! but regard him as the spiritual father of the New Church in Mi- nois, and also recognizing the labors and devotion of Mrs. Hibbard.

348

HISTORY OF CHICAGO.

Since his departure from Chicago, Dr. Hibbard has resided in Phil- adelphia.

THE JEWS .- Previous to 1845 there was no religious organization among the Jews in Chicago, nor were there many Jews in Chicago or even Illinois before IS40. The persecution of the people of this race in Germany, through exclusive and oppressive laws, drove large num- bers of them to America, from 1830 to 1840, where they could enjoy civil and religious liberty equally with those of other faiths. Large numbers of them remained in the principal cities of the Eastern and Middle States- New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore-but gradually they emigrated in considerable numbers to the Ohio valley and the prairies of the Western States. The first considerable number of Israelites came to Cook County in 1843. This immigration was under the auspices of the Jewish Colonization Society, organized through the efforts of William Renan, of New York City, a young and enthusiastic gentleman of the Hebrew faith. The Society sent a Mr. Meyer west to select lands upon which the colony might settle. After examining differ- ent parts of the Western country, he selected and pur- chased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Shaum- burg, Cook County. Mr. Meyer reported to the Society, and on the receipt of his report a majority of -its mem- bers came to Chicago, meeting Mr. Meyer there, and learning from him more fully the nature of his plans. After numerous consultations it was discovered that many of the Jews were averse to the plans Mr. Meyers had pre-arranged and consequently did not settle in a body, but scattered in various directions. In one re- spect, however, the original plan was carried out, namely, with reference to agriculture. Some purchased farms partly improved, others settled upon Government lands, and still others settled in villages, and connected agri- culture with commercial pursuits. Few Jews came to Chicago previous to the completion of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, and of the Galena & Chicago Railroad to Elgin, in 1849, at which time Chicago, becoming a center of trade, attracted Jewish families in large num- bers. Previous to this influx of the Jewish people, there had been residing in Chicago but two Jewish families, one of them being that of Benedict Schubert.

Among the earliest arrivals of those who now began to flock into Chicago were L. Rosenfeld, Jacob Rosen- berg, the Kohn brothers, Samuel Cole, Mayer Klein, M. M. Gerstley, the Rubel brothers, the Greenebaum brothers, and Messrs. Brunneman, Clayburgh, Weine- man, Weigselbaum, Zeigler and some others. The Jews by this time had become numerous enough to organize a religious society. This was in 1845. The first im- portant action taken by them was the purchase from the city of cemetery grounds. This old Jewish ceme- tery was within the present limits of Lincoln Park. In 1856 the city limits having been extended so as to in- clude it, it was abandoned as a cemetery. Soon after ac- quiring it the association was organized into a regular congregation, and in 1848 it was chartered under the name "Kehilath Anshe Maarev" Congregation of the Men of the West,. The congregation at first held re- ligious services in the upper story of a frame building on the southwest corner of Lake and Wells streets. In 1849 they erected a synagogue on Clark Street between Quincy and Adams streets. on a lot they had leased. . \t the expiration of their lease they bought a lot on the northeast corner of Adams and Wells streets, upon which they erected a second synagogue. This was in 1855. Here they remained until 1865, when the house becoming too small they sold the property and bought a church on the corner of Wabash Avenue

and Peck Court. In this church they worshiped until it was destroyed by the great fire of 1871. The first min- ister of this congregation was Rev. Ignatz Kunreuther. who became pastor in 1849. In 1855 he was succeeded by Rev. G. Schnerdacher, and he was succeeded in 1856 by Rev. G. M. Cohen. The following gentlemen then successively officiated as ministers of this congregation: Revs. L. Lebrecht, L. Levi, M. Mauser, M. Moses and L. Adler. The pastorates of all except the last were quite short. Mr. Adler was called in 1861 and remained until 1880.

ST. PAUL'S GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH was organized in 1846 by the Rev. Augustus Selle, with about forty families as members. For some three years previous to the organization, religious serv- vices had been conducted by those who afterward, under Rev. Augustus Selle, became members of this Church, depending, during this time, on supplies. But during this time a small church building was erected at the. corner of Ohio and LaSalle streets, where now stands Rev. Joseph Hartmann's church. . This building was used, after the organization of the Church, by Mr. Selle until 1848. At this time the majority of the Church desired to change the confession from the Evangelical Lutheran to the United Evangelical, which being done, the minority, with Mr. Selle at their head, retired and formed a new congregation upon the orig- inal basis of faith. Having now no church building .. they procured the use of the court-house, in which they worshiped until in June, 1849, by which time their new building was ready for occupancy. It stood on Indiana Street, between Wells and Franklin. It was a frame structure, twenty-five by fifty-five feet in size. and had a steeple fifty feet high. Mr. Selle remained pastor of this Church until August, 1851. He was succeeded by Rev. Henry Wunder, who was installed pastor on the 21st of the following month, having arrived in Chicago three days previously. The building on Indi- ana Street became too small in 1854, when its capacity was increased by the erection of galleries, to the extent of four hundred sittings. At the same time an organ was erected in the church at a cost of $400. Thus enlarged the church was occupied by the congregation until 1864, when a new brick edifice was built at the corner of Superior and Franklin streets, on four lots which cost the Society S5,400. The church building was fifty-two by one hundred and one feet in size, was furnished with galleries, and had a steeple one hundred and sixty-one feet high, the basement being occupied by the school belonging to the Church. The total cost of the building was $30,000. This commodious and costly structure was occupied until October, IS71, when it was destroyed by the great fire, together with the property of all the members of the Church except three. On the Sunday following the fire, the members of the Society met in a German church on the West Side, and resolved to maintain their organization and to erect new church and school buildings as soon as practicable. The school-house was built at 333 Larrabee Street. It was a two-story building, into the upper story of which Mr. Wunder moved his family, the lower story being used for school purposes through the week, and for religious purposes on Sunday. It was first used for these purposes in December, 187 1. Early in the spring of 18;2 work was commenced on a new brick church- building, upon the same site upon which stood the one burned down. On the 9th of October. 1872, the first anniversary of the fire, this new building was dedicated. It was a reproduction of the one destroyed, as to size. cost and appearance. An organ was erected in this

349

PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS.

new church, larger than the one destroyed, costing $1,200. On the 9th of October, 1873. a chime of three bells was erected in the steeple, costing $1,Soo. At the present time the congregation of St. Paul's consists of · only about three hundred families, many of the Ger- mans having moved away from the immediate vicinity of the church to more congenial localities From this congregation three Church Societies have sprung: '1) The Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran, in 1854, located originally on Twelfth Street, where now stands the church of the Holy Family; 2 St. John's Evangelical Lutheran, in 1867, located at the corner of West Supe- rior and Bickerdike streets; (3 St. James' Evangelical Lutheran, in 1870, situated at the corner of Fremont and Sophia streets. From the first of these three there have sprung primarily and secondarily four separate churches, and from the second, two: making nine churches that have come directly or remotely from St. Paul's. Under the administration of Rev. Augustus Selle. the day-school was established, in which, in addi- tion to secular instruction, religious instruction is also given, according to the ancient custom in Germany, thns rendering the existence of the . Sunday school un- necessary, and it is thought by the German people that better results are so obtained. There have been, since the fire, two of these day schools sustained, one at 333 Larrabee Street, where are engaged three teachers, and the other in the basement of the church, where, under Mr. Wunder, who is still pastor of the Church, there are engaged two teachers. One of Mr. Selle's teachers, Mr. Fischer, was constantly engaged from before the close of Mr. Selle's pastorate to the time of his death, in February, 1882.

REV. HENRY WUNDER, who has been continuously pastor of St. Paul's Church since September 21, IS51, was born in Woehrd, Province of Oberfranken, Bavaria, March 12, 1$30, son of Conrad and Barbara ()fueller) Wunder. At the age of eleven years, Henry went to the residence of his brother-in-law to receive in- struction, having the ministry in view even at this early age. He was prepared for his profession, and in 1346 arrived in Fort Wayne. Ind., and entered an institution of learning newly estab- lished especially for German students. In IS4s he was sent to an institution in Altenburg. Mo., whence he was transferred to St. Louis. In 1549 he received a call to a Church in Millstadt, St. Clair Co., Ill., where he preached until 1551, when he received a call to the St. Paul's German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Chicago. in the pastorate of which he was installed September 21, 1851. On the 21st of September, 1883, this pastorate had lasted thirty-twn years. Mr. Wunder is now president of the Illinois District of the Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States.

THE FIRST NORWEGIAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH was organized February 14, 1848, by Rev. Paul Andersen, who arrived in Chicago January 6, of that year. At the time of its organization the Church had thirty .members, as follows: Andrew Nelson, P. E. Eckstrom, George . P. Hanson, L. A. Brown, Iver Law- son, B. O. Dahly, John Amundson, Iver Wikkingson, N. H. Ellickson, Knud Lawson, Ole Nelson, W. G. Norheim, O. N. Testhal, A. G. Nelson, Elias Olson, Erick Abrahamson, Hans J. Kjos. R. Henderson, Iver K. Lohme, Neil Larson, Peter Olsen. Andrew L. Flage, John Nelson, Kittel Nerison, Halvor Olson. H. 1. Erick- son. G. T. Gunderson, Nels Of-on, Jacob Jacobs, and Peter Nelson. Religious services were at first held in the Bethel Chapel on Kinzie Street. between Kingsbury and Franklin streets, where they were continued until .August, when the first church building was purchased of a con- gregation which had commenced its erection, but had the misfortune to have it blown down by a storm. It cost the Norwegian Church originally Sioo, and the re- building of it cost $1,000. It stood on Superior Street, between Wells and LaSalle, on two lots each twenty

feet front, one of which was bought of Walter L. New- berry, and the other of William B. Ogden. It was a frame structure, fifty by sixty feet in size. In March 1856, this property was sold to Rev. Mr. Carlson, of the Swedish Lutheran Church, for $2,000. and a new brick edifice erected at the corner of Franklin and Erie streets. The total cost of this building was $18,000. It was occupied by the congregation until October, IS71, when it was for the most part destroyed by the great fire. Utilizing the foundations and such portions of the walls as were sufficiently strong. the congrega- tion rebuilt their church as soon as practicable, at a cost this time of $15,000. This church is still standing and in use. It is of the same size and general style as the one destroyed. The pastors of this Church since its organization have been as follows: Rev. Paul Andersen, commencing in 1848 and continuing until 1860, when he was succeeded by Rev. Abraham Jacobson, who remained pastor until the fall of 1861, when he was succeeded by Rev. C. I. P. Peterson. Mr. Peterson remained until July, 1873, when he was succeeded by Rev. A. Mohn, who who in turn was succeeded in 1874 by Rev. A. Mikkleson, the present pastor. During the pastorate of the Rev. Mr. Peterson, the congregation became divided in sentiment with respect to certain ceremonies in the Church. At the time of the organi- zation these were made to conform very nearly to the customs obtaining in American churches. Mr. Peter- son, having recently come from Norway, desired to re- return to the rites of the State of Norway Church. Winning a majority over to his wishes, the minority be- came dissatisfied, and a formal separation took place. This was in 1866. Suit was brought by the minority against the majority for the possession of the Church property, which after a five years' contest in the courts was, in 1871, decided by Judge McAllister in favor of the majority. About a month afterward the church was destroyed by the great fire of 1871. After the decision of the case against them, the greater portion of the minority united with the Church of the Holy Trinity on LaSalle Avenue, and the rest for the most part remain unconnected with any Church.

REV. PAUL ANDERSEN was born in Norway August 24. 1921: came to America in 1843, and arrived in Chicago, August 16. of that year. In Norway his education was obtained from private tutors, and having learned the English language, he acted as inter- preter for the emigrant company during the voyage to the United States. After his arrival in this country he pursued his classical and literary studies at Beloit College for a number of years, and afterward studied theology with a private tutor. Mr. Andersen speaks fluently the English, Norwegian and German languages. The object he constantly had in view in pursuing his studies was to prepare himself for the Gospel ministry, and in his own words " he can not remember the day when he did not love the Savior." On January 6, 1848, he came to Chicago for the purpose of organizing

Paul Anderson

a Lutheran Church, and as the result of his rForts, the First Nor- wegian Evangelical Lutheran Church was formed February 14. 1543. In June of that year he was ordained at Schoharie, N. Y .. there being no English Lutheran Synod in Chicago at that time. Hle remained pastor of the Church grill ist In 1-53, hav :-: collected into his Norwegian Church a large number of Swe'e .. he organized them into a separate Church, which was thenceforwar ! known as the Swedish Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church In 1860, on account of bronchial troubles, he retired from the pas- lorate of the Church he had organized in 1-4e, and spent -ev- - il years in travel in Europe with the hope of obtaining relief. In 1-64. un his return to this country, being still unable to re-enter the minis- try, he became connected with the intern dreven e service in which he remained until April 1, 1976, when he accepte i a call to the Nor.

350

HISTORY OF CHICAGO.

wegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wis., upon the condition, however, that the Norwegian and English languages should be placed upon the same footing in the services in the Church. From that time to the present, the enstom of preaching in Norwegian in the morning and in English in the evening has pre- vailed. Rev. Mr. Andersen remained pastor of this Church until July 2, 1883, when he retired permanently from the ministry: He now lives in Lake View, on North Clark Street, near North Fifty- ninth. Upon his arrival in America, by advice of friends he dropped the last portion of his name, which he has sincerely re- gretted for years. His full name is Paul Andersen Norland. Mr. Andersen was first married in September, 1848, to Miss Anna Wang, of Beloit, who died sixteen days afterward. He was mar- ried the second time in the latter part of 1849, to Miss Martha Lar- son, who is still living. They have four children : Martin Luther Andersen, late a teacher in Lake View High School : Andrew Emanuel, with Marshall Field & Co .. and two girls respectively named Emma and Lena. Mr. Andersen enjoys the distinction of having introduced into American Scandinavian Churches the prac- tice of conducting services in the English language.

OUR SAVIOR'S NORWEGIAN EVANGELICAN LUTH- ERAN CHURCH, was organized by Rev. Gustav F. Diet- richson, January IS. 1858. Fifty-two persons signed the constitution and thus became members of the Church. Twenty-five years afterward, at a quarter-centennial festival held January 18, 1883, only six of these orig- inal fifty-two were living. In the same year it was or- ganized this congregation commenced to build a church -a frame building-on the corner of West Erie and May streets. Shortly afterward this Church organized a parochial school, where the children were instructed in the common English branches, in the Norwegian language, and the Lutheran religion. This school has been continued and is still in existence. The Church has prospered remarkably, and is now one of the strong-

est in Chicago and indeed of the whole country. In 1871 it sold the old church and commenced the erection of the present grand structure, one of the largest and most costly Norwegian Lutheran church-buildings in America. It will seat twelve hundred people, and cost $40,000. There is a very fine organ in the church that cost $1,200. Together with the four lots on which the church stands this church property is worth $50,000. The congregation consists of about fourteen hundred souls, of whom nine hundred are confirmed. Rev. Gustav F. Dietrichson remained with the Church but a short time. When he left he returned to his native land. He was succeeded by Rev. A. C. Preus, who officiated as pastor until 1863. The Rev. Mr. Preus was a remarkable man, and very successful in his labors. He was for ten years president of the Synod for the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Desiring to pass the decline of life in his native land, and in his mother Church, he returned to Norway in 1872, and in 1878 at the age of sixty-four he died. His death was sincerely mourned by many people on both sides of the Atlantic. His successor in Our Savior's Church was the Rev. J. J. Krohn, who served the Church faithfully for thirteen years, and it was under his administration of affairs of the Church, that in Iszi the new church building, already described and still occupied by the congrega- tion, was erected and completed. In 1876, Mr. Krohn accepted a call to a Church in Minnesota, with the hope of receiving benefit to his health which had been much impared during his labors in Chicago. Since 1876 the Rev. O. Juul has been pastor of this Church.

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History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 97

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340