History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 98

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

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THE SWEDISH IMMANUEL. EVANGELIC M. LUTHERAN CHURCH .- The nucleus of this now large congrega-

tion consisted of emigrants from Sweden, who arrived at Chicago in the summer of 1852. Rev. Paul Ander- sen, of Chicago, and Rev. T. N. Hasselquist, of Gales- burg, III., voluntarily ministered to the spiritual necessities of these newly arrived emigrants. In January, 1853, a congregation was organized consisting of about eighty persons, a portion of the members of this new Church having previously been members of Rev. Paul Andersen's Norwegian Lutheran Church. A call was extended to the Rev. Erland Carleson, the pastor of Weis Parish, Sweden, who accepted the call and arrived in Chicago August 22, of the same year. His first sermon in Chicago was delivered on the 28th of that month, to a small congregation of attentive listen- ers, principally Swedes. His text was Luke xvii, 11-19 inclusive. Only thirty-six persons were present at this first sermon of the young minister, the remainder of the original eighty who united in the organization having dispersed previous to his arrival. As a consequence the auspices for a successful career in his adopted country did not appear very bright ; but notwithstanding this unfavorable condition of affairs, Mr. Carleson was not dismayed. The following extract from the first page of the Church records, indicates the spirit with which he entered upon the duties of his pastorate : " Relying upon divine assistance. I am determined to declare the truth openly and faithfully, whatever difficulties may be thrown in my. way. The first business meeting of the congregation was held January 27, 1854. A concise constitution drawn up by the pastor was adopted at this meeting. Church officers were also elected as follows : Deacons-C. J. Anderson, John Nilson and Isaac Pat- terson ; and for trustees-John Bjookholon, G. Svens- son and Gisel Toutsson. Record of the election of the trustees was made in accordance with the law -of the State, and thus was the Church legally organized. The Lutheran rite of confirmation has been maintained in this Church, and the first class that was confirmed con- sisted of seven young people, two boys and five girls. The first building occupied by this congregation as a place of worship was that of an American Lutheran Church on Superior Street, which they continued to occupy until 1856, when they bought the church build- ing belonging to the First Norwegian Lutheran Church, for $1,500. This church they used as it was when pur- chased until 1865, at which time it was enlarged, and within a year from this time it became again too small. In 1869 a new edifice was erected at the corner of Sedg- wick and Hobhie streets, at a cost of $34,400. The dimensions of this church were fifty-five by one hundred and seventeen feet, and it was two stories high. This building was used until the great fire of 1871, when it was destroyed. Almost immediately afterward work was commenced on the new church, which was com- pleted sufficiently to be used for religious services in December, 1872. This was also a brick church and was dedicated April 4, 1875. The cost of this church was $31,850, and it was built on the same site as the one burned down. It still stands and is occupied by the Church.

The Rev. Erland Carleson, who has been mentioned as the first pastor of this Church, remained with it in that capacity twenty-two years, from 1853 to 1875. In the latter year he removed to .Andover, Henry Co., Ill., where he became the pastor of a congregation of one thousand members. He is also president of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod. At the time of the dedication of the new church building in 1875, the present pastor, Rev. C'ar! A. Evald, was installed. From the organization of this congregation

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PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS.

in 1853 to January 1, 1883, 3,046 infants had been bap- tized ; 1,019 confirmed, 3,965 communicants received, 2,292 removed; 623 children died ; 252 adults died ; 1075 members excommunicated, and 1,061 marriages solemnized. The membership of the Church at the same time was 1,365. The parochial school connected with this Church occupies the basement of the building, and is attended by the children of such parents as prefer to give them select instruction, which is of a religious as well as secular character. In the Sunday school, which has always been in a flourishing condition, the children are instructed in the Bible history of Dr. Barth and the catechism of Martin Luther, as well as in the usual Sunday school lessons. There are two sewing societies connected with the Church.

ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL UNITED CHURCH .- The four Evangelical United churches in Chicago, viz., the St. Paul's, the Zion's, the Salem and St. Peter's, belong to the German Evangelical Synod of North America. This Synod was organized at Quincy, Ill., in 1872, and from it have been formed the Synod of the West, North- west and East. The entire Synod is divided into seven districts. Each district assembles annually in a confer- ence, and a general conference is held triennially to which these districts send their delegates. In the sum- mer of 1843, a meeting of citizens was held for the pur- pose of forming a Church. The citizens were G. Schairer, K. Teschner, John Ffund, Charles Stein, B. A. Beyer, H. H. Rantze, Arnold Kroeger, William Frank, and Jacob Letz. They immediately organized them- selves into a council, or board of trustees. The last five were appointed a committee to obtain a church site. This committee secured as a donation from William B. Ogden and Walter I .. Newberry a piece of land on the southwest corner of LaSalle and Ohio streets, where the church now stands. In 1843 the erection of a frame church building thirty by forty-eight feet in size was commenced. During 1844 the Society was increased by the addition of several new members, and the Church council was made to consist of G. Schairer, Charles Stein, John Reder, John Gross, Jacob Letz and Fred- erick Letz. Until 1846 the Society was served by itin- erant preachers. On April 11, 1846, Rev. Augustus Selle was called from Columbiana County, Ohio. He was the first settled pastor of the Church. At this time there were seventy-six voting families in the Society, and many of the members are now living and known as prominent citizens of Chicago-as Louis Hass, Fred- erick Letz, George Atzel, Henry Weber, Philip Gross and Michael Gross. Others have left Chicago -- as Henry Devermann, Clement Stose, who went to his son in California and was burned to death, and August F. Busch. In 1847 the necessity of enlarging the church became evident, and H. Rothget and John E. Strob- bach took the contract. In April, 1848, a contest arose in the Church with reference to the form of confession, and in consequence Mr. Selle, with a portion of the members, withdrew and formed St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church whose pastor now is the Rev. Henry Wunder. The United Evangelical Society, in August, 1848. called as its pastor Rev. Dr. Fischer from Hamil- ton. Ohio. He remained with the Society three years constantly combating the principles of the constitution. At length he agreed to submit the question- in dispute to the Societies of the Synod, and in August, 1851, he was dismissed. He now lives in Joliet full of years, a vigorous and beloved old man. The next pastor called was the Rev. Joseph Hartmann, a theologian of a Ger- man University, who had formerly labored in Louis County, N. Y., and who at the time was twenty-seven

years of age. Under his pastorate the membership of the Society increased so rapidly that it soon became necessary to enlarge the church building, and Mr. Hartmann found his plan to erect a large brick building warmly approved. The funds were raised with great readiness and the building of the church commenced in 1854. The plans were drawn by Architect August Baver. The builder was August Wallbann. The church was consecrated on the 4th of February. 1855. The Society at this time consisted of one hundred and sixty families, and the pews were let in fourteen days. The beautiful church building, the style of which was simple yet grave, and whose interior was noted for the excellence of its workmanship, was completed in 1864. and was not spared by the great conflagation of 1871. the foundations only remaining firm Soon after being destroyed it was reconstructed upon the same founda- tion and upon nearly the original plan. As this rebuilt church stands to-day it is almost exactly the old one re- produced. It was consecrated February 16, 1873. The present St. Paul's Society is very strong, one of the natural results of the great growth of the city Many of the old German families with their descendants be- long to it. The school occupies the basement of the church, and is taught by John C. Rahn. The present board of trustees of the Church are as follows : William Knocke, chairman; l'eter Emmel, treasurer ; Charles Kurg, secretary ; William Bohrmann, Frederick Lew- gow and Christian Kroll. The elders are Phillip Kroll, George Haaze, John Haage, Charles Lehuhardt, George Stratzheim and Kurtz. Rev. Joseph Hartmann has been the pastor continuously since November, 1851.

Chlich's Orphan Asylum is under the auspices of St. Paul's Church It takes its name from Mr. Chlich, deceased, who presented the Church with a piece of ground upon which to establish an orphan asylum. The donation made to the Church for this purpose was thirty- two feet in length on LaSalle and sixteen feet on Arnold Street. The means for building the institution came from the Relief Fund. Henry Muehlke was an old and trusted friend of Mr. Uhlich. He had saved Mlr. Uhlich's fortune, and had been remembered in his will to the extent of $100,000. He enjoyed great favor among the Americans, and so brought the project of a German Orphan Asylum before the management of the Relief Fund that $20,000 was granted for that purpose. Last year sixty-eight children were inmates. The ex- penses of the Asylum for 1882 were $4,774.55.

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH was organized in 1850. by the following seven persons: M. H. Baldwin and wife, Dr. L. S. Major, John Saunders and wife, and the present Mrs. Dickey and her daughter Julia. The first regular preacher for this Church was Rev. L. Cooley. In 1852, under his ministry, the Society worshiped in the third story of J. H. Reed's drug store, at No. 148 Lake Street. After remaining in this room about a year, they removed to Gleason's school-house, standing on Jeffer- son Street near Monroe Street, where they conducted religious worship until they removed to the United States Court-room, in the Saloon Building. Here they remained until the completion of their new church edi- fice on Monroe Street between Aberdeen and Rucker streets, the latter being now called Center Avenue. After Elder Baldwin closed his services, Charles B. Egan, a brother of the noted Dr William B. Egan, succeeded to the pulpit. On account of certain difficulties between him and some members of the Society, it was broken up and the Rev. Mr. Egan retired. Only a few of the mem- bers remained true to the organization, among whom were H. H. Honore and wife, B. L. Honore and wite,

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and Dr. L. S. Major. This was in 1857. While affairs were in this chaotic condition, the Rev. M. N. Lord was induced by H. H. Honore to take charge of the congre- gation; commencing his labors in December, 1857. and remaining until June, 1861. During this period, Allen Robbins, of Ohio, visited Chicago, and was largely in- strumental in raising a subscription sufficient to erect the church edifice on Monroe Street already mentioned. It stood about one hundred feet east of Rucker Street, was a frame one-story building, thirty-six by fifty-eight feet in size, with a small tower but no bell. It was com- menced May 28, 1858, and was dedicated July 4, 1858. The dedicatory sermon was delivered by Rev. D. P. Henderson. The money employed in the construction of this edifice was contributed mainly by Dr. L. S. Major and H. H. Honore. Previous to the pastorate of Elder Lord, the following elders had preached oc- casionally for this Society: John O'Kane, Love H. Jamison, S. K. Hoshouer, J. D. Benedict, Curtis J. Smith and Alexander Campbell. During his pastorate, the following occasionally preached: Elders D. P. Hen- derson, W. T. Moore, D. S. Burnett, Dr. W. H. Hopson, Amos Sutton Hayden and James A. Garfield. After the dedication of the new church building, the Society con- tinued to worship in it until 1866, enjoying the minister- ial services of the following pastors: N. S. Bastian. from July, 1861, to June, 1862; W. F. Black from 1862 to 1865; John S. Sweeney from 1863 to 1866, and B. H. Smith, who came in 1866. Under the Rev. Mr. Smith, the Society moved to the North Side, into the old St. James' church building; which was bought for them by H. H. Honore and Dr. L. S. Major. The church build- ing on Monroe Street was sold to the Episcopalians, who moved it east of Canal Street, between Harrison and Twelfth, and named it St. Stephen's Church. After moving to St. James' Church, B. H. Smith was suc- ceeded in 1867 by the Rev. D. P. Henderson. In 1868, the members became dissatisfied with the North Side, most of them living on the South Side. In order to satisfy the desire to move to another location, Dr. L. S. Major and H. H. Honore bought for the use of the Society the church edifice of St. Luke's Episcopal Mission, at the corner of Wabash Avenue and Sixteenth Street. This building had been erected by the L'niver- salists, and sold by them to the Olivet Presbyterian Church. By them it was sold to Mr. Cole, who with the assistance of some others, started this mission. This church building was dedicated by the Christian Church the first Sunday of its occupancy by them, Rev. D. P. Henderson preaching in the morning and in the evening. In the afternoon, at the request of some of the members, the Rev. John S. Sweeney preached, which was so much against the wishes of Elder Henderson, that he resigned. His resignation was accepted, and John S. Sweeney called in his stead.

The Rev Mr. Henderson then organized a Church at the northwest corner of Indiana Avenue and Twenty- fifth Street, a lot being purchased there by E. B. Ste- vens, who alsn furnished most of the money for the erection thereon of a church building. This was called the Indiana-avenue Christian Church While the new building was being erected they used for religious pur- poses the Protestant Orphan Asylum. In the fall the new church was completed and dedicated. Here they had as pastors. D. P. Henderson until 1870, and (). . 1. Burgess until the reunion of the two portions of the Church in October, 1871. Those remaining on Wabash Avenue and Sixteenth Street were known from the time of the division in 1868, as the Wabash-avenue Christian Church. They had as pastors, John S. Sweeney until

November, 1869, and then Isaac Errett, then and now editor of the Christian Standard, published at Cincin- nati, Ohio, who remained until the reunion in October, 1871. The Great Fire of October 9, 1871, served to soften the hearts of the members of the two Churches toward each other. They were made to feel the need of united action. Hence each Church ap- pointed a committee to draft a plan of union. The ommittees met October 12, at the house of E. B. Ste- vens, and on the next evening again met and adopted the plan presented on the 12th. The Church thus formed was called the First Christian Church. Isaac Errett, though requested by a portion of the members to do so, positively declined to remain as pastor, and the Rev. O. A. Burgess, who had been pastor of the In- diana-avenue Church nearly two years. remained as pastor of the re-united organization until 1873, when he was succeeded by the Rev. W. J. Howe, who remained one year, and was himself succeeded in 1874, by Isaac Errett. Isaac Errett remained one year and was fol- lowed by Rev. Knowles Shaw. The Rev. S. M. Conner succeeded in 1876, and one year thereafter was succeeded by Rev. George W. Sweeney, who remained until 1880. But after the re-union difficulties again developed, this time in consequence of a debt incurred in the erection of the church at the corner of Indiana Avenue and Twenty- fifth Street. As one result in 18;8 another division occurred, and something over fifty members seceded and formed the South Side Christian Church, locating at the corner of Prairie Avenue and Thirtieth Street. The first pastor of the South Side Church was W. D. Owens, an able and excellent man, who remained until his failing health compelled him to resign in 1879. He was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Parsons, who remained but a few months, and he by J. W. Allen, who did good work in building up the Church. In the latter part of 1882 the South Side Church and the First Church re- united, and called the Rev. Henry Schell Lobingier, the present pastor, adopting the name of the Central Church.

The First Church, during the time of this separation. had a pastor, George W. Sweeney, from 1876 to 1880. and O. A. Burgess from 1881 to the time of his death in 1882. It is now necessary to recur to the debt, as its existence had considerable influence on the history of the Church. It was incurred in the erection of the present Central Church edifice, which was erected in 1868, at a cost of $20.000. The debt, which was bearing ten per cent interest, matured in 1874, the society was unable to liquidate it. and was also unable to pay the arrearages of interest, amounting to $4.000. E. B. Stevens, who had for the two previous years paid most of the interest that had been paid, made arrangements with the mort- gagee to renew the mortgage at seven per cent interest, and paid the arrearages of interest. He then proposed to the First Church that as they had possession of the church they should relieve him from the burden of the debt, and pay him the S4,000 interest which he has just paid, or otherwise vacate in favor of the South Side Church, of which he was a member. The Society chose to retain possession, agreeing to pay the interest advanced by Mr. Stevens, which, however, they failed to pay. After allowing ample time for it to be paid and not receiving it. Mr. Stevens brought suit for the 84.000 and obtained judgment for the amount. The judgment was permitted to remain as a lien upon the property, until the formation of the Central Church, when Mr. Stevens agreed to cancel the judgment upon the condi- tion that the Church thus formed abandon' forever the Inchana Avenue and Twenty-fifth Street property, and remove to Prairie Avenue and Thirtieth Street, The

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condition was accepted and the removal to Thirtieth Street made about January 1, 1883. A portion of the members becoming dissatisfied with the location, a meeting was held in May, 1883, and the question of returning to Twenty-fifth Street was voted on and car- ried by a vote of forty-one to five, the membership being about two hundred and fifty. The majority. though opposed to returning, singularly enough refrained from voting. Since 1879, the time of the transfer of the Church property by Mr. Stevens John Gunzenhauser, by assuming the indebtedness and paying the interest annually, has enabled the Church to retain possession of its property.

OTIS ASA BURGESS, one of the ablest pastors in the Christian Church in Chicago, was born August 26, IS29, in Thompson, Windham Co., Conn. Thomas Burgess, one of his paternal an- cestors, joined the Pilgrim Colony in 1637, and his maternal an- cestors were of the same stock. When eight years old, young Otis's father removed to Norwich, Shenango County, N. Y. . From this time until he was seventeen years old Otis worked eight months of each year on the farm, and attended school the other four months. His mother's death when he was fourteen years of age made a deep impression on his mind. He had been educated to the strictest doctrines of Calvinism, but now he set aside the " doctrine of decrees," and attempted to get religion in the popular method; at the mourner's bench, but did not succeed. On account of this failure he was almost led to reject all revealed religion. At the age of seventeen he went to Norwich Academy, remaining there but a few weeks, then teaching school the balance of the year. In the spring of 1847 he returned to the Academy, and in fourteen weeks finished the entire course except the classics. In the fall he removed to Metamora and taught school until the summer of 1851. At Metamora he first heard of the Disciples, commonly called " Camp- bellites." The Campbellites were generally spoken of with disre- spect by other denominations, and as Mr. Burgess was already a scoffer at religion it was an easy matter for him to join in the general outcry against them. He maintained his attitude toward them until he happened to hear "Old Father Palmer" (Henry l'almer of Illinois) preach the primitive Gospel. This was the turning point of his career. While listening to this sermon, having heard that the. Disciples had a Bible of their own, he firmly believed that the text as quoted was not in his copy of the Bible: but upon examining it, found the text to be as quoted, and became convinced that the doctrines of the Dis- ciples were true. He was immersed July 21, 1850, and in the fall of 1851 went to Bethany College, arriving there with only $4.50 in his pocket. His determination carried him through Col- lege, and he graduated in 1834, when he returned to Illinois. Hle took charge of the Church of Christ in Washington, Tazewell County, where he remained one year, when he became professor in Eureka College, remaining there also one year. He then divided his time between the Churches at Washington and Metamora until 1862, when he took charge of the Church of Christ in Indianapolis. Here he remained until 1870, when he came to Chicago as pastor of the First Christian Church, in which position he remained until IS73, when he was elected President of the Northwestern Christian University at Indianapolis. He was president of this University until ISSo, when he was recalled to the pastorate of the First Christian Church. On account of his arduous duties as president of the University, his health had begun to fail, but notwithstanding this he entered into the Presidential campaign of ISSo. with all the energy he could command, and delivered over one hundred speeches in favor of the election of James A. Garfield to the Presidency of the United States. This labor was too severe for his enfeebled constitution to bear. A sojourn of some months in the Southern States did not restore him to health, and he died in Chicag

THE SPIRITUALISTS .- The first spiritualistic me- dium to arrive in Chicago was Mrs. Julia Lusk. of Mil- waukee, in 1849, who was a "rapping medium." The raps made in the presence of this medium were very lond and distinct, resembling the fall to and roll across the floor of a heavy croquet ball. Ira B. Eddy was her first convert in Chicago. Having been educated to be- lieve in orthodoxy, but being unsatisfied with certain of the doctrines, he felt greatly relieved in receiving by means of the raps negative answers to the two following questions : "Is there a personal Devil," and " Is there such a place as hell." He then obtained a communica- tion from a departed friend, and thus became satisfied

at once that the dead still live and can communicate with the living. He at once became a full spiritual be- liever. Converts to Spiritualism were made slowly in Chicago in those days, but in November, 1852, when Mr. Eddy rented one of his buildings, No. 48 Clark Street. to Seth Payne for banking purposes, there were Spiritualists enough in the city to form a society, and to rent the hall in the third story of this same building for the purpose of holding meetings and hearing lectures. This hall was named by Mr. Eddy, who was the first president of the society, "Harmony Hall." Mr. Eddy remained president of the society one year, and was succeeded by Russell Green, who was assisted by A. J. and H. M. Higgins. In about two years Mr. Green be- came tired of the expense of the meetings and resigned. In 1852, about the time of renting Harmony Hall, a Mr. and Mrs. Herrick came to Chicago. Mrs. Herrick was the second medium to arrive. Among the lecturers on Spiritualism were Seth Payne, who though a good speaker was extremely radical; the Hon. Warren Chase; Mr. Hammond, of Rochester, N. Y .; and Mrs. Cora Hatch. Mr. Hammond was the author of two books, one of them entitled "Thomas Paine in the Spirit World." Spiritualism caused considerable excitement in those years, especially in connection with Seth Payne's bank. In September, 1853, Ira B. Eddy was adjudged insane, and removed to an insane asylum in Hartford, Conn. He was accompanied by Drs. John A. Kennicott, J. P. Lyman and J. W. Freer, afterward president of Rush Medical College. One of the local papers in commenting upon this event, said : "This step has been deemed necessary in order to remove him from the influence of the Spiritualists of Chicago, by whom he has been surrounded for several months past." Seth Payne was also tried for insanity, but being notified, as Mr. Eddy was not, he obtained coun- sel, and in each of his trials the jury dis- agreed. In December, 1854, Professor Spencer deliv- ered a series of lectures at Metropolitan Hall, "on the exciting subject of Spiritualism, demonstrating the fal- lacies of the Spiritual religion by performing the tricks by which the mediums deceive the credulous." His lectures drew immense crowds, and awakened a great deal of interest. Early in 1856 Andrew Jackson Davis came to Chicago to lecture under the auspices of Rus- sell Green. That portion of the Spiritualists who favored. Mr. Davis's peculiar doctrines were named by him " Harmonialists," and the announcement was made in the Democratic Press of May 10, 1856, that "the Harmonialists will hereafter hold their meetings in Har- mony Hall, 48 Clark street." During this same year Hon. Warren Chase also lectured on the Harmonial Philosophy. At this time there were fifteen mediums in Chicago. The audiences usually averaged about three hundred, but as many attended merely from motives of curiosity, and as there was no list of membership kept as in the churches, it was not known what proportion were believers in the doctrines. From this time for- ward for two or three years but little of moment in con- nection with Spiritualism occurred, but about 1860 a revival of interest took place, and the history of the subject from this time to 1870 is replete with incidents. Besides the lectures mentioned above there were a few others during the period covered by this volume. On the 14th of January, 1857, George Leach lectured in South Market Hall on the claims of Swedenborg and Andrew Jackson Davis, and upon spirit manifestations. Mrs. Streeter lectured in her spiritual capacity January 31 in a school-house near the American Car Works: Henry Weller lectured February i in Harmony Hall on

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History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 98

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