USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois > Part 43
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George Keller, Nick Herlemann, Chas. Rasche, Wm. Korte, Henry Korte, Caspar Voth, and others as earnest supporters, commenced hold- ing services in 1860.
It seems that these men were all members of the Salem Evangelical Church, at Ninth and State streets, with Rev. Simon Liese as their pastor. In the spring of 1860, because of dif- ferences which arose in the church between the congregation and the pastor, about sixty fami- lies, with Rev. Liese, separated from the Salem Church. They bought the little frame church at Eleventh and Vermont streets, and removed it to the corner of Ninth and York. It was torn down in 1875 to make room for the build- ing now there. This latter building cost about $14,000. In 1866 the two-story brick school house was built for $4,000. In 1889 the present parsonage was erected at a cost of $1,600. Rev. Simon Liese served twenty-five years as pastor of this church, and it is owing to him chiefly that the church was able to rise out of its difficulties and become the prosperous so- ciety it now is. Rev. Liese is still living in this city and his home is on Chestnut and Twenty-second streets.
He was succeeded by George Eisele, who served for one and one-half years. W. M. Schlinkman took charge in 1837 and has been the pastor since that time. There are about one hundred and twenty voting members of the church-that is, men only, over twenty-one years of age, but about two hundred families are connected with it.
The St. Peter's Evangelical Church, pastors and congregation, belong to the German Evan- gelical Synod of America and now only the German language is used in the services.
ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL CHURCH.
The St. Paul's Evangelical Congregation was organized in April, 1874, by earnest religious people of South Quiney. Shortly after the or- ganization they decided to have their own «Imreh property, and a house of worship, in which to holl their religious meetings. Three lots for a building site were obtained from Mr. Berrian. In a meeting of the congrega- tion it was decided to build a church, a par- sonage, and a school thereon. The work was taken up so cheerfully that the newly organ- ized congregation completed its undertaking in so short a time that their house of worship was dedicated that same year, September 20, 1874, the church being 40x60, the school house 26x32, and the parsonage 32x36, with an addi- tion 16x26, containing eight rooms.
On December 8, 1874, a constitution was adopted by the congregation, and was signed by forty members-the families of W. Tie-
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mann, F. W. Brunger, Il. Wulfmeyer. C. Hoe- ner, Il. Holtman. Il. Tenhansen, Il. Muegge, .J. II. Fleer. J. Fleer, Sr .. Il. Fleer, JJ. II. Siek- mann. H. H. Niekamp, Il. H. Goessling, HI. Jacobmeyer, IL. Hoener. Frank Muegge. Ernest Worning, G. Goetsche, W. Wittland, Wm. Richmiller, G. Iloener, Job Fleer, J. Il. Hoener. Caspar Vorndann. II. Il. Fleer, Peter HI. Dan- haus, J. I. Schumacher. Peter Waechter, I]. Stockkuke. Henry Pachmoeler, Herman Eller- brock, P. H. Muegge, Edward Oschman, John II. Huseman, Albert II. Richter, John II. Tie- mann. John D. Brinkmann, C. Il. Niederbrink- mann, F. W. Waechter and J. II. Bartling.
The congregation elected Rev. P. Munzel as their first minister. On account of poor health he took a trip to Germany, from whence he never returned.
From 1876 to 1879 the congregation had no minister, but was served by the kindness of Rev. Konrad and other ministers of the city. The Rev. L. G. Nollan was elected in 1879, and in 1885 was called to St. Louis to take charge of a congregation there.
The Rev. Nobus was elected by the congre- gation and had charge of the congregation fif- teen years.
In 1881 the congregation decided to join the Evangelical Synod of North America. The ap- plication was accepted and the membership sanctioned. In 1901 Rev. Nobus accepted the call of a congregation in Washington, Mis- souri. The St. Paul's Church then elected the Rev. A. Grabowski. His stay was only of a short duration, for after ten months' duty he accepted a call to the Eden College of St. Louis, Mo.
In 1902 Rev. F. W. Schnathorst of Lincoln. Ill., accepted their call. and he now has charge of the congregation.
In 1902 the congregation raised over $1,000 to pay off debts, and since then has been pay- ing $300 or $400 annually on the indebted- ness. In 1904 an addition to the school was built, which cost $1.000. This was raised by the Young Ladies' and the Ladies' Sewing Cir- cles.
A number of new members have been taken into the church, the membership at the pres- ent time numbering abont eighty families. The Frauen Verein has over one hundred members. the Ladies' Sewing Circle forty-five, and the Young Ladies' Society forty members. The Sunday school has about two hundred children. with twenty-four teachers in charge. Besides the church the congregation maintains a pa- rochial school, which is attended by about fifty children, and is taught by a competent teacher. The names of the successive teachers are: Messrs. Wortmann, 1874; Aug. Charle, 1875:
MI. Tasche, 1>76: Baltman, 1879; Chr. Meier. 1883: Schennich, 1876: L. B. Kopp. 1897; Sperber, 1903, and Il. (. Fehsenfeld, the present teacher. The valiations of the build- ings are about $4,800 for the church, $1,800 for the school, $2,000 for the parsonage and $1.400 for the teacher's house. This does not inelnde the furniture in church or school. In school and church, English and German are both used.
THE JEWISHI CHURCHL.
The first church organized by the Jewish people of Quiney was formed December 14. 1856, there being. at that time, twenty-three members. Meetings were held for a time on llampshire street, between Fifth and Sixth streets. The frame synagogue on Sixth street, between Vermont and Broadway, was built in 1866 and cost, with the lot, $12,700. It was dedicated August 3 by the Rev. Dr. Vivader, of New York City. July 29. 1872, this society united with the congregation of B'nai Shalom.
This congregation, B'nai Shalom. was first organized October 20, 1864, with about twenty- one members. Some of the prominent men of that time were Isaac Lesem, Maukerine Jack- son, Moses Jacobs, Wolf Joseph, Moses Kings- backer. S. Kingsbacker and M. Berger.
The Rev. Mr. Ranh was the first pastor. and for three years services were held in Fisher's Hall on Fourth street, near the corner of Hampshire. In 1869 the society held services for a time in the Old First Baptist Church. The ladies held a fair in the fall of 1868. by which a considerable amount, to assist in buikdl- ing a new church, was realized. In February. 1869. the lot where the present temple stands on Ninth, between Broadway and Spring streets, was secured and the work on the build- ing was soon afterwards commenced. On July 30 the corner stone was laid with Masonie cere- monies, the Grand Master of the State, being present. The address was delivered by the Rev. Dr. I. M. Wise of Cincinnati. The build- ing was dedicated September 8. 1870. by the Rev. Dr. M. Fluegel, who was the rabbi at that time.
The temple is of brick and stone, after the Moorish style of architecture. It is seventy feet deep by forty feet wide, and eighty-four feet in height. It is estimated that it cost be- ween fifteen and sixteen thousand dollars.
The Rey. Isaac Moses succeeded the first rabbi, M. Fluegel, and his successors have been V. Caro and E. Eppstein, the present rabbi. who has been here since 1890.
The Jewish temple is the house of worship at the present time of about twenty-eight families or about one hundred and twenty
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souls. The congregation belongs to the union of American Hebrew congregations, and the services are conducted strictly in accordance with reform principles.
THE UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH.
The First Church of the United Brethren in Christ was organized about sixteen years ago by the following earnest church workers: Rey. J. W. Willstead, Rev. J. B. King, Rev. Miss Nettie Moore, Mrs. N. C. Stone. Mrs. Young, Il. A. Love and wife, Joshua Bottorf and wife. Chas. Sloeum, Il. E. Meyer and wife, Mrs. Lil- lie Ilarner and others.
These people held their first meetings in a little chapel in the east part of the city. This little chapel is either torn down or removed. As the membership in the little church in- creased they felt the need of a larger and more modern edifice. It was decided to build on the site of their present location, Sixth and Cedar.
The church was completed and dedicated in 1895, and is valued at $4.700. The first pastor of the United Brethren Church was Rev. II. T. Kline. Ile was succeeded by the Revs. D. E. Baer. L. I. Morey, F. Merrithew. J. W. Ilunter and Chas. E. Velander, the present pastor.
The church is entirely out of debt, and is in a flourishing condition, for it has about one hundred members, and is managed in such a way as to keep it in good running order.
THE BETHEL GERMAN M. E. CHURCH.
The Bethel German M. E. Church, formerly known as the Bethel Mission Chapel, held its first meeting November 1, 1873.
The organization began with about thirty- mine members and three probationers that came from the first German M. E. Church. Among the prominent men in the early history of the church were J. Il. Fisher. C. Prante. George Hoefling, Carl Mester, J. L. Schrage, S. Ryniker and Adam Fick.
The church. which is situated on Twelfth and Jefferson streets, when first put up, cost about $3,500. Later an addition. worth $1,500, and a parsonage, costing $1,400, were added. In 1901 improvements were made to the amount of about $4,200, so now the Bethel Church is one of the most modern and beautiful in Quiney.
The first minister was I. II. Thomas, and the succeeding pastors were Revs. Jacob Feisel. Dr. John Schmidt, C. Thalenhort, Philip Nau- man, G. Buhner, Wm. Fiegenbaum, John Rit- ler, II. Ross. HI. Schutz, F. Piehler, G. Enze- roth, E. Ilenke. John C. Rapp. G. Boellner and F. Carwell, the present pastor.
The Bethel M. E. Church has a large Sunday
school and has HI. Kampe for superintendent and Il. Weirather as assistant superintendent. Louis Specht is treasurer; the class leaders are the Rev. Phil. Nauman, Il. Fischer and Louis Specht ; secretary, Oscar Brosi, and the librarian is Walter Ryniker. The trustees of the church are A. Schroeder, E. Prante, H. Bauer, A. Peters, Il. Kampe, F. Hoffman, Theo. Specht, Heinrich Schmidt and Adolph Specht.
GRACE M. E. CHURCHI.
The Grace M. E. Church, a branch of the Vermont St. M. E. Church, is on the north- west corner of Fourth and Lind streets, in the building formerly known as Merrick Hall.
It was formally opened January 1, 1905. It has seventy members and a Sunday school of about one hundred and twenty-five scholars. Rev. M. D. Tremaine is the pastor of this prom- ising little church and entered upon his duties soon after the organization.
The trustees of this church are M. S. Orr, S. J. Dapper. JJ. L. Straub, W. T. Dwire and F. W. Osborn. The stewards are: S. J. Dap- per, W. F. Dellaven, F. S. Beagle, Andrew Maertz, Mrs. Lillie Jacobs and Mrs. F. S. Bea- gle Mrs. Lillie Taylor is president of the La- dies' Aid Society. John McGinnis is Sunday school superintendent and Edith Seultz presi- dent of Epworth League.
BETHEL A. M. E. CHURCH.
The Bethel A. M. E. Church, on Oak, between Ninth and Tenth streets, was organized in 1858 by Rev. Henry Brown, Messrs. Carr, Foot. Berryman. Dickson, Rev. Newson and others. It was admitted into the Indiana A. M. E. con- ference in 1863.
The first pastor was Rev. Newson, and he was succeeded by the following: Revs. Black. Geo. C. Booth. E. C. Joiner, MeIntosh, J. W. Malone, J. W. Eads, J. M. Derrick. W. C. Tre- van, J. B. Dawson. T. W. Henderson, D. D., J. M. Turner, N. J. MeCracken, A. J. Burton, D. D., (. Il. Sheen, A. A. Burleigh, H. Lackey, B. F. Watson, D. D., P. C. Cooper, II. Simons and Wm. Il. Giles, D. D.
This was the first church organized by the colored people in Quiney and was formed un- der the name of African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Meetings were first held in a small frame building on the corner of Fifth and Jersey streets, but the society was small and not very prosperous. In 1853 the church was reorgan- ized: soon after the lot where the present church is located, was purchased, and a small. frame building put up at a cost of abont $1,000. In 1863, during the pastorate of Rev. Henry
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Brown of Springfield, an addition was built, and the society received a large number of new members. A day school was carried on in connection with the work of the church. In 1866 the building was destroyed by fire and services were held for a time in the old First Baptist Church until the completion of their new building.
The present church is valued at $16,000, and the membership numbers about 238. The stew- ards of the church are: Robert Payne, Charles Anderson, Win. Haines, Wm. Tate, Albert Smith, James Gillun. George Moss. The trust- ees are: J. W. Walker, J. W. Monroe, R. G. Monroe, Wesley Perkins, John Mosby, Sam- uel Adams and George Webb.
WEYMAN CHAPEL.
Weyman Chapel, on Ninth, between Cherry and Cedar streets, was organized about twelve years ago as a mission of Bethel A. M. E. Church. It held its first meetings in the old Merrick Hall, now Grace M. E. Church, at the corner of Fourth and Lind streets. The min- isters, in their order, are: Revs. Jenkins, Tay- lor. Thurman. Holmes, Tiff, Beamon, Edwards, P. C. Cheatham, Grey. Thomas and Speese, the latter being the present incumbent. 1905.
EIGHTHI AND ELM STREET BAPTIST CHURCH.
The Eighth and Elm Street Baptist Church was first formed by the colored people of Quiney in 1865 with fifty-five members. The Rev. Henry Mosely was their first minister and services were held in a building on the corner of Maine and Sixth streets, which was also used during the war by the Needle Piekets. This building was afterwards removed. In 1866 the congregation bought the little church on the corner of Jersey and Eighth streets for $1.500. This was improved soon after to the amount of $800.
Later, in 1881, the church was removed to the present location. The cost of this building was about $5,000. and the present membership is about 200.
The Rev. T. L. Smith is the pastor now, and before him, succeeding Ilenry Mosely, were R. M. Dulin, J. W. Hall, Robinson, Davis, Wil- lard, R. M. Dulin, J. W. Muse, Carter. J. Cha- vis, T. J. DeClelland, J. W. Washington, F. T. Walker and W. C. Bowman.
TENTH STREET BAPTIST CHURCHL.
Tenth Street Baptist Church was organized hy a part of the members of Eighth and Elm Street Church, because of some difficulties in the church in 1887, and, like the Weyman Mis- sion, held its meetings for some years in Mer-
rick IIall. The minister, under whom the Eighth Street Church was built, was Rev. Muse. Later James Thomas took charge, and the church was moved to Tenth street. and the name is now formally called Tenth Street Union Baptist Church. After the Rev. Thomas came Revs. J. J. Lyons, Ed. Wilson, Nichols, E. Green, Thompson, Nichols, Bowman, Ward, Brown and the present minister, Rev. Miller.
The church has now a membership of about forty, and a prosperous Sabbath School, having about fifty pupils.
CHAPTER XLIL.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCHIES.
INFLUENCES ON GERMAN IMMIGRATION-THE FIRST MISSION-ST. BONIFACE, THE MOTHER CHURCH-SKETCH OF OTHER CONGREGATIONS.
In giving the history of the Catholic churches of Quiney reliance for guidance will be mainly on "The Catholic Church Ilistory of Quincy, Illinois." written by Rev. Theodore Bruener in 1887. on the occasion of the golden jubilee of St. Boniface Church. This history was pub- lished in German and is probably the most painstaking, accurate and complete treatise on any topie of local history ever published.
The first German settler in Quincy was Michael Mast, an uncle of the well-known brothers. Joseph. Casper and John Mast. He arrived in America in 1816, then went to Mex- ico and came to Quiney in 1829, where he lived until his death in 1852. As we have seen else- where, when Quincy was incorporated in 1834, he became one of the first trustees of the town. He served in the Black Ilawk war. It was largely due to Mr. Mast that the stream of German immigration was first directed to Quincy.
Both the English and the German speaking Catholics of Quiney were from 1833 to 1837 visited periodically by Rev. P. Lefevre, a Bel- gian priest, who in late years became Bishop of Detroit, Michigan. This missionary had for his field of labor the northern part of Missouri, the western part of Illinois and the southern part of Iowa, and as a consequence his visits to Quiney were necessarily infrequent. In a letter dated July 3. 1834. written by him to the Bishop of St. Louis, to which diocese Quiney at that time belonged. he stated that the Catholic population of Quiney was increas- ing rapidly and that it desired very much to build a church and to have a resident priest. and added that in all western Illinois there was
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no mission so important and so promising as the one at Quiney. In a letter of October 6th, 1836, he again spoke of Quiney, saying that the Catholic congregation then consisted of from forty to fifty families and that they very much desired to build a church and to have a resident pastor. He speaks of a meeting at which five trustees were elected for the church to take subscriptions and to supervise the building. More than half of this congregation, he says, consisted of Germans, and that these desired a priest who could preach in German. Father Lefevre on his visits to Qniney held church services in a carpenter shop, which was located on the east side of Fourth street, be- tween Maine and Jersey, and which belonged to Adam Schmitt. On account of the searcity of priests it was not until 1837 that the Bishop of St. Louis was able to send a priest to the Quincy mission. In AInne of that year Rev. J. I. St. Cyr, who was the first priest in Chicago, was appointed to the Quiney mission by the Bishop of St. Louis. Before he left St. Louis, however, to come to Quincy, a Catholie priest, Rev. A. F. Brickwedde, arrived unexpectedly directly from Germany. In consequence of this, the Rev. Brickwedde, who could not speak English, was sent to serve the German Catho- lies of Quiney, and Rev. St. Cyr was sent to St. Augustine, which was then in Fulton Con- ty, and was given charge of the English speak- ing Catholies of the Quiney mission. It was due to this unforseen incident that the Cath- olie churches of Quiney were at the very out- set divided into English and German churches. Father Bruener, in his history, says that as a result of the arrival of Rev. Brickwedde in 1837 and of the establishment of the St. Boni- face German Catholic church by him, that church became the first German Catholic church on the whole Mississippi River. The effeet of this was, he says, that the existence of this church acted as a strong magnet to at- traet German innmigration to Quincy. Okt German settlers say that upon landing at New Orleans in those early days they learned that in Qniney there was a German Catholic priest with a German Catholic congregation, and that this indneed them to come to this city. To this eirenmstance Father Bruener attributes to a great extent the rapid development of the German Catholic element in the city. As we have seen in another part of this history, the German Intherans built a church and had a German-speaking pastor in this city as early as 1837, and it is only reasonable to suppose that this fact, likewise. had a strong tendency to attract to this city the immigration of these German co-religionists. It is thus seen that in
the history of the city the building and estab- lishment of German churches played a very important part, and to a very large extent in- Hnenced and shaped the future of the city.
ST. BONIFACE CHURCH.
As we have seen. the present St. Boniface Church was the first Catholic church that had a resident priest, Rev. A. F. Brickwedde, who arrived in Quiney in August. 1837. Hle first held church in the second story of a frame building, which was then located on the north- west corner of Eleventh and Broadway. John Wood had donated to the congregation a lot for a church. This was situated on Seventh street, between York and Kentneky. In 1838 Father Brickwedde built on an adjoining lot a frame honse which served as church and also as his residence and as a school. The part of this building which served as a church was twenty-eight feet long and eighteen feet wide. and in the rear of it were built two small rooms that served as school and as priest's res- idence. The priest was the teacher in the school. This church almost immediately proved too small. As the location was found not to be very desirable, the congregation bought, for the purpose of ereeting a new church, the lot on the northwest corner of Seventh and Maine streets, on which the St. Boniface church now stands.
Upon this lot a new brick church was erected in the years 1839 and 1840, having a dimension of sixty feet in length by thirty-two in width. As the German immigration to Quincy increased, this church also soon proved to be too small. As a consequence the present St. Boniface church, which is one hundred feet in length and sixty-four feet in width, was built in the years 1846 and 1847. The building of this church was a large one for the financial ability of the congregation, especially in view of the great seareity of cash money which ex- isted throughout the country at that time. We find that the donations made for the construc- tion of the church consisted for the greater part in donations of days' labor and of ma- terial, and that the cash contributed only amounted to $1,240. When the church was fin- ished there remained on it only a debt of $1,500, which demonstrates that the contribu- tions in material and labor must have been very large. In fact, the members of the con- gregation not having cash money practically constructed the church with their own labor and with material furnished by themselves. How well the work was done and how excel- lent the material donated was, is demonstrated by the fact that notwithstanding fifty-seven
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years have past since the completion of the church, it still stands apparently as strong and as durable as it ever was.
The second pastor of St. Boniface church was Rev. JJoseph Kuenster, who arrived in Quiney in 1850. lle built the steeple of the church and purchased the melodious chime of church bells, which are still in use. He also had a church organ built which at that time was the largest and best organ in any of the surrounding states and was visited and tested by many musicians, and, although recon- strueted, it is still in use. In the year 1856 a new school was erected immediately west of the church. Father Kuenster died in Quincy, September 15, 1857, and was buried in St. Boniface cemetery. The next pastor .of the church was Rev. John Reis, who, however, was obliged on account of ill-health to resign in 1858. Ile was succeeded by Rev. llerman Schaefermeyer, who was especially aetive in beautifying the interior of the church. Under him the two large mural paintings, one on each side of the altar, were executed. The artist who did this work was William Lam- precht, who at the time was the best painter of church pictures in America. These paintings are real works of art and there is at this time nothing in the city that can compare with them. Father Schaefermeyer spent $20,000 in renovating and embellishing the interior of the church. Under his administration the present St. Boniface cemetery was established in 1860. lle was a man of much ability and was greatly beloved by his congregation. In 1860 he be- came the vicar general of the diocese. Hle re- mained pastor of the church till 1872. at which time he left for the purpose of joining the Francisean order. lle died May 10, 1887, in the convent of that order in this city. llis snecessor as pastor of the church was Rev. F. A. Ostrop. Ilis administration was especially notable for the purchase of the half block of ground fronting on Hampshire street. between Seventh and Eighth streets, and the erection of the splendid new school buildings on the same. The ground cost $65,000 in 1873. The sehool cost $51.275. The congregation in the meantime had increased so that it then em- braced about six hundred families, and the number of children attending the school was four hundred and sixty. The school was fin- ished in 1876. The next pastor of the church was Rev. John Janssen, who served from Sep- tember 1. 1877. to December 31. 1879. Ile was the vicar general of the diocese and a man of considerable ability. lle is now the Bishop of the diocese at Belleville, III. His successor was the Rev. Theodore Bruener, on whose histor- ical work concerning the Catholic churches in
Quincy we have drawn liberally as already stated. Father Bruener was a man of very great ability and immediately prior to the call to Quiney had been president of a Catholie Normal school at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He administered the affairs of the congregation with great success from December. 1879, until November, 1887, when he resigned for the purpose of joining the Franciscan order. Ile died as a member of that order in San Fran- eisco. California. a number of years ago. He was followed by Rev. Michael Weis, the pres- ent pastor, under whom the church has been strengthened and developed in every direction. Ile built the fine new parsonage now in use. St. Boniface is the mother church of all the Catholic churches in Quiney. As the German Catholie population increased. St. Francis con- gregation in the eastern part of the city. St. Mary's church in the southern part of the city and St. John's church in the northwestern part of the city, grew out of St. Boniface congrega- tion. At the present time the congregation of St. Boniface mimbers about four hundred fam- ilies and one thousand four hundred members. It conducts its own church school, which has three hundred and fifty pupils and seven teachers.
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