USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > The New church and Chicago; a history > Part 8
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
In describing his visit in spirit to an angelic society, Sweden- borg says, "Some of the wise ones came to me and said, 'What news from earth?'" He answered by telling of the revealing of the internal sense, and knowledge of correspondence which had been made. He says, "The angels rejoiced exceedingly that it had pleased the Lord to reveal this great arcanum, so deeply hidden for thousands of years, and they said that this was done in order that the Christian Church, which is founded on the Word, and which is now at its end, may again revive and draw spirit through heaven from the Lord." (T. C. R. 846).
122
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
invest the temple fund at ten per cent. on security to be approved by the executive committee, and voted to employ Miss Lawrence to sing and to have charge of the organ and music during worship, at one hundred dollars per annum.
The names of fifty-three people, whom it was decided to invite to become members of the Society, were presented to the meeting, and appear on record.
The next meeting, January 14th, decided to continue to rent the upper rooms of the building to Mr. Snow for school rooms, at the rate of two hundred dollars per annum, and to distribute cards among the pews on which to subscribe towards defraying expenses.
In a meeting held the 26th, it was decided to recommend to the Society for membership twenty-eight people, whose names are recorded. This meeting also appointed a committee on public worship, on music, and a secular committee, and decided that the next meeting elect trus- tees for the Garden City Institute.
A meeting held February 23rd decided to make effort to sustain Mr. Ragatz in his mission work, and to solicit subscriptions for that purpose; the trustees of the Chicago Society were made trustees of the Garden City Institute; the treasurer was instructed to request of Mr. Snow immediate payment for rent due for the use of rooms. J. Y. Scammon, Alexander Officer, John Sears, Jr., Charles V. Dyer, and the pastor, Rev. J. R. Hibbard, were constituted a school committee.
The meeting of March 29th made it the general rule of the Society to defray the traveling expense of the pastor to and from the meetings of the Association and General Convention.
The meeting of May 12th decided to contribute one hundred dollars to the fund of the Illinois Association.
123
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
The meeting held August 15th granted leave of absence of two months to the Rev. J. R. Hibbard, to travel in the interest of the General Convention, visiting the various societies in the United States. It was understood that if the Convention should pay him for the two months, his salary would stop, if not, then half the salary would con- tinue during the time.
The meeting of September 20th extended the leave of absence of Rev. J. R. Hibbard to January 1st .*
The meeting of October 12th directed Mr. Scammon to write Mr. John Worcester and request that the pulpit be filled; and Mr. Scammon was authorized to order books for colporteur purposes.
The meeting of December 7th appointed committees and prescribed rules for social parties to be held in the Garden City Institutet and in private houses during the coming winter. The dancing parties to be held in the Institute, to commence at seven and close at nine-thirty o'clock, and to occur once in two weeks. The first and each alternate one to be for children, and the floor to be exclusively oc- cupied by children under sixteen years of age, when re- quired for their accommodation. The second and each alternate one to be attended by those over sixteen years of age.
The meeting of December 30th decided to notify Mr. Snow that the rental for the upper story of the Garden City Institute building for the use of the school for 1857 would be three hundred dollars.
*NOTE .- It is noted that the Rev. Nathan C. Burnham filled the pulpit much of the time during Mr. Hibbard's absence, this applying to several years prior to this date, and continuing.
+NOTE .- Referring to the social parties, Mr. Hibbard, in his "Reminiscences," says, "They grew in popularity, requiring more complete conveniences, resulting in a hall with dressing rooms and other facilities being obtained, and the gradual stretching out of the hours to half-past eleven."
TENTH ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual meeting for 1857 was held in the place of worship January 12th. Mr. John Sears, Jr., presided and Mr. Hiram Brown acted as secretary.
Extracts from the report of the executive committee show that when remaining subscriptions would be paid the Society would not be in debt; that the temple fund amounted to $1,928.58 and was accumulating at the rate of ten per cent. per annum; that the rental of the lot was $685 per year, to be added to the temple fund, also increasing it; that the demand for seats was far more than there were; that the expiring of the lease of the land on which the place of worship stood, being May, 1860, made a new temple necessary at that time, and recom- mend a committee to take up the matter of the construc- tion of a temple to be completed in three years; that the Society would require for its use during the ensuing year $2,500, which could be raised if each one would contribute according to his ability.
The report says, "In our public worship there seems to be not enough devotional feeling, or direct participa- tion by the congregation in the service. More responsive service and more congregational singing seem desirable, and it would be useful for the congregation to respond in the prayers."
Seven members were added to the Society during the year, making the number eighty-six.
During the absence of the pastor his place had been filled by Rev. Nathan C. Burnham, Rev. M. Fernald, and Rev. John Worcester, to the use and satisfaction of the Society.
124
125
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
The committee expresses the hope that the duties of the Society to the general Church, will not again make necessary the absence of the pastor, for, "a flock without the home service of a pastor is like sheep without a shepherd."
Closing, the report says, "We desire in closing our report to be especially thankful that peace has dwelt among us, and to pray that we may continue to dwell together as brethren, and that the sound of strife, and the noise of battle, may never be heard in our midst."
The report of the treasurer for the year is as follows:
Debit to subscriptions $2,570.11
Debit to temple fund 1,928.58
Debit to Garden City Institute 490.45
Debit to library fund
42.52
Debit to North side mission
85.00
$5,116.66
Credit by
Paid for Society expense. $2,073.14
Paid for Garden City Institute 782.48
Paid to library fund 4.82
Paid to North side mission
Balance 128.00 $2,988.44
$2,128.22
The meeting elected the following: Trustees, J. Young Scammon, Robert H. Murray, Alexander Officer, Charles V. Dyer, Robert E. Moss, Franklin Scammon, and John Sears, Jr .; auditor, Henry L. Fulton; treasurer, Charles G. Smith; and secretary, Hiram Brown.
The meetings of the executive committee for the year were fourteen.
A meeting of January 31st made the trustees of the Society trustees of the Garden City Institute, and appointed the customary sub-committees; made it the duty of the secular committee to procure subscriptions of
126
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
money, and appointed a large committee to consider and report on the subject of building a temple.
Another meeting, held February 28th, appropriated thirty dollars to purchase two lots in the Chicago ceme- tery for the Society.
The meeting of April 12th heard a proposition to sell the Society a lot of ground on the west side of the river, for the sum of five hundred dollars, the Society to agree to build a house of worship on the same; the subject being referred to the secular committee with power to act in the case.
The meeting held April 25th decided to purchase the lot as above, and build and furnish a house of worship, provided it could all be done within the available sub- scriptions, made for that purpose, and not otherwise. One hundred dollars was appropriated for the Illinois Association.
COMPLIMENT TO MR. SCAMMON.
Sabbath morning, Aug. 16, 1857, there was read to, and adopted by the Society, a very affectionate, brotherly, and New Church memorial in which is this paragraph: "In the ordering of Divine Providence, you, dear sir, were one of the first New Churchmen in the Prairie state and, we believe, the first one in the Garden City-the founder -the nucleus-and the most zealous, faithful, and efficient lay member of The Chicago Society of the New Jerusa- lem, of which we have the happiness of being members; always foremost in performing those uses which would promote the progress, and provide for the welfare and happiness of the Society, both in the spiritual and natural planes of life."
The memorial, of which there is more in the same
127
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
affectionate strain, was, signed J. R. Hibbard, pastor, and Edwin Burnham, secretary of the meeting, and pre- sented to Mr. Scammon, the occasion being the departure for Europe of himself and family for an absence of three years.
Under date of Sunday October 11th, there is a recorded memorandum of the destruction by fire of the building occupied by the Society and the Garden City Institute, Seminary, and other buildings in the vicinity.
The greater part of the library, and some of the fur- niture and cushions were saved. The loss to the Society, including the building, amounting to four thousand dol- lars, was covered by insurance, but loss sustained by Mr. Snow, principal of the Garden City Institute, was not covered.
Temporary arrangement for worship was made with the Wabash Avenue Methodist society for the use of their church on Harrison street, in the afternoon of Sunday, and not a Sunday passed without worship, as a conse- quence of the fire.
The meeting of the committee, November 30th, adopted a resolution to purchase of the Wabash Avenue Methodist society, their wooden church building and parsonage, on the south side of Harrison street, between State street and Wabash avenue, for one thousand dollars, and the secular committee was instructed to make such altera- tions and repairs as necessary to fit the same for the uses of the Society; and the secular committee was also instructed to lease the lot on which the building stood, thereby gaining possession of the lot and building, until May, 1860, at a rental for the land of one hundred dollars per year, subject to increase.
The meeting of December 15th appointed a committee
128
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
to prepare for and conduct a series of social evening assemblies for dancing and recreation, invitations to be extended to members of the congregation only, and the assemblies to close at eleven o'clock P. M.
ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING
The annual meeting of the Society for 1858 was held in the place of worship January 11th.
Mr. Dyer N. Burnham acted as chairman and Mr. Hiram Brown as secretary.
The election resulted as follows: For trustees, J. Young Scammon, Charles V. Dyer, Alexander Officer, John Sears, Jr., Robert H. Murray, Robert E. Moss, and Franklin Scammon; secretary, Hiram Brown; treasurer, Charles G. Smith; auditor, Henry L. Fulton.
The report of the executive committee for the year just passed details the work performed by the pastor, and says the membership of the Society numbers eighty-six, of which number fifteen have removed from the state. It refers to a "neat and pleasant temple" which was erected during the past summer, near the corner of Reuben street* and Chicago avenue, in which a congregation of twenty - five or thirty was being administered to by Mr. Ragatz, who had been ordained at the last meeting of the Asso- ciation. This mission is spoken of in the report as the "German branch of the Society."
Half of the lot was donated by one of the German brethren, a very liberal subscription was given by another, and through the effort of Mr. Ragatz enough was raised by subscription to pay $500 for the other half of the lot, and to build the temple, costing $1,310.
*NOTE .- Reuben street is now Ashland avenue. The temple of the German branch faced west and was about a hundred feet, more or less, north of Chicago avenue.
129
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
The greater part of the money raised was from mem- bers of the Society .. This is understood to mean the Ger- man branch.
Further, the report says, that $1,171 of the money received from insurance on the building which was burned had been used in adding to and repairing the one purchased of the Methodists as per minutes of November 30th, and that $1,800 had been added to the temple fund. Further, "It was for a time contemplated to assess the pews in the present temple a sufficient amount to pay the cost of repairs, but in consideration of the pecuniary pressure, it was thought best to pay it from the insurance money and defer the assessment until next summer."
The Church library, and the Sunday-school library are remembered in the report, as also the meetings in the homes on Sunday evenings for the purpose of conversa- tion, and the Wednesday evening assemblies for dancing and recreation.
The treasurer's accounts are given as follows: The temple fund, $4,890.37; paid into the treasury during the year for expense, $2,960.32; and paid out of the same fund, $2,742.39.
Referring to the need of financial support, the commit- tee says, "We should habituate ourselves to realize the importance of the Church and its uses, and consider its liberal support, as a matter of course, as much as the support of our civil government or the supply of our family table, knowing, as we do, that the civil and tem- poral exist for the sake of the spiritual and eternal, which come to us from the Lord by the Church.
The executive committee met twenty times during the year.
The meeting held January 4th, made the standing rule that money belonging to the Society should not be loaned
130
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
to any member of the same; that of January 11th appointed the customary sub-committees; the one held June 28th appropriately acknowledged the gift of a com- munion set from Mr. Alonzo Huntington, and voted one hundred dollars to Miss Hall for musical service.
The meeting of September 25th appropriated fifty dollars to be given the Illinois Association, and named delegates to attend the meeting of the same.
The meeting of December 5th appropriately acknowl- edged a gift to the Society of a portrait of Emanuel Swedenborg from Mr. J. B. Turner.
JOHN HENRY RAGATZ
Mr. Ragatz was born in Switzerland, July 31, 1822. Having changed his home to the United States, he became acquainted with the writings of Swedenborg after locating in Chicago, where, in 1854, he was a minister for the German Evangelical association, the place of worship being a chapel which was on Clark street near Van Buren. He first appears active in the New Church, Aug. 23, 1855, when by a meeting of the Chicago Society he is appointed instructor for people living on the north side of the river. The next year his misson, according to the directory, is located in the basement of St. Paul's Church, Ohio street and La Salle avenue, and is called the "New Church German Society," the pastor's residence being given as 153 Illinois street.
In the report of the executive committee for 1857 he is seen to be administering to the German branch of the Society, then located in a new temple on Reuben street near Chicago avenue. The report says: "The mission is under much obligation to the German brethren, one
-
REV. JOHN HENRY RAGATZ.
133
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
donating half the land, valued at one thousand dollars, another giving a very liberal subscription, encouraged us to undertake the building of the temple, and especially to Mr. Ragatz, by whose untiring zeal the means were collected and the work accomplished."
Mr. Ragatz was ordained by Mr. Hibbard in the meet- ing of the Illinois Association, 1857, and continued in the pastorate of the German Society as above, until 1871, and thereafter conducted a service in German in the afternoon in the temple at Thirty-third street for a considerable time.
During his pastorate for the German Society, and pos- sibly after it ended, he did much missionary work among Germans in towns on the Fox river and other places; a faithful and efficient worker in the New Church for a full quarter of a century, a large part of the time a member of the executive committee of the Chicago Society.
Mr. Ragatz' work for the New Church was a work of love entirely, as the amount of money which he realized at any time for service to the Church was so very insig- nificant as to be beneath consideration by even one who asked for so little as he. He loved the Lord's New Church, the pleasure of serving it being satisfactory recompense for constant labor in the vineyard.
He was a man of varied affairs, to some extent, as is seen by his being a member of the board of directors of the Republic Insurance company in 1865, among asso- ciates then and since, very prominent in affairs, and by his vice-presidency of the Chicago Savings Institution and Trust company, and other things.
Oct. 3, 1858, he was married to Johanna Kathrine Herle, by Rev. J. R. Hibbard, in the temple of the Ger- man Society, which he had established, and of which he was then pastor.
Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ragatz, one, a
134
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
son, dying in infancy; the others, one son and four daugh- ters, are living.
In 1877, Mrs. Ragatz answered the call of the Heavenly Father, passing into the next life. Following very soon the home was established on a small farm near Benton Harbor, Mich., where it remained until 1892, when Mr. Ragatz became a member of the family of a married daughter living in the town, where he lived until called to his final home, September, 1903.
TWELFTH ANNUAL MEETING.
The Society held its twelfth annual meeting in the place of worship in Harrison street, Jan. 10, 1859, at seven-thirty P. M.
From the report of the executive committee it is seen that the pastor performed forty-one baptisms in the con- gregation during the year, twenty being for adults and twenty-one for infants; twenty-six adults became mem- bers of the Society; there were six marriages between mem- bers of the congregation; of the three adult members of the Society who passed into the spiritual life one was Mrs. Mary Ann H. D. Scammon, who died at Bad Soden, near Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, July 9th.
The Society at the time of the meeting had one hun- dred and nine members.
Referring to the Sabbath-school the report says, "It is suggested that if parents would take more interest in seeing that their children attend regularly and punctually, and that they have their lessons well learned at home, it would be beneficial to them; still more so to the children, the Sabbath-school, and the Church."
The report refers to the social assemblies as being of
135
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
much use; "especially affording for the young an oppor- tunity for social intercourse under the protection and sphere of the Church," and invites all the members of the congregation to attend, saying, "Dancing is the chief amusement, commencing at seven o'clock and ending at eleven, there being rooms for such amusements as may be desired by those who may not wish to dance."
The receipts in money during the year amounted to $1,761.37, and the expenses to $1,867.72, causing an indebtedness to the treasurer for money advanced of $106.35 .*
The report of the executive committee gives the report of the Rev. Mr. Ragatz relating to the German branch of the Society, which says that the attendance at worship numbered from twelve to forty, the worship being in accordance with the German New Church liturgy; refers to the Sunday-school as being flourishing; to the Sunday evening discourses which will be commenced when light for the temple shall be provided; and speaks of the small library of German New Church books; and gives a list of the receipts and expenditures by Mr. Ragatz in carrying on the work for the year, amounting to less than three hundred dollars.
The meeting elected the trustees and officers of the Society as follows:
Trustees, J. Young Scammon, John Sears, Jr., Frank- lin Scammon, Alexander Officer, Charles V. Dyer, Robert H. Murray, and Robert E. Moss; secretary, Hiram Brown; treasurer, Robert W. Officer; and auditor, Henry L. Fulton.
*NOTE .- The inventory of property Jan. 1, 1859, shows the fol- lowing : Wabash ave. land, $25,000; Reuben street temple and land, $2,310; Harrison street temple (on leased land) $1,713; Chicago cemetery lots, $36.50; Furniture, carpets, and sundries, $989; value of books, $200 ; temple fund, $5,917.52 ; total, $36,166.02.
136
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
There were twenty-one meetings of the executive committee.
The meeting of January 10th appointed the customary standing committees, being church committee, secular committee, relief committee, committee on music, com- mittee on weekly meetings, committee on recreations, and committee on Sabbath-school.
The meeting of April 17th elected Mr. Edwin Burnham treasurer to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Mr. Robert W. Officer.
May 28th one hundred dollars was appropriated for Mr. Ragatz, and the Rev. J. R. Hibbard was authorized to invite the General Convention to meet in Chicago in 1860, if in his judgment it should seem best to do so.
June 27th a committee was appointed to procure plans and specifications for the construction of a hall, and to submit the same to the executive committee at an early date.
July 30th it was decided to recommend to the Society the erection of a hall for Church purposes to be located on the back or rear end of the Wabash avenue lot, and to call a meeting of the Society for the following Monday evening to consider the subject.
The called meeting of the Society occurred August 1st,* when a resolution instructing the executive committee to erect an edifice on the east end of the lot for Church pur- poses was adopted.
December 11th the executive committee appointed a committee to have charge of preparing and conducting the Christmas festival.
*NOTE .- The called meeting, as above, was the fourth special meeting of the Society.
THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING.
The Society met in the temple and conducted the thirteenth annual meeting, Jan. 9, 1860. Mr. Edwin Burnham presided and Hiram Brown was secretary.
The election resulted as follows: Trustees, J. Young Scammon, John Sears, Jr., Robert E. Moss, Alexander Officer, Franklin Scammon, Charles V. Dyer, and Samuel S. Barry; treasurer, Edwin Burnham; auditor, Henry L. Fulton; and secretary, Hiram Brown.
After first acknowledging with thankfulness the kind care of Divine Providence in preserving, during the year, the lives of all the adult members, the report of the executive committee feelingly refers to the death of Miss Augusta Shepard, a member of the Sabbath-school and says, "The whole number of those who have united with the Society since its commencement is one hundred and thirty-seven. Of these, ten have deceased, leaving the present number of members to be one hundred and twenty-seven; a number of these being away from the city, about ninety can be regarded as regular attendants on Sabbath worship in this city, of which eleven attend the German branch."
The report, as did the last, speaks very pointedly against the irregular attendance at the Sabbath-school by the children, and holds the parents derelict in their lack of interest in, and care for the subject.
Relative to the proposition of the Society to erect a hall on the east end of the Wabash avenue lot, the committee reports that it has been impossible to proceed, for the reason that the proposed site is occupied by a dwelling house which is protected by a lease of the land, and possession cannot be had until May 1st.
137
138
THE NEW CHURCH AND CHICAGO
The urgent need of this hall was caused by the accepted invitation to the General Convention to meet in Chicago, it being necessary for the convenient entertainment of the Convention, and, further, the committee says, "It would be more convenient and have superior advantages for the Society, than the present place."
The report of the treasurer shows the expense for the year to have been $1,981.46, and that $1,191.75 had been paid to him, including $200 rental for the dwelling adjoin- ing the temple, leaving a balance against the Society of $789.71.
The executive committee sees in this shortage some reason attributable to the prevailing hard times which followed the financial panic of 1857, yet devotes nearly two closely written pages of the large record book in recording the reasons, spiritual and temporal, which it gives, why the Church should be supported, making the point quite emphatic, that more should be, and could be given, if the inclination existed.
The more prominent items of expense are: Pastor's salary, $1,000; paid to Mr. Ragatz, $100; organist, $104; Illinois Association, $100; rent of Harrison street land, $200, and sexton, $100.
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.