History of Nemaha County, Kansas, Part 29

Author: Tennal, Ralph 1872-
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Lawrence, Kan., Standard Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 964

USA > Kansas > Nemaha County > History of Nemaha County, Kansas > Part 29

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Frederick Gates was a consin of the late Myron Lewis, of Sabetha. whose family received a typewritten story of the life of his father, the Rev. Granville Gates, upon the latter's death.

W. C. Pace, ninety-six years old, the first bandmaster of Nemaha county, who still lives with his son, T. J. Pace, was a warm friend of Rev. Gates, and kept a special room of his home ready for him all dur- ing his life in the West.

REV. A. G. LOHMAN.

Rev. A. G. Lohman established the boys' industrial home under Mayor Tom Johnson, at Cleveland, Ohio, upon the theory that there are no incorrigible boys. About twenty-five years ago, Lohman was preaching for the German Reformed church in Brown and Nemaha counties, in northeastern Kansas. Later, he went to Cleveland, Ohio, where his voice, that had been strong enough in Kansas, failed, and he tackled the kind of work that suited his taste much better than preach- ing. He is a practical, sensible American of German parentage, trained in farm life, a man of infinite patience, the kind to handle boys. Mr. Lohman was put in charge of organizing of the homes for boys,. a movement then in its inception, in 1902. He has recently written a history of the farm and its work. The city first bought a farm of 123 acres, with a barn not very large or convenient, and no house. Mr. Lohman moved his family into the barn and made his home there until

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the first cottage had been built. Boys began to come to the farm before the house was finished. The first boy who came was quartered in a tent with the workmen until the house was finished. It soon developed that more land was needed, so an adjoining farm of 162 acres was pur- chased. That gave the farm 285 acres at a total cost of $12,300. The second farm had a house on it. The total amount that has been ex- pended for the farm and all improvements in five years has been $70,000. This paid for the land, seven cottages, four barns, an engine house, bakery, laundry, carpenter shop, gymnasium, waterworks and sewer system, electric light plant and all other permanent improvements. Rev. Lohman is the son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Lohman, of Sabetha.

COL. H. BAKER. "The Father of Bern." By Mrs. V. A. Bird.

The people of Bern and vicinity were shocked and received with sad hearts a telegram announcing the death of Col. Hy Baker, at the home of relatives at Utica, N. Y., at 4 o'clock p. m. Sunday, March IO, 1913. The telegram stated that Colonel Baker had reached there on April 20, from Kingston, Jamaica, very much improved in health, and was in fine spirits all day Sunday. He went out to dinner at one o'clock and died suddenly of heart failure five minutes after entering the house. On receipt of the telegram, the flag at the city hall was hoisted half mast in honor of the man who was the founder of Bern. Colonel Baker was born in Utica, N. Y., which was his home for twenty-eight years. He was by profession a civil engineer, and was appointed city engineer of Utica when twenty-five years old. Later, he came West and was made chief engineer in charge of the construction of the Hannibal & St. Joseph railway into St. Joseph, in 1859. He enlisted in the Union army when the Civil war broke out, and while serving as engineer at Ft. Riley was given the rank of colonel, although he never served at the front. At one time during the war he was detailed to serve as revenue collector in Missouri, and after the war ran as railway mail clerk between Kansas City and St. Louis. In connection with others he secured control of the charter of the Iowa & Missouri railway, which was sold to the Rock Island, and which became their entrance into St. Joseph from the East. During the construction of the C. K. & N. railway (now the Rock Is- land) he served as special agent in securing bonds in aid of the road, and during this time, about 1886, he purchased the land where Bern stands, platted the town and induced the railroad to build the necessary depot and side tracks, and Bern came into existence. Since that time Bern has been more or less his home, and especially during the last few years he has spent most of his time here. Colonel Baker was one of the best informed man in this country, being a great reader and having a

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splendid memory. He was a very strong character, and in his early days an aggressive worker-the best of friends to those whom he liked and a bitter enemy on sufficient provocation. In his early days he joined the Masonic order with his lodge connections at Utica, and was laid to rest with all the honors of the order. He was never married, and, with the exception of two nephews, his family has preceded him to the grave.

AND OTHERS.

Ralph Bunker, of Sabetha, is winning his way as an actor with Guy Bates in "Omar, the Tentmaker." C. J. Taylor is prominent in the pension office at Washington. He is a Seneca youth. The two Maxwell 'boys, Howard and Giles, are designers and consulting engineers with the Gen- eral Electric people in Schenectady, and have built electric railroads in England, and are now planning a railroad to be built in Australia when the European war closes. One could go through the list and find scores of other Nemaha county youths who have made big names in the big world outside.

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE CHURCH IN NEMAHA COUNTY.

FIRST SERMON-SENECA BAPTIST CHURCH ORGANIZED HERE-METHO- DISTS IN 1857-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN 1863-CONGREGATIONAL- ISTS-UNIVERSALISTS-ROMAN CATHOLIC-ST. MARY'S CHURCH OF ST. BENEDICT'S-STS. PETER AND PAUL'S, SENECA-ST. BEDE'S CATH- OLIC CHURCH-SENECA CHURCH MEETINGS-SABETHA CHURCHES- CENTRALIA CHURCHES-WETMORE CHURCHES-ONEIDA CHURCHES -CORNING CHURCHES-CHURCHES OF OTHER TOWNS.

There is no doubt that the first sermon in Nemaha county was preached by a Baptist minister. Rev. Thomas Newton was a representa- tive of the regular Baptist missionary society. Rev. Newton died in 1881, when he was eighty-four years old. Rev. Thomas Newton preached anywhere and everywhere during the first few years after his arrival in the county. The church itself was finally established at Central City, August 1, 1857, and for two years was the only denominational place of worship in the county. Rev. Newton was followed by his son, Thomas C. Newton in preaching the gospel on Baptist lines. The Central City Baptist Church was finally combined with the Seneca Baptist Church in 1875, after a brave existence of nearly twenty years, when it became ap- parent that the demise of Central City, generally, was only a matter of a brief time. The Central City Church, which had been erected years before, was finally used for a school house.

The Seneca Baptist Church was organized in 1866 in the Seneca school house, with the Lanham families, the Newton families, Rosanne Cordell and Eli Story and Silas Wicks as constituent members. It has not been as thriving as its pioneer efforts would warrant for twenty years and more, worshipping in the school house, private homes and utilizing the Universalist Church.

The Methodists followed closely on the heels of the Baptists in or- ganizing at Seneca and became a strong church in that field of endeavor. The church was organized in 1857, but was visited only by the old-time circuit rider, Rev. Leonard Nichols. After a camp meeting held in Seneca the church was duly established, but the pastor, Rev. Asbury Clark, in- cluded surrounding towns in his itinerary, even as did John Wesley, father of the Methodist church, until the time of his death. The generous Universal building shared with the Methodist church also its roof and

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seats, and it was not until 1877 that the Methodists erected a church building. Rev. D. D. Holmes dedicated the new church.

On June 14, 1863, a meeting was held for the purpose of organizing a Presbyterian church with such splendid names on the roster as J. C. Hebbard, for many years head of the school matters of Nemaha county ; Eliza Williams, Elvira Johnson, J. W. Fuller. The church did not thrive. Rev. Nash was sent for a few months to the charge. The feasi- bility of the erection of a common church to be used by all sects was discussed, but the settling as to which denomination should give its name to the building caused dissension. Finally the Universalists built an edifice, which was shared with the Congregationalists and Baptists.

The Congregationalists, which organized in 1866, built a home of their own in 1870, which was dedicated on Christmas day. Rev. W. C. Stewart was the first pastor. At least two of the pastors, Rev. R. B. Guild and Rev. A. G. Bergen, succeeding him, remained faithful to Ne- maha county, and their children have been factors in the progress and upbuilding of both Seneca and Sabetha. Mr. Guild's children and Mr. Bergen's children married and remained in the county. George A. Guild, the eldest son, became a banker, and finally became president of the National Bank of Sabetha and is now cashier of the Capital National Bank of Topeka. A connection, the late Edwin Knowles, was president of the same Topeka bank. Miss Susan Guild, a daughter, was principal of the Sabetha schools for several years, and is now dean of Carroll College for Girls at Waukesha, Wis. Miss Jessie Guild is a distinguished artist in Minneapolis, Minn. Roy B. Guild, a son, is head of the Congre- gational Society in Boston Mass. Will Guild is president of a bank in Hiawatha, and Harry Guild is president of a bank in Bern. Fred Bergen, son of A. G. Bergen, is president of a bank in Summerfield. So the in- fluence of these fine, noble men has been felt all during the life of this section of Kansas.

Two thousand dollars was subscribed for a general church in Seneca to be called the Presbyterian. The Universalists added to this sum $1,600 in order that the title might be Universalist, to which all churches agreed, including the Presbyterians, and the edifice was erected, the property, however, belonging to the Universalists. Charlie Scrafford, J. H. Peckham, William Histed, J. P. Taylor and D. B. Mckay were the trustees. The building was of soft old gray stone and today the edifice is a lovely, restful church of general use, resembling the quaint old churches of England, which have withstood the ravages of centuries. Rev. G. W. Skinner held the first service in the church, July 17, 1869. Rev. J. H. Ballou was the first pastor.

The following is told of a Seneca minister's visit to the notorious Bender home, where wholesale murder was committed in early days:

The only Kansas man known to have incidentally visited at the Bender home and escaped is the Rev. C. L. Titus, of the Universalist Church of Seneca. Mr. Titus was passing through Kansas in 1868 and

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went through Seneca on his way South. He was going to Independence to attend the big powwow held down there upon the opening of the Southern Kansas lands. He visited it in company with Dr. York, who was the last man killed by the Benders. In driving through the country at that time Mr. Titus stopped at the Bender place for a drink of water. He is the only man known to have drunk from the Bender well and es- caped with his life.

The Roman Catholic Church has been a great success in Seneca and the western part of the county. The buildings in Seneca of the St. Paul and St. Peter Church and the parochial school add greatly to the archi- tectural beauty of the county seat. The society was instituted in 1869, largely by Mathias Stein. The district school building was purchased, with a block of land in the center of the town, Mr. Stein contributing a generous amount of money. The buildings have from time to time been improved and rebuilt until the square is now the most attractive and valuable. The school entertainments, the library and the general air surrounding Sts. Peter and Paul's breathes peace and contentment.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH OF ST. BENEDICT, FORMERLY "WILD CAT."

The first Catholic settlers in this part of Nemaha county were Thomas Carlin and John Koch, who came here in 1857; the year after there arrived John and Joseph Koelzer, Joseph Assenmacher, Peter Blumer, Martin Stahlbaumer, John Dick, Margaret Draney, Michael Rodgers and Martin Rellinger. At the instigation of John Koelzer and John Koch, a little frame church was built in the year 1859. Peter Blumer donated twenty acres of land. Before the building was com- menced John Koelzer had gone to Atchison to see the Rev. Augustine Wirth, O. S. B., then Prior of St. Benedict's College of Atchison, in order to make arrangement with him for a priest to come out here occasionally to hold divine services. After Father Augustine had given his consent they began building; and in June, 1859. Rev. Edmund Langenfelder, O. S. B. (died April 8, 1885), came out the first time, he being the first . Catholic priest to set his foot on the soil of Nemaha county, Kansas.

In the fall of the same year, Rev. Father Augustine paid this place a visit ; he was here also twice in 1860. In September, 1860, the Rev. Philip Vogt, O. S. B., was sent here to attend to the few Catholic families. . In the spring of 1861, Rev. Emmanuel Hartig, O. S. B., paid his first visit to this place. The first church was a very modest building, the cash ex- penses for same having been $92.20. Its size was 12x25 feet.

When the church was about finished, there was wanting some glass and some other small things, which required about $20. And as nobody except Michael Rogers had any money, it was decided by John Koelzer. John Koch and Thomas Carlin to give Michael Rogers the privilege of

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naming the church, and then charge him $20 for it. Michael, not know- ing but suspecting this manner of collecting, called it St. Mary's Church and had the pleasure of furnishing the $20 gold piece.

After having finished the church the people desired a stationary priest, and, in spite of not having had any harvest at all in 1860 on ac- count of the great drought, they built a parish house, which was com- menced in the spring of 1861 and finished in June of the same year.

Their efforts and zeal were rewarded; for Father Augustine, O. S. B., sent the Rev. Severin Rotter, O. S. B. (died April 1, 1898), who ar- rived here on June 18, 1861. He was the first resident priest of Nemaha county.

From here he attended the following missions:

St. Bridget's settlement, sixteen miles northwest of here.

St. Augustine settlement, now called Capioma or Fidelity, about twenty-two miles southeast of here.

St. Joseph settlement in the southeast corner of Marshall county. This mission was commenced on December 1, 1861 ; it is now generally called Irish Creek.

Elwood and Belmont, near Wathena.

The first baptism administered in Nemaha county was that of Joseph Koch, son of John and Anna Mary Koch; and the first wedding was that of Joseph Koelzer and Sophie Koblitz.

The names of people who constituted the parish in the year 1861 are : John Koch, John Koelzer, Joseph Koelzer, Martin Stallbaumer, Martin Rellinger, Margaret Draney, Peter Blumer, Thomas Carlin, Michael Rogers, Mathias Stein, W. Berntsen, John Dick, Martin Bedeau, Justus Aziere, Jacob Rellinger, Joseph Rellinger, Patrick McCaffrey, James Graney.

The salary of the Rev. Severin Rotter, O. S. B., in the year 1861 was $11.50.

How primitive the first church must have been, appears from the accounts, as they had paid $2 for making the pews, $2.50 for the taber- nacle, $2.05 for the confessional, fifty cents for a table in the priest's house, $3.50 for a bed.

In the year 1862 the priest had an income of $23.85.

After the parish had been thus established, more people moved in, and soon it was evident that the church was too small. Hence, in the year 1864, another larger church was built, whose size was 18x35 feet. It was Father Emmanuel Hartig, O. S. B., now Vicar General of the diocese of Lincoln, Neb., who built this church.

It was about this time that one of the Benedictine Fathers acquired an iron bell for the church. This bell, the first church bell in Nemaha county, had belonged to a boat which sailed on the Missouri river be- tween St. Joseph and Weston. When it was rung first, everybody ad- mired its "beautiful" sound. No one can give definite information of what has become of this bell.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH, ST. BENEDICT, KANSAS.

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In the year 1868 the priest's residence was transferred to Seneca, where a congregation had been organized in 1866. This was done prin- cipally through the influence of Mathias Stein, who had lived here several years and then moved to Seneca to open a furniture store.

Nothing remarkable happened from 1868 till 1880.

The priests who had charge of the parish from 1861 till 1880 were: Fathers Emmanuel Hartig, O. S. B., Pirmine Koumly, O. S. B., Thomas Bartl, O. S. B., Timothy Luber, O. S. B., Eugene Bode, O. S. B., and again Emmanuel Hartig, O. S. B.

In 1878 and 1879. Father Emmanuel advertised the place to a great extent by sending articles to different Catholic papers. His efforts were well blessed ; people responded to his call, and at the beginning of 1880 there were here about sixty families. The church had to be enlarged, but instead of enlarging it, they decided to build a new one, which was to last for some generations. It was 40x90 feet.

When the church was finished by Father Emmanuel, O. S. B., the congregation purchased a bell from H. Stuckstede, of St. Louis, Mo., which weighed 1,850 pounds. This bell was a beauty, indeed, for the congregation, especially so because it surpassed the Seneca bell in size. The people joyfully recollect the day it was consecrated by the bishop.

In the fall of 1881, Father Ferdinand Wolf, O. S. B., was appointed pastor of the congregation, and had charge until 1883, when Father Timothy Luber, O. S. B., succeeded him. He built the sacristy and the pastoral residence in 1883. From November, 1883, the pastor lived here again. Father Timothy, O. S. B., was pastor until 1885, when Rev. Fridolin Meyer, O. S. B., was appointed, who remained four years. He was succeeded by Rev. Ambrose Rank, O. S. B., who, on account of sick- ness, had to give up after five weeks' service. In September, 1889, Father Pirmine Koumly, O. S. B., took charge.

The congregation had in the meantime increased to 109 families, so that the church built in 1880 was entirely too small. The question arose what to do, to enlarge the church or to build a new one. For quite a time the people were divided, some were in favor of erecting a splendid new church of brick or stone, others, fearing the enormous cost, wanted an addition to the old church. At last they agreed to leave the decision to the bishop, the Rt. Rev. Louis M. Fink, O. S. B., who decided that a new church should be built of stone, and large enough for all future wants. And work was soon in progress. A subscription was taken up in the parish by Father Pirmine and Mr. Timothy Heinan, which . amounted to over $16,000. During the year 1891 the foundation and basement were made at a cost of about $3,500. After they were com- pleted they were covered with a good coat of cement to protect them against rain ; they had decided to wait at least one year before erecting the main building.

Father Pirmine was appointed pastor of the Seneca parish and en- tered upon his new field on July 6, 1892. His successor was P. Herman

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Mengwasser, O. S. B. On the second Sunday of September, 1892, the congregation publicly voted on this question proposed by the pastor : "Are you willing to pay your subscription to the church on or before June 1, 1893, in cash or to give a bankable note for amount subscribed at six per cent. interest? The time given for payment of same limited to three or four years." All except nine gave their consent. But even eight of these afterward consented also, to the great satisfaction of priest and people.

In a short time all available place around the church was filled with stone, which the members of the parish hauled from a place three miles northeast of the church. On April 30, 1893, the Rt. Rev. Bishop laid the cornerstone, and on December I of the same year the church was under roof, except the tower.

In January, 1894, a new subscription of $14,500 was raised by the pastor, and the church building was completed November 13, 1894. On the following day it was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Bishop amid a con- course of about 3,000 people. P. N. Schlechter, S. J., of St. Louis., preached the German, and P. Charles Stoeckle, O. S. B., of Atchison, then of Seneca, the English sermon.

The dimensions of the church are 162x60 feet; ceiling in center aisle, fifty-two and a half feet high ; in side aisles, thirty-five feet high. The tower reaches 1721/2 feet from the water table, and is covered with copper. The six windows in the transept were made by Mayer & Com- pany, of Munich, Bavaria, at a cost of $2,400. The Sacred Heart Rose window above the altar is six feet in diameter and cost $275. Style of church is Roman.

In the year 1895, the congregation bought four bells of 3.200, 1,800, 900 and 500 pounds, respectively, from St. Louis, Mo.

In the spring of 1899 the new main altar, which cost $2,700, was set up.

In the year 1900, two side altars and a communion railing were put into the church at a cost of $1,500.

On September 7, 1900, Rev. Herman Mengwasser, O. S. B., was suc- ceeded by Rev. Anthony Baar, O. S. B.

In the year 1901, the church was frescoed by G. F. Satory, of Wa- basha. Minn., and decorated with twelve large oil paintings by Th. Zukotynski, of Chicago. The cost of this work was $4,100.

In September, 1903. the church was furnished with a set of fine Group-Stations of the Cross at a cost of $2,200. The year following, eleven Munich statues were donated to the church by various members of the parish.

At present the parish consists of about 150 families, and is in charge of Father Gregory Neumayr.

This place was called Wild Cat until the year 1883, when a post- office was established here, and the name was changed to St. Benedict.

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STS. PETER AND PAUL'S CHURCH, SENECA.

By P. Joseph Sittenauer, O. S. B.

Although this is now the largest Catholic community in Nemaha county, the cradle of Catholicity in this county is not Seneca, but St. Benedict, formerly called Wild Cat. The first priest to say Holy Mass there, as early as May, 1859, was the Rev. Edmond Langenfelder, O. S. B., who was sent by the Rev. Augustus Wirth, O. S. B., then prior of St. Benedict's College, Atchison. The first child baptized in this county, on May 12, 1859, was Thomas Rogers, who now resides in the Seneca parish. The first Catholic couple to be married, on April 17, 1860, were Josepr Koelzer and Sophie Koblitz, the parents of J. P. Koelzer, of Seneca. Whatever Catholics may have resided in and about Seneca from that time until the early part of 1868 had to go to church at Wild Cat, where the priest resided since June, 1861, and from where he visited different missions.

It was mainly due to the efforts of Mathias Stein that the priest's residence was transferred to Seneca in the spring of 1868. Mr. Stein had for several years lived in the Wild Cat district, but moved to Seneca to open a furniture store. Rev. Pirmine Koumly, O. S. B., was the first resident pastor living at Seneca. He was, after about six months, suc- ceeded by Rev. Thomas Bartl, O. S. B. Father Thomas was, after another half year, followed by Father Pirmine, who remained till the end of 1871. In the beginning, Holy Mass was celebrated in Mr. Stein's residence. In 1870, however, the small congregation purchased the public school house to be used as a church, together with the block on which it was situated. This is the block which now contains the church and parish house. Shortly after, a small residence and a frame addition to the brick church were erected.

The parish was greatly increased under Rev. Emmanuel Hartig, O. S. B., who was pastor from the spring of 1875 to the fall of 1881. He extensively advertised the Catholic settlement of Nemaha county and drew a considerable number of new settlers to this neighborhood.

A small beginning had already been made for a Catholic school, with Mr. Huhn as schoolmaster. But Father Emmanuel soon realized that he could not look for great success unless he put the school under the care of teaching sisters. He acquired, partly by donation and partly by pur- chase, the block on which the parochial school is situated. New build- · ings were erected and school was opened by the Benedictine Sisters of Mt. St. Scholastica's Academy, Atchison, in the year 1878. New addi- tions had to be made in the course of time to meet the growing needs of the school.

The parish grew quietly, but constantly, under Father Emmanuel's successor, the Rev. Thomas Bartl, O. S. B., who had been pastor once be- fore. He resided at Seneca from the fall of 1881 till the summer of 1885.

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History of Nemaha County, Kansas, Part 29

Author: Tennal, Ralph 1872- Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Lawrence, Kan., Standard Publishing Company Number of Pages: 964

Author: Tennal, Ralph 1872-
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Lawrence, Kan., Standard Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 964