USA > Nebraska > Lancaster County > Lincoln > Lincoln, the capital city and Lancaster County, Nebraska, Volume I > Part 30
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arts college building or the smaller social science building will become an actuality can probably not be definitely decided until after the professors return from their vacations. In working with the professors the regents and the chancellor have constantly sought to guide but not to dictate. The administration has endeavored to avoid mistakes and to secure a harmonious, symmetrical development of the institution, but does not in any way wish to suppress an expression of the tech- nical skill, insight and comprehension of departmental needs that must come from the professors who are to use the buildings. Hence, a little delay is pref- erable to arbitrary acceleration.
"If the building just referred to should take the form of a special home for the arts college, it will probably be approximately as large and expensive as the Bessey Building and the chemistry building combined.
"Tentative plans have also been made for an education building to house our educational departments and the Temple High School. The development of these plans will depend somewhat on the form that the third building assumes. The various men connected with the teachers' college have not sufficiently threshed out the matter to reach unanimity of opinion as to what departments should be housed in the education building.
"The buildings that I have outlined will somewhat more than exceed the appropriation now available, but there will be the two final years of the levy, which will doubtless be made available by the next Legislature.
"In the grouping of buildings care has been taken to have allied departments situated in close proximity. The engineering college will ultimately be extended along the athletic field, starting from the present mechanical engineering labora- tories. The chemistry building will in a sense link engineering with the biological sciences. The new library, which may not be built during the present generation, will occupy a central position. The museum, auditorium, art galleries, etc., which probably cannot be built out of the present levy, will occupy a commanding posi- tion closing the vista of Thirteenth Street. The building for political and social science, which as before stated may be extended into an arts college building, appears on the layout as occupying the space on the new campus just across from the old chemical laboratory. The sketch shows an L-shaped building longest on Twelfth Street, but extending a considerable distance east in a line projected from Memorial Hall.
STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE
"Probably the style of architecture of the new buildings has been discussed as much as any other subject. About this much has been definitely determined : The buildings will be of classical style, Gothic being too expensive and not in harmony with the buildings already erected, some of which as the temple, the law building, the mechanical engineering laboratories, are very worthy structures. The building material will be of red brick. A modest amount of cut Bedford stone will be used in the trimmings. The buildings will be of the steel structure wall bearing type. In other words, the interior frames will be of steel but the walls will carry their own load and support in part the steel inner structure. They will, of course, be entirely fireproof. Dignity, harmony and a reasonable, though not deadly, uniformity will dominate the grounds. The architects will depend
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more on proportion, symmetry and landscape gardening for effects than on ornate architecture.
"While the buildings will be as permanent as it is possible to build them, the cost will not be excessive. The buildings at the University of Chicago will run about 35 cents per cubic foot. At Princeton the expense is as high as 45 cents. On the other hand, some very plain reinforced concrete buildings have been built at state universities for as low as 13 cents per cubic foot and it has been well remarked, 'They look it.' Probably the new buildings will run from 15 cents to 20 cents per cubic foot owing to the character of the buildings. It is needless to say that the cost will vary in accordance with the number and size of rooms per building, the amount of laboratory fixtures required and other varying feat- ures. Little will be spent for marble and other decorative effects, but on the other hand special attention will be paid to heating, ventilation, sanitation, convenience and general utility.
"It should be remembered that the total sum is not large in comparison with the amounts expended at Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin. If it were the regents would confine themselves to two-story buildings. As it is, it seems neces- sary to build three stories and also to utilize some basement space in addition to this for storage and locker rooms. However, especial attention is being paid to locating those departments and rooms most used by women on the first and second floors. Basements and attics will be used, if at all, principally by the young men.
APPRECIATE COMMITTEE'S WORK
"The public may be further interested to know that the university authorities appreciate highly the work of the very efficient citizens' committee in securing the ground. The problem of extending the campus from seventeen to forty acres at an expense of only $300,000 to the state has been an exceedingly difficult one and the State of Nebraska owes much to the citizens' committee for the way in which it is being handled.
"In conclusion I wish to explain why the university has not followed the sug- gestions sometimes made that we develop something new, unique and character- istic of Nebraska in the form of architecture. Our architectural advisors make this answer: 'Architecture is a growth. We can no more create a fiat style than we can a fiat language. We can no more have Nebraska architecture than we can have Nebraska music. If we should vary violently from established lines, we would simply develop some freak buildings which presumably in the end would please no one.' "
COTNER UNIVERSITY AND BETHANY
By J. Z. Briscoe
The Nebraska Christian University was the outgrowth of a desire upon the part of many members of the Church of Christ to enlarge the work in Nebraska. During the year 1887 the Baptists held a meeting in the City of Lincoln, with a view to locating a seat of learning in that vicinity. During that meeting a propo- sition was made to them offering to donate 250 acres of land, if they would locate on the present site of Cotner University. The conference failed to agree on the
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advisability of starting a new institution in this state and upon their failure to accept the offer submitted to them the donors approached the members of the Christian Church with a proposition increasing the donation to about three hun- dred acres. In July, 1887, the state mission appointed a committee of which . C. C. Munson was chairman to "receive propositions to donate lands, etc., for the location of a Nebraska State Christian University and to report results to the convention to be held at Fairfield in August." This was done and a committee of seven appointed by the convention "to receive and accept propositions, inçor- porate, hold property for, and locate such schools and colleges, and take such other steps as the best interests of the brotherhood of this state, in their judgment may demand." The committee consisted of the following persons : J. Z. Briscoe, chair- man; Porter Hedge, secretary; W. P. Aylsworth, G. E. Bigelow, J. B. Johnson, W. W. West and E. T. Gadd.
The first meeting of this committee was held at the store room of Webster & Briscoc, where organization was made and adjournment had to the Windsor Hotel in the afternoon, where the committee was met by Prof. Neill Johnson, Sam McClay, W. Rulifson and Theodore F. Barnes, who at once conducted the committee to view the present site of Cotner University, then a dense corn field and known as the Hawley Farm. At this time no definite proposition was made. Negotiations were continued from this time until May 31, ISSS, when the fol- lowing report was submitted by Messrs. Bonell and Cropsey on the part of the donors :
"To the committee on location of Christian University: Gentlemen-We herewith hand you contracts for deeds of land donated to Christian University as follows : B. L. Paine, 23 acres ; Bond and Colby. 10 acres ; W. H. Goodrich, 20 acres; W. Young, 10 acres; A. J. Cropsey, 85 acres ; F. M. Hosford, 5 acres; L. G. Leavitt, 5 acres; Stevens and Glade, 10 acres; Melick and McClay, 20 acres ; Lucy Morgan, 15 acres ; J. Z. Briscoe, 10 acres : C. F. Goodman, 10 acres ; W. Rulifson, 121/2 acres ; W. Lennard, 10 acres; W. W. Webster, 10 acres ; W. S. Mills, 10 acres." In addition to this A. G. Thompson, F. L. Sheldon, J. E. Houtz, and J. D. MacFarland donated one lot each and T. M. Marquett 12 lots.
The proposition was accepted and the location of the proposed university was declared to be upon the northeast quarter of section 16, township 10 north, range 7 east of the 6th principal meridian. The only competing site was the location of the later Western Normal (now Nebraska Military Academy site), at which point the committee was offered 500 acres for the location.
On the 14th day of February, 1888, the following named met with the com- mittee at the Capitol Hotel in Lincoln: Ex-Governor Saunders, George S. Smith and W. H. Gadd, of Omaha; C. W. Henry, C. R. Van Duyn and C. C. Munson, of Lincoln. After visiting the proposed site adjournment was had until evening, when the above named again met with the committee for the purpose of adopting articles of incorporation, which had been carefully prepared by Porter Hedge. After discussion of the different articles, on motion of George S. Smith they were unanimously adopted, signed and acknowledged. The following are the names of the incorporators: Alvin Saunders, J. Z. Briscoe, E. T. Gadd, WV. P. Aylsworth, George S. Smith, Charles R. Van Duyn, C. C. Munson. These men, with S. D. Mercer, Thomas Wiles and J. B. Strode constituted the first board of trustees until the next meeting of the Nebraska Christian Convention.
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COTNER UNIVERSITY, BETHANY
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At the second meeting of the board on March 4, 1888, it was ordered that the executive committee proceed at once to plat and sell the lands belonging to the university. It was found on application that Mr. Cropsey was unable to make a title to the eighty-five acres which he had subscribed, it being largely encum- bered and he only had possession of an option upon the land. In this extremity a syndicate was formed, consisting of C. C. Munson, C. R. Van Duyn, Porter Hedge and J. Z. Briscoe, which undertook to purchase the quarter section out of which the donation was made and release the campus of twenty acres and alternate blocks which were to be deeded to the university free from all incum- brance. This was accomplished, but was no easy task. The title having been cleared, the land was platted by J. P. Walton, county surveyor, at a cost of $232.09 and named after the denomination's oldest college, "Bethany" Heights. The main street of the village was called Saunders Avenue in honor of the oldest member of the board ..
The donors having turned over deeds to the property donated, the board gave a bond for $150,000 for the faithful performance of their part of the obligation. which was to erect a building worth at least fifty thousand dollars, within a certain limit of time. The committee on plans reported favorably on O. H. Placy, and accordingly his plans were adopted and a contract entered into, in which he was to serve both as architect and superintendent at a compensation of $1,000.
In answer to advertisements for bids on foundation there were five presented, prices ranging from $9,965 to $12,500 The bid of Thomas Price and Company was accepted, it being $11,572, and contract signed July 21, 1888. The honor of holding the plow which threw the first dirt from the foundation was conferred upon Col. E. T. Gadd, who had been employed agent for the sale of the property of the school. The Nebraska Christian Missionary Society held its annual con- vention during this year with the First Church at Lincoln in St. Paul's M. E. Church. The first price lists of lots was presented by the committee appointed for that purpose on July 6th and adopted, fixing prices at an average of about $200 each. An auction sale of lots was held during the above named convention and that body invited to attend. The cornerstone was laid during the afternoon and about $8,000 worth of lots were sold at from $150 to $300 each.
By request of the convention in session in Lincoln, August 30, 1888. a long and tedious attempt was made to unite Fairfield College and the university. To this end they had placed two brethren from Fairfield on the board. A report on the liabilities and assets of Fairfield College was made by W. T. Newcomb, as fol- low's: total assets, $7.102.25 ; liabilities, $16,933, with $400 outlying lots unsold.
On September 26th a building committee was appointed, consisting of J. Z. Briscoe, chairman, C. C. Munson and E. T. Gadd, who at once proceeded to carry out the work of construction of the building. The contract was let to Chester and Barris for $47,000 on March 4, 1889. The building was to be fin- ished by the middle of the next January.
The faculty for the first year was as follows: W. P. Aylsworth, vice presi- dent, professor of biblical literature and occupant of the Briscoe Bible chair ; A. M. Chamberlain, professor of ancient languages ; P. B. Burnett, professor of modern languages; E. D. Harris, preparatory department ; Mrs. W. P. Sterns, instrumental music ; A. Webber, vocal ; Almeda Parker, elocution ; Dr. A. T. Noe of Nemaha City, anatomy and physiology ; Lulu Murphy, drawing. Vol. 1-16
CHAPTER XXII THE CHURCHES IN LINCOLN AND SUBURBS
METHODIST EPISCOPAL DENOMINATION
First in the list of churches of this denomination in Lancaster County may be mentioned the St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church of Lincoln. This is one of the pioneer churches of the county and today is one of the largest. The first Methodist meetings in the county were held in the old Town of Lancaster, before the founding of Lincoln. The first class was in charge of Robert Hawks, an itinerant preacher, who had been appointed in 1867. At the close of the first conference year the Lancaster class had a total of sixteen members. When the state capital was established at the new Town of Lincoln the class was moved there. In the spring of 1868 the class was made a station and named the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Lincoln. Rev. H. T. Davis was appointed the first pastor, residing in Lincoln. Prior to his coming services had been carried on in a small frame church building at the corner of Tenth and P streets. Among the more prominent of the sixteen members then composing the class were Cap- tain Baird and wife, John Cadman and wife, William Cadman, A. K. White and wife, J. Kimball and wife, Mrs. J. Schoolcraft ; J. Kimball was the class leader. At the end of the first year the number of members had increased and to accom- modate them a $2,000 church building was erected on the spot where the St. Paul Church now stands on the corner of Twelfth and M streets ; the old church build- ing was cleared of a $400 mortgage and sold for school purposes. Reverend Davis remained with this church for three years, having a membership of 202 at the close of his pastorate. The pastors who have served the St. Paul Church since this time until the present are as follows: Revs. J. J. Roberts, G. S. Alex- ander. W. B. Slaughter, H. S. Henderson, A. C. Williams, R. N. McKaig, C. F. Creighton, J. S. Bitler, F. S. Stein, C. C. Lasby, W. R. Halstead, Fletcher L. Wharton, J. W. Jones, I. F. Roach, T. W. Jeffrey. Reverend Jeffrey began his service on March 1, 1913.
During the pastorate of Reverend Roberts the first church parsonage was constructed. While Reverend MeKaig was pastor of the church there grew up a sentiment for a new building for worship. On April 23, 1883, an official meet- ing of the church was held and the decision was reached to begin the erection of a new building at once. Committees were appointed to superintend the various departments of the work. On June 11th the plans of Mr. Wilcox of Minneapo- lis were accepted, the cost of the building placed at $25,000. Ground was broken for the new church on July Ist and the cornerstone laid by Reverend Marine in the spring of 1884. The church was dedicated by Bishop Bowman on Sunday,
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August 23, 1885. Instead of costing the original amount of $25,000 as planned fully $45,000 was expended before the structure was completed. In the fall of 1883 the name of the church was changed from the First Methodist Episcopal to the St. Paul Methodist Episcopal.
The church structure was used by the society until September 16, 1899, when flames destroyed the building. 'Plans were at once made for the erection of a new church and during the progress of the building the St. Paul congregation held services in the Oliver Theater and in other churches. The new building was opened to the society in November, 1901.
The Grace Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1885. On March 19th of that year the St. Paul Church decided to build another church east of the Antelope. This decision was the result of the enormous growth in the church membership to 1,200 people, due in great part to the Bitler revival which had taken place just previously. A site was selected and a temporary tabernacle constructed for use until a new building could be erected. The new church was begun on the corner of R and Twenty-seventh streets and within four months was ready for occupancy. At the annual conference held in the following Sep- tember Rev. J. T. Minehart was appointed pastor of the new church. The society was officially named the Grace M. E. Church and the church, which had cost $11,000, was dedicated on September 19, 1889, by Bishop Warren. In 1894 the church building was rebuilt and the cornerstone reset, the latter event taking place on July 11th of that year. This building served the needs of the congrega- tion until the present $60,000 structure was erected. The cornerstone of the new church was laid August 4, 1912, and the finished building was dedicated June 1, 1913. The total church property, including the parsonage, is worth about eighty thousand dollars. The following men have served as pastors of the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church: Revs. J. S. W. Dean, George W. Isham, Charles M. Shepherd, Lewis T. Guild, Richard N. Orrill, P. P. Carroll, D. L. Thomas. J. W. Jones, H. B. Collins and J. F. Boeye. The church has a member- ship of about eleven hundred people.
The German Methodist Episcopal Church of Lincoln had its beginning as early as the year 1869. The first Nebraska Legislature in this year donated three city lots for the German Methodist Church at the corner of Fifteenth and M streets. There was no German society here at that time and no German who was a member of the Methodist Church except Mr. Adam Bax, who was connected with the First Methodist. Governor Butler called upon Mr. Bax and insisted that he should build the church, that it had to be done before July ist in order to retain the lots. The governor offered to contribute $125 as a start to a build- ing fund ; Colonel Cropsey volunteered a donation of $120; Thomas P. Kennard, then secretary of state, gave $75; John Gillespie, auditor of state, presented $50. Mr. Bax canvassed the east side of the public square in Lincoln and secured promises of money to the amount of $840 for the new building. The presiding elder of the Methodist Church was appealed to for a German preacher. A small chapel was constructed with the money received, located on the southwest corner of Fifteenth and M. The organization of the German Methodist Episcopal Church was accomplished in the fall of the year 1869 by F. H. Menger, who had a large circuit of congregations. From 1869 until 1872 Revs. H. M. Menger, F. Miller and G. Schultz served intermittently as pastors of the church. From
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1872 until 1875 the congregation had no regular pastor. Pastors of other churches in this part of the state frequently came here and preached. In 1875 Rev. H. R. Riemer was sent as regular pastor and he constructed the first parson- age two years later. The following pastors have succeeded Reverend Riemer : Revs. Charles Harms, September, 1878-79: T. J. Kost, 1879-82: F. Unland, 1882-83; Charles Harms, 1883-86; Christian Bruegger, 1886-90; J. J. Hammell, 1890-93; F. Reichard, 1893-94; F. H1. Schultz. 1894-96; John Demand, 1896- 1902; Charles Harms. 1902-07; William Fricke, 1907-10; H. C. Elfeldt, 1910- 13: Matthew Herrmann, 1913 -. The old chapel which was built in 1869 was replaced with a beautiful brick structure in 1902. The present membership of the society is 124. Mr. Adam Bax remained a staunch member of the church until his death in Lincoln on December 17. 1915, aged eighty-seven years. The only living charter member of the church is John Giesler. In April, 1914, Reverend Herrmann began the publication of Der Kleine Bote, a weekly parish paper.
That which is now the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church of Lincoln was at first a part of the Lincoln Circuit, which embraced several appointments. In the fall of 1878 Rev. A. L. Folden was appointed to the circuit. At the first quarterly conference of the First Church, now St. Paul M. E. Church, a vote was passed requesting Reverend Folden to take an appointment in South Lincoln and a committee of two, J. C. Johnson and Mr. Lawson, were named to assist him in this enterprise. A small building was at first used on Wood Street, between Ninth and Tenth : and after this services were held for a time in the old Uni- versalist Church on Twelfth Street near H. Reverend Folden remained three years in the work here. During the conference year of 1880-81 an effort was made to build a Methodist Church in South Lincoln, but it was bitterly opposed by Rev. A. C. Williams of the First Church. However, a small frame building was erected on A Street, near Twelfth, for $1,200, and the congregation used this until the fall of 1887. By this time the pastorate had grown from fifty-three members to eighty-four. In the fall of 1887, as mentioned above, the little church building on Twelfth and A streets was presented to a new organization called the Bethel Church, located one mile west, near A Street. The South Lincoln Church erected a new tabernacle on Sixteenth and A streets and within a very few months the membership had grown to 258. Then the church was reorganized and named Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church. During the year 1892 the society erected the chapel part of the present church for $15,000 on the rear of the lot at Six- teenth and .\. No more building was done until the new building was constructed in 1910, costing $100,000. The plans for this handsome structure were drawn by Reverend Huntington, once pastor of the Trinity Church. The church is one of the most complete in the Capital City, including besides the regular church features, a fully equipped gymnasium. The parsonage was erected in 1896 at a cost of $8,000. The membership of the church is now approximately one thou- sand. Following are the names of the pastors who have filled the pulpit at Trinity: Revs. S. P. Vandoozer, A. L. Folden, P. S. Mather, J. Marsh, C. H. Gilmore, H. T. Davis, S. D. Roberts, D. W. C. Huntington, R. T. Chipperfield, N. A. Martin, W. M. Balch, A. J. Northrup, E. D. Hull. E. N. Tompkins.
Occupying a foremost position among the Methodist churches of the city and county is the First Methodist Episcopal Church of University Place. On November 18. 1888, nine men and nine women met in an unfinished room in the
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main building of the Nebraska Wesleyan University and there organized this church. They met that day in the old library room, now used by the school of commerce, and there in the light of kerosene lamps held their first services. Chancellor Creighton was the preacher in charge. Doctor Creighton served as pastor by appointment as supply for the first eight months, with Rev. Isaac L. Lowe as assistant. Their work in the university became heavier and they were relieved from pastoral duties. Rev. D. L. Thomas was pastor from July, 1889. until September, 1890. Rev. Asa Sleeth was then appointed to the charge and served for one year, when he became presiding elder of the Lincoln District, and Rev. W. B. Alexander was sent here as pastor. Rev. G. W. Abbott came in 1892 and remained until 1897, when he was succeeded by Rev. James Mailley, who, after serving but a few months, went to the Philippine Islands as chaplain of the Second Regiment, Nebraska Volunteer Infantry. Rev. Hiram Burch supplied by appointment until the following annual conference, when Rev. W. B. Marsh became pastor for two years. He was followed by Rev. L. C. Lemon in Sep- tember, 1900, and was reappointed each year until 1904. Rev. P. P. Carroll then came from Grace M. E. Church of Lincoln to this charge and after two years was succeeded by Rev. W. P. Ferguson. The latter stayed but six months and then came Chancellor-Emeritus D. W. C. Huntington who served out the con- ference year as supply. In 1907 Rev. L. M. Grigsby came and remained until 1910, when Rev. I. B. Schreckengast assumed charge of the pastorate. In April, 1913, Dr. E. S. Brightman took the place of Reverend Schreckengast when the latter became vice-chancellor of the university. In September of the same year Rev. J. R. Gettys became the pastor and served until the present minister, Rev. Charles W. McCaskill, came in 1915. The membership of the church is about twelve hundred.
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