USA > Nebraska > Adams County > Past and present of Adams County, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 25
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 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
Plans and specifications were made by Architect C. W. Way, and the contractor was John Hemple. Rev. William McDonald, John V. Helmann and John D. McKenna were the building com- mittee. Mr. Helmann was overseer of the work.
The priests that have served the church began their work upon the following dates: Rev. George Glauber, March 25, 1878; Rev.
264
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
James Simeon, August, 1881, remaining until July 2, 1888. Father English succeeded Rev. Simeon and remained until the appointment of Rev. William McDonald, September 1, 1894. With the appoint- ment of Father English, the Hastings priest was designated as the dean of the lastings Deanery. The deanery embraces that part of the Diocese of Lincoln lying west of Hastings, as far as the Colorado line. There are about fifteen priests in the deanery. Hastings is in the Diocese of Lincoln and the Province of Dubuque. The Hast- ings church has about one thousand communicants.
ASSUMPTION
About 1873 several Catholic families of German descent settled in the southwestern part of Adams County. Among these were John Baech, Theodore Shifference, M. Widert, Thomas Trausch, John Gerten and John Scholl. A little later came John Lorang, P. Schnei- der, John Gussenberger, N. Goedert, M. Diedrech and others. When Rev. George Glauber became the resident priest of Hastings, March 25, 1878, he soon afterward made arrangements for holding a monthly service in a schoolhouse in the settlement.
The building of a church for the mission was in contemplation for a number of years, but the settlers were unable to agree among themselves as to the location. At length, upon the advice of the bishop, five acres were purchased at the present location for $25. A building committee composed of M. Beiringer, John Scholl, Theo- dore Weber and Nick Lorentz solicited funds and a little church, 24 by 36 feet, was erected. Shortly afterward an addition, 10 by 20 feet, was built for sanctuary and sacristy. In 1889 the church was again enlarged. The church was named the Church of the Assump- tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the fourth Sunday in October, 1883.
The services were administered by the priests from the Hastings parish until April 27, 1888, when Rev. F. Schraffle was made resident rector, continuing until August 1, 1888, when he was succeeded by Rev. N. Stoltz. The successor of Reverend Stoltz was Reverend Petrasch, who came in December, 1889, and remained until May, 1891. Rev. A. C. Rausch followed Reverend Petrasch, but remained only a few months before being succeeded by Rev. B. Sproll. The next rector was the Rev. B. Kuppenbender, who assumed charge in April, 1892. It was in this rectorship that the parochial school was erected. For several months following Reverend Kuppenbender's rectorship the parish was attended by Rev. J. J. Loughran of Minden, until July, 1900, when Rev. E. Boll was appointed rector.
265
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
Reverend Boll was the rector for many years being succeeded in 1913 by Rev. Anthony Lutz, who was succeeded in the summer of 1916 by the present priest, Rev. Joseph Fleckinger.
The cornerstone of the present church was laid by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Bonacum, bishop of Lincoln, and dedicated by him October 28, 1903. The edifice is of brick, the extreme length being 11716 feet and the width 48 feet. The tower is 100 feet high. The cost of the building is $15,000. The plans were drawn by James Craddock of Lincoln, and the contract for building was let to Fred Butzirus and John Sancerman of Hastings. The building committee was: Nick Streff, Matt Scholl, Christ Loskill, Peter Bohr, Gust Bourg and Math Plein. The general merchandise store of Matt Scholl opposite the church was erected by him in the fall of 1899. Assump- tion has now about seven hundred and fifty communicants.
ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
The Catholic Church in Highland Township, St. Patrick's, is an outgrowth of the Hastings parish and was for a time attended by priests from Hastings. The church was organized in 1890 and a house of worship was erected in that year. The building, enlarged several times, is still in use. The church and furnishings cost about $3,000. The building committee was: Tom Winne, Bart Kernan, Thomas Kennedy and Michael McKenna. At the time of organiza- tion there were about seventy-five communicants; at present there are about three hundred. The resident priests have been the following: Reverends Carriher, Fitzgerald, Dumphy, Gilroy, Luhno, Higgins and the present rector, Reverend Bernard.
SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH
This church was organized in 1909 with about thirty-five charter members. A house of worship was erected that year at a cost of about four hundred dollars. Among the charter members were John Mar- tin, James Robinson, Mrs. John Ramsey, G. R. Gale, John Cain, Mr. and Mrs. N. Schunk, Peter Martin, Thomas Cain, Mrs. Mary Davis and Timothy Quinn. The building committee of the church was the Reverend Mr. Cronin, John Cain and John Martin. Fol- lowing Reverend Cronin the church has been in the charge of Rev- erends Luhnot, O'Brien, Hunt, Gilroy and the present pastor, Rev. R. J. Dowd of Minden. The church is operated as a mission, there being no priest in residence. Reverend Gilroy attended the church
266
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
about five years from Heartwell and Reverend Dowd is from Min- den.
GERMAN CHURCHES
FIRST GERMAN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
This church was organized on March 15, 1890, by a council of Congregational churches called for that purpose. The church is located at the corner of New York Avenue and B Street. The church property is valued at $12,000, inchiding a parsonage located at 324 South Baltimore Avenue. The first church building was erected in the year the church was organized. In 1904 this building was enlarged and in 1909 the enlarged church was torn down and the present ยท church building erected, which seats about 750 people. The first pastor of the church was Rev. John Lich. After him the following ministers served the church: Treiber, Grob, Quarder, Gelletz, Wur- schmidt, Thiel, Suffa and Ament. Since October 1, 1914, Rev. John D. Grosz has been pastor of the church. The congregation now has 350 members. Two hundred and fifty children belong to the Sunday school. The Christian Endeavor Society consists of fifty members.
SECOND GERMAN CONGREGATIONAL
The Second German Congregational Church was organized by the Rev. A. Suffa, then pastor of the First German Congregational Church, in 1908. During the summer of that year a house of worship was erected under the leadership of Mr. J. II. Eckhardt, a theological student of the Chicago Seminary. Mr. Eckhardt served as pastor during that summer. Rev. Ernst Grams was really the first pastor of the church and served from October. 1908, to October, 1909. He was followed by Rev. August Wiska, who served as pastor for two years. He was followed by Rev. Herman Eiserer, whose pastorate continued for three years. During this pastorate a beautiful parson- age was erected, at a cost of $3,000. The church property is now valued at $6,000, and the membership is about one hundred; the mem- bership of the Sunday-school is about one hundred and twenty. The present pastor, Rev. Peter J. Thiel, was called to the Hastings charge May 1, 1915.
ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN
This church is located in Hastings on South Denver Avenne and B Street. In 1900 a number of men who had been connected with
BAPTIST CHURCH, KENESAW
CATHOLIC CHURCH, KENESAW
267
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
the Lutheran congregation then already existing in the city separated from that body and together with a few others who had as yet found no church home effected a preliminary organization and called the Rev. H. W. Meyer, then of Prosser, to supply them with regular service. Shortly afterwards the Rev. W. F. Schmidt, who had recently been graduated from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at St. Louis, was assigned to the charge, and succeeded in bringing about a formal organization September 4, 1900.
In the following year the congregation bought the house of wor- ship which had been formerly used by the German Baptists and stood on South Minnesota Avenue and B Street. As soon as possible the present more favorable location was purchased and the church build- ing moved upon it. In 1903 the Rev. Mr. Schmidt resigned because of ill health and was followed by the Rev. L. W. Plehn, who contin- ued as pastor for nearly three years. In 1907 the Rev. K. Kretzsch- mar was called and is still the pastor in 1916.
It was in 1913 that the splendid brick edifice which is now the church home of the congregation was built. It was dedicated October 26th of that year. The membership in 1913 was upward of two hun- dred. This church maintains a parish school, the spiritual training quarters of the children. Besides the usual school studies courses are given in the doctrines of the Lutheran Church and in German. The children become members of the congregation through confirmation. For several years the school was in the charge of the pastor ; since 1909, however, a special teacher has been employed. In 1915 the enrollment of the school was forty pupils and it is situated in a well located property on St. Joseph Avenue and D Street.
The congregation is a member of the Lutheran Synod of Mis- souri. It stands for the principle of salvation by grace through faith in the vicarious suffering and death of Jesus Christ; of church union only on the basis of a mutual agreement in the essentials of Christian- ity: of complete and unequivocal separation of church and state, and of the admission of new members into fellowship not by sudden reso- lution, but thorough instruction.
GERMAN PRESBYTERIAN
The German Presbyterian Church of Hastings was organized May 8, 1887, under the leadership of the Rev. I. Grissman and A. C. Stark. The Rev. Mr. Stark was the pastor until March, 1895. In April of that year the Rev. J. Schaedel assumed the pastorate which he retained until 1900. The Rev. A. C. Kruse followed Mr. Schaedel,
268
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
and continued in charge until 1906, when the Rev. J. W. Rosenau was called. Mr. Rosenau continued the pastorate until 1913. Fol- lowing his resignation in that year the pulpit was supplied by Christ Walter, a student of Dubuque College, for four months. In Decem- ber, 1914 the Rev. C. A. Maerz, of Iowa, accepted the call, and is the pastor in 1916.
This church was organized largely through the efforts of Christian Paulick, Jacob Gease, George Bauer and Mr. Frocheuser. For the first few months services were held in the First Ward School Build- ing. In 1888 a site was purchased at South Lincoln Avenue and B Street, and a church building was purchased from the German Evan- gelical Association and moved upon the site. This building was formerly the Methodist Episcopal Church building and stood at the corner of Second Street and Kansas Avenue. In 1903 the congre- gation purchased a half block at the present site at the corner of St. Joseph Avenue and B Street and moved their church, which still stands in 1915. In the same year they erected the parsonage which stands beside the church. The church plant is estimated at $4,000. The church has a membership of about fifty, and dedicated a new church November 26, 1916. At the time of organization the men- bership was about twenty, and reached 150 before the establishment of other German congregations caused some to withdraw. The Ger- man Presbyterian Church is a part of the general organization of the English Presbyterian body. The new frame building was erected at a cost of $3.500. The dimensions of the main building are 30 feet by 40 feet with a wing addition 14 feet by 16 feet and a steeple 10 feet by 10 feet.
ST. PAUL'S GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH
The St. Paul's German Lutheran Church, of South Hastings, was organized in 1904 as the result of the missionary work of the Rev. Henry Siekman. It began with a membership of fourteen fam- ilies. The first meetings were held in a private dwelling house rented for church purposes. In the same year that it was organized the congregation erected a church building at a cost of $1,200. Four years later a new church home was built, church and parsonage costing $5,000. In 1915 the church is in a thrifty condition and has a mem- bership of fifty-one families. The pastors of this church have been as follows: From 1904 to October, 1907. Rev. Henry Siekman : from October, 1907, to April, 1911, Rev. F. Eichorn; from June, 1911, to April, 1913, Rev. H. Techaus; from April, 1913, to April, 1915, Rev. F. Wiegmann. Following the resignation of the Rev. Mr.
269
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
Wiegmann in 1915, the Rev. E. Wendt accepted the call and is now the pastor.
GERMAN EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION
Emanuel Church was organized in April, 1879. Among the members at that time were Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Weingart, Mr. and Mrs. John Weingart and Mr. and Mrs. George Marks. The entire membership at the time of organization was eighteen. The church belongs to the Hastings Mission of the Nebraska Conference.
At first services were conducted in the Methodist Episcopal Church which stood at the corner of Second Street and Kansas Ave- nue. In 1880 this building was bought from the Methodists. In 1888 it was sold to the German Presbyterians and a new church and parsonage were erected on Fifth Street and Saunders Avenue, where the congregation worshiped until 1904, when the church was moved to its present location on Fourth Street and Colorado Avenue, and where it was enlarged. In 1906 the parsonage on Saunders Avenue was sold and a new one built at the present location, 731 North Min- nesota Avenue. The parsonage for the presiding elder is located at 749 North Colorado Avenue. The church property, including the parsonage, is valued at $12,500. The Rev. Julius Scherbacher is the presiding elder of the Hastings District in 1915. The member- ship of the Hastings church is about sixty and the enrollment of the Sunday school one hundred. The senior young peoples' alliance has twenty-four members and the junior alliance twenty members.
In 1902 Canaan Church was built by the denomination three miles north of Holstein. This church was organized with about a dozen families as members, and the pulpit was supplied by the pastors from Ilastings. In 1915 this church was sold, the members uniting with the United Evangelical Church of Holstein. Other charges supplied by the pastors from Hastings for a number of years were located three miles southwest of Ayr and five miles north of Juniata. Meet- ings were held in school houses. These charges have been discon- tinued. The first pastor to serve was Rev. G. Zellhoefer. In 1880 Rev. M. Inhelter assumed the pastorate, and in the next year was assisted by the Reverend Althouse. Reverend Inhelter remained until Rev. F. W. Schuelzky was sent to the mission in 1883. Mr. Schuelzky served three years and the membership was eighty-six. Rev. J. Schafle came in 1886 and was the pastor for one year; he was fol- lowed by Rev. H. Illian, who served until 1889. Since that time the congregation has been served by the following: A. Wichmann, 1889-
270
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
1891; O. Radinsky, 1891-1893; A. Brauchle, 1893-1894; FF. II. Doescher, 1894-1898; HI. G. Goetz, 1898-1900; A. Wichmann, 1900- 1904; E. Mehl, 1904-1906; F. W. Schuelzky, 1906-1910; C. Fuehrer, 1910 to April 15, 1915. At the latter date the Rev. Mr. Schuelzky returned to the pastorate which position he now holds.
ST. PAUL GERMAN LUTHERAN
The St. Paul German Lutheran Church, located at the corner of Fifth Street and Burlington Avenue, Hastings, was organized by the Rev. Henry Siekman in 1879. This was the first church organ- ized by Mr. Siekman in Hastings. The first trustees of the church were August Forcht, Henry Stammer, Sr., Andrew Vieth and H. Bierman.
The first house of worship was a small frame building. The pres- ent brick structure was erected at a cost, completed, of $20,000 and was dedicated July 23, 1916. The organizer, the Rev. Mr. Siekman, partook in the dedicatory service of the new church. Others partici- pating in the service were the pastor, Rev. F. E. Motzkus and Rev. C. Goede, of Glenville. The dedicatory procession was led by W. S. Dieken, Karl Kauf and Henry Damkroeger.
The exterior of the new church is of matt faced brick and the roof of tile. The main body of the church is 63 feet by 38 feet. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 350 and the balcony will accom- modate 150 additional. Following Rev. Siekman the church has been served by the Reverends Fritze, Bieger, Kronsbaen, Frank, Karpenstein and the present pastor, Rev. F. E. Motzkus. At pres- ent the church has 110 members.
DUNKARDS AND MENNONITES
The Dunkards and the Mennonites are represented in Adams County by prosperous communities located for the most part in the northern portion of Silver Lake Township and the southern part of Roseland Township. The first of the denomination to settle in the county were Mrs. Weidler Grabill and Mrs. Hargleroad who came in the spring of 1875. Mrs. Grabill came from Illinois and Mrs. Hargleroad from Pennsylvania, and it is from these two states that both Dunkards and Mennonites came to Adams County. Mrs. Hargleroad died in 1882 and Mrs. Grabill in 1913. Mr. Grabill, who joined the church at a later period, and was one of the large landowners of Silver Lake Township, died in 1897.
1
GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, VERONA TOWNSHIP
271
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
The first meeting held by the Dunkards in the county was conducted in a tent on the farm of Weidler Grabill on the shore of Silver Lake. This was in September, 1879. During this meeting, which began Saturday afternoon and ended the following Sunday night, the first love feast of the denomination was celebrated. The love feast in- cludes the Lord's supper followed by the taking of bread and wine and the ceremony of the washing of the feet. Between thirty and forty were present at this first public meeting of the denomination, communicants having come from Kansas, Kearney and the western part of Nebraska.
About 1884 the Dunkard community was considerably strength- ened in numbers by the coming in of new families. Among those settling in the community about this time were Mr. and Mrs. Dan Kindig, Mr. and Mrs. Bazzle MeCue, J. J. Kindig, Tommy Evans and wife, Peter Evans and wife, the Blankenbillers, George Kistler and wife and Mrs. Jeff Huffman.
It was the increased number of communicants that led to the building of the present church on what is now, in 1915, the Christ Hargleroad farm southeast of Roseland, but which then belonged to John Evans who had settled in the community in 1877. It was in the '90s that the district was divided and a church established in Juniata which still continues in a flourishing condition.
The Dunkards do not maintain a salaried minister. Instead mem- bers of the congregation who feel the call to preach prepare them- selves for the duties of the minister through prayer, study and medi- tation. The minister is known as an elder and is elected by the con- gregation. The present elders in Adams County are Christ Hargle- road and Peter Grabill. J. J. Kindig was an elder for a number of years and before Mr. Kindig Elder Fahrney served for many years.
The Dunkards maintain a plain standard of living, and wear no jewelry, even the wedding ring is not used. The women wear plain black bonnets, but when they attend church service these are sup- planted by plain white caps. Baptism is by immersion, the body being dipped forward and not backward as with most other denominations that immerse. There is an annual meeting of national scope held in various cities and to this Adams County Dunkards always send a dele- gate. The greater number of the communicants are of Pennsyl- vania German descent though there are members of other nationali- ties. There are about forty families of Dunkards now in Adams County.
The Mennonite Church is located on section 35 in Roseland Town- ship and has a membership well along towards one hundred. The first
272
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
church was built on the present location in 1887. The first church was supplanted by the present building in the '90s. The church is in a flourishing condition. The general belief of the Mennonites is very sim- ilar to that of the Dunkards. Plain dress and living are characteristic and the women wear plain black bonnets and no jewelry. Mennonites, however, do not immerse, the sacrament of baptism being administered by sprinkling. They do not celebrate the Lord's supper in the same manner as the Dunkards. The latter partake of a meal upon that occasion which is followed by the bread and wine. The Mennonites omit the meal feature.
Dunkards and Mennonites live on terms of friendship with each other and their large well tilled fields and substantial improvements mark them as among the county's best farmers and citizens.
CHAPTER XVII PUBLIC UTILITIES AND INSTITUTIONS
The first action taken by the Hastings City Council looking toward the establishment of the present municipal waterworks was on March 8, 1886, when it was decided to submit to the voters on April 15th the proposition of issuing $85,000 in bonds for the construction of the plant. Previous to this time the council had investigated various waterworks systems and there was considerable difference of opinion. M. K. Lewis favored the installation of a hydraulic well, which J. E. Coates, representing a Kalamazoo, Mich., company, proposed to con- struct for $15.000. This well was to be 25 feet in diameter. On several occasions the general public met with the council for con- sultation. Through the winter of 1883-6 the new project was the subject of much discussion.
At the special election of April 15, 1886, 629 votes were cast, the waterworks bonds carrying by a majority of 301. On May 18, 1886, the contract for the construction of the waterworks was let to A. L. Strang & Co. of Omaha, for $75,775. The plans and specifica- tions for the plant were formulated by the city engineer. T. E. Far- rell, and the assistant engineer, A. A. Richardson. The original plant was designated as the "Cook System." It comprised a group of eight deep wells with a combined capacity of 60.000 gallons per hour. In 1888 an "air-lift" well was installed. Three other air-lift wells were installed from time to time; one in 1896, another in 1906 and the last in 1910. In July, 1916, the plant was equipped with an elec- trically driven deep well with a capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute. This well, together with the four air-lifts, compose the pumping equip- ment at present, which has a capacity of 160,000 gallons per hour. The average amount of water pumped is 1,000,000 gallons per day. One of the air-lifts is 300 feet deep and three have a depth of 360 feet. The electric well is equipped with a centrifugal pump located in the water strata, 158 feet deep.
In addition to the original $85,000 bonds. $15.000 additional were issued September 15, 1888, and this sum was augmented by $10,000
Vol. 1-18
273
274
PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
in the issue of May 21, 1894. The report of Water Commissioner W. S. Watson showed that on March 31, 1916, the plant had 2,494 customers and that the average cost to the consumers the year ending with that date was 17.61 cents per 1,000 gallons. The amount reg- istered by the customers' meters for the same period was 132,686.250 gallons.
At the time of the installation of the waterworks there were members of the council who favored locating the plant downtown. Particularly strong in this advocacy was Councilman E. C. Webster. In 1873, however, the city had contracted with the Union Pacific Rail- road Company to purchase forty acres described as the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 1, township 7, range 10, and in 1883 had received a deed for that forty acres. The sentiment prevailed that the waterworks should be located upon the property already bought by the city. The forty acres were bought for $320. The committee that located the exact spot where the waterworks stand was: T. E. Farrell, W. H. Stock and C. C. Rittenhouse. T. M. Clark was the first engineer at the waterworks. For twenty years Henry Gauvreau has been connected with the plant, beginning as fireman and serving as assistant engineer and chief engineer at the plant.
Before the installation of the present plant, water was delivered to customers in barrels and the business was a private enterprise.
THE SEWER SYSTEM
The next important public improvement in Hastings following the erection of the waterworks was the installation of a sewerage system, in 1890. At a special election held July 16, 1889, a proposi- tion to issue bonds in the sum of $75,000 for the construction of sewerage was lost. There were 465 votes for the bonds at this election and 494 against. The proposition to construct a sewer system had been received from Andrew Rosewater of Omaha, and on June 10th the council ordered a vote upon the subject July 16th.
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.