History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 17

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1744

USA > Ohio > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions > Part 17

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LUTHERAN CHURCH, CONTINENTAL.

The Lutheran church at Continental was organized on August 2, 1896, by Rev. Frank C. Longaker. The total membership is the beginning num- bered only eighteen.

The corner stone for a church building was laid in August, 1897, and in November of the same year the building was completed. This was a brick structure, erected at a cost of two thousand six hundred dollars. It is rather remarkable to note that this little band of eighteen followers were perma- ently located in a year after they were organized.

The ministers who have served this congregation are Rev. Frank C. Longaker, the founder of the congregation and under whose charge the church building was erected; Rev. Schroeder, date not known definitely; Rev. J. N. Barrett, June, 1901-June, 1906; Rev. J. Walter Bressler, June, 1908- February, 1910; Rev. G. M. Gran, June, 1910-October, 1914; Rev. Richard Rassmussen, May, 1915.

The church has passed through many years of prosperous growth and at present has a membership of forty-five. The Ladies' Aid Society is a strong auxiliary to the church.

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN (DUNKARD), BLANCHARD.

It is a lamentable fact that the early records of Blanchard have never been recorded or have been very carelessly destroyed. This makes the church history a matter of memory and not altogether authentic in some of the dates. In 1840 the first Dunkard (Brethren) church was located at what is now the Blanchard church, at a point five miles southeast of the town of Continental.

One of the first Dunkard settlers seems to have been a man whose name was Prowant. Mr. Prowant was the father of five sons, four of whom later

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became active ministers in the Dunkard faith. Three of these sons spent their entire lives in the Blanchard church.

Meetings were held in the homes of brethren and were conducted by ministers from Allen county until the year 1850. In that year, John Prowant was elected to the ministry of that church, and this must be about the date that the Blanchard church was organized. After the church organization the serv- ices were held in school houses and the homes of members until 1886, when the church building, which is located one-half mile west of DuPont, was erected and dedicated. It is a neat, plain house of worship and was erected at a cost of two thousand five hundred dollars. The following is a list of ministers who have been elected to the ministry from Blanchard church mem- bership: John Prowant, first elder or bishop; Henry Prowant, William Prowant and Daniel Prowant, all of whom are deceased; Amos Budd, Harry Fuller, D. P Weller and L. H. Prowant. Reverends Fuller, Weller, Prowant and Prowant are still actively engaged in the labors of the Blanchard church, with Elder D. P. Weller as overseer of the work.

Between the years 1886-90 the Sunday school was organized and is now in a prosperous condition, with an attendance which rivals any in the county, under the superintendency of Floyd Clevenger. Many members have been lost by emigration. The membership at present numbers one hundred and fifty souls.

TOWNSHIP CHURCHES.

The complete history of quite a number of the township churches of Putnam county is impossible to get. This is due to the fact that there have been many changes. Churches have been organized and lots purchased, and later some of these churches have been disbanded, to unite with other congre- gations. In consequence of these changes, the records of the churches were, in many instances, lost or destroyed.

By running the deed records of the county, the denomination of many of these churches was ascertained, but other information concerning the church was not obtainable. A list of these follows, which proves rather interesting :

In Liberty township, section 16, a lot was purchased, April 3, 1888, for two hundred dollars. The Evangelical church trustees transacted this busi- ness, but other early history of this church was not available.

In Liberty township, section II, a lot was purchased, December 28, 1883, by the trustees of the Bethel church for a consideration of five dollars.

In Sugar Creek township, section 8, there are two deed records for

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church property. The trustees of the Sugar Creek Baptist church purchased a lot for church purposes, April 21, 1854; also, the trustees of the Predestin- arian faith purchased a lot. On April 19, 1884, the trustees of the Baptist church sold their lot and in the same year leased it of the new owner for church purposes.

In Sugar Creek township, section 27, there are three records of land conveyance to trustees of different churches for purposes of worship. These are the Welsh Methodist Episcopal church, the Welsh Congregational and the Salem Congregational.

In Jennings township, section 2, the trustees of the United Brethren church purchased property for one thousand five hundred dollars. This was on February 23, 1892. In section 26, the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church purchased a lot for church purposes, May 22, 1877.

In Van Buren township, section 27, the trustees of the Evangelical church purchased a lot for the consideration of one dollar, on May 18, 1875.

The church lot for the Riley Creek Methodist Protestant church, section 36, Ottawa township, was purchased by the trustees, October 5, 1855, for one dollar. This was one of the oldest churches in the county.

In Greensburg township, section 10, a conveyance was made on January 13, 1896, to the trustees of the Mennonite church for the consideration of one hundred dollars.

In Blanchard township, section 13, the trustees of the Church of God purchased a lot for one dollar, May 7, 1887. A rather interesting convey- ance is noted in Blanchard township, section 8. On October 25, 1856, the trustees of the United Brethern church purchased a lot for a consideration of one dollar. On April 13, 1875, the trustees of this denomination sold the lot to the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church.

In Perry township, section 8, a conveyance was made to the trustees of the German Baptist church, on February 5, 1887, for the consideration of thirty dollars.

In section II, the trustees of the United Brethren church purchased a lot for one dollar, July 22, 1886. Another conveyance in this same section was that of the Methodist Episcopal church trustees, March 14, 1874. On October 1, 1899, they transferred this lot to the trustees of the United Breth- ern church, who used it for church purposes for a short time and then sold it to the township to be used for a township house.

In Riley township, section II, a conveyance was made to the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church, June 27, 1863. On May 12, 1900, the Citizens Society of Riley township, section 3, purchased a lot to be used for

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church purposes. On November 7, of the following year, they transferred their deed to this lot to the trustees of the United Brethren church. On June 15, 1888, the trustees of the Mennonite church purchased a lot in Riley town- ship, section 16, for fifty dollars and erected their beautiful church building. The society is very active at the present time.

On September 21, 1868, the trustees of the United Brethern church pur- chased a lot in Pleasant township, section 22, to be used for church purposes.

On June 29, 1861, the trustees of the United Brethern church of Jackson township, section II, purchased a lot on which to build a church.

On October 5, 1889, the trustees of the Christian church purchased a lot for church purposes in Monterey township, section 12. In this same section the trustees of the Antioch church purchased a lot, August 16, 1904. Some of these churches are still active, others are served by a supply minister and a few have been disbanded entirely.

SS. PETER AND PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, OTTAWA.

In January, 1861, Matthias Muller, a resident of Ottawa, donated one acre of land as a site for a church. Although the Catholics residing at Ot- tawa were identified with the parish of St. John's church at Glandorf, they had been petitioning for permission to build a church of their own. This request was granted by Bishop Rappe in 1868 and the Rev. A. Reichert, pastor of Glandorf, was commissioned to solicit subscriptions for that ob- ject. The cornerstone for the new church was laid .on June 14, 1868, but the building was not completed until 1872. It was dedicated on August 15, of that year, by Bishop Gilmour and placed under the patronage of the apos- tles, Ss. Peter and Paul. It is a handsome brick structure, fifty by one hun- dred and thirty feet, and the building alone cost approximately eighteen thousand dollars. The present fine organ was purchased in 1882, at a cost of one thousand eight hundred dollars. The children of the parish attended the Catholic district schools until 1887, when a brick school and residence for the teachers was erected, at a cost of four thousand five hundred dollars. This is conducted by Sanguinist Sisters. The present spacious brick pastoral residence was built in 1892, under the pastorate of Father Dick, at a cost of nearly three thousand dollars.

The following Sanguinist Fathers have had charge of the parish: Revs. A. Reichert and J. Marty, 1868-73 ; Rev. F. Schalk, 1873-76; Rev. C. Roess- ner, 1876-78; Rev. R. Abbrederis, 1878-83; Rev. B. Boebner, 1883-91 ; Rev. A. Dick, 1891-97; Rev. Bernard Russ, 1897-1900 (now deceased) ; Rev. A.

REV. MICHAEL MUELLER.

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Dentinger, 1900 to the present time. The church property is in excellent condition and free from debt. The congregation is composed chiefly of Germans, or their descendants.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH, OTTOVILLE.

Through the untiring efforts and self-sacrificing generosity of Father John Otto Bredeick, the spiritual wants of the few early settlers of Ottoville were ministered to faithfully until his death in 1858. In 1850 Father Brede- ick purchased forty acres of land and laid it out in town lots. The best were set aside for church purposes and the rest were sold, setting aside the pro- ceeds of their sale for the benefit of the church. In 1860 Rev. F. Wester- holtz, who attended Ottoville from Delphos, took up this work left off by Father Bredeick and in the fall of the same year the foundation for a new church was blessed. This was a frame structure, forty by eighty feet, and was dedicated in the spring of 1861. It was assigned to Rev. J. J. Goeb- bels, pastor of the Ft. Jennings church, who had charge of it until 1864. Rev. A. J. Abel, the first resident pastor of Ottoville, had charge of it until July, 1865, from which time until June, 1866, it was attended from Ft. Jennings. The following served as resident pastors: 1866-68, Rev. H. D. Best ; Rev. Michael Muller, to January 27, 1900; Rev. H. Wichmann, to June, 1900; Rev. J. B. Mertes, the present pastor, who has the distinction of be- ing the only irremovable priest in the county. The rich land around Otto- ville was a great inducement to many Catholic German farmers to become its owners, with the result that the parish grew very rapidly. Father Mul- ler, seeing the increase in wealth and size of his charge, realized that a larger and more ample church was necessary, and with this object in view, he started a subscription for the erection of a church, his call on their gener- osity being met with a ready response. The plans for a church of pure Gothic design were submitted and approved by Bishop Gilmour. The cor- nerstone was laid on June 7, 1885, by the Very Rev. Adininistrator Boff, and in the summer of 1888 it was completed. It was dedicated on Septem- ber 23, 1888. The church is seventy-eight feet wide by one hundred and seventy feet long, and ninety feet in the transept, with two towers one hun- dred and eighty feet tall. Much taste is shown in the painting and frescoing of the pillars and groined ceiling ; in fact, the whole presents a beautiful and striking appearance. It was finished at a cost of sixty thousand dollars. In 1890 a steam plant was installed in the church, at a cost of two thousand one hundred dollars. In 1892 a set of stations was placed in position, at a

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cost of two thousand two hundred dollars. In 1898 the present splendid altar was placed in the church, at a cost of three thousand dollars. The church is now fully equipped and it is needless to say that its furnishings are the best. In 1901 a pastoral residence was built; this is of brick and highly in keeping with the adjacent church. In 1898 an organ was installed at a cost of four thousand dollars.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH, LEIPSIC.

The history of the congregation at Leipsic dates back to about 1873, when a few Catholics began to settle here and were attended by Rev. Henry Kaempker, of New Cleveland, from 1874-78. The first church, a small frame structure, twenty-five by forty-five feet, was erected, under the di- rection of Rev. Kaempker, in 1876, at a cost of five hundred dollars. Rev. John Bertemes served Leipsic, from New Cleveland, as a mission from Janu- ary, 1889, until February, 1891, when he was appointed first resident pas- tor. From 1878 to 1889 the congregation was attended by Revs. Joseph Rosenberg and Joseph Eyler. During Rev. Rosenberg's administration, two lots were purchased, in May, 1887, to serve as a site for the prospective pastoral residence and school. The pastoral residence was built during the time of Rev. Eyler, at a cost of one thousand four hundred dollars. The foundation of the large frame church was blessed on August 30, 1891, by the Rt. Rev. Mgr. F. M. Boff, and this structure was completed in 1892, under the pastorate of Rev. Bertemes. It was dedicated on May 14, 1893, by Bishop Horstmann. This church is forty-five feet wide, fifty-seven feet in the transept and one hundred and two feet long; the interior height is thirty-four feet and the spire is one hundred and twenty-five feet high. It has a seating capacity of six hundred when the large gallery is used, and was erected at a cost of about twelve thousand dollars. Father Bertemes organized the first parochial school, in October, 1890, and it was in charge of lay teachers until May 1, 1899, when the building was destroyed by fire. During the summer of the same year a new four-room brick building was constructed, at a cost of five thousand dollars. Three teachers are in charge of the school, which has an attendance of one hundred and five pupils. The ministers who have served the congregation since 1900 are: Rev. John Baumgartner, Rev. Stephen Weber, Rev. Carl Alter, Rev. Leon Plumanns, and the present pastor, Rev. John B. Wendling.

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ST. MARY'S CHURCH, OTTOVILLE.

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ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH, KALIDA.

The Catholics at Kalida were identified with St. John's parish at Glan- dorf, but as early as 1861 they were desirous of having a church of their own. In the year 1861 they put their desires in the form of a request, and the Rev. Joseph J. Goebbels, pastor of the Ft. Jennings congregation, made the preliminary arrangements for its erection. A lot was purchased and active work was begun on the building, but destiny decreed that the work- ers' desires should not be granted, at least at that time, for in the same year the county seat of Putnam county was transferred from Kalida to Ottawa. This caused a great disturbance in the business interests of Kalida and quite a few of the Catholics removed to other places. In consequence of this, the unfinished structure was abandoned. Sixteen years elapsed before anything more was done towards the erection of a new church. But, in the mean- time, many Catholics had settled in and near Kalida, so that by 1877 they numbered seventeen families. In 1877, after they bought and paid for a fine lot in September of the previous year, they petitioned the Rev. Michael Muller, pastor of the Ottoville church, to aid them in erecting the much-desired church, for which they also obtained Bishop Gilmour's con- sent. A subscription to the amount of four thousand dollars was raised by Father Muller, after which active work was begun on the building, a brick edifice, forty-two by sixty-five feet. Its cornerstone was laid on June 16, 1878, and the church was dedicated on December Ist of the same year, to St. Michael. The congregation was attended, alternately, from Ottoville and Ft. Jennings, on every second Sunday, until January, 1888, when the mission was placed in charge of the Sanguinist Fathers, at Glandorf. The first was Rev. Rochus Schuly, who was succeeded, in June, 1894, by the Rev. Chrysostom Hummer, who had the church greatly enlarged in 1895. Its width at present in the transept is fifty-six feet, and its length is one hun- dred and thirteen feet; the present graceful spire was also built during Fa- ther Hummer's regime. About seven thousand dollars was expended on the enlargement of the church, the frescoing and other improvements. The ren- ovated and practically new church was dedicated on May 17, 1896, by Bishop Horstmann. In September of the same year Father Hummer was succeeded by Rev. Valentine Schirack, and, being the first resident pastor of the con- gregation, Rev. Schirack resided at Kalida from May, 1900, until 1903, when he was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. M. Muehe. Father Schirack succeeded in paying off the entire church debt, besides procuring two church

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bells, at a cost of one thousand dollars, and in the spring of the following year, 1899, he raised a subscription of four thousand dollars for a pastoral residence, which was completed in May, 1900, at a cost of five thousand dollars. The children attended the so-called Catholic "District Schools" until recently, when a parochial school building, a two-story brick structure, was constructed at a cost of ten thousand dollars. Four Sisters of Divine Provi- dence serve the school, which has an enrollment of one hundred and seventy children. The present parish numbers nine hundred and forty-five souls. The total value of the entire church property is approximately sixty thou- sand dollars.

ST. NICHOLAS' CHURCH, MILLER CITY.

The present flourishing parish of Miller City was organized in 1886 by the Rev. Joseph Rosenberg, then pastor of the New Cleveland church. Nichols Noirot presented two lots for the church site and in 1887 active work was begun on a building by Father Rosenberg, which was completed in the following year under the direction of Rev. Joseph Eyler, at a cost of about two thousand dollars. St. John's parish, of Glandorf, donated four hundred dollars to the mission of Miller City and also gave the pews which were formerly used in their church. The church was dedicated on August 26, 1888, by Mgr. F. M. Boff, V. G., and placed under the patronage of St. Nicholas.

Before the appointment of the first resident pastor, Rev. Charles Wag- ner, in July, 1899, it was attended as a mission from New Cleveland, and later from Leipsic. During the time Rev. J. Bertemes attended Miller City from Leipsic ( 1889-99), he purchased two acres of land to be used as a ceme- tery. This was blessed on June II, 1893, and, on November 30, 1896, he purchased three lots as a site for a school and pastoral residence. The pres- ent pastoral residence was built in 1899 by Father Wagner. The church was so badly damaged by lightning on September 4, 1898, that preparations were at once made for a new building. The cornerstone for a brick church, fifty-four by one hundred and twenty-four feet, was blessed October 28, 1900, by Bishop Horstmann. It is of Gothic architecture and cost twenty-three thousand dollars. The pastors serving this charge since Father Wagner (1899-1903) are as follows: Rev. Widemer, 1903-1913; Rev. Henry Ger- wert, 1913 to the present time. During the pastorate of Father Widemer a parochial residence was built, in 1909, at a cost of five thousand dollars.

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ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, FT. JENNINGS.

The spiritual wants of the early settlers of Ft. Jennings were attended by Father Horstmann, of Glandorf, for many years before the town was laid out, services being held in private houses during that period. In 1838, Rev. Tunker, pastor of the Dayton church, attended the mission of Ft. Jennings and two years later the Catholics and Protestants united and built a log house to serve for church and school purposes. This very unusual ar- rangement, made with the sanction of Father Horstmann, remained in effect over fourteen years. Rev. Henry Herzog was appointed the first resident pastor in 1840, but remained less than a year. Father Horstmann then took charge of the mission and attended it until his death in February, 1843. His successor at Glandorf, Rev. George Bohne, also attended Ft. Jennings until 1851, when he was appointed resident pastor of the place. Upon his death, September 20, 1860, it was attached to Delphos as a mission and at- tended by Rev. F. Westerholt until March, 1861, when Rev. Joseph Goeb- bels was appointed resident pastor; he remained until 1864. His successors are the following: Rev. H. E. Hamers, 1864-66; Rev. C. Viere, 1866-67; attended from Ottoville by M. Muller, 1867-70; L. Zumbuhl, 1870-73; C. Darbier, September, 1873, until his death August 23, 1876; J. A. Michen- felder, August 1876, to May, 1879; G. Peter, 1879-81 ; J. Heidegger, 1881-88; C. Braschler, 1888-99; M. Arnoldi, 1899, to November 5, 1914; the present incumbent, John A. Christ, became pastor of the church on the latter date.

Father Bohne was desirous of a new church as soon as he became resi- dent pastor in 1851, but he did not get the second of his people until a year later, when the foundation of a brick church, forty by sixty feet, was laid. Two years later it was completed at a cost of two thousand dollars and on December 24, 1854, it was dedicated to St. Joseph. Although plain and without any architectural adornment, it served its purpose until the erection of the present beautiful structure. This was begun during the pastorate of Father Heidegger in the fall of 1882, and was dedicated on May 4. 1884, by Bishop Gilmour. It is of Gothic architecture, one hundred and thirty- two feet by fifty-five feet, and the furnishings are all of white oak. It cost about twenty-one thousand dollars. A two-story frame building served as pastoral residence for a number of years. In 1899 the present brick pastoral residence was built at a cost of seven thousand dollars. The congregation at present numbers eight hundred and twenty-seven.

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ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, GLANDORF.

The first Catholic place of worship in Putnam county was erected for Father Horstmann in Glandorf and on Easter Sunday, March 30, 1834, he celebrated the first mass in it. It was a small house, built of hewed logs, and served as a residence for Father Horstmann and also as a chapel. By 1836 the little colony of sturdy Germans had increased so that Father Horstmann's chapel would not accommodate them, and this necessitated the building of a new place of worship. The new church, a log structure, twenty-two by forty feet, and covered with split weatherboards, was built and dedicated in 1837. St. John the Baptist was chosen as its patron saint. In the same year a log school house was built and Father Horstmann served as its first teacher. The following year a log pastoral residence was built to replace the one of four years previous. Father Horstmann, whose health had begun to fail, asked Bishop Purcell for an assistant. In 1841 Rev. George Bohne was supplied. Two years later, February 21, 1843, Father Horstmann was called to his reward. Father Bohne soon began the task of erecting a brick church. The corner stone was laid in 1846 and the en- tire parish seconded Father Bohne in the undertaking. The building was dedicated on the first Sunday in Advent, 1848, and placed under the patronage of St. John the Baptist by Rev. A. Kunkler. The building was fifty by ninety feet and at that time was considered without an equal in northwestern Ohio. Father Bohne resigned a few months before the church was dedi- cated and was transferred to Ft. Jennings. The Sanguinist Fathers were then placed in charge of the parish and in the fall of the same year estab- lished a convent. A list of the Sanguinist Fathers who have had charge of the Glandorf congregation follows: Revs. A. Kunkler, A. Herbstritt, M. A. Meyer, 1848-50; Rev. M. Homburger, 1850-53; Rev. A. Schelbert, 1853-58; Rev. M. A. Kramer, 1858-61; Rev. A. Reichert, 1861-74; Rev. B. Dickmann, 1874-81 ; Rev. M. Menk, May to October 1881; Rev. F Nigsch, 1881-97; Rev. T. Wittmer, 1897 to January, 1914; Rev. L. Schupp, since January, 1914.

In 1874, when Father Dickmann took charge of the church at Glandorf, he realized the pressing needs of a new church, as the present building was too small to accommodate the entire parish. In 1875 the foundation was laid and on June 24, 1876, the cornerstone was laid by the Rev. A. Kunkler. Owing to an unforeseen delay, when the completed spire was struck by

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History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 17

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1744

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1744