Republic County -- Early Lutheran Churches
KACKLEY.
The Swedish Lutheran Ada congregation in Republic county,
Kansas, was organized in 1873 and the church building erected in
1882. Value of property, eight thousand dollars. Membership
three hundred and fifty. Scholars in Sunday School sixty. Until
1886 the congregation was served by Rev. Nils Ohslund; afterwards by
Rev. J. A. Holmen, 1887-92, by Rev. F. W. Bergquist and
at present by Rev. M. P. Oden. The church has been renovated
since then and this year (1907) a new parsonage will be erected.
NORWAY.
Republic county, Norwegian Lutheran. � We do not have
any information when this church was organized, probably in 1886
or 1887. The pastor in 1888 was Rev. H. C. Roernaes, who at that
time held his membership in Nebraska Synod. His parish consisted of
English-Norgewian churches located in Norway, Republic
county, another 31 miles west in Jewell county, and Spring Creek
31 miles north in Nuckolls county, Nebraska. The charge was
poor and the pastor illy supported. On the 19th of April, 1888, the
corner-stone of a new church was laid at Norway and a service
was held in both English and Norwegian, Rev. J. E. Maurer, of
Hardy, Nebraska, assisting. After a painful struggle the church
was completed and was opened for use for the first time on the
day of Pentecost, May 28th, 1888. While the audience was assembling
a frightful hurricane came up and tore the building into
pieces. The church was an humble one costing, not counting the
help of the people, about $600, and its erection after the loss of
the crops during the year previous, was one of great sacrifice.
Although the church did not belong to the General Synod, Rev. J. N.
Lenker secured for it a donation of $200. Surrounding churches
lent a helping hand and the brave Norwegians set to work erecting
a still better church. This was dedicated in the spring of 1889,
when Rev. C. Huber preached the dedicatory sermon and so well
managed the finances that the debt was all raised.
REPUBLIC CITY.
The Ev. Lutheran church of
Republic City was organized in 1881 by Rev. J. A. Lowe at the time
the new branch of the Missouri Pacific Railroad was pushing
northward up into Nebraska through the Republican valley. The
preaching was held in a school house, but the congregation was never
able to secure either a lot or a building. The church was admitted
into Kansas Synod in the fall of the same year it was organized,
upon the condition that it adopt the constitution recommended by
Kansas Synod. No record exists that this was ever complied with.
The church continued for a time connected with Hardy but finally
went to pieces.
SCANDIA.
The Swedish Amana congregation in Scandia was organized in
1873. The church was built in 1878 and the property is valued at
five thousand two hundred dollars. Membership one hundred and
eight, scholars in Sunday School twenty-two. Rev. Nels Ohslund
was the first pastor. Since he left, Rev. L. A. Edman had charge
of the work, after him, Rev. C. J. Maxwell served the congregation
until his death in 1905. Rev. H. E. Sandstedt accepted a call
to the church in 1906.
WHITE ROCK
On the 28th of May,
1872, Rev. G. Walker, after preaching in a school house at White
Rock for some time, organized the Ev. Lutheran church of White
Rock. The town was located in the N. E. part of Republic county
where a large colony of Scandinavians had settled. It was
admitted into Kansas Synod the same fall. During 1873 the charge was
pastorless, and during 1874 it was served jointly with the Osborn
congregation by Rev. J. K. Ekman which service continued until
1876. For the following four years the charge was without a
pastor because of inability to support one. During the winter of 1879-
1880, Rev. T. F. Dornblaser, travelling missionary held a series
of meetings there resulting in 30 additions. On Easter day, 1880,
Rev. J. A. Lowe was secured as pastor through the efforts of Mr.
A. Lowe, who at a previous meeting of Synod, when Rev. Lowe
was ordained, laid hands on him and said, "We want you to be our
minister." In the following spring after he had fulfilled his
engagement as a teacher, Rev. Lowe took charge on the humble salary
of $300 a year. The Mission Board declined to grant help and
the young pastor was obliged to bear the burden alone. The salary
was so scant and living expenses so large that ends could be met
only with the most rigid economy. No matter where the Synod
met if Rev. Lowe was there it was because he came overland in his
buggy for he had no means with which to pay his fare. He began
with one preaching point at White Rock, but to this he soon added
five others in the surrounding school houses. In the following year
he added churches at Republic City and Hardy, Neb., still preaching
at several school houses in the country. In 1880 White Rock
was a booming town feeling confident that it would get the new
railroad which was building north through Scandia, but the road
finally passed through Republic City, and the new Burlington and
Missouri River line went through Hardy, leaving White Rock
stranded, and in a short time it was a deserted place, with the
prairie grass again growing where once was a promising town.
When the town of Hardy was laid out Rev. Lowe, out of his meagre
salary of $300 paid $50 for a lot for a new church. Here he organized
"Union" Ev. Lutheran church. The church at White Rock
naturally perished and the members who lived to the north and east
united with the church at Hardy, or that at Republic City, or the
Jewell church.
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This website created June 1, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
� 2011 Kansas History and Heritage Project
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