Saline County Churches-Lutheran Evangelical Kansas Synod
The following histories are from the book, "A History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Kansas," 1907; it also includes churches in the Augustana Synod (Swedish Lutheran):
SALINA, ST. JOHN'S.
Rev. Charles Young, after doing efficient pioneer work in the
Synod of Northern Illinois at Dixon and various points in Stephenson county there, came to Kansas in 1872, broken in health, and
settled on a farm near Salina. Not content with farm life while
mission fields lay about him which ought to be occupied, he applied to the Home Board for aid in establishing a mission in the
young and growing town of Salina. In the Spring of 1873 he was
commissioned, the Board allowing him $300 the first year. He set
himself to the work at once and on the 30th of March organized
St. John's Ev. Lutheran church with the following charter members: T. F. Garver, Mrs. T. F. Garver, R. H. Dihle, Mrs. Joanna
Dihle, B. B. Stimmel, Mrs. M. Stimmel, Jacob L. Gebhart, Mrs.
Julia Gebhart, Mrs. Elizabeth Young, Josie Young, C. W. Tressin,
Mrs. Minnie Tressin, and Miss Ida Tressin. Rev. Young at this
time was also preaching at New Cambria six miles east, on the
newly constructed Kansas Pacific railroad. Here in April he organized a church which with the Salina church constituted a pastoral charge. In 1874 they purchased a small M. E. church 24 by
35 feet in dimensions, with appointments intact, paying $800 for it.
The same building see photo is still standing and is used by the colored
M. E. church. They spent $200 more in repairs. This afforded
the church a home of its own, however humble, and soon better
days began to dawn upon the mission. On account of the infirmities of old age, being seventy-two years, Rev. Young resigned May
1st, 1876. For about fifteen months succeeding, the church was
supplied by Rev. W. C. Seidel. On the 1st of August, 1877, Rev.
A. J. Hartsock was commissioned missionary, the Board appropriating $300 per year. The new pastor threw his whole soul into the
task of building up his church. He soon had the little church filled
with people. In less than two years he had added 100 new members to his "Little mission 'round the corner" as he loved to call
it. Sometime in 1879 a parsonage was built which was used for
a season and later was sold. Soon it became necessary that a new
church be erected, but where to get the money was a problem, for
the country was new and the people were passing through seasons
of drouth which made it almost impossible to raise money locally.
Under his inspiring cry, "God helps those who help themselves,"
he set himself to the task. "We must have a church or die," he
wrote to the Lutheran Observer, in 1879. The General Synod met
at Wooster, Ohio, that year, and it authorized the Brooklyn, N. Y.,
and Salina, Kans., missions to appeal to the church at large for
funds for the erection of buildings. Rev. Hartsock acted promptly
and immediately laid his plan before the Sunday schools of the
church through the columns of the church papers, proposing that
they, the scholars, buy the brick for the new church. He had
about 50,000 red paper bricks printed which he sold for ten cents
each. The church papers during 1879 and 1880 were full of accounts of the sale of bricks for the Salina church. The plan was
new and took well and money flowed in from every quarter. This
congregation and pastor suddenly became widely known all over the
church. When the enterprise lagged the indefatiguable pastor,
leaving his field in the hands of a resident minister, would make
his round of the synods in the East, visiting Sunday schools enroute, always with his one cry, "Buy my bricks." It was a
spectacular erecting of a church indeed. On these trips he scattered
30,000 bricks. He labored incessantly day after day until it is safe
to say that one-half of the children of the Sunday schools of the
General Synod had invested a dime in Salina bricks.
In the spring of 1880 two well located lots were purchased and
deeded to the Board of Church Extension, the purchase price being $600. Brick was contracted for and plans adopted for the
erection of a building but the work was not begun until the following year. The corner stone was laid on June 18, 1881. Up to
that time the splendid sum of $6,591 had been collected, largely
by the sale of the red bricks, and given to the congregation by the
Church Extension Board as a donation. The dedication took place
on the 10th of December, 1881. Dr. Conrad was to have preached
the sermon, but he failed to arrive, and the pastor was obliged to
preach it himself. Revs. Charles Young, M. Stolpe and A. B. Kirtland, were present during the day and assisted the pastor. As
there was no debt to lift there was no plea for money.
The building see photo is a Gothic structure of native brick, 43 by 75
feet, with a handsome tower 90 feet high and bell porch, vestibule,
organ loft, and a Sunday school room 20 by 40 feet off from the
auditorium and connected with sliding doors. The ceiling is in
the form of a canopy neatly and tastily finished. The floor is inclined and seated with elegant pews in amphitheater style, accommodating about 400 people. A one manual pipe organ was installed, the first placed in a Lutheran church in Kansas. This was planned and built in Salina, and was probably the first pipe organ made
in Kansas. The entire cost of the structure was $10,000, a monument to the tireless energy of the pastor.
Rev. Hartsock resigned October, 1882, and was succeeded soon
after by Rev. A. J. Kissell, who remained as pastor of the mission
until March, 1885. In July that year Rev. George D. Gotwald was
called. During his pastorate the church assumed self support. In
April, 1889, Rev. C. W. Maggart became pastor. During the latter's pastorate an eight room parsonage was erected. In May,
1892, Rev. L. C. Routzahn became pastor, remaining one year.
From December, 1893, to April, 1898, Rev. H. M. Oberholtzer was
in charge. On July 1st, 1898, Rev. J. A. McCulloch was called remaining over two years. On the 1st of December, 1900, Rev. C. E.
Wirick took charge, remaining until June, 1906. Early in the latter's pastorate the church was repaired and renewed at a cost of
$600. The old parsonage again having been sold, in 1902 a lot
was purchased adjoining the church on the south on which during
the year following a commodious parsonage see photo was erected, having
ten rooms, with modern conveniences, gas, bath and furnace, and
at a cost of $3,200. In 1882 a Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society was organized which is a prominent agency for
good in the congregation to this day. The church is well equipped
with a fine Aid Society and is one of the best in the Synod. During
the pastorate of Rev. Gotwald a Young People's Society existed,
which, though short lived, left as a monument of their interest and
zeal a beautiful white marble baptismal font. During the same
pastorate a fine bell was installed and entirely paid for. These
monuments of the labors of this now sainted pastor still remain,
after the lapse of over twenty years, one serving as a means of
grace and the other still calling the people to the place where the
means of grace are dispensed. Rev. H. A. Ott, D. D., became pastor on the 1st of February, 1907. At present the church reports
250 communicants, with no indebtedness and properties valued at
$15,000. Recently an electric motor for the organ was installed.
NEW CAMBRIA, FIRST ENGLISH. See photo
What is now known as the First English Lutheran church of New
Cambria had its origin in a small school house near the junction
of the Saline and the Smoky Hill rivers about six miles east of
Salina. Services had been held here now and then inaugurated
by Messrs S. P. Donmyer, Lewis Donmyer, Sr., Jacob Donmyer
and John Shank, great hearted Germans, with a loyalty to the
Lutheran church which could not be doubted. Rev. Charles Young
of Salina was invited to conduct services for them which resulted,
on April 20th, 1873, in the organization of a church. Rev. Young
was the chairman of the meeting, and Mr. S. P. Donmyer was secretary.
A constitution was adopted, and the following charter members enrolled: S. P. Donmyer,
Wm. Vaupel Sr., Lewis Donmyer,
Sr., Jacob Donmyer, Lewis Donmyer, Jr., G. B. Donmyer, J. R.
Stiffler, Mrs. A. E. Vaupel, Mrs. Sarah Donmyer, Mrs. Susan Donmyer,
Mrs. Elisabeth Donmyer, Mrs. Lovina Donmyer, Mrs.
Elizabeth Slonaker, and Mrs. Mary C. Stiffler, all coming from
Cambria county, Pennsylvania; also John Shank, Henry Shank, Henry
Burr, Wm. Megran, Lewis Bucher, Frederick Shank, Charles C.
Hahn, Rose E. Bean, and Catharine Link. The following officers
were elected: Elders, Lewis Donmyer, Sr., Wm. Vaupel, Sr. ;
Deacons, Jacob Donmyer and John Shank; Trustees, S. P. Donmyer,
Chas. C. Hahn, and Lewis Donmyer, Jr. The church was named
by Lewis Donmyer, Jr., the "Lutheran church of the Saline River,
Saline county, Kansas." When it was admitted into synod that fall
it was called "The Peace Ev. Lutheran church of New Cambria."
The first communion service held by the young congregation was
in the barn of Lewis Donmyer, Sr., in June following its
organization, when twenty-four partook of the Holy Sacrament. After a
season the services were held in a school house near the village
of New Cambria. For the first three years Rev. Young preached
for them regularly every two weeks. He was succeeded by Rev.
W. C. Seidel in June, 1876, who continued as a supply for a year
and a half. The work of Rev. Seidel was largely a labor of love
for he received very little salary and even less support of a spiritual nature. These were dark days but the faithful pastor regularly
attended to his ministry which was not at all in vain. In 1877 Rev.
A. J. Hartsock became pastor serving them about ten months in
connection with the Salina church. He was followed in October,
1878, by Rev. A. B. Kirtland who served the New Cambria congregation and St. Paul's church in Walnut township, some eight
miles to the south. He had many dark days in his school house
ministrations, with small audiences and an indifferent people, but
he continued faithfully sowing the seed for four years. Rev. S. P.
Harrington was called in November, 1882, remaining for a year,
but was not able to make much progress. Then the congregation
recalled Rev. Kirtland, in 1883, who at once began the agitation of
erecting a building believing that could he get the people to doing
something it would be the salvation of the church. He started the
ball to rolling at once, purchased lots for a site and on the 17th
of May the corner stone was laid for a substantial stone building
36 by 54 feet. Mr. S. P. Donmyer gave $1,000 toward the building,
and had the others given as liberally the church could have
been furnished and dedicated without delay. However it was partly
completed and used but with a distressing debt hanging over it.
It remained for another pastor to finish the building. Rev. Kirtland
was succeeded by Rev. A. J. Hartsock who supplied the church
during 1887, and through th3 following year Prof. O. G. Klinger
performed a similar service. Rev. R. B. Whitehill took charge in
the latter part of 1888 who lived at Abilene and served the St.
James church in Dickinson county in addition to this charge. The
Sunday school up to this time had been a "union" affair. This was
not thought to be conducive to Lutheran success, so the pastor set
forth a movement to re-organize it, as a strictly Lutheran school.
Although it made a little stir in the doing, the change was entirely
effected. In 1891 Rev. J. B. Umberger was called. The following
year a movement was inaugurated for the completion of the church.
It had been standing since 1885, somewhat unfiinished, and with
a crushing debt of $1,000. Rev. Lenker the Western Secretary of
the Board of Church Extension was asked to come and talk German to the
people and make a house to house canvass for the
purpose of raising money for the day of dedication.
Mr. Lenker persuaded Mr. Donmyer, who had given $1,000 when the building was
first erected, to give $250, in addition, and so from others good
help was obtained, and on the 17th of July, 1892, amid a magnificent wheat harvest, the building was dedicated. The dedicatory
sermon was preached by Rev. S. B. Barnitz, and all indebtedness
wiped out between the appeals of the two secretaries. Rev. Umberger was succeeded in September, 1894, by Rev. J. M. Long who
remained until the fall of 1898. Rev. J. J. Chambers took charge
in November the same year, serving the charge until 1903. During
the latter's pastorate a comfortable parsonage of six rooms was
purchased. It has a large lot 100 by 330 feet, is conveniently located and well appointed, with a small
indebtedness of $400 remaining on it. In December 1903 he was succeeded by Rev. J. F.
Cressler who remained on the field until the 31st of October, 1906. The
church reported 75 communicant members in 1906, and property
valued at $4,500. In January, 1907, all remaining indebtedness
was liquidated. This church for a while was known as the Donmyer church.
NEW CAMBRIA, ST. PAUL'S. See photo
Among the good Lutherans who resided in Walnut Township,
Saline county, was one Charles Shirar, in whose heart warmly
burned the love of God, and being anxious for the good of his family, his own soul and the neighbors about him, urged upon the
community the need of a church where the Word could be preached
and the Holy Sacraments administered according to the gospel.
At that time Rev. Charles Young was pastor of the Salina mission,
and to him Mr. Shirar went with the request that he take up work
in Walnut Township in addition to his regular work. This the mission board would not permit on account of the advanced age of
Rev. Young, then in his sixty-ninth year, however he occasionally
preached for them in a small school house to the southeast of
where the church now stands. His ministrations were not without
fruit and in the fall of 1874 the organization of
St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church of Walnut Township, sometimes called "The Shirar
church," was effected by Pastor Young, with the following eight
charter members: Charles and Lucinda Shirar, Riley Shirar, William Shirar, Samuel and Mattie Batdorff and George and Mary E.
Bull. For three years Rev. Young supplied them with preaching
once a month. The compensation was necessarily small. The
records show that he received $31.45 for the first year and $96.00
for the third year. During the year 1878 Rev. A. J. Hartsock supplied the church, and that fall it was formally
received into Kansas Synod. In October, 1878 Rev. A. B. Kirtland became pastor
of the New Cambria charge and served St. Paul's church faithfully
for twelve years, during which time the little church was greatly
strengthened in membership and a church building erected. In
1883 a site was secured and plans adopted for the erection of a
building 30 by 50 feet, to be constructed of stone. The corner
stone was laid in May, and in August the structure was completed,
at a cost of $2,675, in cash and labor, and dedicated on the First
of January, 1888, Rev. George D. Gotwald preaching the
dedicatory sermon, when all indebtedness was provided for. This church
never received any aid from either the Home Mission or the Church
Extension Boards. It is a great monument to the fidelity of the
pastor and the loyalty of the people who freely contributed of both
their means and labor in making the end possible. Soon after came
drouths and hard times which led many to remove from the county
leaving the church very weak and greatly discouraged. Rev. Kirtland
served this church in connection with that at New Cambria,
although it was not united with it as a pastoral charge. In 1891
this charge was formally effected and Rev. J. B. Umberger was
called as pastor, remaining two years. He was succeeded in May,
1894, by Rev. J. M. Long, who continued to serve them about three
years. During the vacancy that followed they invited their old
pastor Rev. Kirtland to supply them. On November 1st, 1898, Rev.
J. J. Chambers took charge and remained with them as pastor for
five years. In December, 1903, he was succeeded by Rev. J. F.
Cressler, who remained until October 31, 1906. In its parochial
report this church now (1906) reports 21 communicants, church
property valued at $2,000 with no indebtedness. It is still
connected with the New Cambria church as a pastoral charge. In 1888 a
Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society was organized
which for a time flourished. It became extinct in 1895.
Swedish Lutheran Churches in Saline County (Augustana Synod)
SALEMSBORG.
The Swedish Lutheran Church at Salemsborg, Kansas, was organized in 1869 by the Rev. A. W. Dahlsten, D. D. In 1874 a
church building was erected, but after some time this edifice became too small and in 1893 a new and modern church was built,
costing about ten thousand dollars. In 1906 a new and modern
parsonage was erected. The church and parsonage is valued at
about twenty-five thousand dollars. At present the congregation
has six hundred and one members. The Sunday School numbers
one hundred scholars. Dr. A. W. Dahlsten was the regular pastor
of the church from its organization until 1888. Since then the Rev.
C. Walleen has labored in this field.
SALINA.
A church organization was formed in 1870 by Dr. A. W. Dahlsten. In 1871, Mr. A. W. Phillips, an American, donated two lots
and on these a church was erected the following year. Still it took
some years before it was fully completed. The church property is
valued at five thousand dollars and the congregation numbers two
hundred members. In the Sunday School fifty-five pupils are enrolled. The following pastors have served the church: Dr. A. W.
Dahlsten, 1870-79; Rev. Lagerman, 1879-80; Rev. A. M. LeVeau,
1880-84; and Dr. J. E. Floren since 1887.
ASSARIA.
A congregation was organized in 1875. The church was built
in 1877 and the property is valued at six thousand dollars. The
membership is five hundred and twenty-five. In the Sunday School,
one hundred and three pupils are enrolled. The following pastors
have had charge of the work; Dr. A. W. Dahlsten, Rev. A. M. Leveau, Rev. J. T. Kjellgren and Rev. J. Wilkstrand. Rev. Wikstrand
resigned his pastorate January 1st, 1907.
FALUN.
Under the leadership of Rev. P. M. Sannquist and Dr. Carl
Swensson a congregation was organized in 1887. The church was
built the same year. Rev. P. M. Sannquist was the first pastor and
served until his death, December 21st, 1891. Afterwards Mr. K. J.
Sterner had charge of the work, until Dr. J. Ekholm took charge.
He left in 1906 and was succeeded by Dr. E. P. Olson. Present
membership is two hundred and twenty-three and eighty children
are enrolled in the Sunday School. The church property is valued
at four thousand dollars.
SMOLAN.
A Swedish Lutheran annex congregation to Salemsburg was organized in 1893.
In 1904 a church building was erected. It is
worth two thousand three hundred dollars. Present membership
is forty-five. The Sunday School has ten pupils. Rev. Carl Walleen has charge of the work.
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