More of
Organization of the Town
First House in St. Ansgar
The first actual settler on the town site, C. J. Classen, (often confused with Clausen. ) came in the spring of 1854 and built the "first house in town." It stood in the block south of the Norwegian Lutheran church. Mr. Classen used it for a Store and post office. He was the first merchant to handle hardware. After his death in 1861, the property passed into the hands of Mr. Rozine, who sold it in 1866 to T. H. Hume, Sr. The postoffice meanwhile was moved into a dwelling across the street, where there was also a grocery store.
House built by C.J. Classen - First house on the town site The Classen house was for many years the home of the Sr. Hume family. It stood until 1938 when it was sold to Jens Peterson and was torn down.
St. Ansgar Mayors (April 1, 1876, to Present Time)
PHOTOGRAPHERS
The first resident photographer was J.R.
Halvorsen, who was here in the '70s. His gallery stood about where Waldo Wold now lives. In the '80s, A. J. Clausen's photograph gallery was in the building now occupied by Josephine Gilbertson. All the old stereoptican views we know came from this studio. In 1886 the Rossiters moved to town and built a house--now the Wold home--with living rooms downstairs and a photograph gallery upstairs. The proprietors were the Rossiter sisters, Elizabeth and Matilda. They served the public for more than forty years.
J.R. Halvorsen
First resident photographerFrom these studios have come almost all of the pictures in this book.
CAN YOU REMEMBER: When one could climb up a fight of stairs and sit for a photograph that was a real work of art, made by Lizzie and Tillie M. Rossiter? It was no snap shot procedure, but head clamps, adjusted chairs, sky lights adjusted, black head cloth of the photographer and poses after poses tried.
E.L.
Elizabeth Rossiter
Photographer
Matilda Rossiter
Photographer
Photographers for more than forty years, these sisters used as their business name: L.M. and T.E. Rossiter.
CHURCHES
The First Lutheran Church
The Scandinavian pioneers who settled in this locality were a religious people. The first Sunday they were here, the last Sunday in June 1853, public worship was held in a log house.
On December 4 of the same year, Rev.
Clausen organized the congregation. It was incorporated in 1863, the following members acting on behalf of the congregation: Gulbrand Gulbrandson, Mikkel Tollefson, Peder A. Golberg, J. Helgeson, A. Knutson, and Endre Olson (Dokken), who had emigrated to America and to Muskego, Wise. in 1848 and thence with the Clausen Colony late in 1853 with his wife and their oldest son, Ole E.
View of the original First Lutheran church,
built in 1864In 1856 the "old stone school house" was built, where for a number of years public worship was held. The German congregation also used it for a time.
The present stone church was built in 1864. Into it went countless hours of labor, donated by members of the congregation. They quarried and hauled their own stone, slaked their lime, felled, hewed and hauled, their own timbers. The chief masons were the Rauk Bros., and the Sveidengard Bros. The carpenters were Mikkel Tollefson and Ole Olson Aarvelti. The church was completed in 1868, and dedication services were held Sept. 27, of that year.
Many improvements have been made since that time. In 1898 the interior was redecorated, old pews were replaced by fine oak ones, and the beautiful statue of Thorwaldsen's Christ was installed.
In 1923 the church observed its seventieth
anniversary with appropriate services. Speaker of the day was the Rev. L. A. Vigness, executive secretary of the Board of Christian Education. In an English sermon, he based his message on Psalm 48:9-14.
First Lutheran church as it is today
The first pipe organ was purchased in the fall of 1882 from the Osage Baptists. The bellows had to be pumped by hand. It was in use until 1934, when the present organ was installed. The front addition was built in 1941.
In December 1946, the Lewis Swenson Memorial chimes were dedicated. These fine Deagan chimes were given to the church by the late Mr. and Mrs. Swenson. In 1952 the Tower chimes--a gift from Ole Borsheim--were installed.
First Lutheran is unique in that but four ministers have served the congregation in the 100 years of its existence, namely, the founder, C. L. Clausen, Rev. Johan Olsen, Rev. M. E. Waldeland, and the present pastor, Rev. O. A. Langehough.
The membership in this centennial year is 648.
The first confirmation service was held in the open on April 15, 1855. The first baptisms were those of Anna Oline Lee, daughter of Ole A. Lee, and Edward E. Clausen, son of Rev. Clausen. The first marriage was that of Torgrim Larson and Kari Carlson, June 28, 1854.
First Lutheran has a Sunday school numbering 127 members; a Ladies Aid with a membership of 142; and a Luther League of 25 members. There are nine circles. Much of the missionary work is done through these circles. Parochial school is held for two weeks, following the regular public school year.
St. Ansgar Methodist Church
Methodism was introduced into Mitchell County by S. W. Ingham, when the Upper Cedar Mission was formed, including all settlements on the Cedar River above Waverly. The settlements north
of Bradford formed the Bradford Mission, with W. P. Holbrook in charge. In May 1856, the Upper Iowa Conference was formed. In the same year a small class was formed in St. Ansgar, with J. Allen as leader.
The old Methodist church, built in 1878
Until 1878, there were various changes made in the circuit of which St. Ansgar formed a part. Services were held in St. Ansgar in the following named places: the homes of Mr. J. Allen, Mr. Samuel Sweet, and others whose names we do not know and also in the old stone school house and in the Keystone Hotel.
At Newburg, services were held in McKinley's Hotel, Snyder's store, and finally in the school building. Services were quite frequently held at both Newburg and St. Ansgar.
In 1878, the first Methodist Episcopal Church in St. Ansgar was built, lots for the purpose being donated by Isaac Patterson. The following named persons were the first trustees: T. W. Thurston, Isaac Patterson, Mr. McCaffrey, Theo. Owen and Aaron Snyder.
During this year, St. Ansgar and Mitchell were not connected, but re-united again in 1880 and continued until 1892.
The first public affair in the church was an oyster supper held on Wednesday evening, Nov. 13, 1878, --net precedes, $30.
On Monday evening, December 2, the trustees met and accepted the church from the building committee.
Present Methodist church, built in 1907
In 1891, a parsonage was built, credit for which is due the ladies of the church who raised all but $400 of the cost.
These properties served the congregation until 1907, when, during the pastorate of Rev. Wm. Galbreth, the present church building was erected, the cornerstone of which was laid August 19, 1907. Dedication services were held December 16 to 20, three former pastors being present: Rev. C. E. Smith, Rev. E. G. Hunt and Rev. Nathaniel Pye. Others appearing on the program were Dr. William Shanklin, president of Upper Iowa University, Dr. H. W. Troy and Rev. Frank P. Shaffer.
In 1931, the church was redecorated and rededicated, the decorating being done by Adolf Mueller.
In the late '40's, plans for a new parsonage were forwarded, with the result that we now have a fine dwelling, modern in every way. It was built during the pastorate of Rev. E. E. Pencook, and dedicated May 1, 1949. During the building, the pastor lived in the Ernest Hanson house.
On April 16, 1953, a fine Hammond electric church organ was installed. Dedication of the organ will be in the near future.
The present pastor is the Rev. Rollin Oswald. The present membership is 329, representing 125 families. There is a Sunday school enrollment of 107 members, with a superintendent, an assistant superintendent and nine teachers. The Woman's' Society of Christian Service was formed a number of years ago, by combining the Ladies' Aid Society and the Women's Foreign Missionary Society. It now numbers 78 active members.
The Methodist Youth Fellowship today corresponds to the Epworth League of years past. It has a membership of 25.
The Methodist Men, organized in 1950, has 25 members.
Vacation Bible school is held each year, following the close of the regular public school year.
Immanuel Lutheran Church
The beginnings of Immanuel's history can be traced to a small handful of pioneer families who settled here in the early seventies of the past century. They had been born in Europe,
and while there, had acquired their Lutheran background. They emigrated first to Wisconsin, thence to St. Ansgar and vicinity.
Immanuel Lutheran church, same as
old baptist church, remodeled,
parsonage at right.
Being of a religious mind, and without a spiritual leader, these pioneers called upon German Lutheran field missionaries to administer to their needs. Rev. Merteus and Rev. Doescher responded at intervals, preaching in the homes of the people, or in the "old stone schoolhouse." There were about eight families who attended these services.
The heads of these families were Leonard Rosel, C. L. Tessman, August Nienow, Fred Hartwig, Henry Kuehl, Carl Mueller, Christian Zerck and George Rosel.
In the summer of 1874, this group organized and extended a call to the Rev. E. Wiegner, who accepted and was installed in July of that year.
In October 1874, a fair-sized dwelling and two lots were purchased from S. R. McKinley. This purchase included a part of the dwelling now occupied by August Janzow. The first floor was fitted up for use as a school and as a place of worship. The Rev. Wiegner and family lived in the second story.
The congregation was incorporated in 1880.
In 1882 a building which had been erected
for a Baptist congregation, but which was not in use, was purchased from John Rhames, and re-dedicated as a Lutheran church the twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.
Present Immanuel Lutheran church,
built in 1924.
In 1876, P. H. Benson and Herman Treichel each donated a half acre of land for cemetery purposes.
In 1884, the parochial school building was erected, and served until 1924, when it was sold. It now houses a grocery store in the east part of town.
The Rev. Wiegner was followed by pastors E. Hantel, J. Drexler, W. Janzow, Paul Brammer, T. J. Eickelberg and the present pastor, the Rev. H. C. Wolters. Rev. Brammer had a record of almost 40 years of service to this church. He served until ill health compelled him to resign Jan. 1, 1946.
It was during Rev. Brammer's pastorate that the beautiful present church edifice was built, 1924. The parsonage was enlarged and improved and various organizations were brought into being.
In 1948 a public address system was donated to the church, a motion picture projector was purchased for visual instruction, and a tape recorder was purchased to bring special church services to the shut-ins and to the aged.
The present pastor, H. C. Wolters, was installed in November 1949.
As of Jan. 1, 1953, Immanuel congregation numbers 575 souls and 418 communicant members. In her membership, she still numbers one member of the first class of confirmants in 1876--Mrs. Augusta Krueger, now 90 years old.
The first baptism was that of Albert Julius Otto Brand, August 26, 1874, by Pastor Wiegner.
At the present time, Immanuel has a Sunday school enrollment of 115 pupils, with twelve teachers and a superintendent. A religious summer school of three weeks duration is held shortly after the regular school year.
The present Ladies' Aid Society was organized March 23, 1917, and now has a membership of 68. The Walther League has 28 members. There are five circles.
Mrs. Doris Ruechel has been serving the congregation as organist and choir director for the past six years.
The first confirmation was April 4, 1875. The first marriage performed in this church was that of Karl Schuett and Marie Wilke, March 21, 1875. The first funeral was that of the mother of Mrs. Lubiens, August 7, 1874. -- L. R.
St. Ansgar Catholic Church
The St. Ansgar Catholic church building was built during the summer of 1951, under the direction of the present pastor, Rev. Thomas J. Conroy, and a selected committee. A great deal of work was done by the local people of the area.
The consecration of the altar stone took place September 8, 1951, with Fr. Conroy presiding, assisted by Fr. Paul
McDonald and Richard Kuhn. Sister Mary Damian furnished the music.
St. Ansgar Catholic church, built in 1951.
The first Mass to be offered in the newly founded Mission of Sacred Heart Parish was offered by Father Conroy September 9. William Kleckner and Victor Vichlach served as altar boys. Music was provided by the male choir of Meyer under the direction of Mr. Al May. Afterwards, a Parish dinner was served in Sacred Heart church in Osage.
His Excellency Archbishop Binz from Dubuque blessed and consecrated the new edifice Sept. 9 at 4 p.rn. Archbishop Binz congratulated the pastor and people on their fine work and urged them to carry on the great work of St. Ansgar who is known in history as the "Apostle of the North."
Anschar or Ansgarius was born in Picardy, Sept. 8, 865. He became a Benedictine of Corbie and carried the Faith to the King of Sweden who was greatly impressed, and the first Catholic church of Sweden was soon built. Anschar later became Bishop of Hamburg and was soon appointed legate of the Pope to the Northern nations. He made visits - to Denmark and built a church at Schleswig. King Olaf consented to his preaching and even King Eric's enmity changed into friendship. In Germany, Anschar is better known as St. Scharies.
St. Ansgar Catholic church will continue to remain a Mission attended by the Priests of Sacred Heart, Osage, until the Archbishop decides to make further provision.
One funeral has been held from the church so far: Mrs. Christine Haas, on Sept. 25, 1951.
There has also been one wedding, that of George Lieverou and Dorothy Adams, who joined hands on the morning of Oct. 24, 1952.
The first Mission Exercises were given by Fr. Patrick McElliott in February of 1952.
Fourteen Baptisms are recorded in the St. Ansgar Registry, the first child being the son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Kleckner, baptized Mark Maurice on Sept. 16, 1951.
Three children made their First Holy Communion May 25, 1952, after which a parish breakfast was served at the Lloyd Fox home.
The Ladies of the parish organized the St. Ansgar Rosary Society and chose Mrs. Ernest Kleckner as its first president.
The men of the parish organized into the Holy Name Society and elected Virgil Welp from Carpenter as president.
At the present time, there are over fifty families attending services regularly at St. Ansgar.
V. S.
© 2004 - Tracey Stickney-VanHise
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