Chicago Lutheran History: A Translation of History of The Founding and Growth of the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Chicago belonging to The Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States
Note: I have made several corrections based on suggestions I have received. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to help me out.
This is the beginning of a series of translations from a document published in 1896 by First. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Geschichte Der Gründung und Ausbreitung der zur Synode von Missouri, Ohio und andern Staaten or History of The Founding and Growth of Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Chicago belonging to The Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States tells the story of the Lutheran Church in Chicago during the 19th century. This translation is a part of an upcoming project to document the history of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod congregations in Chicago. To see some of the work being done, including photographs, follow this account and my instagram.
This chapter is the introduction to the book, pages 5 through 7, and it describes the history of Chicago and the Christians who first came to the city. The images below are not original to the document.
Please note that I am learning German as I translate. There may be mistakes in translation, and I welcome corrections. Despite my nascent translation skills, I think you will get the sense of the original text from my translations.
History of The Founding and Growth of Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States
History of The Founding and Growth of Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other states
Produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation UAC
Of Chicago, IL
In commemoration of the celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Chicago on Trinity Sunday, May, 31st, 1896, compiled by a committee, by assignment of the pastoral conference of Chicago,
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed” Matthew 13:31
Printed by Louis Lange Jr. and Co., 358 Dearborn Str., Chicago, Illinois.
1896
Chapter 1: Introduction
“Great are the works of the Lord, whoever observes them has pure delight in them.” Psalm 111:2. Whoever observes them, he knows also that God began his great and marvelous works as slight and insignificant before the eyes of mankind. But he has brought out before other men ideas and expectations so great and glorious, that everyone who saw, marvelled and were amazed, exclaiming: This is what God has done!
This is what God has done! Thus shall proclaim all Christians after reading this little book, which will recount to them the history of the founding and spread of the evangelical Lutheran church and her congregations in Chicago, Illinois.
Before we begin with the actual history, let’s first take a short glance at the city, Chicago itself, and see what the same was like in the first times.
Where the large global city of Chicago with its palaces, miles long streets and all its conveniences and inconveniences, where some met the red man a hundred years ago, to which the land belonged. First in the year 1795, the Indians conveyed 6 acres of land where the Chicago River flows out into Lake Michigan to the United States. In the year 1804, Fort Dearborn was built, and in 1812 the first white men, Kinzie and his son John H. Kinzie, were allowed to settle down on government land. In the year 1818, an influx of white people came from the eastern states. On the Northside of the River was built the so called “Miller House,” also called “Cobweb Castle.” At the confluence of the two arms of the river Father Walker, a Methodist missionary, built a long frame-building for holding church, school, and council meetings. In the year 1829, Chicago was laid out and incorporated as a town. It lay between the streets State and Halsted, Madison and Kinzie. In the year 1833, the first church was built, the first post office with weekly mail was set up, and the first weekly newspaper, The Chicago Democrat, was published. By the first town election, on August 10th, 1833, there were only 28 votes, but already in 1835, 211 were cast. In the year 1839, Chicago was incorporated as a city.
After stating these not uninteresting facts, we turn our attention to the beginnings of the church mainly under the Germans of Chicago.
Soon after that in the year 1839, the City of Chicago, as such it had become known, Germans also began to settle here. They did not want to be inferior to the Americans, who had already by 1833 built a church, but also to have the opportunity to go once again to Church on Sunday and to hear a German sermon. Some, therefore, searched for a protestant preacher. Soon one such [preacher] was found, but he and a whole succession of others found found no lasting place in Chicago because of their immoral activities. “Run in and chased out,” These few words all can be said about these spiritual sojourners. The blessed pastor Friedrich Wyneken had heard of Chicago and, in the year 1840, undertook in 1840 the trip on horseback, to chance a mission attempt in Chicago. However, due to impassable roads, he traveled only to Elkhart, Indiana. Here and in the surrounding area, he preached and evangelized, but he did not come to Chicago.
The last of the travelling preachers, a reformed preacher, collected funds for the construction of a Lutheran/Reformed Church. For this establishment they also involved many of the so-called better Germans. The church was built in 1843 on Ohio near LaSalle street. But soon even this preacher had to give up his office because of his drunkenness.
Finally, after tiring of the many tries with preachers who had come here, they elected a committee of the church-minded Germans of Chicago, which should find a suitable preacher with an honorable life, and, if possible, bring him to Chicago. For two-and-a-half years this committee tried in vain to execute their charge.
Pastor Winkler, from Detroit, Michigan, was among those who had obtained a call from Chicago but rejected it. He proposed to the committee a man that he knew was a respectable, conscientious, confessional, Lutheran preacher. This man was Pastor C. A. T. Selle in Columbiana County, Ohio.
Thank you to Ken Howes for his corrections.
