First Missionary Came

Here In 1858. Held

Services In Private Home.

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INDIANS DESTROYED

FIRST CHURCH BUILT

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Rev. C. G. Hohn Has

Been In Charge Of

Parish Thirteen Years.

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Early history of the Methodist

Church of this city dates back to

1858 and the little band of workers

at that time would no doubt feel that

their sacrifices were not made in vain

could they but know of the recent

accomplishment of their followers.

The present Methodist Church

building was recently completed at

a cost of $75,000 and is one of the

newest and most modern church

buildings in this part of the state.

Due largely to the efforts of Rev. C.

G. Hohn who has had charge of the

congregation for the past 13 years,

the present building was realized.

His earnest efforts, together with

the loyal support of members of his

church, have made possible the realization

of the new house of worship.

Historical Sketch

A few years after the first white

settlers had come to this city from

Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, Ill.,

the Rev. H. Singenstrue, a German

Methodist minister, was sent to this

locality by the Upper Iowa Conference

of the Methodist Episcopal

Church in 1858 to labor among the

German settlers who up to that time

had been without religious services

of any kind. He came from LeSueur

where he was stationed, making

the trip on horse back. This pioneer

preacher found a welcome reception

with the John Fenske family, residing

about two and one-half miles

from New Ulm. He preached in the

Fenske home and invited neighbors

in to hear the services. Thru his

honest efforts many families were

attracted and the first Methodist Society

was organized in May, 1858.

The first official board of this society

consisted of M. Redmann, Christoph

Schumann, Wilhelm Alwin and

Christoph Gluth.

At the same time Rev. Singenstrue

started a mission station in

Lafayette Township in Nicollet

County where he found a hearty

welcome in the home of Henry Lillie.

Here also he organized a society,

Henry Lillie, Jacob Durbahn, Jurgen

Durbahn, Andrew Draeger and

Henry Schrader, Sr., were the first

official members.

The courageous and enthusiastic

pioneer minister spared no efforts

to gain a foot hold in the little town.

He finally succeeded in securing

the Hiller home as a place of meeting

and he continued to preach the

Gospel and minister to the spiritual

needs of his little flock from 1858

until 1860.

Indians Burn First Church

Rev. Henry Schnitker was the

next itinerant missionary who served

the societies for the next two years.

He was instrumental in the erection

of the first church building which

was burned by the Indians before

it was quite finished. On account of

the Indian Outbreak in 1862, Rev.

Schnitker left this charge and was

succeeded by the Rev. John Haas

who remained only a few months

on account of the continued Indian

trouble.

During the ministry of Chas. Thalenhorst,

1863 to 1864, a log church

was erected on the Jurgen Durbahn

farm in Lafayette township. He was

succeeded in his work by Henry Singenstrue

who remained for the next

three years. Under his leadership a

new brick church was erected on the

corner of State and 3rd North St.,

opposite from the old M. E. Church

building. This was the exact location

of the church destroyed by the Indians.

In 1866 the new brick church

was dedicated.

The Rev. John G. Bauer was

minister during the years 1867 to

1890, Rev. G. Dosdall served as

assistant from June, 1869 until

October, 1870. The two ministers

covered an extensive territory, traveling

from here as far as Beaver

Falls, Birch Cooley, Morton,Sleepy

Eye, Springfield, Fairfax and other

points. These charges served by the

two ministers were organized into

separate stations, or served from different

points until after 1870 when

Rev. Friederich Uhland became pastor.

He preached here, at Lafayette,

West Newton and Cairo or Mud

Lake as it is also called. Rev. Unland

was succeeded by Rev. John M.

Nippolt who served here from 1873

until 1876. Under his administration

a new brick church was erected on

the Jacob Durbahn farm in Lafayette

township which was known as the

Salem church.

Rev. A. Biebighauser took

charge of the local parish in 1876

and remained until 1879. Rev. A.

Dulitz served the Lafayette parish

which had developed into a strong

charge from 1876 to 1878.After

that year the Lafayette charge was

again connected with the New Ulm

charge. Christopher Jahn was pastor

of both charges from 1879 until

1882.

Tornado Destroys Church

On July 15, 1888 a tornado destroyed

the Methodist church. The

following year under the administration

of Rev. G. E. Hilton a new

church was erected which is now

known as the old church located on

the corner of State and 3rd North

Streets. Rev. Hiller served this

charge from 1882 to 1885. Rev. F.

J. Preine, 1885 to 1889; Rev. Henry

Schnitker for the second time 1889 to

1891; Rev. W. E. Baumgarten 1891

to 1895; A. F. W. Krienke, 1895

to 1899; Rev. Geo. Fritze 1899to

Nov., 1901, when he took sick and

died in March 1902. From November

1901 to June 1902, the District

Superintendent Jahon Hauck and

neighboring pastors supplied this

church. During the ministry of Geo.

Fritze an addition was built. In June,

1902, the Rev. Christian Hohn took

charge and served until October,

1903. From October, 1903 to 1912,

the Rev. C. H. Sauter was pastor of

the work. During the ministry of

Rev. Sauter the church of Lafayette

was sold and the local church was

renovated and additions built. Rev.

Hohn next assumed charge for the

second time and is still the resident

pastor. During the administration of

Rev. Hohn the parsonage was considerably

improved.

Present Church was

considerably improved.

In 1923 the present site of the

new church was purchased from

Chas. Brust, Sr., for the sum of

$9,000. The house which stood on

the lot was moved to the old church

property and was made over into a

modern duplex. The location purchased

for the erection of a new

church building was on the corner

of Broadway and Center streets

and made an ideal place to build

the new church. In the fall of 1923

the excavations were started and the

foundations were laid. The corner

stone was laid April 13, 1924, when

Bishop John Neulson of Zurich,

Switzerland, was in the city and had

charge of the ceremonies.

New Ulm Review,

September 16, 1925

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