The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-04-15
THE SALEM CHURCH
Prof. Geo e. Fisher Of Salem
Gives Some Interesting In
formation Concerning This
Historic Structure

The history OF the Salem church,
located at Salem. Snyder county,
takes US back more than one hun.
dred and thirty years, to a period
when dense forest covered most OF
our fertile valleys aud when the l n.
dian still claimed the possession OF
much Of our land.
As early a. April 4, 1766, a warrant
was issued to have q certain tract OF
ninety-two acres surveyed by the
state in trust OF the Lutherans for
chArch and school purpt sen, the ap.
plicaIion for the warrant havinp 9
been made by y number Of the early
Lutheran settlers Of these parts,
nh0hg them Aslchor Stock whose
family Was cruelty massacrsd By q
party OF indisns in 1851.
The frat congregation organized
here in ITS WAS composed of Luth.
ersns because most Of the early set
tlers in the lower end OF the Middle.
creek Valley were German Luther
ans, having come from tho lower
counties OF the state. The few Ger
man Reformed families living in this
nsiRhborhood helped the Lutherans
to build Y log church and school
house. the eIsct date OF which ia not
known. 1t 10 probable that the first
school house was built very soon af.
tor the warrant was taken out and
that itwss used for preaching until
the log church was built, which -was
somewhere about 1850. This was
the first church built in this section
ofthe state. being the first one built
west OF the Susquehsnna river as far
as is known.
The first regular pastor Was Rev.
Michael Enderlains, who resided in
Lykens Valley, but would occasion.
ally come up here to presch to our
forefsthers. II was then that they
could listen to the long disoouyses6l
soverxl hours because of s6e l6U0No ~
tssyals between services.
Although tho warrant for the
church and school land was taken
out in trust of the Lutherans alone,
yet the Reformed families who had
settled here aided in the building of
the first church and helped to keep
up the congregation, 30 in 1902 the
Lutherans agreed to give the Re-
formed an equal share and interest
in the church land and after that
two congregations worshiped to-
gether in the same church until the
building became delapidated and it
WAS decided to build new house of
worship.
While the warrant for the land
was taken out in 1766 the land was
no. paid for aud the patent deed &C.
cured until Dec. 10, 1911. Thomas
Mitilln was the Governor of our
state. After securing full posses
sion Of the land the two congrega
tions began to plan for the building
of q church. 1t was thought expe
dent to sell off some of this tract of
ninety-two acres and apply the pro
ceeds toward defraying tue cost of
the new building. But before they
could do this they had to get per-
init from the state; accordingly such
an act was presented and passed by
the legislature aud signed by Cover
nor Simon Snyder March 20, 1912,
empowering the elders and trus.
tees Of the Lutheran and Calvinist
congregations of Rows church, to
sell and convey, in fee simple, not
exceeding one half, of the land or
tract, belOngingto the congregations
of Rows church aforesaid, on which
land the church aforesaid now stands
and to apply the money arising from
the sale, in building a new church,
or repair the old, in such manner,
as the trustees and elders, for the
time being, of both congregations,
on majority OF them, may direct,
rs in and by SAID act, relation being
thereunto had, will appear" BY
authority OF this act the officers sold
81 acres, 20 perches for which they
realized S1695. 33.
It was now discovered that mis-
take had been made by the state
surveyor in the original survey and
accordingly part of the graveyard
was found to be on the land belong.
ing to Samuel Hendricks. So Q tri-
angular piece of land containing two
acres and twelve perches were Sc
cured from Hendricks and the new