Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-21

AktOo-M4Ss <AIl6 oS oShJ ~
Christina Jerico. Miss Lille Craft, Miss
Lena Meyer, Miss Mary Hauke.
Te~nors-August Nolte, Conrod Miller,
August Martin.
Bassos-Charles Edall, William Ho-
burg, Fred Geyer, John Scharf, w. F.
S~teinbicker.
Tomorrow evening at 1880 o'clock
| there will be a reunion of
| those who have been confirm
ed in the congregation the past
| fifty years. For the occasion Rev.
| G.. G. Berkmeier, of Mt. Vernon, N. Y,
will preach a German sermon and Rev.
D. H. Geissinger, D. D., of Pittsburg,
Pa, an English sermon. This gather
| ing will be notable especially for the
reason that many of the older members
will be present. The jubilee will not
conclude until next Thursday evening,
when ascension services will be held
and Rev. P. ]. Hob will preach.
Historical Sketch.
lions church was organized on May
18th, 1850, under the pastoral care of
Rev. F. Zimmerman. About twenty
families, composing the congregation,
| held their first service in Otis hall, at
Market and Twelfth streets. The first
church committee was composed of
| Thomas Kern, John Wuest, William
Wagner, Christian H~agedorn, Carl
Schwertfeger, Ernest Beoehr, Michael
Hoffman, Christian Schumacher,
Frederick Wurster, John Kettler
and Henry Hartman. This COM
mittee was appointed to out
line the future plans of the
church. 1t is said that the first melo-
dian brought to the city was used in
this hall.
The congregation in July, 1851, pur-
chased a lot for a new building at the
corner of Chapline and Twentieth
streets, where DR.. w. R. Taylor now
resides. On finding that the bids were
rather steep for a new house of wor-
ship, they abandoned the idea of max
ing the improvement. Later they
bought the English Congregationalist
church building at the corner of Mar
ket street and alley Is, which is the site
of the present edifice. The price paid
for the building was $4,000, together
with the lot they had previously pur-
chased.
In 1858 Rev. F. Zimmerman resigned
as pastor of the church, and was sue
ceeded by Rev. G. G.. Berkmeier,
of Pittsburg. The membership of
the church increased rapidly
under the latter minister's
charge and sufficient funds were
soon raised to build a new parsonage
on Chapline street and buy a cemetery
on Caldwells run. At this time a
parochial school was started with a
membership of one hundred children,
and Carl Mann was appointed teacher
and organist of the institution. In
the year 1862, after the congregation
had paid off a considerable amount of
the church debt and their prospects
seemed bright for future prosperity, the
church building was destroyed by a
cyclone. In the basement of the
structure at the time of the storm were
a number of children who were attend
ing school, and according to the rec
ords, three were killed and others were
wounded.
The next day the congregation de-
cided to erect a new building on the
same site, and later received financial
aid from congregations of the Luth-
eran Synod and also this city. In 1867
Rev. Mr.. Berkmeier left for New York,
and Rev. F. c. Tampa was elected as
his successor. During his ~pastorate an
attempt was made to introduce the
English language at the evening SER
vices. However, the attempt proved
unsuccessful, and since then only Ger
man services have been held in the
church. Rev. Mr.. Tampa remained
here until June, 1873, and was sue
ceeded by Rev. F. P. MaySer, of
Stantsburg, Pa. After a stay of eleven
months he accepted a call to a very
large congregation at Lancaster, Pa.
Rev. Otto Mierwein, of Philadelphia,
Pa, was selected as pastor by the con-
gregation in June, 1874, and he worked
very successfully for over ten years in
the church. 1t was during his pas
torate that the congregation purchased
the present parsonage on South Chap
line street. In 1885, Rev. Mr.. Paul
Ziegelmeyer, of Germany, was called,
and while he was pastor the church
enjoyed a period of genuine prosperity.
In 1887 a steeple was added to the
building and the Indebtedness of the
church was liquidated. The latter
minister remained here until Septem-
Der, 1898, when he returned to his old
home in Europe. Afterwards Rev.
Philip ]. Hob, the present pastor, ac-
.cepted a call from the congregation,
and to his efforts it may be said is
due in a large measure the present
flourishing condition of the church.
During the past several years the