The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-06-26
Members Of the First Baptist Church
Gather Sunday Afternoon to Lay
Corner Stone OF the Church.
LARGE CROWD IS IN ATTENDANCE
Stone is Set in Place by Charles N. Frost
While the Rev. D. b. Cheney. of Ra-
cine, Delivers the Sermon.

For the third time in little oyer a
half a century the members of the
Baptist church gathered Sunday after
noon for the purpose of laying the cor
ner stone Of a temple of worship. Way
back in the late thirties when South
port consisted only Of a trading post
the Baptists first built church and
the corner stone Of it was laid in 1910.
Crude and uncouth this church stooe
as monument to the early piety OF
Kenosha until 1890 when the branch
ing congregation erected the magnih.
cent structure which was destroyed by
fire less than year ago. Nothing
daunted by the fire the members de-
cided at once to build a new church
and now on the very foundations of
the church destroyed by the fire fend
a more splendid edifce is being erected
as a place of worship for the denomi-
nation.
The service attending the laying of
the stone was of a very solemn reli-
gious nature and many members of
the church from other cities came to
Kenosha to attend the service. The
wallis of the church had been built
high enough to be ready for the lay
ing of the corner stone and the people
gathered on the floor of the new build
ing and took part in the exercises with
enthusiasm.
The services opened with the sing
e ~,
Mr.. Blaisdell read a scripture lesson
which was followed by prayer by the
Rev. Mr.. Hewitt consecrating the build
ing to the work of the church. Then
followed the reading of the contents
of the box which was placed in the
corner. The contents Of the box in
cludes the following articles:
Names Of the officers of the church
and the building committee; map of
Kenosha in 1882, showing the previous
church; copies of current Kenosha
papers; names of architects and con-
tractors of the building; pictorial
edition of the Observation-Disclosures
issued in 1890; minutes of the Lake
Shore Baptist Association of 1890;
minutes of the Milwaukee Baptist AS
ISOLATION of 1891; Baptist Jubilee Mem
oria1 program issued in 1888; picture
of the First baptist church in Keno
sha which stood froms1840 until 1890;
picture of the church built in 1890 and
burned in 1901; picture of the new
building now being erected; one issue
of the Baptist Standard; photogra phs
of former President Mckinley and
President Roosevelt; photograph
of the Rev. E, c. Kunkle, present
pastor of the church; a copy of the
bible which survived the FIRE; statistics
of the church for 1901 and 1902, to-
gether with large number of niscel-
1aneous articles such as coins, current
papers and other things of interest tc
succeeding generations.
At this iuncture c. N. Frost, the
chairman of the committee in charge
of the building, welded the trowel and
the pretty granite corner was slipped
into shape and sealed down with BIZ
of morton. Following the laying Of
the stone the Rev. D. B, Cheney, Of
Racine, delivered a sermon suitable tc
the occasion, after which prayer ant
a song closed the impressive cere
monies. The Rev. E. c. Kunk1e, pas
tor of the church, acted as master Of
ceremonies.
The work on the church is going
rapidly forward and it is hoped to have
the building completed before the mid
die of the fall. Many former members
of the church came to Kenosha or
Sunday to attend the ceremonies at
tending the laying of the corner stone
The committee in charge of the
building announc : that nearly all TIL,
funds needed for the building of til,
church have been subscribed and it i
hoped that the entire amount needed
will be III the hands of the committe,
before the church is completed. Tn
corner stone was given to the church
by the Morse Granite Co.
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