Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-28
BIB OF AUGUSTANA SYNOD AND IT'S FAMOUS COLLEGE


have died; the rest are unable to
work; our means are gone and winter
is at hand" In 1857 came the finan-
cial crisis, when nearly all the banks
collapsed and paper money became
worthless. Many of our people had to
leave the towns and wander out into
the country, where they planted corn
and potatoes in spots to sustain life.
In certain parts of Minnesota musk.
rat skins were used as currency.
First Church in Iowa.
In a few years Swedish Lutherans
had arrived in sufficient numbers to
feel that they were ss fiocks without
shepherd. In New Sweden. Iowa,
the settlers had organized a Lutheran
congregation as early as 1S49. Not
being able to secure minister they
appointed one of their own lay mem
bers to serve as pastor and administer
the sacraments. This man was NJ. F.
Hokanson, who afterwards was or
dained and became the organizer of
many Lutheran churches in Iowa.
Under the circumstances accounted
above it must be locked upon as
special act of divine providence
that Rev. L. P. Esbjorn of
Gestrikland felt urged to leave his
home in Sweden and move to America.
The needs of his scattered and neg
lected countrymen had made a pro-
found appeal to his heart, and in the
cherished nope of being able to serve
their higher spiritual interests he
came over in the summer of 1S49. Ac-
companied by a few families from his
native place he arrived after a tedi-
Gus and distressing voyage to Illinois
and settled in Andover On the way
he lost by death two of his children
and was himself stricken with the
dreaded disease-cholera. The follow
ing spring he organized a Lutheran
church in that place, and later on
other churches at Princeton, Moline,
Henderson and Galesburg.
Church Erected In Moline.
But the work of Esbjorn was not
limited to the places mentioned above.
It extended far and wide into the sur
rounding country and brought him, as
we have seen, as far west as Iowa.
In the spring of 1851 he undertook a
journey to the eastern states to solicit
funds among the English and German
speaking Lutherans for the erection of
churches il the newer and poorer set
Elements in the west. Wherever he
found any countrymen he preached to
them and endeavOred to encourage
them in their faith and their work.
In Boston he was introduced to the
famous singer, Jennie Lind, and received
from her a gift of $500. The whole
sum which he raised amounted to 81
200. With this he erected a small
brick church at Andover, another of
frame in Moline, and the remainder,
about $500, went to defray part Of
the expenses of erecting third at
New Sweden Iowa.
More and more it began to appeal.
that If the Swedish Lutheran con- /
gregations were to continue their eX-
istence, it would be necessary to have |
more pastors. When therefore the |
English Lutheran congregations of !
northern Illinois met at CedarVflle in /
the fall of 1851 to organize a Lutheran
synod, Esbjorn met with them and |
joined the Swedish congregations to
that synod.
ArrfVni OF HasseIquist'
Meanwhile Rev Mr.. Esbjorn had ar
ranged with the congregation at |
G&lesburg 10 extend a call to Rev. T. |
N HasselqUist of the diocese of Lund,
Sweden. After much hesitation and |
many prayers Mr. Hasselquist ac-
cepted the call, arrived in 1852 and at
once took charge of this and sur
rounding congregations. The coming