The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-12-03

former pastor of the Sank Centre
Methodist church occupied his old
pulpit Sunday morning and deliver
ed a very strong sermon in connec-
ton with the celebration of the Goth
anniversary of the founding OF the
local church organization.
Rev. S. S. Wyand has prepared an
interesting story of the early church
edifces of the city which follows
herewith:
Sank Centre and Early
Builders. e- :.
Every development is interesting
always-that of town, institute or
Individual.
In this early church history word
of interest may be said about the
community in which the church
arose. How id the community come
about? Who was its founder? These
are interesting questions. "Sauk
Centre - the very name of our town
means much to its people. The ety.
mology of this Indian word is not
very clear. 1t seems to be mixture
of form. 1t is thought to have grown
out of the word "Osage," meaning
"Sauk' from their tribe of Indians.
Or it may have arisen from their
confederated tribe, "The Sacs and
Forces" These Indians were driven
from their original home on the Of
tawa river in Canada by the mighty
Iroquis and came on to Wisconsin
thence to the Mississippi river. Then
to Iowa where there is remnant of
them on a reservation in Tama coun-
ty which reservation the writer has
many times visited. Black Hawk was
a celebrated chieftain of this tribe. In
1882 when in war against him our
immortal Lincoln performed his only
military service. The word "Sauk"
then means beauty, satisfaction, con-
tentment and prosperity, and "Cen-
tire" means the very center or heart
of these possessions.
Early Church Gifts
and Requests
Into this beautiful centre in early
fifties came adventurous men, among
them was Alexander Moore and he
with six others drew up the first plat
for a townsite as early as 1855 to be
known as "Sauk Centre Townsite -
Mr.. Moore was also acting in the ca
pacity at this time as an agent for
his mother, Mrs. Rachael Moore. Lit
tie was done for a year or two but
progress was made and a town, &C
cording to plat, was laid out, articles
of founding properly executed and
Alexander Moore became the father
and virtually owner of Sank Centre
at that time. His wife Lovicy Moore
chartered and honored member of
the Methodist church was mother of
Sank Centre, and in these early days
Mr.. and Mrs. Moore set aside four
lots from this organization for the
property of the Methodist church
for parsonage two lots and for the
church two lots, where these build
ings now stand. The date of abstract
showing the completion of this trans
action is March End, 1869. This To-
cation the donors of those long ago
days thought most ideal and in every
way the most attractive of all they
could offer for these purposes. The
church is more than honored in hav-
ing as its early donors these people
so generous and kind.
The Parsonages and
their Builders
In the early days many ministers
preached wherever and whenever
there was need or call. They preach
ed in the homes of people-in saw
mills, in taverns, in buildings, in
stockades and forts, on banks of riv-
ers, lakes, in groves. But they all
needed to be properly and comfor-
tably housed and to find homes, or
houses suitable and available in a