Hometown - pcgazette.com

pcgazette.com

Chapel is big achievement for little parish

By WENDELL NELSON
Special to The Gazette
As we saw in the preceding article in this series, St. Olaf's Episcopal parish in Amherst managed to establish itself, and to persist and even thrive for the last 132 years. But more remarkable, it also succeeded in raising the money to buy property and build its own church.

The congregation held worship services and other activities in a variety of places before it built its own chapel. According to the parish's own publication, "A Brief History of St. Olaf's Episcopal Church," "services were held on the second floor of a hotel, and later in the Methodist Church." As we saw in the Aug. 29, 1868, Plover Times, Amherst had "two good hotels" in 1868, but which of them the Episcopalians held their services in is not clear.

Minnie Gasmann says in her column in the Feb. 2, 1950, Amherst Advocate (A History of Amherst, "Chapter Seventeen: History of the Episcopal Church at Amherst," part 1), that the hotel sat on the northeast corner of "the square" (presumably the main intersection of the village, where Main Street and Mill/Wilson streets -- now County Highway B - cross), "(O)n the second floor was a (h)all used for various purposes. In this hall Rev. Sorenson held the first (Episcopal) services. The late Mrs. L.E. Wentworth, the former Margaret Gasmann, remembered attending services in this hall."

The Wisconsin Pinery of Jan. 18, 1868, carried an ad for "EEN'S HOTEL, Amherst, Wis. This new House is now open for the reception of guests. CHAS. A. & J. EEN, Proprietors." And the Feb. 15 Pinery, three weeks later, carried an ad for a "Grand Ball" to be held on Friday, Feb. 21, for George Washington's birthday, at "EEN'S new Hotel, in Amherst.... His Hall is large and commodious (sic), and one of the best rooms for dancing in this country (i.e., this area)."

So the Episcopalians may have held their services in the Een brothers' hotel. The fact that the Eens were Swedish immigrants may have encouraged the Episcopalians - mostly Scandinavians, as we have seen - to hold services in that hotel. But we don't know for sure. And we don't know anything about the other Amherst hotel at the moment, including whether St. Olaf's parish held its services there.

Another temporary home for the parish was a school house. This was a very early grade school, a one-story, gabled, frame building on the west side of Laconia Street, then called Church Street, probably after the Methodist church there. The Amherst Advocate of June 27, 1894, reported that "The Episcopal society of this place have rented the school house building immediately south of the M.E. church, which is being fitted up for a chapel in which their services will be hereafter conducted." ("M.E." was an abbreviation for "Methodist Episcopal," the original name of the denomination in the United States, and an indication of the church's English (Anglican/Episcopal) beginnings.)
Two years later, the congregation began planning to build its own church. A warranty deed dated Sept. 28, 1896, (Vol. 60, page 523) recorded the purchase of four lots on the west side of North Main Street by the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac from the Jackson Milling Co. for $275. So the congregation then had a place to build.

According to the parish's history, the Women's Guild of the congregation raised the money to pay for the land. The guild also raised money to help pay for the construction of the building. The Amherst column in the Sept. 30, 1904, Stevens Point Daily Journal announced that "'Mr. Bob' will be played here Oct. 14 in the opera house, under the auspices of St. Olaf's guild, the proceeds to go toward increasing the guild's building fund."

At a meeting after worship services on Sept. 7, 1904, "it was decided to secure stone and other materials as soon as possible and build during the coming year," the parish history says. And the Amherst column in the Sept. 16 Daily Journal reported that "St. Olaf Mission will get stone on the ground this fall and will commence on their new church early next spring."

Various issues of the Advocate from 1905 chronicled the progress of the construction work. The April 20 issue announced that "Work will be started on the Episcopal chapel on North Main street before long. The building is to be 24 x 44 feet (wide and long). Gus Torkelson is drawing plans for the structure."

Gustav C. - or Carl Gustav - Torkelson (1878-1956) was a carpenter and building contractor in Amherst until moving to Merrill in 1905, according to the Advocate of July 13 of that year. "He was a partner in the firm that built the Lincoln county jail and sheriff's residence, and supervised the building of the Merrill senior high school," according to his obituary in the Feb. 1, 1956, Daily Journal. His father, Gunder Torkelson (1841-1921) brought the family from Norway in 1872, coming first to Chicago and later to Amherst. Father and son worked together on many buildings in the Amherst area, Gunder's obituary in the Advocate of Sept. 22, 1921, says.

On May 11, the Advocate again announced imminent construction. "The erection of the new Episcopal church on North Main street will be commenced before long. It will be a modern structure and the location is one of the best in the village."

Finally, on June 22, the paper published a "NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS: Sealed bids will be received by the building committee of St. Olaf's Mission of Amherst, Wis., to furnish material and build a church building for said Mission. Bids will be, for all wood construction and cement block construction, separately, finishing will be in wood with shingle roof in both bids. Plans and specifications can be seen at the office of A.J. Smith in the village of Amherst, Wisconsin. Bids may be filed on or before July 12th, 1905, at 5 o'clock p.m., addressed to A.J. Smith, Amherst, Wis., and marked 'Proposals to build church.' The committee reserves the right to reject any and all bids."

The notice bore the names of Mrs. J.J. Nelson, Rev. George Hirst and A. J. Smith, committee.

On July 27, the Advocate announced "BIDS ARE OPENED. The bids for the erection of the Episcopal (chapel) to be built on North Main street have been opened, and it is thought that the structure will be of cement blocks."

"K.R. Thompson of this place and Manchester, of Stevens Point, have secured the contract for the erection of the same."

Knudt Thompson (1866-1945) was born in Norway, and came with his parents to the United States when he was 3, an undated 1945 Advocate says. After living in the town of Helvetia, Waupaca County, he settled in Amherst in 1900. He was married twice: his first wife died in about 1892, and his second wife, whom he married in 1908, survived him, as did 10 children. His sidewalks can still be seen in the village of Amherst; they bear a diamond-shaped stamp enclosing the words, "K. R. THOMPSON MAKER." He probably did the masonry work - in this case, almost entirely of cement blocks - on the church.

Justin Manchester (1863-1946) was born in the town of Stockton, and as a carpenter and, later, a contractor, worked on many Portage County buildings. Later, he lived in various Wisconsin cities and finally California, where he died. (He was a great-grandfather and namesake of Portage County farmer and writer Justin Isherwood.) He probably had charge of the carpentry - the wood construction-on the church.

The first report of actual construction appeared in the Advocate of Aug. 10: "K.R. Thompson's crew began work on the basement and foundation of the Episcopal chapel to be erected on North Main street the first of the week."

And a week later, another brief report appeared: "Work is progressing very well on the basement of the new Episcopal chapel."

The Aug. 31 Advocate printed more details: "Two young men, cement experts, are busy here making building blocks for the new Episcopal church. St. Olaf's people expect to have their new house of worship ready for dedication about November 1st. The subscription list for the building fund was headed by a $500 contribution by the Ladies' Guild, and other generous sums were given by Amherst citizens."

And a week later, the Advocate gave more encouragement: "Work is progressing quite rapidly on the new Episcopal Chapal (sic)."

On Oct. 12, enough work had been done to enable the Advocate to describe the building at length and in detail. "A BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE. Walls of the Episcopal Chapel Now Finished. The new Episcopal chapel on North Main street is nearing completion as far as the cement work is concerned and is now far enough advanced for one to get a good idea of the pretty structure it will be when finished. The walls are finished and the masons are now working on the steeple. Carpenters are also at work on the roof. The building will be one of the prides of the village. The cement blocks used in its construction are substantial and give it a massive appearance which will be something out of the ordinary. A neat arched doorway and a large arched window in the front will be very attractive features.

"The contractors, Thompson, of this village, and Manchester, of Stevens Point, are leaving nothing undone, and are putting in the best of material with the help of skilled mechanics."

About a month later, on November 16, the Advocate ran an update and a postponement. "It is now expected that the new Episcopal church will be completed December 1, and be ready for occupancy about the 10th. The masonry on the tower and the broad steps have (sic) just been finished and the inside work is being rushed. The stained glass windows are expected to arrive this week. The large front window will be a handsome representation of the Good Shepherd."

Finally, on page one of its Feb. 1, 1906, issue, the Advocate announced the opening of the completed building, and included a photograph of it. "The above is a cut (photo) of the new Episcopal Chapel, situated on North Main street, which was finished about a week ago. The building is built entirely of cement blocks, and was erected by Contractors Thomson (sic) of this village and Manchester of Stevens Point. The building is a model in every respect. The cement blocks from which it is constructed, tend to give it a massive appearance, as though it is built of stone, and the steps and low, square topped belfry add greatly to this effect. The inside of the chapel is neat and attractive. A vestry is built on the north-west corner of the structure, and this with the main room and a small hall, with a basement underneath, compose the rooms in the building. "The side walls are set with square (i.e., rectangular) windows of leaded glass while the front contains a large colored glass window of beautiful design. The building is heated with a furnace and wired for electric lights. The structure was erected at a cost of about $2,500, of which all is raised but $400. Although the building is not large, it contains ample room for the congregation, which in this village is small, as yet. The erection of this chapel has been the result of much hard and prolonged work on the part of the members, and to tell whether or not they have succeeded, one needs but to look at the beautiful structure which they have erected for their house of worship."



	Chapel is big achievement for little parish By WENDELL NELSON Special to The Gazette As we saw in the preceding article in this series, St. Olaf's Episcopal parish in Amherst managed to establish itself, and to persist and even thrive for the last 132 years. But more remarkable, it also succeeded in raising the money to buy property and build its own church. The congregation held worship services and other activities in a variety of places before it built its own chapel. According to the parish's own publication, "A Brief History of St. Olaf's Episcopal Church," "services were held on the second floor of a hotel, and later in the Methodist Church." As we saw in the Aug. 29, 1868, Plover Times, Amherst had "two good hotels" in 1868, but which of them the Episcopalians held their services in is not clear. Minnie Gasmann says in her column in the Feb. 2, 1950, Amherst Advocate (A History of Amherst, "Chapter Seventeen: History of the Episcopal Church at Amherst," part 1), that the hotel sat on the northeast corner of "the square" (presumably the main intersection of the village, where Main Street and Mill/Wilson streets -- now County Highway B - cross), "(O)n the second floor was a (h)all used for various purposes. In this hall Rev. Sorenson held the first (Episcopal) services. The late Mrs. L.E. Wentworth, the former Margaret Gasmann, remembered attending services in this hall." The Wisconsin Pinery of Jan. 18, 1868, carried an ad for "EEN'S HOTEL, Amherst, Wis. This new House is now open for the reception of guests. CHAS. A. & J. EEN, Proprietors." And the Feb. 15 Pinery, three weeks later, carried an ad for a "Grand Ball" to be held on Friday, Feb. 21, for George Washington's birthday, at "EEN'S new Hotel, in Amherst.... His Hall is large and commodious (sic), and one of the best rooms for dancing in this country (i.e., this area)." So the Episcopalians may have held their services in the Een brothers' hotel. The fact that the Eens were Swedish immigrants may have encouraged the Episcopalians - mostly Scandinavians, as we have seen - to hold services in that hotel. But we don't know for sure. And we don't know anything about the other Amherst hotel at the moment, including whether St. Olaf's parish held its services there. Another temporary home for the parish was a school house. This was a very early grade school, a one-story, gabled, frame building on the west side of Laconia Street, then called Church Street, probably after the Methodist church there. The Amherst Advocate of June 27, 1894, reported that "The Episcopal society of this place have rented the school house building immediately south of the M.E. church, which is being fitted up for a chapel in which their services will be hereafter conducted." ("M.E." was an abbreviation for "Methodist Episcopal," the original name of the denomination in the United States, and an indication of the church's English (Anglican/Episcopal) beginnings.) Two years later, the congregation began planning to build its own church. A warranty deed dated Sept. 28, 1896, (Vol. 60, page 523) recorded the purchase of four lots on the west side of North Main Street by the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac from the Jackson Milling Co. for $275. So the congregation then had a place to build. According to the parish's history, the Women's Guild of the congregation raised the money to pay for the land. The guild also raised money to help pay for the construction of the building. The Amherst column in the Sept. 30, 1904, Stevens Point Daily Journal announced that "'Mr. Bob' will be played here Oct. 14 in the opera house, under the auspices of St. Olaf's guild, the proceeds to go toward increasing the guild's building fund." At a meeting after worship services on Sept. 7, 1904, "it was decided to secure stone and other materials as soon as possible and build during the coming year," the parish history says. And the Amherst column in the Sept. 16 Daily Journal reported that "St. Olaf Mission will get stone on the ground this fall and will commence on their new church early next spring." Various issues of the Advocate from 1905 chronicled the progress of the construction work. The April 20 issue announced that "Work will be started on the Episcopal chapel on North Main street before long. The building is to be 24 x 44 feet (wide and long). Gus Torkelson is drawing plans for the structure." Gustav C. - or Carl Gustav - Torkelson (1878-1956) was a carpenter and building contractor in Amherst until moving to Merrill in 1905, according to the Advocate of July 13 of that year. "He was a partner in the firm that built the Lincoln county jail and sheriff's residence, and supervised the building of the Merrill senior high school," according to his obituary in the Feb. 1, 1956, Daily Journal. His father, Gunder Torkelson (1841-1921) brought the family from Norway in 1872, coming first to Chicago and later to Amherst. Father and son worked together on many buildings in the Amherst area, Gunder's obituary in the Advocate of Sept. 22, 1921, says. On May 11, the Advocate again announced imminent construction. "The erection of the new Episcopal church on North Main street will be commenced before long. It will be a modern structure and the location is one of the best in the village." Finally, on June 22, the paper published a "NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS: Sealed bids will be received by the building committee of St. Olaf's Mission of Amherst, Wis., to furnish material and build a church building for said Mission. Bids will be, for all wood construction and cement block construction, separately, finishing will be in wood with shingle roof in both bids. Plans and specifications can be seen at the office of A.J. Smith in the village of Amherst, Wisconsin. Bids may be filed on or before July 12th, 1905, at 5 o'clock p.m., addressed to A.J. Smith, Amherst, Wis., and marked 'Proposals to build church.' The committee reserves the right to reject any and all bids." The notice bore the names of Mrs. J.J. Nelson, Rev. George Hirst and A. J. Smith, committee. On July 27, the Advocate announced "BIDS ARE OPENED. The bids for the erection of the Episcopal (chapel) to be built on North Main street have been opened, and it is thought that the structure will be of cement blocks." "K.R. Thompson of this place and Manchester, of Stevens Point, have secured the contract for the erection of the same." Knudt Thompson (1866-1945) was born in Norway, and came with his parents to the United States when he was 3, an undated 1945 Advocate says. After living in the town of Helvetia, Waupaca County, he settled in Amherst in 1900. He was married twice: his first wife died in about 1892, and his second wife, whom he married in 1908, survived him, as did 10 children. His sidewalks can still be seen in the village of Amherst; they bear a diamond-shaped stamp enclosing the words, "K. R. THOMPSON MAKER." He probably did the masonry work - in this case, almost entirely of cement blocks - on the church. Justin Manchester (1863-1946) was born in the town of Stockton, and as a carpenter and, later, a contractor, worked on many Portage County buildings. Later, he lived in various Wisconsin cities and finally California, where he died. (He was a great-grandfather and namesake of Portage County farmer and writer Justin Isherwood.) He probably had charge of the carpentry - the wood construction-on the church. The first report of actual construction appeared in the Advocate of Aug. 10: "K.R. Thompson's crew began work on the basement and foundation of the Episcopal chapel to be erected on North Main street the first of the week." And a week later, another brief report appeared: "Work is progressing very well on the basement of the new Episcopal chapel." The Aug. 31 Advocate printed more details: "Two young men, cement experts, are busy here making building blocks for the new Episcopal church. St. Olaf's people expect to have their new house of worship ready for dedication about November 1st. The subscription list for the building fund was headed by a $500 contribution by the Ladies' Guild, and other generous sums were given by Amherst citizens." And a week later, the Advocate gave more encouragement: "Work is progressing quite rapidly on the new Episcopal Chapal (sic)." On Oct. 12, enough work had been done to enable the Advocate to describe the building at length and in detail. "A BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE. Walls of the Episcopal Chapel Now Finished. The new Episcopal chapel on North Main street is nearing completion as far as the cement work is concerned and is now far enough advanced for one to get a good idea of the pretty structure it will be when finished. The walls are finished and the masons are now working on the steeple. Carpenters are also at work on the roof. The building will be one of the prides of the village. The cement blocks used in its construction are substantial and give it a massive appearance which will be something out of the ordinary. A neat arched doorway and a large arched window in the front will be very attractive features. "The contractors, Thompson, of this village, and Manchester, of Stevens Point, are leaving nothing undone, and are putting in the best of material with the help of skilled mechanics." About a month later, on November 16, the Advocate ran an update and a postponement. "It is now expected that the new Episcopal church will be completed December 1, and be ready for occupancy about the 10th. The masonry on the tower and the broad steps have (sic) just been finished and the inside work is being rushed. The stained glass windows are expected to arrive this week. The large front window will be a handsome representation of the Good Shepherd." Finally, on page one of its Feb. 1, 1906, issue, the Advocate announced the opening of the completed building, and included a photograph of it. "The above is a cut (photo) of the new Episcopal Chapel, situated on North Main street, which was finished about a week ago. The building is built entirely of cement blocks, and was erected by Contractors Thomson (sic) of this village and Manchester of Stevens Point. The building is a model in every respect. The cement blocks from which it is constructed, tend to give it a massive appearance, as though it is built of stone, and the steps and low, square topped belfry add greatly to this effect. The inside of the chapel is neat and attractive. A vestry is built on the north-west corner of the structure, and this with the main room and a small hall, with a basement underneath, compose the rooms in the building. "The side walls are set with square (i.e., rectangular) windows of leaded glass while the front contains a large colored glass window of beautiful design. The building is heated with a furnace and wired for electric lights. The structure was erected at a cost of about $2,500, of which all is raised but $400. Although the building is not large, it contains ample room for the congregation, which in this village is small, as yet. The erection of this chapel has been the result of much hard and prolonged work on the part of the members, and to tell whether or not they have succeeded, one needs but to look at the beautiful structure which they have erected for their house of worship."