117 10 1856 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Baldwin City Public Library Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource G.R. Spurgeon farm SW4 16-15-20 Subject The topic of the resource The G.R.Spurgeon residence was recorded on this property (40 acres) in 1873. Later H.E. Davison was the owner from c. 1902 to c. 1921. Description An account of the resource Farm residence, ell plan with rear hipped wing, two stories, rubble stone foundation, main gable roof. Front two-story and one-story shed additions, central greenhouse addition. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dale Nimz, photographer Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Baldwin City Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Fall, 1988 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Atlas of Douglas County (1873) Standard Atlas of Douglas County (1902, 1921) Plat-book & Survey of Douglas County (1909) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Language A language of the resource English Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Baldwin City Public Library Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource W.C. & A.D. Steen House 821 Monroe Street Baldwin City, Ks 66006 Subject The topic of the resource When W.C. and A.D. Steen purchased lots 122 and 124 from T.J. Keohane in 1908, the property was unimproved. In 1910, improvements were valued at $1500.00 indicating construction of the existing house. Description An account of the resource Detached residence, cruciform plan with side front entrance and entrance in ell NW, two stories, rusticated concrete block construction with smooth block foundation, front gable and rear hipped roof. 1/1 double-hung windows, wooden paneled entrance door, central interior brick chimney. Decorative elements include segmental arched openings and gable end shingling. Wood frame rear shed addition SE with second floor sleeping porch. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lance Rider, photographer Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Baldwin City Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Winter, 1988 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Douglas Count assessment rolls, 1898-1928 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Language A language of the resource English http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/54456edbfa7836c74669f3aa26b4f19c.jpg 309cebc7e9afd80f69c823e1a4f8f1d4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1903-1915 UMC Basement misc, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource To raise money to fit out the basement of the church, the Methodist people will hold a mock wedding at the church Friday evening. The admission is 5 cents and the money will be used to fit out the bride's kitchen. The guests may also bring a present for the bride, preferably something for her kitchen. In connection with the wedding, booths to serve refreshments will be arranged and a bazaar with many useful articles for home use can be purchased. The north wall of the excavation under the M.E. church caved in last Thursday and made it necessary to build an entire new foundation wall along the north side of the church. Starting out with the intention of installing a furnace under the church, the Methodist people have enlarged their plans and excavated under the whole building. Besides the furnace room, a storeroom, a big kitchen and possibly two class rooms are provided in the new plans. The Methodist men are digging s basement under the church. October 28, 1915 The Methodist Church is being newly papered this week. J. W. Miller is the artist. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1903, 1915 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0615 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/d54f6f5b8324a26569ed53d30b08b4f8.jpg 2b5dd9bd9b5d034801909e40ac94a936 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1928-06-28 UMC cement work, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource New cement yard walks and cement front and back steps are some of the improvements at the Methodist parsonage completed the last of the week by R. A. Shipley. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 28, 1928 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0616 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/356f01db9ca558e71ce84ef02cfa1cbd.jpg e9d92f215b0d8be10b3d7e16a48bba73 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1933-1944 UMC cleaning/repairing, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource The Methodist church building is undergoing a general cleaning up and the interior redecorated including work in the basement, re-flooring the pulpit with quarter-sawed oak; cleaning and waxing floors of the primary room and the auditorium. July 27, 1944 Earl Hawks painted the garage at the Methodist parsonage this week. April 27, 1933 The interior of the Methodist church is undergoing some repairs this week. New ceiling is being put on the main auditorium and the floors repaired. January 30, 1936 The interior of the Methodist parsonage was cleaned last week and made ready for Rev. and Mrs. James Reed. Clyde Strimple did the painting and paperhanging. March 18, 1937 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 27, 1933, January 30, 1936, March 18, 1937, July 27, 1944 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0617 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/24abc63d34b5f7d70c50196002ad2dba.jpeg bcdb35d9bd8d83de4a0c4095ce1b8f29 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1935 UMC 50th Anniversary, March 1935, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource Fifty years ago, March 1, 1885, marked the dedication of the local Methodist church and Sunday the congregation and pastor, Rev. Wright Horton, sponsored the celebration of the anniversary. 50th Anniversary services were held Sunday at the Methodist church in Rossville. March 7, 1935 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 1935 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0618 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/32b267ca0ed7be86632ccd928916b49f.jpeg bfd735f41377d0314fc77b9dae9b45d1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1935 UMC 50th Anniversary History, March 1935, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource History of the Church Methodists Celebrate 50th Anniversary Fifty years ago, March 1, 1885, marked the dedication of the local Methodist church, and last Sunday the congregation and pastor, Rev. Wright Horton sponsored the celebration of the anniversary. A large crowd was present and enjoyed the splendid program. Dr. J. R. McFadden, District Superintendent, presided at the morning worship. At the noon hour an elaborate dinner was served in the church dining hall, and four long tables would not accommodate the huge crowd of members and guests. The afternoon program included a fine talk by Mr. George Hoyes of Topeka; son of Rev. Frank Hoyes. Rev. Hoyes was the first Methodist minister sent out to Rossville conference. He was a Circuit rider and covered all the territory between Rossville and Kansas City. In his talk Sunday afternoon Mr. Hoyes was able to review in a most interesting way his boyhood days in Rossville as a minister's son; and told of their joys and sorrows revealing their spiritual life and willingness to accept the sacrifice involved in building a better world. Rev. Horton conducted the evening worship as a closing service, ending his years work. The special music furnished by the choir including anthems, solos, and duets was an outstanding feature of the anniversary program, throughout the day. The Rossville charge was organized in the James school house west of Rossville, in 1872. A class was started there that year by the Rev. Paul Strimple, a local preacher. A class was started in Rossville, also, sometime after the founding of the town in 1871. It was decided to build a church in the new town, but due to the small membership and financial weakness, this was not attempted for a number of years. Services were held in the school house until Feb. 29, 1880, when the Baptists dedicated their new church on the site now occupied by the Joe Navarre residence on Spruce street. For two years after that Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building, each having the use of it one Sunday a month morning and evening; Methodists having such use the fourth Sunday of each month. By 1884, Christians and Presbyterians having built their own churches, the Methodists and Baptists were each using the building half time. The Methodist church was chartered in 1881, the charter being registered with the Secretary of State June 13. The legal name is "The Board of Trustees of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Rossville, Kansas." The purpose is stated to be "to promote the moral and religious welfare of the community where located, and to hold and dispose of such property as may come into its lawful possession, provided the holding and disposal of such property is done in conformity with the provisions of the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the U. S. of A." The first trustees and signers of the charter were W. G. Gilbert, Isaac Lawrence, Jos. Andrews, J. W. Miller, A. E. Strimple, J. T. Heslet, and T. M. Attebury. Though considered earlier, nothing was done about building a church until after the coming of the Rev. J. W. Clock as pastor in March, 1884. Lots 55, 57, 59, Pearl street, were purchased, the deed being dated June 24. 1884, and the Trustees being W. G. Gilbert, J. W. Miller, Jos. VanVleck, John Heslet and John Weseloh. Another lot, No. 61, was added to the property later. The work of building was started in the late summer, carried thru the fall, and completed early in 1885. The dedication of the church took place on March 1, 1885. Dr. H. D. Fisher, editor of the Kansas Methodist, preached the dedicatory sermon at the morning hour. Rev. C. Holman former pastor, then located at Silver Lake, gave the evening sermon. No statement is available, but it was all in hand except $500-$600 and this was pledged on the day of dedication. A note from September, 1886 expresses the thanks of the Trustees and the Ladies Aid society to Mrs. Dr. Mclntire for aid in lifting the last note and freeing the Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 1935 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0619 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/945ebf820ad8c9f416a25ef3b2379555.jpeg 021cf334c773f22d34c4a77ac6224761 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1935 UMC 50th Anniversary continuing History, March 1935, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource church of debt. In the fall of 1894 the south room addition was built. The building committee was W. G. Gilbert, I. B. Gothic window with stained glass replaced the door in the east end of the auditorium, and another was placed in the south side of the new room. Evidently the latter window was filled with plain glass at the time, later replaced by stained glass thru a gift of Mr. Henry Lipp The addition was dedicated Dec. 23, 1898. Rev. John Tresize was pastor. Rev. Richard Wake of Topeka preached the dedicatory sermon. The amount needed to dedicate free of debt, $450, was oversubscribed, $469.79 being raised. A stone sidewalk was placed in front of the church in 1889, with two driveways across it, one on either side of the church. The same fall a bell, size 28 was bought, and installed just before Christmas. In 1902 the church roof was reshingled In 1903 the front and sides of the church lots were filled in and raised to the street grade. In 1919 the space back of the church was devoted to a tennis court. It was much used for some years, but eventually reverted to a garden. The parsonage was purchased from J. W. Miller, the transaction being closed December 24, 1919. The money was borrowed, and paid off in the next several years. The last note was burned on Jan. 9, 1927. Thru the faithful work of the Young Men's class of the Sunday school, and under the leadership of Charles. E. Fritz their teacher, the basement was dug under the whole church in 1915. The walls and floor were cemented, and the walls white washed. The furnace was installed. This made a very useful improvement. In the spring of 1929 the flood which swept thru Rossville from Cross Creek filled the basement, to ruin a new coat of paint put on the walls only a short time before. PAST0RIAL RECORD During much of its early history, Rossville was on a circuit with other towns around it. Part of the time it was Silver Lake, part of the time it was St. Marys, and at least a few years all three of these towns were united in a circuit. There have been other connections, also; a class at the James school being very early, later united with Rossville; in 1894, Rev. Tresize went to Olive Branch church part-time; Rev. E. M. Paddleford, 1895-97, seems to have been the first pastor not connected with either Silver Lake or St. Marys, but from the years 1905-07 the pastor here divided time with Silver Lake again. In 1915 West Union came on this charge. In 1927-30, West Union being closed, Rossville was a station. In 1930-32 the pastor shared time with Dover Federated church. SUNDAY SCHOOL In 1870 a Union Sunday School was organized at the Rossville school house. Mrs. Paul Strimple was the first Superintendent. This school flourished for years. The Methodist joined in this school, which met in the Baptist church after it was built in 1880. The Union school continued at least until 1886. The Methodist, however, withdrew from the school after the dedication of their church. The Methodist Sunday school was organized April 12, 1885. 54 persons were present the first Sunday. Officers elected for the first year were; Supt., W. A. McWright; Asst. Supt., Mrs. D. Henderson; Librarian, Celia Overhuls; Treas., John Weseloh; Secy., Ada Gray. LADIES AID SOCIETY The Ladies Aid probably attended the early efforts of the church, They are reported to have raised $500 the year the church was built. In 1885 mention is made of the fact that the small girls formed the '"Busy Bees Society" to be an auxiliary of the Ladies Aid. Suppers, Ice Cream Festivals, of many kinds have filled the years since. Election Day dinner was first served in 1886, and has now become a settled tradition for the Aid society. On the off-years an Annual Dinner is served at approximately the same time. EPWORTH LEAGUE, A Union Young Peoples' society was organized in 1889 by Winona Wood at the Presbyterian church, and all worked together for some time. No date of organization of the Epworth League has been found, but it was going successfully in 1894. In the fall of 1933 the Youth's Christian Union, combining Christian Endeavor and Epworth League, was organized, and is doing good work. JUNIOR LEAGUE The Junior League also was in action in the year 1894. In that year they pledged $15 for the addition to be built to the Church. The group was revived under the leadership of Mrs. Foiles in 1930. In recent years this group has also been having an Easter morning service and breakfast. W. F. M. S. This Society was organized in 1910. They have made a notable contribution to the church program of Missionary Education, as well as aiding financially in the work of the Society as it carries the Gospel around the world. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 1935 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0620 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/9310b0613c293be9fc80b7b332ba39aa.jpg a34e9a8f71dab6af080ccb825539182c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1950s UMC misc maintenance, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource February 9, 1950 Three crosses of Calvary outlined against a morning sky formed the center of the newest scene that greeted Methodist church-goers last Sunday. The center window above the Altar was the canvas for the second church painting done by minister-artist, Don Jones. The three crosses are not posed as one traditionally sees them but are interwoven so that no one cross is complete in itself. Each cross is dependent upon one or both of the others for completeness. The painting is symbolic of the interdependence in religion. The small panes about the large center pane are painted in many colors resembling a mosaic. The first painting, a Christmas scene showing the three wise men, following the Star was erased by Mr. Jones about three weeks ago. The present painting is visible from Main street as was the first painting. March 16, 1950 Approximately forty people were present to launch a pew refinishing project at the Methodist Church last Tuesday. The high school class, under Mrs. Conley, plans to make the pew re-finishing their project. Tuesday night they worked on the windows. They plan to paint them, in many colors for the Easter season. The WSCS ladies worked on the pews and the men aided in the painting of the Sunday School room. A supper was served at about 10 o'clock for all. The women of the WSCS provided the pies, sandwiches and coffee. Those present included Mrs. O'Donnell and Darlene; Mr. and Mrs. James Conley and Joe: Mrs. Howard French, Gary and Laird: Mrs. Ralph Page, Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Pardee and Steven; Mr. and Mrs. Scott Kelsey and children; Mr. and. Mrs. Bill Hesse and Billy; Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Spears and Ruth; Rosemary and Shirley Lambert: Bill Foster, Mr. and Mrs. Harley McCoid and Buzzy; Mr. and Mrs. Walt Swenson, Mr. and Mrs. John Stevens, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. James, Mrs. Joe Gresser, Alvin Perry, Mr. and Mrs. Don Jones, Bob Young, Robert Reid, and J. A. Babicki. CHURCH IS BEING PAINTED March 9, 1950 [ ] of the congregation began [ ] evening to paint the [ ] of the Methodist church. [ ] church is being painted a [ ] with a complementary [ ] of green. [ ] Jones, Harold Irwin, Billy [ ], H. D. Richardson, Gail Hamil, Walt Swenson, O. S. Boyd and A. Babicki, worked Tuesday evening, on the painting. Miss Ruth Spears represented the men by serving coffee and mopping up the falling paint. Mrs. James Conley helped out on Wednesday.—J. B. May 1951 Work was started Saturday on the plumbing for the Methodist Church. The ditch will be dug and the pipe will be laid Saturday morning. TOWN TOPICS October 16, 1958 New cement porches have been built at the Methodist parsonage on Spruce street. CHURCH NEWS – March 9, 1950 The members of the Methodist church have been conducting visitations during the past week. Each member will visit and be visited in turn. The painting of the church last Tuesday was conducted in mournful silence as K State went down in defeat. The majority of the painters were Wildcat fans. The church redecoration will be finished in time for the wedding of Miss Phyllis Page to Mr. Charles Keller on Sunday - J. B. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950s Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0621 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/f91fab590b140b563805c2096bf1951b.jpg d14e21962b16bc80b78fc784eeab12dc Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rossville Churches History Subject The topic of the resource Churches in the Rossville, Kansas, area. Description An account of the resource Among the various cultural developments in Rossville none was more important than the establishment and growth of organized religions. Shortly after the village of Rossville was started in 1871, some of the settlers felt the need for a church. The first known organized church was the Baptist Church started in August 1871 with nine members. A newspaper account, dated May 1879, about the school house in town says, “…at this time the building is used on Sunday by various church denominations as they are not supplied with church buildings. Six denominations have organized: The Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal, Methodist Southern and Advent. The Baptist have begun to erect a neat frame church building.” The Baptists built a small church on the approximate site of the Joe Navarre home on Spruce Street and dedicated this church on February 29, 1880. For a few years after that the Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist shared this building—each having the use of it one Sunday a month, morning and evening. The Baptist church disbanded in 1910 and was torn down soon afterwards. Organization of the United Brethren was soon followed by the United Brethren Church, also known as the Olive Branch Church. The first church building in the community was built by its members in about 1877. The old landmark, five miles north of Rossville, was torn down about 1952. Some of the farm folk responsible for its organization and erection were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lasswell, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert James and their sons, Robert and James, Mr. and Mrs. W.V. Hook, who donated land for the church. A decline in membership prompted the church officials to sell the building to the Czech Christian organization and it served as a worship center for many years. Other denominations organized early, which have little recorded history, including the Colored Baptist, also called Second Baptist. A news clipping shows the Colored Baptist Church was in existence in 1885 and meetings were held at the old school house. At that time they were endeavoring to raise funds for a structure of their own. It was later erected in the southeast part of town on Orange Street. Their building was repaired in December 1904, but soon after the church disbanded. The only information available about the Cambellites, followers of Alexander Cambell, shows that they gathered regularly early in the city’s history. The Cambellites here and in other localities were the forerunners of the early Christian Church. A church was organized with the name Church of Christ in 1872 with Bennet Swearingen, an elder. In 1879 a group was meeting in the school. Between 1880 and when it was decided to build a church, it is believed the members met in the Baptist Church. A deed was recorded on June 29, 1887, for three lots for which they paid $50.00. The exact date of the erection of the present church is not known. Revered Alex Montgomery was a stone mason and laid the church foundation. Charles Bixby, father of the late Albert Bixby, was a carpenter and supervised the building of the church. Lumber was hauled from Topeka by Alex Nadeau and others. The supplies were purchased from the Thomas Lumber Company at Topeka. The first funeral held in the church was for William Lacock, grandfather of the late Albert Bixby. The oldest Sunday School record is dated September 7, 1884, with May Parker its first secretary. Due to an increase in the Christian Church's membership, in 1949 a large room was added to the north side of the building. Other improvements included new colored glass in the windows, and pews from the old United Brethren Church. In December 1960, another addition to the building was completed. As more settlers moved to this community, those who were of the Presbyterian faith organized their group in 1878 and met in the school in town. Reverend E.P. Sempel was the first pastor. A.C. Sherman, Richard Binns, Daniel Wilt, J.C. Bradley, William Bond, Henry Kassebaum, W.M. Mitchner, Sam Kerr, Dr. H.H. Miller and Isaac Trostle were the founders of the church. Later the Presbyterians met in the Baptist Church. In 1883, the Presbyterian group purchased the land on which the present church stands and began to build. The first church was built of red bricks which were made at a brick kiln located at the east edge of town. As the years passed a crack appeared between the bricks in the east end of the building. This fault was used as the reason for tearing town the old building. The present structure was constructed in 1917. The Reverend J.H. Naismith, the originator of the game of basketball, served as pastor in 1922 and 1923. Mr. Gus Kassebaum served as a Trustee for 39 years, from 1915 to 1954. His wife, Mrs. Lula Kassebaum served most of these years as president of the Ladies Missionary Society. The Rossville Charge was organized in the James School House, three miles west of Rossville in the year 1872 under the leadership of Mr. Paul Strimple, a local lay preacher. Shortly afterwards, another group of Methodists (Southern Methodists) met in Rossville and had services at the school in town. These two groups joined in planning construction of a church. Since the Baptists were the first to build a church, the two Methodist groups shared the building. The Methodist Church was chartered and registered with the Secretary of State, June 13, 1881. The first trustees and signers of the charter were: W.G. Gilbert, Isaac Larrance, Joseph Andrews, J.W. Miller, A.E. Strimple, J.T. Heslet, and T.M. Attebury. Building of the new church began in 1884, and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. Nine years later the south room was added, and it was used as a dining room and meeting room. The Sunday School addition was added in 1960. The name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to Methodist, October 11, 1939. It was again changed in 1968 to United Methodist when the United Brethren and Methodist merged. The Election Day dinner was first served in 1882 and has become an established tradition. Dinner and supper were served to over 175 persons at a cost of 25 cents per person. Some of the men who took an active part in the life of the church were C.E. Gresser, E.G. Griswold and Frank Strimple. Before St. Stanislaus became a reality, according to Ellen Leonhardt of St. Marys, Kansas, Mass was held monthly sometime before 1894 in the Fritz Hall. She remembers accompanying Father Krier, a Jesuit priest, from St. Marys to Rossville along with other girls to sing in the choir. The first St. Stanislaus Church was built under the auspices of Father John B. Kokenge, S.J., who collected about eleven hundred dollars to procure the ground and put up the structure. It measured 42 x 30 feet with a sanctuary that added twelve feet to its length. The corner stone of this mission church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. Many notables from the St. Marys College were present as well as Reverend H.A. Schapman, S.J., former president of Detroit College. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope, William McKinley being President of the United States, W.E. Stanley being the Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kastka was begun today when the corner stone was laid this the eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.” The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. In 1967, the parish purchased the home across the street from the church, so that the expanding catechetical classes would have a better place to meet. A $20,000 renovation project in 1975-1976 added a brick extension to the front of the church and a full basement. In 1998 Dekat Hall was dedicated and the mortgage was paid off. By 2009 the parish, which encompassed Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard, and Maple Hill, was in need of a bigger building so Don & Kathleen Damon donated a $1.1 million gift for the building of a new church. After raising the additional needed funds, the new worship space for 400 people was built in 2012 near the former church. In the early 1950s a group of believers who met together for weekly Bible Study grew in number so that they were encouraged to secure a property, call a pastor and organize a church. The Stewart property on the corner of Main and Pottawatomie was purchased in June 1952. After renovation, the first services of the Rossville Bible Church were held on September 7, 1952, with Reverend Clarence Swihart as pastor. Reverend Floyd Gee became the second pastor in June 1954. The church purchased a building site from the Hesse family that adjoins the Grade School in August 1960. Reverend Hugh Gardner, Wichita, superintended the construction of a basement to be used for an auditorium. A building was moved from Forbes Air Force Base and set on the basement. June 7, 1970, was a day of rejoicing for the congregation as they had a mortgage-burning service with Reverend Joe Arnedd, Des Moines, Iowa, evangelist, as speaker. Thus is the history of the early churches which no longer exist in the community and the churches which continue to function--though in somewhat different roles than in the early years. Once, the church, as well as the school, was the center of most family activities. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rossville Community Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Rossville Centennial Booklet, 1971 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain due to copyright expiration. Original narrative content by RCL is available for use by public. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1992-03 UMC Stained glass windows, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS from the old United Methodist Church in Rossville were recently installed in the new church building. Construction is nearing completion and the congregation is hoping to hold their Easter services in the new building. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The St. Marys Star, St. Marys, Kansas This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 1992 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0622