4 10 1856 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/cd1bffef21edc92f5e4575c431880f01.jpg 855c7ad0053338c92d864fd8aa51f0da http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/91871cbb046318ad55b51f394052e53a.jpg f2b13317ec8fc89382e3a87431820605 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 Profiles of Local Persons, Rossville, Kansas Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. 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 1913 Postcard to Claude Dodge, Kansas Description An account of the resource Front side: Photograph of two women Back side: Addressed to Mr. Claudeen Dodge, Rydal, Kansas. Sent on April 22, 1913, from Caldwell, Kansas; received April 23, 1913, at Rydal, Kansas. One cent stamp with George Washington portrait. Transcription: Dear cousin: Here we are isn't it a great picture? You better get busy and write. S'pose you recognize Faye. This was taken April 12. Tell Sophene I'll send her a card soon. Everybody is fine. Mayme Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mayme (unknown) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 22, 1913 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public domain Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource original postcard Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0271a RCL0271b History Mystery http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/70d75885c98cfd6701d9c85bb9d71207.jpeg 5e00f8f7463df0418ae206f9dd1271bb 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 Transportation and Accidents History Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. 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 1913 Rossville Roads Graveled Description An account of the resource DECEMBER 1913 Rossville Main Street will be graveled, according to a decision by the city council. The portion to be graveled will start at the south end near the railroad and run- to the north end of the block and west on Pottawatomie to the city limits. With the three miles finished west of town, a continuous gravel road of about 22 miles will stretch west of Topeka. Hattie Kirby and Walter McCleary were married in Kansas City and went to Texas for a honeymoon. The 14th annual M.W.A. Grand Ball will be held at Fritz Hall New Year’s Eve. Music will be provided by Kramer’s five-piece or¬chestra. The county commis¬sioners are being urged by the Secretary of State to designate the county roads in Shawnee County. The last legislature provided a tax on automobiles and motorcycles, the revenue to be used in the improve¬ment of county roads. This money has been collected in Shawnee county but can¬not be used until the com¬missioners have de¬signated certain of the roads as county roads. This seems to be the day and age when every farmer has a chance to go to school. If he can’t go for four years, he can go for a year, and if he can’t go for a year, the Kansas State Agricultural College offers him a ten- week’s course, beginning January 6, 1914. The little auto that has been on exhibition for several weeks at Rossville Cash Store as a prize to the boy selling the greatest amount of cookies and crackers was won by Ho¬ward Bixby. Ralph Hartzell was second, Theo Marney third, and Willie Shipley fourth. The Reporter begins its' 15th year since the paper succeeded the “Times” or “Gimlet” as its old patrons called it. The editor has also purchased the Silver Lake Mirror and will publish both papers. The Mirror will continue to be published at Silver Lake with Frank Skinner looking after the mechanical end of the business. C. E. Cless has landed the agency for the Ford automobile in this ection [sic] of Shawnee County. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Shawnee County Recorder, Rossville, Kansas Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Originally published in December 1913 Featured as a "Way Back When" article on December 12, 1963 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Original text is public domain; reprint 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. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource newspaper clipping Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0482 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/b3d606747284fb90bbd47346f8bd1e7d.jpg 7062a82502b3a28b478875fbd10f1598 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/6fe73848ebad5c279f18f6ee1e71d39e.jpg cf527e36dd14baf79e0a2a0c1162215d 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 Profiles of Local Persons, Rossville, Kansas Photo A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 1914 Marriage Portrait of Charles and Victoria Novosad, Smith Bros., Bryan, Texas Description An account of the resource Victoria Scasta Novosad Smith Bros, Bryan, Tex. Back inscription: Charley [re: Charley Kovar] is cousin Victoria Scasta Novosad Charley Novosad Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Smith Bros. (photographer), Bryan, Texas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1914 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource From the donated collection of Sara Horak to the Rossville Community Library in 2015. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0782a RCL0782b http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/0bd01ec04b57c67d7f7b4687f27800f7.jpeg 319b5fa07127f4efcc560480f9ef87f8 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 1914 Missionary Meetings/Sunday School, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource January 15, 1914 The neighbors and friends of Rev. and Mrs. Pontius brought well filled baskets and spent one day this week at the parsonage. All report a fine time. Those present to enjoy the occasion were Mrs. McCollough, Mrs. Arvilla Sebring, Mrs. Wood, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. James, Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Graham, M. E. Myers and wife, C. Startup and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Wilshire, L. F. Page and wife, Bert Heslet and wife, J. E. Taylor and wife and I. M. Franklin and wife. Social Way April 30, 1914 The following were the officers elected in the Missionary Federation at the home of Mrs. Blakeney, recently: President; Mrs. Hedges; 1st vice President; Mrs. VanVleck; 2nd Vice President; Mrs. Attebury; Secretary; Mrs. W. Hook; treasurer, Mrs. Bessie Hawks. The next meeting is subject to the call of the president. Bessie Hawks, Sec. Pro Tem. May 7, 1914 Mrs. Chatfield was the victim of a very pleasant surprise Monday evening when her Sunday school class walked in and proceeded to show her a good time. Mrs. Chatfield has been very popular with her pupils and on the eve of her leaving for Iowa wished to meet with her once more. Mrs. Chatfield was presented with a cut glass condiment dish. Those present were, Netta Startup, the Misses Trostle, Mrs. Wilson, Golda Hook, Esther Pratt, Clare Miller, Miss. Weible and the Misses Kessler. UNION MISSIONARY MEETING May 8, 1914 Voluntary—Winona Van Vleck Song by congregation Devotional Exercises conducted by Mrs. H. L. Hedges. Song by congregation Paper, "Our Work for the World" Mrs. H. Binns. Discussion—Mrs. Nelson. Mrs. J. Miller, Mrs. L. P. Hartzell. Paper, "Missionary Work in Alaska,"—Mrs. John Wilt, Discussion-- -Mrs. Harry Miller, Mrs. Pratt, Mrs. Mitchner. Paper, "Our work for the world," Mrs. C. E. Cless. Discussion—Mrs. Rankins, Mrs. Navarre, Mrs. Stanley. Reading......... Mary Van Vleck Piano Solo.......May Bradley Vocal solo..... Mrs. McCoy Benediction - The singing will be in charge of Mrs. J. R. Wilt. June 18, 1914 Childrens Day exercises were held Sunday at the Methodist and Christian churches. At the Methodist church the exercises took the place of the morning sermon and attracted a large congregation. The program was well selected and rendered without a flaw by the little folks. Baptismal services were held after the program and the following families had their babies baptised: Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Hackler, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Ward, Mr. and Mrs. P. P. Enos and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Stamp. The Christian exercises drew a large audience who enjoyed the program of recitations and songs by the children. Next Sunday at the Christian church Rev. Jones of Topeka will be here for both morning and evening services. At this time the congregation will decide whether to employ Rev. Jones for a semi-monthly service. All members are requested to be present. UNION MISSIONARY MEETING June 19, 1914 Voluntary—Winona Van Vleck Song by congregation Devotional Exercises conducted by Mrs. H. L. Hedges. Song by congregation Paper, "Our work for the World." Mrs. H. Binns. Discussion—Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. J. Miller. Mrs. L. P. Hartzell. Paper "Missionary Work in Alaska," Mrs. John Wilt. Discussion—Mrs. Harry Miller, Mrs. Pratt, Mrs. Mitchner. Paper, "Our work for the world," Mrs. C. E. Cless. Discussion—Mrs. Rankins, Mrs. Stanley. Reading —Mary VanVleck Piano Solo—May Bradley Vocal solo—Mrs. McCoy Benediction The singing will be in charge of Mrs. John Wilt. Union Missionary Meeting June 18, 1914 A union meeting of the missionary societies of the churches of Rossville will meet tomorrow (Friday) afternoon at the Methodist church, Following is the program: Voluntary—Winona Van Vleck Song by congregation Devotional Exercises conducted by Mrs. H. L Hedges. Song............ by congregation Paper, "Our work for the World" Mrs. H. Binns. Discussion—Mrs. Nelson. Mrs. J. Miller. Mrs. L. P. Hartzell. Paper "Missionary Work in Alaska," Mrs. John Wilt. Discussion—Mrs. Harry Miller, Mrs. Pratt, Mrs. Mitchner. Paper, "Our work for the world," Mrs. C. E. Cless. Discussion—Mrs, Rankins, Mrs. Stanley. Reading—Mary VanVleck Piano solo—May Bradley Vocal solo—Mrs. McCoy Benediction The singing will be in charge of Mrs. John Wilt. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas Copyright Information; Public Domain Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1914 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0631 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/098fef89c77642723244f1475c4c2f0e.jpeg faf040c2aeafce9c119db11f04c1168b 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 1914 Sale of Baptist Church/Church Schedules, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource Baptist Church Sold June 11, 1914 The call for bids by the Rev. D. D. Proper of Omaha as published in the Reporter in May, resulted in the property being sold to Lester Parr and O. Goyette who pooled their interests and submitted a bid. The boys did not care to state the price paid but we understand the property was secured at a bargain. Two lots and the building were offered for sale. The Baptist church was the first church erected in Rossville and the Rev. Mayer was the first minister. It was largely through his work the building was erected. Years ago the building was mortgaged to build a small addition for use of the Sunday school and the decreasing number of the members made it impossible to pay off its indebtedness. Several months ago the mortgage was foreclosed and the property immediately put on the market for sale by Rev. D. D. Proper, Supt of Church Edifice Work, a division of the church which held the mortgage. October 8, 1914 Tom Nealis has had several men at work this week dismantling the old Baptist church building. Mr. Nealis will use the best of the lumber in erecting a house on his farm west of Rossville. November 12, 1914 The bell from the old Baptist church was shipped yesterday to A. S. Neil, of Windom, Kansas, to be placed on a church in that city. June 11, 1914 Rev. J. T. Crawford, of Parsons Kansas was here Monday looking after business in connection with the sale of the old Baptist church. The bell and the pulpit and pews will be stored here until they are disposed of. May 1914 Legal notice was printed for sealed bids for the Baptist Church property, two lots and building, in Rossville. METHODIST CHURCH On Sunday, Feb. 15, the 4th Quarterly Meeting for the Rossville M. E. church will be held. Rev. T. J. Ream, district superintendent will preach at 7:30 p. m. The quarterly conference will be held Monday, Feb., 16. All are cordially invited. Preaching services Sunday at 11 a. m. and 7:30 p. m. Sunday school at 10 a. m. Junior League at 3 p. m. Epworth League at 6:30, p. m. J. F. Youngman pastor. PRESBYTERIAN PRINT February 12, 1914 By G. A. C. All the regular Sabbath services. Sabbath school, 9:30. Morning Worship, 11 a. m. Y. P. S. C. E. 6:30 p. m. Evening services, 7:30 p. m. The morning subject will be "The Leadership of the Spirit.” The evening subject, "Forgiveness and Justification. A congregational meeting has been called for next Sabbath morning following church services to consider federating with the Christian and Methodist churches. Now as to Federation. The question should be settled not by any class spirit nor with the thought of either pleasing or displeasing any individuals or set of individuals but with a view to the Glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom. The writer does not want his own relationship to the question considered in settling the matter. He is willing and ready to step down and out at any time if he is in any way a hindrance to the right settlement of this important proposition. He wants that done which will be for the best interest of the individual churches and the community as a whole regardless of whether it may mean the severing of his relationship to his present pastorate or not. The spirit of God should be the leader and director in this movement and we should pray much that He may guide us into all Truth. May 1914 Rev. Chatfield, who has filled the pulpit at the Presbyterian church in this city for the past two years, has accepted the call to Collinsville, Okla. church. At The Churches Christian Church Sunday school 9:45a.m. Christian Endeavor 7p.m. Prayer meeting Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. Ladies’ Aid will meet with on Thursday afternoon as usual. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas Copyright Information; Public Domain Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1914 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights reserved Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0632 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/a777a9b3d87370b4ec8afa8482c059c5.jpeg 02733856ef66b11c579c06352de5a89f 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 1914-02-12 For Church Federation, part 1, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource The Rossville Reporter An Independent Newspaper Published Every Friday at Rossville, Shawnee County, Kansas. PETER NAVARRE Editor and Owner TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. By mail, to any address, one year $1.00 strictly in advance. Entered as second-class matter; June 5, 1905. at the post office at Rossville, Kansas, under the Act of Congress of March 3. 1879. This General OFFICES New York AND CHICAGO BranCHES IN ALL THE PRINCIPAL CITIES THURSDAY, FEB 12, 1914 POLITICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR COMMISSIONER I hereby announce myself as a candidate for the Republican nomination as commissioner for the Third district, subject to the Primary election, of August 4, 1914. SAM MARTIN For Church Federation One of the most important movements for the welfare of the church life of Rossville in the history of the town will be passed upon next Sunday when three of the churches will bring before their membership a proposition for federating. The churches in the movement are the Presbyterian, Methodist and Christian churches. Only one of the churches—the Presbyterian—has a resident minister. The Methodist pulpit being filled by Rev. Youngman, of Topeka who is filling out the unexpired term of Rev. Gould. Although the movement is solely for the members of those churches to decide for themselves, there are many people of Rossville deeply interested in the movement and believe that christian work in this city can be greatly benefited by having one big strong church instead of two or three struggling organizations. The Reporter prints below the articles of Federation as they will be presented to the church people to adopt. The movement of course, must have the approval of the Presbytery, the Conference and the Christian Association after being accepted by the membership of the three churches. NAME—-The name of this movement shall be the Federated church of Rossville, Kansas. PURPOSE—The purpose is to assist in the unifying of the Christian forces of Rossville; to promote the religious interests of our community and thus to advance the kingdom of Christ. ORGANIZATION—Each of the churches hereby federating shall maintain a board of trustees according to their respective denominational law and custom. These boards shall be the legal holders of the title to their respective properties. Each of the churches hereby federating shall select in such manner as it may deem proper, three persons from among its membership who, with the pastor in charge of the federated church, shall constitute a managing board. The pastor shall be president of the board of managers. The board of managers shall meet immediately after their election and elect a vice-president, secretary and treasurer, who shall perform the duties usually incident to such offices and shall hold office for one year or until their successors are elected. The pastor shall have power to call a meeting of the board of managers at such time or times as he may deem proper. The vice-president and secretary shall also have power to call a meeting of the board without the consent of the pastor. The board, of managers shall have power to appoint such officers for committees as may be deemed necessary. UNITY OF ACTIVITIES—The churches hereby federating agree to unite their working forces and congregation in: (a) The regular Sunday preaching services, (b) Sunday school, (c) The young people's meeting, (d) The mid-week prayer meeting. The ladies of the churches shall be at liberty to unite their activities or not, as they please. Receiving and Dismissing Members—Persons desiring to undo with us shall be free to make their own choice among the federating churches and neither the pastor nor any member shall make any attempt to induce such person to unite with one of the federated churches rather than another. Persons joining one of the federated churches shall be received according to the laws and customs of that particular church. The dismissal of a member shall be according to the laws and customs of the church to which the member belongs. ORDINANCES—The ordinances of baptism shall be according to the laws and customs of the church administering it. The Lord's Supper shall be administered by the pastor and the proper officers of the federating churches. BENEVOLENCES—The benevolences of the federating churches shall be printed together on a card or envelope, those of each church in a separate column so that a subscriber, in making his subscription shall be able to designate the cause or institution to which he desires to subscribe. All money for benevolences shall be paid to the treasurer by the secretary of the board of managers, who shall Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas Copyright Information; Public Domain Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 12, 1914 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0629 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/ab2d340aee08968ba48c7465133562d7.jpeg 8f2452cabe964004f8413020e8c6b75b 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 1914-02-12 For Church Federation, part 2, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource February 12, 1914 continued: keep an accurate account and pay the same to the cause or institution to which it belongs. Duties of the Board of Managers —The management and control of the property of the federated churches shall be in the hands of the board of managers, but before they shall make any permanent change in the property, or any of it they shall secure the consent of the particular church owning such property. It shall be the duty of the board of managers to secure a pastor, leaving the question of his final call, however, to the combined membership of the federated church, to receive and disburse all moneys, insure and repair all properties belonging to the federating churches and perform such other services as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this federation. Dissolution of the Federation— Any one of the churches adopting this plan shall be at liberty to withdraw from the federation and resume separate services at any time it may desire. Decide on Federation Sunday March 5, 1914 The movement for federation among two of the churches of Rossville will be decided next Sunday when a vote will be taken to adopt the revised articles of federation. The vote taken at the Christian church three weeks ago resulted in a defeat for the movement by one vote. The Presbyterian church has culled a congregational meeting for next Sunday after the morning service when final decision will be made. At the Methodist church final action will be taken on whether or not the articles are adopted. If the measure carries a board of managers will be elected. The Seven Churches of Lonelyville April 30, 1914 From the Ladies Home Journal A family which should try to keep seven servants on an income of fifteen hundred dollars would be a foolish family. It would be improvident housekeeping. It could be done only under conditions which would make it possible to get servants on small wages. If a family is able to have a man do the work in the cellar, and a cook to prepare the meals, and a second girl to wait on the table and the door, and a chamber-maid to make the beds, and a seamstress and a mothers helper, this is an excellent division of labor. But it costs money. A religious community which is trying to support five churches, when its resources are not equal to the support of more than two, ought to be instructed by house-keepers. There ought to be women in the vestry; the deacons ought to be advised by prudent deaconesses. The five churches are all right for a five-church community, which is big enough and rich enough to sustain them. In a two-church community they are a folly. The country town cannot afford to gratify its ecclesiastical preferences like a larger city. In the city there may be a separate establishment for those who like their service liturgical, and another for those who like to have it plain. There maybe a pulpit for good old-fashioned orthodox preaching, and another for the new ideas. And there are several inherited customs which have come down in the family, and several inherited quarrels along with them about which people used to fight, while the interest lasted, a long ago. In the city there maybe buildings to perpetuate those old preferences or prejudices. We read in the Bible what the Spirit said to the 7 Churches of Asia. If the Spirit should speak with the same plainness to the Seven Churches of Lonelyville, and they should heed the saying Lonelyville would employ two ministers, or at the most three, with the salaries of the seven, and set them free from denominational competition to devote their entire time to the contention with the devil. February 5, 1914 The "Go to Church" movement here as well as over the entire country last Sunday was very successful. The churches of Rossville were attended by much larger audiences than usual and the ministers felt very much encouraged and hope many will continue to come out every Sunday. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Rossville Reporter, Rossville, Kansas Copyright Information; Public Domain Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 12, 1914 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0630 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/7528d6015b4fc10cfa65526fde1f699a.jpg 380322a4b111fbd816ab79574811128f 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 1914-1917 UMC Programs/events, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource Sunday School Picnic June 11, 1914 Members of the M. E Sunday school and their friends to the number of nearly one hundred enjoyed a days outing and picnic yesterday in the Mulvane grove across the road from the old Du Clause place west of Rossville. Two hay racks and the autos of G.E. Gresser, Charles Fritz, Dr. Pratt and Morris Bond conveyed the crowd to the grove. Plenty of swings, games and refreshments were provided and the old folks who attended were feeling as happy and contented on the return as were the children. The day was so pleasantly spent that the Methodist people plan to have another outing some time next month. September 2, 1914 Last Sunday closed the contest between two teams in the Methodist Sunday school, resulting in a victory for the "Blue" team under command of Dave Yocum. The other team, the "Reds" was captained by Miss Nona VanVleck. The contest has been going on for several months and the attendance at Sunday school and church has made a wonderful growth under the stimulous of the rivalry between the contestants. Last Sunday being the close drew the largest attendance when 140 people went to Sunday school. The losers are to entertain the winners soon with a spread of some kind. June 11, 1914 Children's Day Programe The following programe will be given at the M. E. church, Sunday morning June 14. Voluntary Opening chorus—'"Beautiful Childrens Day"—By primary Sunday school. Anthem - Baptismal services, for all children “A Prayer for Baby"— Naoma Yocum Song by school Address of welcome, Gladys Eversole. Recitation—"It is Childrens Day" Arlena Ward Song by school Exercise, "God is Love” Primary Class Recitation, ' In Glad June Days" Orville Strimple Motion Song, "Little Birds of Springtime"—Primary class. Recitation, "Boy of the Bible" John Lewis Exercises, "Little Rainbow Children" Primary Class Song, "0 Childrens Day" Girls class Recitation, George Boock Song by school January 11, 1917 "A Perplexing Situation" is the title of a play at the M. E. church tomorrow night that is said to be very entertaining. 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 1914, 1917 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0463 http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/94d99973cdc5b8a7fb292622f62cd744.jpg 1f1a522e63f378e5df3835454a2838a5 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 Schools Description An account of the resource From the 1971 Centennial book: The history of our earliest schools is limited, however, we do know that the first school was taught by Mrs. Gibson Metty in 1863, and the first term was held in a small log cabin near the creek on the west side. There were about 15 scholars in attendance, both white and Indian. It was a subscription school. Mrs. Metty was succeeded by Mrs. Guernsey and she in turn by Miss Jane Woodward. In the years 1865 to 1868, a number of citizens formed an association and established a private school which most of the children attended. They built a small one-story frame building on the corner of North Main and Marion Streets. The population by the year 1870 had increased sufficiently to allow the formation of District No. 34. A two-room frame building 14x23 was built near the corner of Navarre and Marion Streets with a daily attendance of about 14 and in the winter season about 20. This was the first public school in Rossville. In the spring of 1871 this school building was moved from its site and purchased by C.W. Higginbotham for use as part of his home (which stood near the S.M. Thompson residence). A large, two-story frame building was constructed on the same site as the former school. In the fall the building was completed, and school was taken up by a Mr. Grant with an attendance of about 30 pupils. In 1882, a meeting was held at the Rossville school to discuss the necessity for enlarging the school facilities. Many felt the existing school should have an addition added to secure more room, and a high fence built around the school yard. Others favored moving the two-story frame house off to a suburban site such as back of the Baptist Church on Mulvane’s farm or some similar location. The complaint of noise, and the children playing in the creek because of lack of adequate playground area were reasons given for moving the school. In the year 1884, it was decided that a new school should be built and the contract was let to William Binns. It was built of red brick and furnished inside with all the latest improvements of the time. There were four spacious rooms, two on the first floor and two on the upper, in the back of these rooms were wardrobes. In the front and center of the building, on the upper floor, was recitation room opening into either of the two rooms. This school house was located on the present Rossville Grade School grounds. Both grade and two years of high school were taught for several years in this school building, until a four year high school could be established. From the Topeka Daily Capital, December 22, 1940: “Rossville’s new District No. 34 Grade School was dedicated. It was built at a cost of approximately $42,000.00 and contains four classrooms, one combination classroom and library, an auditorium, kitchen, bathrooms and a boiler room.” From the Rossville paper June 15, 1952, “patrons of District No. 34 and consolidated districts voted 64 yes and 3 no on a proposal to issue $68,000 in bonds for enlarging the grade school building, now greatly overcrowded.” The new addition to the grade school was started September 1952. The last addition to the grade school was in 1963. From the Topeka Daily Capital, April 17, 1949: “Five rural school districts voted to consolidate with the Rossville District. They are Parr District No. 77, which closed April 1910; Cedar Bluff District No. 52, closed since April 1937; Lipp School which closed in 1938; and James and Twin Rose schools which closed in 1946.” In about the year 1910, it was voted by the citizens of Rossville to build a high school. Until the high school was completed, the students, because of overcrowding, attended classes in the old Fritz hall, which is now identified by location above the present Rossville Truck and Tractor building. During this time, part of the primary department was taught in the old Baptist church. The high school, which was named “The City School, “ was built just east of the existing grade school on Pottawatomie Street. Due to weather conditions, the school was not completed until the second semester started in January 1913. School continued to be held in this building until 1937 with an average enrollment of eighty. The Rossville Reporter published on March 12, 1936, that among the public works projects was Rossville’s proposed new high school building, with an outright gift of $38,000.00 towards its cost. In May petitions were circulated in the district, which were later presented to the Board of Education requesting an election to vote bonds for Rossville’s share of 55 percent towards the new building. On July 11th the district voted five to one to approve the issuance of $46,480.00 in bonds. The 4.5 acres of ground, located on the south side of Highway 24 was purchased from J.K. Conley at $500.00 per acre. On December 10th, 1936, the school board advertised for bids for the new school. In 1966, due to an act of the Legislature, Grade School District No. 34 and High School District No. 7 were unified with St. Marys, Delia and Emmett and became known as Kaw Valley Unified District No. 321. The Delia High School was closed and the students came to Rossville. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Photo A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. 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 1915 Rossville High School Cooking Class, Rossville, Kansas Description An account of the resource This is a picture of the cooking class at Rossville High School of about 1915. The teacher was Miss Jones. Pictured left to right are Gladys Eversole, Irene Howard, Mildred McCollough, Gladys Hartzell, Doris Jamison, Mabel Howerton, Helen McPherson, Pauline Baylis, and Ethel James. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Rossville Community Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public domain Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RCL0173 Kansas Memory Project http://recollectionsks.org/files/original/ed78f394237146e3b4eab65f50c18852.jpg f7165bbf243e6c43c912e59d0faaf294 Photo A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Black and white copy made from a glass plate negative 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/. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Bonner Springs City Library Title A name given to the resource 1916 Christian Church Choir Description An account of the resource This photo was taken in 1916 by Rubin Rudell of the Christian Church choir. The information on the photo states- 1916 C. W. Cooper, minister-Mae Jacks, organist. Note pipe organ was dedicated to Robert Warner Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bonner Springs City Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1916 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ella Mae Rudell-Mitchel Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Attribution (required) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpg Language A language of the resource English 1916 Bonner Springs Chirstian Church Bonner Springs C. W. Cooper Kansas Mae Jacks Robert Warner