Bartholomew County, Indiana - Chapter 6, 1888 (part 3 of 3)

following: Martin and Susanna ILuislt, with their four children, Edwin .Theodore, Susanna Elizabeth, Mai-ianna faulina ami Sophia Theresa. Daniel and jNlary Ziey'ler, with their ten children, Delilah, Matilda, JNIclvina, Fiorina, Alexander, Caroline, Melinda, Daniel, Marianna and Solomon, josejih and Elizabeth Spaugh, \vith their five children, ''J'iinothy, William, Ilenriette, Alexander and J-lobert. Henr\' and Mary Clayton, with their two children, John and Margaret. Tn addition t(^ these families there were also present, Matthew Chitty, Margaret Chilty, Nathaniel Snyder and John Essex, Jr., in all, thirty-three souls. Of these, cxactl}' onethird are still living, viz. : Marianna Paulina ] lauser, now Mrs. Daniel Brunner, of Kansas; Sophia Theresa Ilauser, now Mrs. Lewis Levering, of Olnej^, Illinois; Edwin Theodore Ilauser, of West Salem, Illinois; Delilah Ziegler, now the widow of WiUiam II. Chitt}', residing at Hope, Indiana; Fiorina Ziegler, now jNIrs. Joseph Reed, of Kansas; Marianna Ziegler, now Mrs. Philip Gambold, of Kansas; Solomon Ziegler, of Hope, Indiana; Robert Spaugh, of Hope, Indiana; Mar}' Clayton, now Mrs. Howe, of this State; John Clayton, JMatthew Chitt}-. Both the last named reside in this State, but onl}' three of the survivors, in Hope. Before dismissing this part of our subject, two incidents narrated by the historian of that time and connected wdth the events of this da}-, are interesting. During the interval between services, at noon, Nathaniel Snyder killed a large deer near the present cemetery. In preparing wood for boiling coffee for the love-feast, the axe of one of the young men accidentally slipped from its handle, and inflicted a severe wound upon the leg of Timothy Spaugh. This for a time cast a distressing cloud upon the festivities, but was removed when the blood was staunched, and the young man found able to ride home. The congregation was, however, not regularly organized until a year later, although this day, June 17, 1830, is celebrated as its natal day. On that day, a year later, the Rev. LewMS de Schweinitz, who had come from Pennsylvania for the purpose, organized a church, and administered the sacraments. Four children were baptized, viz.: INIelvina Louisa Ilauser, Jonathan Solomon Ziegler, Nancy Maria Clayton, and James Edward Co]ieland. Daniel and INIary Ziegler, John Essex. Jr., and Lewis Reed, were added to the comnuiiiicriiit membership uf ihc church b\- ihc rite of coniirmalion. Thi; Lord's Slipper was adiuiiiistered at the close of the services to t\vent3-''sou]s.

Alter llie oslahlishn\eiit of the conL;"re_!J^.ilii)n the name of Goslieii Avas ^ivei) to it. and tlie little \illaj4'e now surrouii(Hn^ the church. The lirjt hou>e is still stauAing. Tiie congreijjatioii received spiritual su])ervisiori from Martin Ilauscr, its founder, but as he was not ordained to the ministr} , he could not administer the sacramients. This had to be done aiuiualh' by brethren who came from the east for the pm-pose. This was nalurall}' very unsatisfactorv, and made it expedient to ordain Martin Ilauscr to the regular ministry-, which Avas done at Bethlehem, Pa., in Februar}-, 1833.

Meanwhile the growth of the town and vicinity made a conveniently situated post oilice a necessity, and Goshen applied for the estabhshment of one in its midst. Ijut a rival had sprung up in a village called St. Louis, situated one and a half miles north\vest of Goshen. However, as INLirtin Ilauscr was a personal friend of the Postmaster General at Washington, Goshen was favored, the Rev. Martin Ilauser becoming the first postmaster. The first mail arrived on ^Larch 10, 1834. This event, howcAer, caused the name of Goshen to be exchanged for that of Hope, as there was already an office in the State bearing that name.

But the ever increasing immigration revealed the fact that the meeting house was growing too small, and a new and more commodious place of worship must be provided. In a council held Januar}!- 30, 1836, this was determined upon. A later council decided the building was to be of brick, but after it was discovered that the bricks burnt for the p.urpose were unfit for use, it was finally resolved to build a new church of frame, with a front of thirtythree feet, and a depth of fift^'-three feet. It was also to be two stories high. The brethren, Ilenrj' Clayton, Joseph Holder and Martin Ilauser, were appointed a building committ^, and faithfully carried out the prescribed plan. This building is still standing, and is used by the congregation as a chapel. But, although the people had multiplied, mone}' was very scarce. Hence, permission was obtained from the authorities to make a canvass of the various churches for the purpose of securing the needed funds for the ent-^2 IlAUTUOl-OMP-W' fOlN'rV.

tcrprise. This \vas done by the Kcv. Marliii Ilaiiser, w ho afu-r thrce months' labor, rclunud with $>SoS, all cxivnsi-s having; been ck'ducli.'d. This .sum, with the eonlributions at home, i^uvided sullicieiit i-esouiTCs to pay entirely foi' the new chureh. 'Iliis edifice was dedicated to the worship of the Triune God on June 17, 1S3S. Bishop J'>enade came west for the purpose, and the occasion was certainly a memorable one. This event also marks the close of the first pastorate, as the ]\ev. Martin llauser resi_L,med his olTice after a very successful career of eight years, thenceforth to apply himself chiclly to Home Mission work. But this step demanded not only a new pastor, but also a parsonage, as IJrother Ilauscr had resided on his farm, and consequentl}- anew frame parsonage was built immediately.

In 1841, the congregation determined upon a new enterprise in connection with its work, viz.: the estabhshment of a parochial and boar -ling school. An acre of ground opposite the church was cleared for this purpose, and a school on the plan of ^Moravian institutions of the kind, provided for in the buildings the congregation owned, but owing to lack of encouragement, failed. But in 1855, this subject was revived, and determined upon in a council held on March i, 1856. Success crowned this effort so far as buildin"-s and the establishment of^ a school were concerned. Two excellent and commodious brick buildings were erected on the ground cleared years before, and Mr. John Henry Kluge, of Lebanon, Pa., appointed principal. Lack of funds and discouragements, however, again proved fatal to ultimate success, and the second time the school enterprise had to be abandoned. Nevc;rtheless, a third attempt in this direction was made. The Province was induced to buy the school property of the congregation, and after the expenditure of $30,000 for additional buildings, under the principalship of Rev. F. R. Holland, the school was again re-opened in November, 1866. For fifteen years the school prospered with varying success, when it was closed and sold by order of the synod. Since then a Normal school and business college have occupied the buildings.

The congregation having again outgrown the capacity of its house of worship, it was decided in a council held October 24, 1868, to erect a new and large;- building, and a conunittee was appointed for the work. But owiuL;- to various obstacles, it was not until the spriuu- of 1S74 that the buililing was be^un. JJ)uring this, and the llrst Iialf of the succeediuLr yaw, a massive and commodious brick, church, accommodating over 700 people, was erected at a cost of upward of $16,000. This third church was dedicated to the worship of God on June i/th, 1S75, the Rev. Martin Ilauser, the founder of the churcl), participatinpj in the services of that occasion. A year later a beautifully brick parsonage, costing about $3,200, was erected on the site of the former one, and occupied in July, 1S77.

In 1S33, ^^'^^ church laid out a burial ground on a bluff on the east bank of Haw Creek, west of the town, and made the first interment on July 1 2th, of that year, the deceased being a child by the name of William Reich.

This ground was enlarged from time to time, but in 1879, received an addition of about 500 burial lots, artisticall}' arranged between macadamized and gravelled walks and drives, which arc skirted with hundreds of evergreen and forest trees. The around is connected with the church lawn by an avenue 50 feet in width, and nearly 300 yards in length, extending between two rows of beautiful Norway spruce. These lots are sold at prices ranging from $15 to $75, and the cemeter}- has become the popular bur}'- ing ground of this vicinit}'. The cemetery is owned by the congregation, and bears the name of " Hope Cemeter}^"

The activities of the church were also directed beyond its immediate precincts, the Rev. Martin Hauser conducting a quite extended home mission work. Mr. Charles Phole was also euiracred in this work for some time, although but one result of all these labors remains in the affiliated charge of Enon. This is situated nearly five miles southwest of Hope, and was founded by Rev. Martin Hauser and Rev. Herman Titze, the pastor at Hope, on March 29,1845. A new church was soon after built, and dedicated to Gov II April 19, 1846. This building, somewhat remodeled, is still used as the chmxh of the congregation, which numbers thirtyseven communicant members, and is supplied semi-monthly with preaching, by the pastor of the Hope Church.

impossible. The congregation at Hope, as also its cluirge at Eiion, ag is natural in so long a period of lime, has experienced Iv.lh temporal and spiritual (luctualion, but is still a jirosperousand pi.werful influence for good in the conimunity it iiNliered into being. ^L numbers 290 cc'miunicants, and a total meniberslnp of .113 souls.

In conclusioi die following list of pastors, and their time of service, is appended. Of these, one, the Rev. Edwin T, Senseman, died in the midst of a most successful pastorate. During the nearly tlft3--eight years since its organization, this congregation has been only three months and twenty days \vitliout a regularly appointed pastor or supply - less on an average, than two days for each year of its existence.