Name/Title
Union Congregational ChurchScope and Content
Historical information on Union Congregational Church for 1976 Bicentennial Celebration in Waupun, WI.
*Facts are typed and was scanned with mistakes, if any, left uncorrected.
Union Congregational Church - (United Church of Christ) Waupun, Wisconsin 53963
Church - 125 Beaver Dam Street, Phone: 414-324-2801 - Manse - 301 Elm Street, Phone: 414-324-3308
GEORGE WOLDSETH, Pastor
HISTORY OF THE UNION-CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH (AFFILIATED WITH THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST)
In this, the Bi-Centennial year of our country, on July 13th, it will be one hundred thirty-one years ago that a group of Christian people in the village of Waupun in the Territory of Wisconsin organized the First Congregational Church. It was the first church to be organized in Waupun. That was 1845. In September of that year, the First Baptist Church was organized and in December 1847 the Disciple of Christ Church came into being. In July, 1855, the Free Will Baptist Church was formed. Those who wrote of that era stated that the small community could not support that number of churches and on June 5, 1897, a coalition of the First Baptist Church, the Disciple Church and the Free Will Baptist took place. The resulting organization was known as the Union Church. This new congregation met in the former Free Will Baptist Church building until a new building was erected in 1899 and dedicated in January 1900. This was a beautiful church and was located on the southeast corner of Main and Forest Streets, on the site of our present City Hall.
Meanwhile the Congregational Church had been meeting in a small wooden schoolhouse where the Episcopal Church now stands until they were able to build a small church across the street. This was later enlarged.
In November 1916, fire destroyed the Union Church on a Sunday afternoon. A large crowd witnessed that conflagration and watched the big bell finally fall from the high steeple. On June 7, 1917, the Union Church formally joined with the First Congregational Church. Thus came into being the present Union-Congregational Church which became affiliated with the United Church of Christ in 1961.
Regular meetings were held in the Congregational Church building until the new church was built in 1958 and dedicated on September 6, 1959. A Christian Education addition was added in 1972. This new church located on the site of the old West Ward School at 125 Beaver Dam Street.
In America's Bi-Centennial year the Union-Congregational Church, under the leadership of Pastor Woldseth reaffirms that: "The object of this church shall be the public worship of God, Christian fellowship and service, and the advancement of the Kingdom of God throughout the world" and "To the great company of those who in generations to come will seek God's presence in this House of Prayer, walk in His ways and serve Him with joyful thanksgiving," this church is dedicated. January 1976
PASTORS
1845 Rev. Sheldon E. Peck
1847 - 49 Rev. E. J. Bradford
1848 - 51 Supply ministers
1851 - 57 Rev. S. H. Ashman
1857 Rev. Wm. H. Halliwell
1858 - 60 Rev. H. Y. Benson
1860 - 61 Rev. D. Hoyt Blake (Union Army)
1863 Rev. W. H. Marble (Army Chaplin)
1864 - 65 Rev. W. H. Marble
1866 - 73 Rev. John Milton Williams
1873 - 89 Rev. George Darling
1889 - 1890 Rev. C. D. Campbell
1890 - 1994 Rev. T. J. Brown (Prison Chaplin)
1895 - 1900 Rev. J. H. Rowland
1900 - 02 Rev. George C. Lockridge
1902 - 07 Rev. T. A. Williams
1900 - 09 Rev. F. C. Weed
1909 - 14 Rev. A. G. Wilson
1914 Rev. Henry Faville
1915 - 19 Rev. B. E. Harkness
1924 - 25 Rev. Louis F. Arhelger
1926 Dr. Silas Evans (regular supply)
1927 - 28 Rev. I. L. Parvin
1934 - 41 Rev. J. A. Nansen D.D.
1941 - 48 Rev. Leo L. Duerson
1948 - 56 Rev. Ralph Austin
1956 - 57 Rev. Smauel G. Beers (Prison Chaplain)
1957 - 63 Rev. James Savides
1963 - 64 Rev. Samuel Beers (supply)
1964 - 69 Rev. Robert Kauffman
1969 - 70 Rev. C. G. McCallister (interiim supply)
1970 - 72 Rev. M. W. Close
1972 - 73 Rev. Stanley York (supply)
1973 Rev. George Woldseth
Photo of UNION-CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, 125 Beaver Dam St., Phone: 324-2801; Parsonage, 301 Elm Ave., Phone: 324-3308; Fellowship Hall: 324-4512; Worship Service - 10:30 A.M. (9:30 during summer); Sunday School 9:00 A.M.
This photo is part of a pamphet - THE WAUPUN CHURCHESAcquisition
Accession
2016.0075Source or Donor
Waupun Area Chamber of CommerceAcquisition Method
Donation
