Churches Serving Princeton and Surrounding Townships
Princeton has always been fairly liberal in religious matters. Churches of every denomination have been welcome here, and there has been very little friction between any of them. The pastors work together in many community observances during the year. At Easter, Thanksgiving and on other occasions there are joint services for the congregations.
There are eight churches in Princeton, and probably about 50 per cent of the persons attending them reside outside the village limits. On a Sunday morning the streets for blocks around the churches are lined with cars.
Dates on Which Churches Organized
|
Congregational |
1856 |
|
Methodist |
1857 |
|
Immanuel Lutheran |
1891 |
|
St. Edward’s Catholic |
1898 |
|
Trinity Lutheran |
1904 |
|
Assembly of God |
1935 |
|
Seventh Day Adventist |
1935 |
|
Evangelical Free |
1951 |
Congregation Church
The Congregational church has the distinction of being the first one organized in the village. That organization took place in the home of Henry Gillam on July 20, 1856, after a sermon by Rev. Royal Twichell. The founders of the church were: Ebenezer Payne, John Dimick, Dexter C. Payne, Samuel Ross, William Payne, Margaret Payne, Harriet Payne, Cynthia Dimick, Laura Jones, Henry Dimick, Lucinda Fritz, and Jane Dimick.
In its early years the church met for worship in private homes, in the dining room of the hotel, and in the schoolhouse. In 1871 steps were taken to secure a meetinghouse. The building committee consisted of A.S. Bigelow, Samuel Ross and Rev. C.A. Hampton. The church building was dedicated March 16, 1873. It was on the present site of the Odegard Implement building on Main street. In 1889 the church building was moved to its present location on the corner of First street and Seventh avenue. The church remodeled in this location was dedicated October 3, 1920.
Methodist Church
Rev. John Hooper, the circuit rider who was ministering to the group of Methodists in the pioneer village of Princeton in 1857, apparently thrived on hard work and adventure. He lived to the ripe old age of 98, when he died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Arvid Undeen, in Minneapolis.
In his obituary published at that time appeared the following:
“Mr. Hooper, born in England in 1828, was ordained a Methodist minister at the age of 17. Three years later he gave up his English pastorate and sought the new world.
“His first American church was on the outpost of civilization, at Madison, Wis. Day after day came reports of settlers pushing on into the rich Minnesota territory, and soon came the call for missionaries. Mr. Hooper became a ‘circuit rider’.”
Indians Stopped at Parsonage
Rev. John Hooper was the grandfather of H.H. Sanborn, who resides in the village at 105 North 13th Avenue. One morning a group of Indians stopped at the log cabin parsonage and knocked on the door. Mrs. Hooper opened the door. Back of her, lined up on the table, were 14 loaves of bread that she had just baked. The leader of the group got his eye on the bread, pushed Mrs. Hooper aside, came into the kitchen, picked up all the bread and handed it to the other Indians standing outside. He then turned, and seeing Evie, the four-year-old daughter in the household, standing with a rag doll in her hands, took the doll and went out with it. Little Evie commenced to cry; she did not wish to lose her toy. The rag doll was passed around the circle of Indians, all of who inspected it carefully. The leader returned the doll to the little girl. The Indians then went on their way.
In 1857 Rev. S.S. Adams held services in the homes and in the first schoolhouse in the village. Rev. John Hooper was appointed to Princeton in the spring of 1857. His appointment was called the Princeton Mission. At that time there was neither church nor parsonage, but before the winter closed the Methodists had both church and parsonage built. The church was called “Dunham’s Meetinghouse” and also “The Blue Church” because of its color.
In 1886 a new building was erected, which is now occupied by the Trinity Lutheran church. The building committee was A.M. Neely, Benjamin Soule and A.W. Woodcock. The church was 28 x 48 feet and would seat 180 people. The cost of the building was $1,500.
Under the leadership of Rev. W.E.J. Gratz, the present Methodist church was built in 1903. The church was dedicated September 20, 1903, free from debt.
Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church
Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran church was organized in April 1891 under the leadership of Pastor Carl Roemer. On July 28 of that year work on the church building was begun, and on November 8 the church was dedicated.
William Grabeman became pastor of the church on July 4, 1893. During his ministry the first parsonage south of the church was built.
In 1910 an addition on the west end of the church was built, which was used as a classroom for catechetical instruction. In 1924 a new parsonage was built.
Under the leadership of Rev. Wm. F. Tinge, a new church was erected in 1949 at the corner of Fourth Street and ‘Eight Avenue South. The last dollar of indebtedness on the church was paid off in November 1955.
Rev. George J. Feistner became pastor of the church in July 1952.
St. Edward’s Catholic Church
St. Edward’s parish was incorporated on October 6, 1898. The members of the board of directors at that time were: The Most Rev. James Trobec, D.D., president; the Very Rev. Edward G. Nagle, Vicar General; the Rev. Joseph P. Levings, pastor and vice-president; J.J. Skahen, secretary; D.A Kaliher, treasurer.
Erection of the church was started in 1898, and it was dedicated July 9, 1899. A few years later the church was enlarged by Father Levings, with the addition of a sanctuary and sacristy. It was again enlarged by Father Wilenbrink in 1915. The parish house was built in 1901.
Rev. Joseph Levings died on May 19, 1912. Rev. Joseph Wilenbrink followed him as pastor of the church, and served until November 1918. He was succeeded by Rev. Charles A. Mayer, who served for ten years as pastor of the church, and was succeeded by Rev. Adelbert Wagner, who remained as pastor until August 1953. He was succeeded by Rev. Leo Revering.
Trinity Lutheran Church
C.G. Gronberg, from the Norwegian Lutheran seminary in St. Paul, came to Princeton in 1903 and conducted services in this community for a Scandinavian Lutheran congregation. At a meeting held on January 8, 1904, it was decided to adopt the legal name, “The Evangelical Lutheran Emanuel Congregation of Princeton.” At that time there were only six families in the congregation, but they negotiated for the purchase of the old Methodist church for the sum of $1,800 including the lots on which it was built.
The pastors who followed the theological student, C.G. Gronberg, in 1904 were: J.E. Carlson, August Lundquist, J.A. Levine, Mathias Peterson, A. Melin, N.A. Almer, Carl C. Linder, Jesper Holmquist, Nels E. Bergstrom, J. Clifford Marshall. Of these pastors Rev. N.A. Almer rendered the longest term of service, 14 years from 1918 through 1932.
From 1920 to 1929 there was a transition from the use of the Swedish to the English language in the church services. On March 3, 1935, the name of the church was changed from “Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church” to “Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Princeton.”
During 1955 an education building was erected in connection with the church, which can be used as a part of the church auditorium when there is a large gathering.
Assembly of God Church
In the year 1928, Evangelist George Ade started a tent meeting on the old courthouse grounds, where the Community hospital once stood.
Next year Evangelist Ade conducted the tent meetings in the north section of the village. The people, knowing they needed more than a tent in which to worship, began to build a tabernacle. The project was supported by freewill offerings and much work donated by the members. The tabernacle was built on Seventh avenue north. This building was destroyed by fire.
In 1933 Rev. Roy A. Hedtke was elected pastor of the church. Under his leadership the church voted to unite with the Pentecostal movement under the name of “The Princeton Gospel Tabernacle,” and in March 1935 became affiliated with the Assembly of God, which has its headquarters in Springfield, MO.
In 1943 a church building in Spencer Brook was purchased and moved onto the lot south of the armory on Highway 169. The final payment on the church was made in 1948. In the spring of 1952 the church name was changed from “The Princeton Gospel Tabernacle” to “ The Princeton Assembly of God.”
Seventh Day Adventist Church
The Princeton Seventh Day Adventist church was organized June 8, 1935, with the following charter members: Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Hanson, Mrs. J.G. Hanson, Mr. and Mrs. Fran Pfeiffer, Mrs. Wm. L. Shrode, Mrs. M.F. Applegate, Guy Strong, Mrs. Emma Strong, August Burger, and Edwin Burger.
They met at the home of Alvin Hanson for their church services. Some time afterward they rented a small building on the north side of town. Later a series of meetings were held in a tent pitched where the present hospital now stands. After this series of meetings the congregation purchased the old Ewing Music store and converted that into a church hall. In the year 1947 they sold that building and started construction of the present church, located at 708 North Second street.
Evangelical Free Church
The Princeton Evangelical Free church was started for a number of reasons. One was the need of providing a place of worship for the members of the Free Church at the Elim Home. After four years discussing the project, work on securing a church was started in 1950. The former building of the Immanuel Lutheran church was purchased and moved to the church property, which is at the corner of Second street north and Ninth avenue. Rev. Benjamin Lundstrom was responsible for locating this building and expediting the building program. The church was dedicated on April 8, 1951, with Rev. A.J. Thorwall speaking.
Rev. Maynard Sandberg was appointed pastor in 1952. On October 30, 1953, the church building was completely destroyed by fire. Services were held at the Co-operative hall and in private homes until January 30, 1955. At that time the group was able to meet in the basement of the new building.
Rev. Gordon Arneberg became pastor of the church in the beginning of October 1955. During that month the main auditorium of the newly erected building was completed enough to use. Used pews were purchased and were finished by the members.
Zion Lutheran Church
One hundred years ago the Missouri Synod Lutheran missionaries came to Minnesota. Under their leadership congregations were organized in 1856 at South St. Paul, Minneapolis, Town Hart, and Cologne in Carver county.
In the 1870’s pastors from these churches served the Lutheran families of the Princeton community in services held every two or three months in the homes of David Kuhrke and William Sorge.
In 1886 the heads of five families who had moved to Princeton township organized Zion Lutheran church. Those signing the constitution were: August Kuhrke, Henry Jopp, Henry Dalchow, John Dalchow, and Carl Rick. None of the original organizers of the congregation are living, but their descendants are active in the affairs of Zion Lutheran and of the Princeton community.
For a year the new congregation continued to meet in the homes of members. In 1887 the first church building was erected. It was a log building and served for many years, first as a church, and later as a schoolhouse.
(From – Princeton Centennial – 1856-1956)