website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Historical
Sketch
of First
Church of Christ, Scientist,
Watertown,
Wisconsin
> This section derived from “Historical Sketch of First Church of Christ,
Scientist, Watertown, Wisconsin,” [written 05 22 1936] a 3-page digitized
document
(WHS_001_004_PDF Christian Science Church Collection)
“He
sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their
destructions.” Ps. 107:20
"The
church is that institution which affords proof of its utility and is found
elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to
the apprehension of spiritual ideas, and the demonstration of divine Science,
thereby casting, out devils or error and healing the sick." - Science and Health, page 583, by Mary
Baker Eddy.
1888 CHRISTIAN SCIENCE TREATMENT BY
BROTHER-IN-LAW
CURES CONSTANCE WIGGENHORN
In
October of 1888, Gustave A. Walther, C.S.D., Christian Scientist, of Wymore,
Nebraska, a student of Mary Baker Eddy, enroute home
from Boston, decided to stop off at Watertown to visit with his sister, Mrs.
Ernestine Wiggenhorn.
Upon arriving at his sister’s home, he found her grief-stricken over the
serious illness of her husband, Constance Wiggenhorn, whom the doctors said could not
live more than a few days, due to asthma.
Mr. Walther went to the sick man and asked him if he was willing to turn
to God, and Mr. Wiggenhorn, being unable to speak,
weakly nodded "yes." Mr.
Walther immediately began to give him Christian Science treatment, and after an
hour and a half left him sleeping, the first natural sleep he had had in three
weeks. The next morning when Mr. Wiggenhorn awoke, he asked his wife for a big breakfast and
ate heartily. Two weeks later, he went
back to his business fully healed.
Following the healing of Mr. Wiggenhorn, Mr. Walther also healed Dr. Arthur Meyer, dentist, and the doctor’s mother, Mrs. Herman Meyer, of illness and other
discordant conditions. These healings
aroused great interest in Christian Science among relatives and friends, and
thus the Faith began to gain followers in Watertown.
These
newly interested people began the daily study of Christian Science. A few of those who were first to experience
healings studied under Mrs. Sarah Clark, C.S.D., of Milwaukee, authorized
Christian Science teacher who conducted a class in the summer of 1895 at the
home of Dr. A. Meyer, who was then residing in the Koeppler
home on Third St.
1903
09 30 FIRST CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
SOCIETY OF WATERTOWN WAS ORGANIZED
In the early fall of 1903, several students of Christian Science
imbued with the desire to demonstrate more fully the Life divine, met Sunday
mornings at the home of Constance Wiggenhorn,
Sixth and Jefferson Streets, to read the Lesson Sermons used in all Christian
Science churches. This led shortly to the organization of a
Christian Science Society, and on September
30th, 1903, a meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth March,
Third Street, for the purpose of electing a committee to make arrangements for
a permanent organization. The following
committee was elected: Dr. A. W. Meyer, Mrs. Emelyne
Uehling, and John Kessler, Sr. On 0ctober 8th, 1903, First Christian Science
Society of Watertown was organized at a special meeting. The charter members were: Mrs.
Elizabeth March, Mrs. Mary Mathewson, Mrs. Bertha Huebbe,
Mrs. Emelyne Uehling,
Constance Wiggenhorn, John Kessler, Sr., Ernest Huebbe and Dr. Arthur W. Meyer. The first officers elected were: Mrs.
Elizabeth March, First Header; Dr. Arthur W. Meyer,
Second Header; John Kessler, Sr., President; Constance Wiggenhorn,
Secretary- Treasurer; Mrs. Mary Mathewson, Mrs. Emelyne
Uehling, and Mrs. Bertha Huebbe,
Directors. Dr. A. Meyer was elected to draw up a Constitution and By-Laws,
with the assistance of Mrs. Henrietta Graybill of Milwaukee. These By-Laws were adopted on October 14th,
1903. Shortly after the organization of
the Society, the following new members were taken in: F. H.
Roper, Mrs. Ida Keyes, the Misses Elsa and Meta May, Callie Mathewson, Linda Uehling, Frances Parker and Lydia Sleeper.
1905
GUSTAVE WALTHER MOVED TO WATERTOWN
The
services of the new organization were held on the second floor of E. Owen’s music store, located at 113
Third Street. The first Christian
Science lecture was delivered by Bicknell Young, C.S.B., of Chicago, Illinois,
during June of 1904. In December of
1905, Gustave A. Walther, C.S.D., who was the first to introduce Christian
Science healing into Watertown, moved here with his family and they became
members of the Society.
1906
05 03 CHRISTIAN SCIENCE SUNDAY
SCHOOL ORGANIZED
REORGANIZED. NAME CHANGED TO FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST,
SCIENTIST, WATERTOWN, WISCONSIN
On
May 3d, 1906, steps were taken to organize a Christian Science Sunday School
and Gustave A. Walther, C.S.D., was elected Superintendent and Teacher, with
Mrs. Walther as Assistant Teacher.
Sunday School work has been carried on ever since and some of the
scholars are now members of the church.
In
the spring of the year of 1906, the little Society decided to reorganize as a
church, and was incorporated according to the Statutes of State of Wisconsin
and in conformity with the Manual of The Mother Church, The First Church of
Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts.
The name was then changed to First Church of Christ, Scientist,
Watertown, Wisconsin.
With
the Society now organized as a church, a Christian
Science Reading Room was established and cards notifying the public of the
reading room hours and the time of church services were placed in hotels and
all public places permissible. For many
years the reading room was located on the third floor of the Hertel and
Hoffmann building.
1906
OFF RESIDENCE USED AS CHURCH (until 1922)
On
July 1st, 1906, the church moved into the Off residence [ William and Aurora
(widow of Ernst) ], located on the corner of Fifth and
Spring Streets, which had been given to the organization as a gift by the
heirs, Mrs. Mathes and Mr. Off. In accepting this gift, the church agreed to
assume a small indebtedness on the property, which was later removed by the
church. The building was remodeled for
church purposes and served the congregation until the year 1922, when it was
out-grown. It was then torn down and the
present edifice was erected on the same site.
1907
COL. P. H. SWIFT and MRS. MARY SWIFT, C. S.
The
first registered Christian Science Practitioner to join the Society was Mrs.
Mary Swift, C. S., wife of Col. P. H. Swift, coming here from Rice Lake in
January of 1907. A s a practitioner Mrs.
Swift was very successful in the field and her healing work helped to build up
the Society. She was greatly loved by
all who knew her. Col. Swift, also a
member of the Society, edited and published a daily and weekly newspaper known
as the Watertown Leader, during his residence here.
1922
NEW CHURCH BUILT, IN GEORGIAN COLONIAL DESIGN
While
the new edifice was in the process of construction, services were held in the
Majestic Theatre building. The building
of the new structure was started in May of 1922, and on July 15th, at five
o’clock in the afternoon, the corner-stone was laid, and the First Reader, Miss
Evie Harden, conducted an appropriate and impressive service in the presence of
the members of the Board of Directors and the Building Committee.
Those
serving on the Board of Directors at that time were: Dr. A. W. Meyer, Mrs. Amy
Ullrich, Mrs. Helen D. Meyer, Mrs. Louise Brill, and G. T. Green; and the
Building Committee was composed of Miss Linda Uehling,
Dr. O. E. Meyer, Mrs. Amy Ullrich, Dr. Arthur W. Meyer and Miss Evie
Harden.
The
following books and publications: the
Bible; Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and the Church Manual of
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, by Mary Baker
Eddy; The Christian Science quarterly; The Christian Science Journal; The
Christian Science Sentinel; Der Herold; Le Heraut,
and the Christian Science Monitor, together with a list of names of the members
of the church were placed in the corner-stone and sealed.
The
new edifice is of cream brick in Georgian Colonial design throughout and has a
seating capacity of about 250. The cost
of the building complete with the furnishings was about $14,000, which amount
was pledged without solicitation. The
opening service was held in the new edifice on February 11, 1923, and the
dedication service on December 7th, 1924, when the church building was
completely paid for.
"Hitherto
hath the Lord helped us."--I Sam. 7:12.
1930
ROBERT MORTON PIPE ORGAN
The
Robert Morton pipe organ, one of the finest in the city, was installed in the
spring of 1930, being the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Boeger,
of Beverly Hills, California. Mrs. Boeger is a former member of the church.
Throughout
the many years that this church has been in existence, the members have had but
one desire: to be "steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, for as much as ye know that your work is not in vain in the
Lord."--I Cor. 15:58.
Among
the early workers, Miss Linda Uehling and Dr. Arthur
W. Meyer each served the church faithfully as First Header for many years. At the present time
Readers are elected each year with the privilege of serving three years if
re-elected.
The
Christian Science Reading Room is now located in the church edifice, where all
authorized Christian Science literature may be read, borrowed or
purchased. It serves to inform and
enlighten those seeking the understanding of Christian Science, and is open to
the public every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon from three to five o’clock,
excepting legal holidays.
A free
lecture on Christian Science is given each year under the auspices of this
church, by a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship of The Mother
Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts. Many healings occur at these lectures and
many discordant conditions are overcome through a right understanding of the
Truth of Being.
1936
OFFICRS
The
present officers are: Mrs. Ada Burns, First Reader; Mrs. Louise Brill, Second Reader;
Mrs. Amy Ullrich, President; Mrs. Elsie Guenther, Clerk; Mrs. Lucille Bailey,
Treasurer; Mrs. Amy Ullrich, Mrs. Laura Parsons, Homer Ryder, Mrs. Millie
Horton and Mrs. Helen D. Meyer, Board of Directors; Mrs. Millie Norton,
Superintendent of Sunday School; and Miss Doris Meyer, Librarian of the Reading
Room.
SIGNED
(MRS.)
AMY MARIE GRANT ULLRICH
(MRS.) M. F. ULLRICH
=
End of this section =
c.1885
Gustave A. Walther, C.S.D., Christian Scientist
c.1900
Constance Wiggenhorn, Ernestine Walther Wiggenhorn, wife of Constance.
Constance was first in Watertown to embrace Christian Science. Wiggenhorn Cigar Manufactory.
1936
1954
1974
On June 12, 1967 church building was dedicated as Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Cross
references:
Miss
Harriette A. Guenther, soloist
Dr. Oscar
E. Meyer, head usher
From note
in Christian Science Church collection
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Science
History of
Watertown, Wisconsin