St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Our Lutheran Church in the
Past
This article was written
by Margaret B. Risher
In 1800 a little
settlement, predominately German, spread itself along the Monongahela
River upstream and opposite its junction with the Youghiogheny
River. The section now McClure Street above the Risher mine
incline was known as Amity. Below this line the settlement was
called Dravosburg. As the settlement grew, it was given a post
office and called Dravosburg in honor of Mr. Dravo.
For many years previous, the
Lutheran Church was the only house of worship here. The services
were conducted in German. An occasional English service was held by
a neighboring pastor in the school house or in a hall above the brick
Dravo store on Washington Avenue (Mon River Road.)
Sessions were held nearly every
evening in the Lutheran Church. In answer to a group of people's
faith, Mr. Risher built a church on Mon River Rd. (now Washington
Ave. which was dedicated March 26, 1871 as Amity Presbyterian). A
German school (parochial) was connected within the
Lutheran Church. My mother told me about it. She said the old
professor with long fitted gown and little
tight black cap - sat on a high stool before his classes.
The cemetery was behind and
up the hill from the church and school.
A collection of $600.00 was
raised to build the first church. Mr. August Goldstrom and Mr. Jacob
Christman were two of those who sponsored the drive.
This congregation was organized in
1859 as the First German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Congregation of
Mifflin Township (now Dravosburg) Allegheny County, Penna. (A copy
of the charter is in the archives of the congregation). It seems
that Rev. Michael Schweigert, Pittsburgh Synod, was the first Pastor. The
congregation constituted a parish with Peace Church, Greenock,
Pennsylvania.
Peace and St. John's left
Pittsburgh Synod and joined the American Lutheran Church - Synod of Ohio -
and were served by pastors from that Synod until about 1918 when seemingly
the Congregation broke up and the church doors were closed for about the
next ten years. The Congregation had apparently a rough time.
According to the available records, it disbanded twice, in 1912 and in
1918. It was organized in 1859 reorganized in 1912 and again
in 1928.
The following records will verify
the few facts that we were able to assimilate:
The undersigned, were the Members
and Founders of the German Lutheran Christian Congregation, of Mifflin
Township, (now Dravosburg, Allegheny County, Pa.)
The following is a list of
members appeared in the Anniversary booklet. (181 persons)
Peter
Baerras
Jacob Bassor
Adam Behm
Adam Beist
Konrad Briedinger
Jacob Christman
Henry Demmel
Heinrich Demmell
Jacob Demmell
Christian Dierstein
Mrs. Henry Doney
Christ Dryer
Fred W. Dryer
Frederick Dryer
William Dryer
Charley Durst
Heinrich Durst
Mrs. Margaret Durst
Fritz Eckert
Johannis Egley
Jacob Ellicker
Peter Ellicker
August Esper
Charles Espey
John Faulkner
Charles Fechter
Kasper Fechter
Herman Freidel
Godfried Friedel
Jacob Glasner
Jacob Glasser
Henry Glassner
Peter Goedel
August Goldstrohm
C.W. Goldstrohm
Chas. F. Goldstrohm
Heinrich Goldstrohm
Henry Goldstrohm
Mrs. Henry Goldstrohm
Wm. S. Goldstrohm
Konrad Goldstrohm, Sr.
Konrad W. Goldstrohm
Heinrich Golstrohm
Konrad Golstrohm
Nicklos Graff
Fred Haberman
Frederick W. Haberman
George C. Haberman
Henry Haberman
Fred W. Haberman, Jr.
Fred W. Haberman, Sr.
Adam Halt
Johannis Hamerstein
Charley Hart
Conrad J. Hart
Konrad Hart
Jacob Heckman
Adam Heilman
Johannis Heinrich
Louis Henry
Konrad Hetrich
Konrad Hilderbrand
Heinrich Hobbman
Adam Hoffman
Peter Hoffman
Philip Hoffman
August Hoffmeister
Jos. W. Holschuch
Wilhelm Holschuch
Peter Huffnagel
William Kelebach
Mrs. Wm. Kemmerling
John Ketzsterfer
Johannis Ketzsterffer
Johannis Kint
John H. Kint
John Kint
Mallendin Kint
Mrs. Valentine Kint
John Kint, Sr.
George Kniss
Johannis Kniss
Willem Kniss
Casper Knobelock
Christopher Koch
Mrs. Henry Koch
Christian Koerber
Ernst Koerber
Fred Koerber
Willem Koerber
Abraham Kohl
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Charles
Kohl
Ed. Kohl
Edward Kohl
Jacob Kohl
Jacob Kohl
Keinrich Kohl
Louis Kohl
Martin Kohl
Adam Krobb
Friederich Krobb
Peter Krobb
George Kunkelman
Keinrich Kunkelman
Michael Kunkelman
Philip Kunkelman
Johannis Lampe
Wm. J. Leader
Jacob Linn
Johannis Linn
John C. Linn
John Linn
John W. Linn
Peter Linn
Sr. Johannis Luffe
August Lummel
James Lummel
Add. Martin
John H. Martin
John Martin
Johannis Miller
John Miller
Johannis Paule
Frederich Pirl
Konrad Raymer
Mrs. Mary Schuch
Dan Schuman
Daniel Schuman
William Schuman
Daniel Schuman, Sr.
Dan. C. Sorg
Daniel Sorg
Daniel Sorg
Johannis Sorg
Michael Sorg
Michael Sorg
Mrs. Daniel Sorg
Philip Sorg
Willem Sorg
Heinrich Sorg, Sr.
Peter Spillman
William Spittal
Johannis Steinhelper
Mrs. J. Steinhelper
George E. Thomas
Mrs. Jacob Thorp
Mrs. Lotte Thorp
Martin Ulrich
Johannis Wagner
Willem Wagner
John Walter
Christian Weigand
Heinrich Weigand
George Weil
George Weil
Matz Weil
Peter Weinkauf
Heinrich Wiegand
Christian Wilhelm
August Winkelvoss
Christian Winkelvoss
Ferdinand Winkelvoss
Fred Winkelvoss
Frederick Winkelvoss
Ludwig Winkelvoss
Mrs. Fred Winkelvoss
Mrs. Louis Winkelvoss
August Winkevoss
Christ. H. Wisser
Heinrich Wisser
Henry Wisser
Henry Wisser
Jacob Wisser
Johannis Wisser
Johannis Wisser
Mrs. Charley Wisser
Wilhelm Wisser
Willem Wisser
Wm. C. Wisser
Christ. W. Zwingler
Heinrich Zwingler
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TRUSTEES
Jacob Christian
Chas. F. Goldlstrohm, Secretary
Conrad J. Hart, President
Adam Halt
John Miller
Jacob Paule, Treasurer
Wm. C. Pirl
John L. Sorg
William Sorg |
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