First Baptist Church of Whitehall
The Whitehall Baptist Church was first known as the First Baptist Church of Preston. It was organized July 4, 1858, and began life with eight constituent members.
In 1860 the membership was 20. The field covered by the membership of this church extended from Hixton in Jackson County to Glencoe in Buff'alo County, a distance of 40 miles up and down Trempealeau Valley. In 1864 the church was admitted to the La Crosse Valley Association. Jan. 9, 1866, the name of the church was changed to that of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln.
The first church building was erected at old Whitehall in 1870, at a cost of $1,100, and was sold in 1875 to the Scandinavian people for $300. The present building was erected the same year at a cost of $1,600 and was dedicated Jan. 12, 1876, free of debt. At this time the church adopted its present name.
The first Baptist minister to preach in this locality was the Rev. Mr. Bunnell of Trempealeau Village. He preached a few sermons in the home of Deacon Alvah Wood in the winter of 1857-85. In 1858 the church was organized and the following brethren have served as pastors consecutively: Revs. Thomas Slade, S. S. Tucker, G. P. Dissmore, Calvin E. Fisher, G. P. Dissmore, E. D. Barbour, F. S. Witler, H. G. Carroll, G. P. Dissmore, L. J. Sawyer, Catchpole, D. I. Coon, N. L. Sweet, N. K. Larson, A. B. Cannady, C. O. Booth, W. D. Wells, Samuel Batchelor, J. J. Enge, Madison Reynolds and G. N. Doody.
Says Mrs. Mary Wood: "Pastor Dissmore has been with us longest. He has proved his words by an honest, upright life, winning the respect of the community and the affection of the church, who felt the comfort of his presence and counsel. Pastor N. L. Sweet was the sower sowing beside all waters, up the coulies, down the valleys, always feeling the stress of the work, appreciated by the church, disparaging himself, ever reaching out toward more effective service."
The present parsonage was purchased of N. K. Larson August 1, 1911.
(from HISTORY OF TREMPEALEAU COUNTY WISCONSIN, compiled by Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge, edited by Eben Douglas Pierce, M.D. H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co., Chicago and Winona 1917)
First Baptist Church of Whitehall
WHITEHALL, Wis. (Special) — The Rev. Jacob Waechter, Cairo, Ohio, will speak at 11 a.m. centennial services Sunday at the First Bapist Church here.
He was pastor of the church, organized July 4, 1858, from 1947 to 1956.
Reunion services will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. following a dinner in charge of the Missionary society.
Among the speakers will be Pastor Waechter; the Rev. Alexander Hoiriss, Racine, 1947 interim pastor; the Rev. H A. Foss, Minneapolis, Air Force Base chaplain; and Mrs. N. G. Doody, Delavan, widow of the pastor who served the church from 1914 to 1917. The roll of former members will be called.
James Hopf, Eau Claire, will direct the music for all Sunday services.
Supper served at the church will be followed by “Mystery of Three Clocks,” a Moody science film in color with sound. Miss Gladys Rasmussen will play organ vespers from 7:45 to 8 p.m.
The Rev. Harlan Larsen, present pastor of the church, will speak at the evening anniversary service.
Special music will be provided by Ervin Herness and Pastor and Mrs. Larsen, Whitehall, and Miss Kay Berdan, Minneapolis.
The first Baptist minister in the Whitehall region was the Rev. Mr. Bunnell, who traveled by foot or horseback from the village of Trempealeau.
He held services during the winter of 1857 at the home of Alvah Wood and his wife, Maria, on the present Albert Fromm farm, then in the Town of Preston.
From the regular gathering of friends and neighbors grew the determination to establish a church.
The congregation of the First Baptist Church of Preston was organized July 4, 1858. Its eight members, in addition to the Woods, were: Ebenezer Thurston and his wife, Mary; Nancy P., Ruth A. and Sally Sherwood, and Maranda McNitt.
The New Hampshire confession of faith was adopted.
Membership in 1860 was 20, covering a 40-miIe area from Hixton in Jackson County to Glencoe in Buffalo County. Deacons Alvah Wood and Pliny Tucker/extended a call to the Rev. Thomas Slade.
The church was admitted to the La Crosse Valley Baptist Association in 1864 and its name was changed to the: First Baptist Church of Lincoln Jan. 9, 1886.
First trustees were: Alvah Wood., Ebenezer Thurston, A. Gardner,’ D. W. Wade, Thomas Williams, R. F. Wing and M. D. Ingalls. Elder G. P. Dissmore and Mr. Wood acted as presidents, M. Ingalls as clerk.
The first church was built at Old Whitehall in 1870 for $1,100 and sold in the spring of 1875 to the Scandinavian people for $300.
The present church, a wood structure on Hobson street, was built in the fall of 1875 for $1,600 and dedicated Jan. 12, 1876, free of debt
That day the congregation adopted its present name, the First Baptist Church of Whitehall.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary March 8, 1908, church records showed 177 persons had been identified with it.
Pastors who served during the first 50 years are, consecutively: The Revs. Thomas Slade, S. S. Tucker, George P. Dissmore, Calvin E. Fischer, E. D. Barbour, J. Squier, F. A. Witler, H. G. Carroll, L. J. Sawyer, Catchpole, N. L. Sweet and N. K. Larson.
Pastor Dissmore served the longest, 25 years in three intervals. He is paternal grandfather of Mrs. Henrik Herness, present church member.
Committee members for the 50th anniversary were: David Wood, Henry Towner, L. D. Parsons, N. L. Sweet, Pastor Dissmore, Pastor Larson, the Rev. Louis Rasmussen and David Dissmore. Descendants of Mr. Wood and the Dissmores still live at Whitehall.
The Whitehall church was instrumental in building a Baptist church at Blair and for more than seven years assisted in supplying it with speakers. Baptism was often administered, at the Trempealeau River to candidates from both congregations.
The church purchased the parsonage on Main street from Pastor Larson Aug. 1, 1911.
In 1918, horse sheds, now torn down, were built at the back of the church lots.
The church was used by the public school system for supplementary classrooms for six months in 1923 when the new school was being built.
A basement was built under the church and its first baptistry, a new furnace and running water were installed in the summer of 1929.
Ground was excavated for a new Sunday School addition in April 1957. The basement also was remodeled to accommodate expanding Sunday School work. A new raised baptistry, a pastor’s study, a large modern kitchen and fire proof furnace room were included in the additions.
Dedication services for the new building, a new electric organ and pulpit furniture were held Feb. 23, 1958.
The mission program has expanded through the years, with present offerings being sent to the Rev. and Mrs. Harold Salseth in the Belgian Congo. He is a former pastor of the Whitehall church.
Gwendolyn Thompson, a member of the Whitehall congregation, has spent the past year at Thetis Island, B. C., working with Marine Medical Missions.
The mission program has expanded through the years, with present offerings being sent to the Rev, and Mrs. Harold Salseth in the Belgian Congo. He is a former pastor of the Whitehall church.
The church also supports the work of the Rev. Les Knee, state missionary setting up new churches; the Rev. and Mrs. Howard Erickson, Panama; the Rev. and Mrs. E. J. Kiles, Belgian Congo; the Rev. George Odom, Brazil; and Camp Chetek, a Baptist Bible camp.
Pastors who have served the church since 1908 are, consecutively: The Revs. Larson, W. D. Wells, Samuel Batchelor, Madison Reynolds, G. N. Doody, Charles N. Hodne, W. E. Harries, Charles E. Bowen, O. C. Hagfeldt, Maurice Porter, H. G. Wright, H. A. Foss, E. R. McKinney, Gordon Smith, Harold Salseth, Alexander Hoiriss, Jacob Waechter and Harlan Larsen. Pastor Larsen came in 1956.
(Winona [Minn.] Daily News, Thursday, July 3, 1958)
The church was organized as the First Baptist Church of Preston on July 4, 1858, with eight founding members. In 1864 the church was admitted to the La Crosse Valley Baptist Association. On January 9, 1866, the name of the church was changed to First Baptist Church of Lincoln. The first church building was put up at Old Whitehall in 1870 and sold in 1875. A wood structure was built in the fall of 1875 at the site of the present church. That building was dedicated on January 12, 1876, and on this date the church adopted the name First Baptist Church of Whitehall.
In the summer of 1929 a full basement was built under the church building to aid an increasing ministry. At this time a new furnace was installed along with running water and the church’s first baptistery. The church continued to grow and minister not only in Whitehall; but it was also instrumental in assisting the Baptist Church of Blair for a number of years. It was on May 3, 1951, the church voted to join the Conservative Baptist Association of Wisconsin.
A large remodeling project was accomplished in 1957, with the addition of a remodeled basement, expanded Sunday School facilities, a Pastor’s study, a modern kitchen, and new boiler room. The newly remodeled building was dedicated on February 23, 1858. A centennial celebration in July of 1958 was very well attended.
The need for larger facilities soon became obvious again, and in April of 1967 ground was broken for a new structure. The congregation temporarily worshipped in the nearby Methodist and Lutheran churches during the tearing down of the old and raising of the new building, and first services were held in the new building in December of 1967. A formal dedication service was held on Easter Sunday of 1968.
In 1990 the gymnasium was added to the south end of the church to accommodate an increasing children’s and youth ministry, and in 2001 a house across Abrams Street was purchased to serve as a center of youth ministry. More recently, a house on Main St. was purchased, demolished and the church parking lot expanded.
(Adapted from the church’s 2008 sesquicentennial program)
In 1860 the membership was 20. The field covered by the membership of this church extended from Hixton in Jackson County to Glencoe in Buff'alo County, a distance of 40 miles up and down Trempealeau Valley. In 1864 the church was admitted to the La Crosse Valley Association. Jan. 9, 1866, the name of the church was changed to that of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln.
The first church building was erected at old Whitehall in 1870, at a cost of $1,100, and was sold in 1875 to the Scandinavian people for $300. The present building was erected the same year at a cost of $1,600 and was dedicated Jan. 12, 1876, free of debt. At this time the church adopted its present name.
The first Baptist minister to preach in this locality was the Rev. Mr. Bunnell of Trempealeau Village. He preached a few sermons in the home of Deacon Alvah Wood in the winter of 1857-85. In 1858 the church was organized and the following brethren have served as pastors consecutively: Revs. Thomas Slade, S. S. Tucker, G. P. Dissmore, Calvin E. Fisher, G. P. Dissmore, E. D. Barbour, F. S. Witler, H. G. Carroll, G. P. Dissmore, L. J. Sawyer, Catchpole, D. I. Coon, N. L. Sweet, N. K. Larson, A. B. Cannady, C. O. Booth, W. D. Wells, Samuel Batchelor, J. J. Enge, Madison Reynolds and G. N. Doody.
Says Mrs. Mary Wood: "Pastor Dissmore has been with us longest. He has proved his words by an honest, upright life, winning the respect of the community and the affection of the church, who felt the comfort of his presence and counsel. Pastor N. L. Sweet was the sower sowing beside all waters, up the coulies, down the valleys, always feeling the stress of the work, appreciated by the church, disparaging himself, ever reaching out toward more effective service."
The present parsonage was purchased of N. K. Larson August 1, 1911.
(from HISTORY OF TREMPEALEAU COUNTY WISCONSIN, compiled by Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge, edited by Eben Douglas Pierce, M.D. H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co., Chicago and Winona 1917)
First Baptist Church of Whitehall
WHITEHALL, Wis. (Special) — The Rev. Jacob Waechter, Cairo, Ohio, will speak at 11 a.m. centennial services Sunday at the First Bapist Church here.
He was pastor of the church, organized July 4, 1858, from 1947 to 1956.
Reunion services will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. following a dinner in charge of the Missionary society.
Among the speakers will be Pastor Waechter; the Rev. Alexander Hoiriss, Racine, 1947 interim pastor; the Rev. H A. Foss, Minneapolis, Air Force Base chaplain; and Mrs. N. G. Doody, Delavan, widow of the pastor who served the church from 1914 to 1917. The roll of former members will be called.
James Hopf, Eau Claire, will direct the music for all Sunday services.
Supper served at the church will be followed by “Mystery of Three Clocks,” a Moody science film in color with sound. Miss Gladys Rasmussen will play organ vespers from 7:45 to 8 p.m.
The Rev. Harlan Larsen, present pastor of the church, will speak at the evening anniversary service.
Special music will be provided by Ervin Herness and Pastor and Mrs. Larsen, Whitehall, and Miss Kay Berdan, Minneapolis.
The first Baptist minister in the Whitehall region was the Rev. Mr. Bunnell, who traveled by foot or horseback from the village of Trempealeau.
He held services during the winter of 1857 at the home of Alvah Wood and his wife, Maria, on the present Albert Fromm farm, then in the Town of Preston.
From the regular gathering of friends and neighbors grew the determination to establish a church.
The congregation of the First Baptist Church of Preston was organized July 4, 1858. Its eight members, in addition to the Woods, were: Ebenezer Thurston and his wife, Mary; Nancy P., Ruth A. and Sally Sherwood, and Maranda McNitt.
The New Hampshire confession of faith was adopted.
Membership in 1860 was 20, covering a 40-miIe area from Hixton in Jackson County to Glencoe in Buffalo County. Deacons Alvah Wood and Pliny Tucker/extended a call to the Rev. Thomas Slade.
The church was admitted to the La Crosse Valley Baptist Association in 1864 and its name was changed to the: First Baptist Church of Lincoln Jan. 9, 1886.
First trustees were: Alvah Wood., Ebenezer Thurston, A. Gardner,’ D. W. Wade, Thomas Williams, R. F. Wing and M. D. Ingalls. Elder G. P. Dissmore and Mr. Wood acted as presidents, M. Ingalls as clerk.
The first church was built at Old Whitehall in 1870 for $1,100 and sold in the spring of 1875 to the Scandinavian people for $300.
The present church, a wood structure on Hobson street, was built in the fall of 1875 for $1,600 and dedicated Jan. 12, 1876, free of debt
That day the congregation adopted its present name, the First Baptist Church of Whitehall.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary March 8, 1908, church records showed 177 persons had been identified with it.
Pastors who served during the first 50 years are, consecutively: The Revs. Thomas Slade, S. S. Tucker, George P. Dissmore, Calvin E. Fischer, E. D. Barbour, J. Squier, F. A. Witler, H. G. Carroll, L. J. Sawyer, Catchpole, N. L. Sweet and N. K. Larson.
Pastor Dissmore served the longest, 25 years in three intervals. He is paternal grandfather of Mrs. Henrik Herness, present church member.
Committee members for the 50th anniversary were: David Wood, Henry Towner, L. D. Parsons, N. L. Sweet, Pastor Dissmore, Pastor Larson, the Rev. Louis Rasmussen and David Dissmore. Descendants of Mr. Wood and the Dissmores still live at Whitehall.
The Whitehall church was instrumental in building a Baptist church at Blair and for more than seven years assisted in supplying it with speakers. Baptism was often administered, at the Trempealeau River to candidates from both congregations.
The church purchased the parsonage on Main street from Pastor Larson Aug. 1, 1911.
In 1918, horse sheds, now torn down, were built at the back of the church lots.
The church was used by the public school system for supplementary classrooms for six months in 1923 when the new school was being built.
A basement was built under the church and its first baptistry, a new furnace and running water were installed in the summer of 1929.
Ground was excavated for a new Sunday School addition in April 1957. The basement also was remodeled to accommodate expanding Sunday School work. A new raised baptistry, a pastor’s study, a large modern kitchen and fire proof furnace room were included in the additions.
Dedication services for the new building, a new electric organ and pulpit furniture were held Feb. 23, 1958.
The mission program has expanded through the years, with present offerings being sent to the Rev. and Mrs. Harold Salseth in the Belgian Congo. He is a former pastor of the Whitehall church.
Gwendolyn Thompson, a member of the Whitehall congregation, has spent the past year at Thetis Island, B. C., working with Marine Medical Missions.
The mission program has expanded through the years, with present offerings being sent to the Rev, and Mrs. Harold Salseth in the Belgian Congo. He is a former pastor of the Whitehall church.
The church also supports the work of the Rev. Les Knee, state missionary setting up new churches; the Rev. and Mrs. Howard Erickson, Panama; the Rev. and Mrs. E. J. Kiles, Belgian Congo; the Rev. George Odom, Brazil; and Camp Chetek, a Baptist Bible camp.
Pastors who have served the church since 1908 are, consecutively: The Revs. Larson, W. D. Wells, Samuel Batchelor, Madison Reynolds, G. N. Doody, Charles N. Hodne, W. E. Harries, Charles E. Bowen, O. C. Hagfeldt, Maurice Porter, H. G. Wright, H. A. Foss, E. R. McKinney, Gordon Smith, Harold Salseth, Alexander Hoiriss, Jacob Waechter and Harlan Larsen. Pastor Larsen came in 1956.
(Winona [Minn.] Daily News, Thursday, July 3, 1958)
The church was organized as the First Baptist Church of Preston on July 4, 1858, with eight founding members. In 1864 the church was admitted to the La Crosse Valley Baptist Association. On January 9, 1866, the name of the church was changed to First Baptist Church of Lincoln. The first church building was put up at Old Whitehall in 1870 and sold in 1875. A wood structure was built in the fall of 1875 at the site of the present church. That building was dedicated on January 12, 1876, and on this date the church adopted the name First Baptist Church of Whitehall.
In the summer of 1929 a full basement was built under the church building to aid an increasing ministry. At this time a new furnace was installed along with running water and the church’s first baptistery. The church continued to grow and minister not only in Whitehall; but it was also instrumental in assisting the Baptist Church of Blair for a number of years. It was on May 3, 1951, the church voted to join the Conservative Baptist Association of Wisconsin.
A large remodeling project was accomplished in 1957, with the addition of a remodeled basement, expanded Sunday School facilities, a Pastor’s study, a modern kitchen, and new boiler room. The newly remodeled building was dedicated on February 23, 1858. A centennial celebration in July of 1958 was very well attended.
The need for larger facilities soon became obvious again, and in April of 1967 ground was broken for a new structure. The congregation temporarily worshipped in the nearby Methodist and Lutheran churches during the tearing down of the old and raising of the new building, and first services were held in the new building in December of 1967. A formal dedication service was held on Easter Sunday of 1968.
In 1990 the gymnasium was added to the south end of the church to accommodate an increasing children’s and youth ministry, and in 2001 a house across Abrams Street was purchased to serve as a center of youth ministry. More recently, a house on Main St. was purchased, demolished and the church parking lot expanded.
(Adapted from the church’s 2008 sesquicentennial program)
Church Pastors
Thomas Slade
S. S. Tucker George P. Dissmore Calvin E. Fisher E. D. Barbour J. Squier F. S. Witler H. G. Carroll L. J. Sawyer Lorin G. Catchpole N. L. Sweet N. K. Larson W. D. Wells Samuel Batchelor Madison Reynolds G. N. Doody Charles H. Hodne W. E. Harries Charles E. Bowen O. C. Hagfeldt |
189? - 1900 1900 - 1909 1909 - 1910 1910 - 1913 1914 - 1914 1914 - 1917 1918 - 1919 1920 - 1921 1923 - 1929 1930 - 1930 |
Maurice Porter
H. G. Wright H. A. Foss E. R. MacKinney Gordon Smith Harold Salseth Alexander Hoiriss (interim) Jacob Waechter Harlan Larson Dan Thompson Sven Haukedalen W. G. Copham Harvey Nelson (interim) David Sommerfeld Vance Miller Don Shaw Greg Standafer Lou Suter (interim) Ken Guerkie (interim) Rob Buhl |
1931 - 1933
1933 - 1936 1936 - 1938 1938 - 1939 1939 - 1943 1943 - 1946 1947 - 1947 1947 - 1956 1956 - 1961 1961 - 1963 1964 - 1972 1972 - 1976 1976 - 1977 1977 - 1988 1988 - 1994 1994 - 2005 2006 - 2013 2014 - 2015 2016 - 2016 2016 - Present |