Outagamie County, WI - "Lutherans Compete for Members - New London 1859" ************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************* Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives Subject: newspaper article "Lutherans Compete for Members - New London 1859" Submitted by: county coordinator EMAIL: jmmarasch@aol.com Date Submitted: 15 March 2000 Source: New London Press newspaper article from Bicentennial issue, undated. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lutherans Compete for Members - New London 1859 The stockholders of the New London Bridge Company held their annual meeting on Jan. 22. Charter stockholders of Neenah, Wolf River & Wausau Railroad Company held their meeting on Dec. 1, at which Reeder Smith was elected President. On Dec. 7, about 125 business men participated in the ground breaking between Appleton and Neenah, where they were served barbecue dinner of roast ox and the necessary fixings. Rev. Friedrich Rubland was installed on June 5th to fill the vacancy of Rev. Stehpans who had left Trinity Lutheran of Oshkosh. Only a few days later, he and Rev. Fachtmann of the Wisconsin Synod had a set-to about who will organize the Congregation up at New London. Rev. Fachtmann went by boat and Rev. Ruhland driven by a parishoner, both raced to the Winchester area, and then to their ultimate destination-New London. Here on June 12, both ministers stood their grounds, neither would yield an inch. Rev. Ruhland, on this date, organized the Congregation, as a Fillale of the Oshkosh Parish. However, the followers of Rev. Fachtmann discontinued their membership. This set off a wholesale contest for members between the two Synods among the German Lutherans that was felt all the way from Oshkosh to Shawano.