The First Building
Grand Ave. and Peoria St.
Huron and Noble Streets
The 1917 Church
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A BRIEF HlSTORY OF TRINITY CHURCH,
CHICAGO
Under God, Eiling Eielsen began this work. He preached his first sermon on American soil in Chicago, in 1839.
He returned later, and the flock he gathered about him was the beginning of Trinity Church.
Meetings were held in private houses on Ohio, Erie and Desplaines Streets, and vicinity.
They also for a while worshipped in a hall on the North Side. The congregation was thus in existence already in the early
'40's.
In 1857 Trinity Church was formally organized,
adopting a constitution and making a list of members. They built a frame edifice on Indiana and Peoria Streets, which caused
some ill feeling because it was so far out on the "prairie." Eielsen was the first pastor and after him
Paul Anderson served them. Rev. P. A. Rasmussen, from Lisbon, Ill., was their
pastor some years, and Reverend Krohn, pastor of Our Saviour's Church, served them a short
time. Reverend Hveding also served a short time. Reverend Krogness then became their pastor.
Some disagreement arose between Reverend Krogness and the congregation, though quite a number of the members sided with him.
The result was that his friends left Trinity Church and organized Bethlehem Church.
The exact dates of the various changes up to this time I have been unable to
ascertain, nor am I sure that they are here given in their chronological order, as the sources from which the facts have been gathered vary slightly.
In 1869 Rev. J. Z. Torgerson, a well trained young man became pastor of Trinity Church, and during his pastorate the membership rose to more than
200 souls. The old church became too small, and the building of a larger one became necessary.
A movement was now started to unite Trinity
Church, a college and theological seminary which the Synod was endeavoring to get started.
The church was accordingly built to accommodate both. The first story was fitted out as class rooms for the school, and the upper story
as church. The basement, the old church, and one or two other buildings
belonging to the church property were to be rented out and thus help to defray the expenses.
The corner stone of the new structure was laid August 27, 1871 on which occasion
Rev. E. Eielsen delivered the main address. The outlook was bright and hopes ran
high in all those who were in favor of this double undertaking. But throughout the west there was from the beginning a strong opposition to the location of the school, and hence they did little to support it.
The great Chicago fire which occurred in the fall made it hard for the
Chicago people to carry their end, though it must be said that they did well.
After seven years of heated discussions and hard attempts to keep the school going, the whole undertaking was abandoned by the synod
and the property was turned over to Trinity Church on condition that it assume the whole
indebtedness. The property had cost about $34,000 and the debt was about $19,000.
Thus the church was left with a larger financial burden than they had anticipated.
Notwithstanding this, the prospects of the church were good. The
church, large as it was, was too small to accommodate the audiences.
There was a strong agitation to build an addition to the length of the
church, and this would no doubt have been done but for the sad disruption
which soon after took place. The
pastor began to entertain and advocate some doctrines which did not agree
with the confession of the congregation and the synod of which they were a
part. In 1876 he left the church an synod and with his friends who
followed him organized Bethany Church on Indiana and Carpenter Streets, a
few blocks from Trinity. Bethany Church remained independent.
He was popular even until his recent death. After his death in 1905
Bethany Church was disbanded. Trinity
Church was of course very much weakened, its membership being cut down to
about half of what it used to be. Rev. M. Nelson was its next
pastor but stayed only a very short time. Rev. C. O. Brohaugh
was called to the pastorate in 1880 and remained about thirteen years. The pastors who have served since that time are: I.
Eistensen, 1893-1894; N. G. Peterson, 1895-1898; H. A.
Hanson, 1898-1902; S. C. Simonson, 1902-1905; and the present pastor is again
H. A. Hanson. In 1900 a number of families residing in the
northwest part of the city left Trinity Church and organized "Hauge 's"
Church, Central Park and Wabansia Avenues. During all these years the congregation has been
struggling along, and but for her former glory and the thought of what she might have been, would be considered a prosperous
church still. The church debt was materially reduced during these
years, but the value of the property decreased. As the city grew, the Norwegians moved away from this neighborhood in
large numbers, and all these things worked together to make it necessary at last to offer the old church property, which
on account of its associations was so dear, to many of us, for sale.
In 1899 it was sold to an independent Italian Catholic congregation, who dedicated it to their
use, but complications arose among them so that they could not pay for it, and the
Trinity people had to take it back after a short time. They now worshipped in it another four years when it was again
sold, this time to Orthodox Catholics. The purchase price was $21,900.
This together with a testamentary gift amounting to several thousand dollars, from
Mrs. 0. Nelson, an old member of the church, enabled the congregation to purchase a smaller
edifice at Huron and Noble Streets and still have enough money left over to make
necessary repairs and alterations. Again in 1910 it became
necessary to move. This time a beautiful site was secured on the corner
of Wabansia Avenue and Richmond Street, and a modern church erected. The first service was held in the basement Christmas Day, 1910.
The church was completed the latter part of April 1911, and the 7th day of May was dedicated by the president of Hauge's
Synod, M. G. Hanson, assisted by the pastors of the City and Rev.
S C. Simonson, a former pastor. The present property is estimated at $35,000, with a
comparatively small indebtedness. The present members of the council are: Board of Trustees:
J. B. Johnson, L. Swenson, R. Olsen, Edw. Nelson, L. Mickelson, J. Rasmussen and T. J.
Kolderup; Deacons: C. Torgerson, Leonard Blix, Iver Olson,
J, Evenson, H. Hanson, J. Sauvils, Olaf Ellison and the pastor.
Financial Statement The
finances of Trinity Church have been quite a serious matter from the early
days. When the church on Grand Avenue and Peoria Street was taken in
possession a debt of $17,000 was on the property. The interest on
this debt and necessary repairs were a heavy burden on the congregation. This
property was finally sold and $11,000.00 realized from the sale and the
church on Noble and Huron Streets was purchased for $7,000.00.
Unpaid paving assessments and necessary repairs were paid with the
$4,000.00 remaining in the treasury. Although
the congregation was able to rejoice in the fact of having a church
property in good repair and free of debt, the constant influx of other
foreign nationalities in the neighborhood and the tendency of our own
people to move further west, made it necessary for us to ocate
elsewhere. The Noble Street property was sold for $12,000.00 and the
corner lots on Richmond Street and Wabansia Avenue with the cottage now
occupied by the janitor was purchased for $4,600.00. A
subscription for the new building brought about $6,000.00. This
together with the money on hand, mortgage loan and several private loans,
made it possible to erect the present structure which as it stands cost
Trinity congregation about $32,000.00. Through constant efforts the
interest on borrowed money has been paid and the debts decreased until
to-day the congregation owes less than $9,000.00.. Considering
the difficulties of a church in a large city by the constant changing of
localities, the congregation feels thankful to God for its comparative
financial success and the present as well as the past trustees express
their thanks for the cooperation and the willing sacrifices of Trinity
congregation and its friends. L.
Swenson,
Chairman Board of Trustees
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