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The Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church of
Goessel, Kansas Goessel is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. It was named after Captain Kurt von Goessel (1852–1895) who went down with his ship, the Elbe, in the English Channel after it was rammed. As of the 2020 census, the population of ...
, is a congregation affiliated with
Mennonite Church USA The Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) is an Anabaptist Christian denomination in the United States. Although the organization is a recent 2002 merger of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church, the body has roots in the Radi ...
. The congregation has a continuous history dating from 16th-century Europe.


Background

Alexanderwohl Church families trace their roots to the Dutch
Anabaptist Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...
s of the 16th century. From 1600 to 1650, these families, now called
Mennonite Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the R ...
s, migrated to
West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a Provinces of Prussia, province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kin ...
, settling in the Danzig area between the
Vistula The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
and
Nogat The Nogat is a 62 km long delta branch of the Vistula River in northern Poland. Unlike the main river, it does not empty into Gdańsk Bay but rather into the Vistula Lagoon. The Nogat has its origin near the village of Biała Góra as a ...
Rivers. The Przechówko church in
West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a Provinces of Prussia, province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kin ...
, the mother church of Alexanderwohl, was composed of Mennonites who settled near Schwetz and Culm on the
Vistula River The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
. Because of growing Prussian militarism and ongoing discrimination against Mennonites, a large portion of the Przechówko Church migrated in 1820-21 under the leadership of Peter Wedel to the
Molotschna Molotschna Colony or Molochna Colony was a Russian Mennonite settlement in what is now Zaporizhzhia Oblast in Ukraine. Today, the central village, known as Molochansk, has a population less than 10,000. The settlement is named after the Molochna ...
Mennonite colony in South Russia. In Russia they would be granted exemption from military service, the right to run their own schools and self-govern their villages. During this journey they met Czar
Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first King of Congress Poland from 1815, and the Grand Duke of Finland from 1809 to his death. He was the eldest son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. The son o ...
, who wished them well (German: "wohl"), prompting the naming of the new village, Alexanderwohl.


Immigration from Russia to Kansas

In 1870, the Russian government issued a proclamation stating the intention to end all special privileges granted to German colonists by 1880. Alarmed at the possibility of losing control of their schools and military exemption, a delegation of Mennonite leaders, including Jacob Buller and Dietrich Gaeddert, ministers of the Alexanderwohl congregation, visited North America in 1873 to investigate resettlement possibilities. The delegates split into separate parties, with Buller and Gaeddert traveling to Kansas. When they returned in September their congregations had already decided they were ready to move to North America. Over the next nine months they prepared for the trip. In May 1874, Eduard Totleben, representing the czar, visited the Molotschna Mennonite making verbal promises in an attempt to persuade them not to emigrate. Unconvinced, immigration plans proceeded. Disposing of property, they were able to get full price for grain and animals but land and other possessions went for half value or less. Passports were obtained on 15 July 1874 and distributed in the Alexanderwohl Church on the 18th. Travel arrangements were made on the
Hamburg-American Line The Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Aktien-Gesellschaft (HAPAG), known in English as the Hamburg America Line, was a transatlantic shipping enterprise established in Hamburg, in 1847. Among those involved in its development were prominent citi ...
. The entire Alexanderwohl church membership plus other families (about 800 persons) embarked on two ships. Through the leadership and organization skills of Jacob Buller and Dietrich Gaeddert, financial arrangements were made so that even families with the least resources were able make the journey. As a result, this was the only large Mennonite group that migrated from Russia to North America as a complete congregation. Jacob Buller departed with a group on the ''Cimbria'' on 12 August 1874 and minister Dietrich Gaeddert led 130 families on the ''Teutonia'' which departed on 16 August 1874. The trip from
Hamburg, Germany (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
to New York lasted about 18 days and from there they proceeded in three groups to
Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central U ...
and
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
. Arriving in Topeka on 10 September 1874, the Gaeddert group and the Buller group which arrived soon afterward, were housed by the
Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...
for a month while they purchased horses, cattle, farm implements, building materials, food staples and other necessities for starting a new life on the prairie. The two groups had by this time separated from each other, with the Buller group settling near what is now
Goessel, Kansas Goessel is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. It was named after Captain Kurt von Goessel (1852–1895) who went down with his ship, the Elbe, in the English Channel after it was rammed. As of the 2020 census, the population of ...
and the Gaeddert group settling east of Buhler, Kansas. The 15 October 1874 ''Topeka Commonwealth'' reported: :One of the largest bona fide land sales ever made in
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
, perhaps in America, has just been concluded by the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...
Company with a community of
Russian Mennonites The Russian Mennonites (german: Russlandmennoniten it. "Russia Mennonites", i.e., Mennonites of or from the Russian Empire occasionally Ukrainian Mennonites) are a group of Mennonites who are descendants of Dutch Anabaptists who settled for ab ...
who landed in New York during the month of September, with the steamers ''Cimbria'', ''Teutonia'', and ''City of Richmond'', and most of whom have spent the last thirty days and a good many of their rubles in our city. Their land purchase amounts in round numbers to about 100 thousand acres (400 km²) of railroad land, aside from a number of improved farms, all lying north of the sections of
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
, Peabody,
Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingdo ...
, Newton,
Halstead Halstead is a town and civil parish in the Braintree District of Essex, England. Its population of 11,906 in 2011Burrton, and Hutchinson. ... From the Cottonwood River to the
Little Arkansas River The Little Arkansas River ( ) is a river in the central Great Plains of North America. A tributary of the Arkansas River, its entire length lies within the United States, American state of Kansas.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Datas ...
... is now one colony, composed of the thriftiest and most intelligent class of foreigners that ever landed upon our shores; and 'in three years'—to use the language of one of their elders—'that ocean of grass will be transformed into an ocean of waving fields of grain, just as we left our
Molotschna Molotschna Colony or Molochna Colony was a Russian Mennonite settlement in what is now Zaporizhzhia Oblast in Ukraine. Today, the central village, known as Molochansk, has a population less than 10,000. The settlement is named after the Molochna ...
colony.' Kansas will be to America what the country of the Black Sea of Azov is now to Europe—her wheat field.


Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church

The
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...
built immigrant houses in Harvey, Marion, McPherson, and
Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is th ...
counties for the families to stay in while houses were erected on their own land. The Gaeddert group organized a new congregation, Hoffnungsau. Its name was derived from a comment of J. C. Dick who, upon seeing the wide-open prairie that was to be his new home, exclaimed "" (This is here indeed a true meadow of hope).


Church building

Two of the immigrant structures were near the middle of the section on which the Alexanderwohl church now stands. After families moved to newly built homes of their own, the immigrant houses were moved together to form a place of worship. Alexanderwohl church membership grew rapidly from 265 in 1874 to 467 in 1880. Church leaders promoted cooperation with other Mennonites in Kansas for the purpose of creating a teacher training school and doing mission work. Toward this end, the congregation became part of the General Conference Mennonite Church in 1878. By the winter of 1874 the congregation had opened three schools and more followed. On 13 September 1882 the Emmental Central School for training Mennonite teachers was opened in one of these schools. This school was moved to
Halstead, Kansas Halstead is a city in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. Halstead was named in honor of Murat Halstead, a respected Civil War correspondent and newspaper editor. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,179. History For ...
the next year where it opened as Halstead Seminary and eventually became Bethel College. In 1886, a new church was completed on the present site. The church building, originally built in the Dutch Mennonite style, underwent a major remodeling project in 1928. An education wing was added in 1961, and a north addition in 1983. Today, Alexanderwohl has approximately 500 members and is affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA and Western District Conference. It has active programs for youth, music, education, community outreach, and missions.


Landmarks

These landmarks are located southwest of the church: * Kansas Historical Marker
''The Mennonites In Kansas''
re
Kansas Historical Marker - The Mennonites In Kansas
/ref>
Threshing stone


See also

*
Howard-Miami Mennonite Church Located on the edge of Howard and Miami counties in Indiana, Howard-Miami Mennonite Church is a historical Mennonite church affiliated with thEvana Network The first Mennonite settlers were from Holmes County, Ohio Holmes County is a county loc ...
*
Oak Grove Mennonite Church Located in Smithville, Ohio, Oak Grove Mennonite Church is an historical church that has made a significant contribution to the larger Mennonite denomination, currently pastored by Doug Zehr. Oak Grove started as an Amish church in 1818, as many A ...
*
Threshing stone A threshing stone is a roller-like tool used for the threshing of wheat. Similar to the use of threshing boards, the stone was pulled by horses over a circular pile of harvested wheat on a hardened dirt surface (threshing floor), and the rolling s ...


References


Further reading

*Kaufman, Edmund G. (1973), ''General Conference Mennonite Pioneers'', Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas. *Pannabecker, Samuel Floyd (1975), ''Open Doors: A History of the General Conference Mennonite Church'', Faith and Life Press. *{{cite book , last=Smith , first=C. Henry, title=Smith's Story of the Mennonites , year=1981 , publisher=Faith and Life Press , location=Newton, Kansas , isbn=0-87303-069-9, page=258
''The Alexanderwohl Church Building''
Alvin Gooseen; Mennonite Life; December 1974.
''Alexanderwohl Villages in Kansas, 1874 (map)''
P.U. Schmidt; Mennonite Life; October 1949.
''Impact of Mennonite settlement on the cultural landscape of Kansas''
Brenda Martin; Kansas State University; 1985/1988.
''Mennonite settlement : the relationship between the physical and cultural environment''
Susan Movle; University of Utah; 1975/1886.
''Status of Mennonite women in Kansas in their church and home relationships''
Eva Harshbarger; Bluffton College; 1925/1945.


External links


Official website


''in
Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO) is an online encyclopedia of topics relating to Mennonites and Anabaptism. The mission of the project is to provide free, reliable, English-language information on Anabaptist-related t ...
''
Hochfeld village history
Mennonite church buildings in Kansas Mennonite congregations Buildings and structures in Marion County, Kansas German-Russian culture in Kansas Mennonitism in Ukraine Russian Mennonite diaspora in the United States