Title: Bible Baptist Church Scrapbooks, Photographs, and Other Historical Materials
Date: 1803-2009

Creator:

• Bible Baptist Church (La Crosse, Wis.).

Unique Identifier: MSS 133

Quantity: 0.8 cubic feet

Physical Description: 3 archives boxes

Repository:

La Crosse Public Library
Contact Information

Archival Location:

La Crosse Public Library (Map)

Abstract:

The Erste Deutche Baptisten Kirche (First German Baptist Church) was established at 7th and Winnebago Streets in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1893. The church remained in that building until 1949, when they moved to a building on 7th and Ferry Streets. In 1945, the First German Baptist Church became the 7th Street Baptist Church, and in the mid-1950s became the Bible Baptist Church. Bible Baptist Church was affiliated with the North American Baptists, and disbanded in 2009.

Materials in the Bible Baptist Church records include photographs and textual materials from deconstructed church scrapbooks, newspaper clippings and short memoirs describing church history and two German prayer books from the 1800s. No sacramental records are included in this collection.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.lcpl-mss133

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(Accession no. 2009.034) Donated from the Bible Baptist Church via Helen Schroeder, 2009 April

Materials in this collection are available for patron use, with the exception of the audio cassette. A copy of the audio cassette must be created prior to patron use.

[Identification of item], Bible Baptist Church Scrapbooks, Photographs, and Other Historical Materials, MSS 133, La Crosse Public Library Archives, La Crosse, WI

Processed by Sloan Komissarov and Lindsay Roloff, 2011 with assistance from Margaret Donndelinger, 2010. Finding aid written in 2011 by Sloan Komissarov and Lindsay Roloff; updated 2011 October by Cate Putirskis.

The Bible Baptist Church Scapbooks, Photographs, and Other Historical Materials are arranged alphabetically by topic.

The records of the Bible Baptist Church contain photographs and textual materials from deconstructed church scrapbooks, newspaper clippings and short memoirs describing church history and two German prayer books from the 1800s. No sacramental records are included in this collection.

When donated, this collection contained several scrapbooks that were dissassembled for preservation purposes. Where possible, an attempt was made to keep together items from individual scrapbooks (including the general church scrapbook and the pastors' and wedding scrapbooks), though the current order of the materials in each folder does not reflect the order materials originally appeared in the scrapbooks. Numerous photographs were also removed from the scrapbooks and arranged separately by topic.

The Erste Deutche Baptisten Kirche (First German Baptist Church) was established at 7th and Winnebago Streets in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1893, in a building owned by the Scandinavian Baptists, who allowed all denominations use of their building. The first membership list from 1893 shows 11 members under the direction of Rev. Frederick Heineman and August Kaaz, the church’s first Deacon. After two years, the congregation bought the church building from the Scandinavians with the sum of $1,500, given by church member Francis Splitter. The church remained in that building until 1949, when they moved a few blocks to the building on 7th and Ferry Streets.

This building at 7th and Ferry had previously been owned by the Salzer Memorial Methodist Church, and was partially destroyed by a fire in 1945. Members of the Baptist congregation renovated the church, salvaging and repairing the many stained glass windows (one of which dates from 1856 and is valued at more than $80,000). The rebuilding was supervised by Deacon August Kaaz, who was a general contractor.

The congregation remained active at that location, sponsoring mission churches and missionaries from Mound Prairie, Minnesota, to Africa. In 1945, the First German Baptist Church became the 7th Street Baptist Church, and in the mid-1950s became the Bible Baptist Church. Bible Baptist Church was affiliated with the North American Baptists, and disbanded in 2009.

(Clipping file)

Churches-Baptist-Seventh Street Baptist

(Picture file)

Churches-Baptist-Bible Baptist

• Bible Baptist Church (La Crosse, Wis.).
• First German Baptist Church (La Crosse, Wis.).
• North American Baptist Conference.
• Seventh Street Baptist Church (La Crosse, Wis.).
• Baptist church buildings--Wisconsin--La Crosse
• Baptists--Wisconsin--La Crosse
• La Crosse (Wis.)--Religion

Box 1   Folder 1	Centennial celebration, 1993
Box 1   Folder 2	Centennial celebration audio recording, 1993 September 12 Physical Description: Audio cassette; runtime unknown
Box 1   Folder 3	German language prayer book, 1803
Box 1   Folder 4	German language prayer book, 1881
Box 1   Folder 5	Historical information, 1903-1976
Box 1   Folder 6	Member and pastor rosters, 1993-2000
	Photographs
Box 1   Folder 7	Christmas programs, 1970s-1990s
Box 1   Folder 8	Choirs, 1970s
Box 1   Folder 9	Church buildings, 1940-2009
Box 2   Folder 10	Church services, 1970s-1980s
Box 2   Folder 2	Early congregation members, 1912-1959
Box 2   Folder 3	Festivals and picnics, 1970s-1980s
Box 2   Folder 4-6	Parishoners, 1960s-1980s
Box 2   Folder 7	Pastors, 1890s, 1960s-1970s
Box 2   Folder 8-9	Sunday School and Bible School, 1950s-1980s
Box 2   Folder 10	Visiting entertainers, 1971, 1980
	Scrapbooks
	Church scrapbook
Box 3   Folder 1-2	Photographs, 1903-1994
	Textual documents,
Box 3   Folder 3	, 1960-1969
Box 3   Folder 4	, 1970-1979
Box 3   Folder 5	, 1980-1989
Box 3   Folder 6	, 1990-1999
Box 3   Folder 7	Pastors' scrapbook, 1917-1979
Box 3   Folder 8	Wedding scrapbook, 1898-1993