Concordia College - Spire / Concordian Yearbook (Fort Wayne, IN)

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CONCORDIA - x t-- qi, THE HTABERNACLE' that the private lives of the students had changed for the worse. The Synodical convention of 1863 spent considerable time discussing this situation. Though a committee had conducted an investiga- tion and found the charges unfounded, the matter appeared regularly on the docket of the conven- tions for over a decade before the minds of all were set at ease. Another matter which injured the school was the charge that the site of the college was unhealthy. Nonetheless, there was progress. A class of 22 was graduated in 1862, but no gradu- ates followed in the next two years. Beginning with 1865 there have been annual classes of gradu- ates with the exception of 1868. In 1862 and 1863 the two upper classes were returned to St. Louis, since the conscription laws in Missouri were more liberal than those of Indiana, Where boys of 17 years of age were subject to call. The greatest material progress in these early years was made by the extension of the grounds JOSEPH SCHMID if Q' 5' ggi fl ., and the construction of buildings. The campus was enlarged by the purchase of four lots from Samuel Hanna and wife for 3900.00 on April 15, 1863, and of one lot from Robert P. Lawson and wife for 3240.00 on April 27, 1863. These lots were located on the north side of the grounds. In the same year, Mrs. M. J. Lewis and Ira Lewis sold Oak Grove to the Synod for 352,400.00 This was a wide strip on the west side of the campus on which a frame house was situated. The house stood where Schick Street now is. Prof. Achenbach lived in it before it was moved a short distance to the rear of the second home now on Schick Street. Here it was occupied by the baker, Mr. Sahner, and later by his successor, Mr. Joseph Schmid, until it was razed. At about this time, seemingly in 1862, mem- bers of St. Paul's congregation took an option on the plot extending from Schick Street to Harmar Street between Washington Street and Maumee Avenue, consisting of 39 acres. The price was OLD AND NEW DINING HALL Page 20

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COLLEGE g gg g is characterized as one, in welchem sowohl der deutschen als englischen Jugend Gelegenheit ge- geben werde, eine tuechtige und gruendliche Aus- bildung fuer das buergerliche Leben zu erwer- ben. In the convention of 1853 the committee re- ported that the Presbyterians had started a school, but that the interest in and demand for a school as planned still prevailed. Thereupon the commit- tee was enlarged, and. subsequently, the proposed plans were put into operation. The so-called Eng- lish Academy, which also housed the practical sem- inary, was built and dedicated on October 26. 1857. two days after the Synodical convention had ad- journed its sessions here. Most delegates remained for the dedication. This building is still in service and at present is used as the administration build- ing. In 1857, a third educational institution was harbored in the same building. This was the Teachers' Seminary. brought here from Milwaukee in 1857. Later, in 1861, when the college was moved here. this seminary was moved from the English Academy into a house in the city, and in 1863 it was transferred to Addison, Ill. In 1861 the building facilities here for taking care of the college were far from adequate. The transfer was carried out before proper provision had been made. Professors Lange and Schick, with their families, lived in the east wing of the English Academy, while Director Saxer and his family occupied the western wing. And in the center por- tion were the 78 students, their living rooms, bed 1939 W mCr4'C 'O mf-' 'U,...O f-sQ,5.'D'V'E -5gG'fDg::E'1 ro2E1Qd9-3 nD'gf'DmQ, :gzmccd 208255 :f'3:f.'D OtfDmEL'.0 saga? 'J ao'-3,,m 02505 o D.-O DQ-img 452350 figiazic: mgg '.3.:1c:.5'f5. 502250 5 emmse 59,2 0 5252232 rogrnao 3-335 gg-H..-AI! oo-- 33302 L4lQ-v-nw ami., g Ml- 'xi I',, ....!!!!!!:1i i ii::1r' ' ill 'll Illlllp QIEIEISQ . filllmnll' w But the work of the school went on unhindered. Besides the three teachers mentioned, Mr. Klep- pisch, who bore the title of Collaborator, also came from St. Louis and taught the first year, returning to St. Louis in 1862 to continue his theological studies. Prof. W. Achenbach was called in his place in the fall of 1863. He remained with the faculty until 1871. when he accepted a call into the active ministry. At this time Pastor Sihler taught religion and geography. Synod bestowed also on him the title of Praeses, which Dr. Walther held as head of the combined school in St. Louis. Pastor Sihler continued teaching until 1881. Then it was that the title of Praeses fell into disuse. It has not been conferred on any teacher since that time. The students were given military drill immediately after coming here in 1861, under the direction of a Captain Johnson, who had served in the Norwe- gian army. There were no uniforms, no guns: in fact, no equipment of any kind. Yet drill was con- ducted with spirit, as Captain Johnson headed his army, singing Norwegian martial airs in his strong voice as they marched along. The first years at Fort Wayne were blighted by a rumor, which somehow had gained circulation. Z-ff i' ' lla SCHICK HALL, ERECTED 1905 Page 19

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COLLEGE l939 5525552 A- .'-Emi? g:5:--3211: ,, -..- ..., G .xessills Wig...-QC 'x MARTIN LUECKE S10,000.00, but Synod did not see its way clear to close the deal. In 1863 two residences were con- structed, which are in use still today. One was a single residence for the director, into which Di- rector Saxer moved. and the other was a double house occupied by Professors Schick and Lange. The director's home cost S4.082.00. Excavations for Hanser Hall were begun. but the stream of funds flowed too sparingly during the Civil War. Con- struction was resumed in 1869, but the building was not completed and occupied until 1872. In 1869. or possibly earlier, a Commissary building was erected. and in the same year the present bakery was added to the physical assets of the college. Two more residences were built shortly after- wards on West Lane. one in 1870 and the other in 1879, but otherwise no building operations on the part of Synod followed until the turn of the cen- tury. About 1877 a brick gymnasium was built from funds collected by the students. It stood just south of Sihler Hall. This is the old gym about which the older alumni reminisce with gusto when they recall the many happy moments spent in it. It served its purpose as a gymnasium and social center for some thirty years. It was torn down at the time when the new gymnasium was built in 1907. On December 28, 1869, while the students were away on their Christmas vacation. a fire destroyed the entire center portion of the English Academy. leaving only the bare walls. The east wing, too, was almost completely ruined. The loss to the building was reported to be 35,000.00 and about 854,000.00 worth of property of the students was destroyed by the flames. There was no insurance. but the students were reimbursed for their loss through the generous donations of fellow Luth- erans. The work of the school was not interrupted. The students were crowded into the other build- ings and about 100 were housed in the private homes of Lutheran families in Fort Wayne. Han- ser Hall was under construction and had been covered with a roof, but the interior was not suf- ficiently advanced in construction to be of any use during the emergency. Page 21