History behind St. Alban’s Parish Hall

Remember when I talked about the Friday night soup bag in the freezer, the one you put that spoonful of green beans or cut up small pieces of leftover roast in? Then on a day when you are in a hurry or just don’t want to go to the store, you drag that bag out of the freezer, add some fresh potatoes or carrots, bullion seasoning and water…..dinner is ready! It may seem that saving bits and pieces of leftovers is ridiculous, that is until you go to the grocery store, then that Friday night soup bag seems pretty smart.

My mother made the best pancakes in the world. Now mind you, she had a cast iron skillet to cook them in but I don’t think that was the key. You are venturing into my age group if you remember the bacon grease holder on the back of the stove. There was no Crisco spooned into pancake batter rather a dip of bacon grease went into the batter and a coating of it on the skillet. Often she would (because you didn’t run to the store every 24 hours) make pancake syrup also. She always had maple flavoring, brown and white sugar on hand. Those golden brown pancakes, laden with butter and covered in hot syrup….I will just say that I can’t reproduce them nor can any restaurant I’ve ever been to.

I’m back to churches at the moment because of a hand written memory found. I don’t know who wrote it but I’m guessing it was written around the era of 1968-1970 and by someone who was a young child in McCook around was 1892. The reason I want to share it is because it cleared up some cloudy issues for me concerning what is now part of the Episcopal Church, housing the Pantry.

Originally I had thought that the beautiful building was constructed by the Baptist congregation. It shows on the Sanborn maps as a Baptist Church but then as I was studying the histories of churches in McCook, I kept finding references to a Lutheran church on West 1st street. Mystery solved with this rendition of the Baptist history.

“I remember seeing the Old Baptist Church for the first time when I was a small child. One afternoon a bad storm hit McCook, a cyclone that blew the belfry with the large bell off the church. We children all loved to hear the bell ring on Sunday A.M. At the time of the storm, the church was the property belonging to the Lutheran people. Some dis-satisfaction and dispute rose among the Lutheran people. The Church was sold to the Baptist people.”

“…the dispute among the Lutheran people was caused-some wanted the belfry and bell put back on the roof of the church, some said no it would cost too much money. They finally sold to the Baptist people. L. W. Suess and Chas Lehn, those two were peacemakers. They finally bought the German Lutheran church on West 3rd Street and called their church the German Congregational Church. All were happy, especially L.W. Suess and Chas. Lehn.”

It appears that there were two Lutheran congregations, as there were two Congregational churches after Suess and Lehn negotiated the purchase of the church on West 3rd. Of course there were two Methodist churches, the one located on West 1st that moved to Norris Ave., and the South Methodist Church, the building having been physically moved up from the riverbank and then shared with the German congregation living in south McCook. I’m not sure I will ever pin all of the congregations down but I am sure giving it one heck of a try!

SWNGS Christmas open house will be Saturday, December 10th, at 1PM. There will be food and refreshments for all and all are welcome! Stop by 322 Norris Ave. (The Temple Building), Rooms 2-7. There is an elevator for those who need one.