In Edwards County, IL between the years of 1829 and 1830 there were several men from the Moravian community of Salem, North Carolina who came with their families and all of their possessions to make new homes for themselves in the wilderness. Once established in their new community, they made an application to have a visit by some ordained minister and to take into consideration the propriety of commencing a Moravian congregation in their community.
Meanwhile, Peter Hinkle, a Moravian and blacksmith, who would later play an important role in the development of the local Moravian Church, arrived to the community with a two horse wagon and ten dollars in his pocket. In 1831 he set up his blacksmith shop. It was in this same barn that the organization of the local Moravian Church occurred in 1844.
In the fall of 1841, Br. William Eberman, the minister at Hope, IN made a visit to IL and returned to Hope without any definite conclusions.
In the winter of 1843 Martin Houser was requested by the Conference at Bethlehem, PA to again visit the Brethren and friends in IL. Martin Houser saw promise in the community and thought that it would be in the Church's best interest to pursue the idea of establishing a Moravian congregation in IL.
On May 25, 1844 the Moravian Church of West Salem was organized by Rev. Martin Houser in Peter Hinkle's barn, which stood nearly a mile northeast of what is now the town of West Salem.
At first the West Salem church was served by Brother Houser as a filian of the Hope, IN. church until 1847 when he became the settled pastor at West Salem. The first church was dedicated on May 31, 1846. In the following year the first parsonage was erected. At the close of 1849 the communicant members numbered 103.
On May 21,1849 four young German bachelors, the vanguard of a much larger German contingent, arrived in the settlement.
In 1849, a number of families from Gersdolf and Herrnhut, Germany dedide to come to America and probably West Salem would be their choice of settlement. Some flipped a coin to see if they would go to America or Australia. Most of these people's occupations were listed as "Weavers." They started out on May 12, 1849 at Bremen in a sailing vessel called "Helene." They came by steerage, which was the cheapest transportation. They landed in New York in the month of July. Of the large group that came over, some remained in the East, others went to Wisconsin but the larger number, about 60, settled in Indiana and Illinois. The ones that came to IL. were met on the banks of the Wabash River by Rev. Martin Houser and were shown the way to their new home.
In July of 1849 the colony of 46 persons arrived from Germany and located in the village, building their homes close together about the public square and farming small outlying tracts in accordance with European community.
Since a prosperous religious community existed in 1844, it was felt that a town shoud be planned. Acting as Attorney in fact for Rev. Charles Kluge, President of the Synod of the Southern Provincial Conference of the Moravian Church of North America, Martin Houser entered 120 acres in Kluge's name on Oct. 29, 1845.
On August 3, 1849 the town was surveyed and platted by Thomas Birkett. The new town was laid out after the style of the town of Niesky, Prussia.
The name New Salem was chosen in honor of Salem, North Carolina, the place from which many of the residents had moved from, to Edwards County. When a Post Office was established in 1855, it became necessary to change the name to West Salem, since a New Salem already existed in the state.
FastCounter by LinkExchange
This page hosted by
Get your own Free Home Page