"The
place of the Rapidly running waters!" Thus, the native-American name,
Nekoosa. Gently nestled along the mighty Wisconsin River, both the town
of Nekoosa and the Nekoosa United Church of Christ have their roots in
the bustling paper mill industry of the late nineteenth century. Azel
W. Patten of Appleton, a prominent Wisconsin businessman who was
both a stockholder and a director in the Nekoosa Paper mill, understood
the importance of a solid spiritual life of the workers in his mill and
of their families. He donated land for a congregational church and
provided the community with a completely furnished and ready to worship
building.
The building was completed and dedicated December 17, 1893. Rev.
William Kilbourne of Grand Rapids (now, Wisconsin Rapids) was the
presiding minister. Guest ministers included Rev. Homer W. Carter of
Beloit, WI, and Rev. George C. Haus of Madison, WI. The first Sunday
School was organized on the same day. The early history of Nekoosa
began with the French traders and backwoodsmen who came through this
region; then settling in what was known as "Point Basse". Early
conflicts between European settlers and the Black Hawk Indians resulted
in the death of Chief Nekoosa. It was shortly after this last battle
that the name of the settlement was changed from "Point Basse" to
"Nekoosa" in honor of the chief.
The first sawmill was built by Daniel Whitney in 1831. It was located
on the east bank of the river by the ferry landing. In those early days
there were two ferries that served traffic across the river. One was
near the present business center and was called the "Upper Ferry". The
other, called the "Lower Ferry" was a cable ferry and was located about
a half mile below the mill at the site of Historic Pointe Basse. The
ferries were replaced with a steel bridge in 1917.
Nekoosa as a community had its beginning in 1893 with the establishment
of the Nekoosa Paper mill. It was in this same year that Mr. Patten
made his generous gift to the Congregational Church, beginning the
faith journey that continues today. The church records show nineteen
new members added to the roles in September of 1894, and an additional
eight members in 1895. This is the same year that a Ladies Aid Society
was formed, which continues today as UCC Women United. A hundred years
later (1993) the congregation numbered close to 400 members.
In 1901, Rev. Benjamin E. Ray threatened to resign if the church did
not build a parsonage. The parsonage was built next to the church in
the same year. Rev. Ray stayed, but not for long, as the 1903 Annual
Report announces his departure. The land comprising the two lots
officially became the property of the congregation on September 23,
1902 when the deed was presented to the Trustees with the signatures of
T. E. Nash and L. M. Alexander.
The church record shows that the first nine pastors to serve the
Congregational Church were each here for a very short time. The 100th
Anniversary booklet stated that this was due to the fact that they were
always the last to get paid and that they were sometimes not paid at
all. This changed with the arrival of Rev. C. A. O'Neil on Easter
Sunday of 1915. He served the congregation for 34 years, and is
credited with greatly increasing the membership while making numerous
improvements to the property. Finances also improved, and the record
shows that his paycheck was provided him, in full, in a timely manner.
One of the ministers who served for only a short period in Nekoosa was
the Rev. William H. Short. He and his wife, Caroline, arrived in July
of 1906 and soon delighted the congregation with the birth of their
son, Frederick Wallace Short. Rev. Short eventually left the active
ministry to work toward the formation of the League of Nations. In
1979, his son Frederick published "The Man Behind The League of
Nations"; an account of his father's early years in church ministry
(including his short time in Nekoosa) and his later work in helping to
form the international organization that became the predecessor to the
United Nations.
September of 1957 saw the construction of the new Educational wing,
reflecting the growth of the congregation and the importance of
Christian Education. Until this time Church School classes were held in
the sanctuary of the old building. The educational wing was the first
building project since the parsonage in 1901. The Ross property next to
the church was also purchased; providing space for a parking lot and
the eventual construction of the new church.
1957 was also a landmark year for two other events. It was in 1957 that
the Rev. John Steinberg, son of Harvey and Mary Jane Steinberg, was
ordained to the Christian Ministry. He was the first member of the
congregation to be called to full time service in the church. It was
also the year that the Congregational Christian Churches and the
Evangelical and Reformed Church voted to become the United Church of
Christ. This began a process in which each congregation of the
Congregational Christian churches would study, pray and eventually vote
on participation in the union. It was in 1962 that the congregation
officially voted to join the newly formed denomination; becoming the
Nekoosa United Church of Christ.
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