This is a finding aid (or, description) of materials available in the La Crosse Public Library Archives. At this time, none of the materials listed below are accessible over the internet.
Contact the Archives to learn more about using these materials.
Guide to the Seventh Street Baptist Church Records, 1803-2011
MSS 133
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- 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 7th (Seventh) Street Baptist Church records include administrative materials such as annual reports (1983-2001), Constitutions (1951-2004), directories and member information, and some meeting minutes and associated materials (1992-2009). Historical materials include a Heritage Preservation Commission application from 2005, materials from the Centennial Celebration (1993), two German prayer books from the 1800s, and newspaper clippings (1946-2009). There are also photographs and textual materials from deconstructed church scrapbooks featuring the church building, parishoners (1960s-2000s), pastors, and events like Christmas programs and weddings. No sacramental records are included in this collection.
- Collection Title
- Seventh Street Baptist Church Records
- Date of Materials [bulk]
- Bulk, 1951-2009
- Date of Materials [inclusive]
- 1803-2011
- Creator
- Bible Baptist Church (La Crosse, Wis.).
- Creator
- Seventh Street Baptist Church (La Crosse, Wis.).
- Call Number
- MSS 133
- Amount
- 1.6 cubic feet
- Physical Description
- 4 archives boxes
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- La Crosse Public Library Archives
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Seventh Street Baptist Church Scrapbooks, Photographs, and Other Historical Materials, MSS 133, La Crosse Public Library Archives, La Crosse, WI
Historical Note
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.
Scope and Contents
Materials in the 7th Street Baptist Church records are arranged in three series: Administrative Materials, Historical Materials, and Scrapbooks and Photographs.
Administrative materials include annual reports (1983-2001), Constitutions (1951-2004), directories and member information, and some meeting minutes and associated materials (1992-2009). Historical materials include a Heritage Preservation Commission application from 2005, materials from the Centennial Celebration (1993), two German prayer books from the 1800s, and newspaper clippings (1946-2009). There are also photographs and textual materials from deconstructed church scrapbooks featuring the church building, parishoners (1960s-2000s), pastors, and events like Christmas programs and weddings. 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.
Arrangement
The 7th Street Baptist Church materials are arranged by three series: Administrative Materials, Historical Materials, and Scapbooks and Photographs. The materials within are arranged alphabetically by topic.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
La Crosse Public Library Archives 2011
800 Main St.La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601
(608) 789-7136
archives@lacrosselibrary.org
Revision Description
Additions processed and finding aid updated by Jennifer DeRocher. 2015 July
Access to Materials
Materials in this collection are available for patron use.
Acquisitions Information
(Accession no. 2009.034) Donated from the Bible Baptist Church via Helen Schroeder, April 2009 (Accession no. 2015.018) Donated from the estate of LaVerne Samb via John Samb, March 2015
Processing Information
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 October 2011 by Cate Putirskis. Additions processed and finding aid updated by Jennifer DeRocher, July 2015.
Related Materials
- (Clipping file)
- Churches-Baptist-Seventh Street Baptist
- (Picture file)
- Churches-Baptist-Bible Baptist
Separated Materials
Two oversize photographs were removed from the collection and are located in the oversize picture file under Churches—Baptist—Bible Baptist.
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- Bible Baptist Church (La Crosse, Wis.).
- First German Baptist Church (La Crosse, Wis.).
- North American Baptist Conference.
- Seventh Street Baptist Church (La Crosse, Wis.).
Geographic Name(s)
- La Crosse (Wis.)--Religion
Subject(s)
- Baptist church buildings--Wisconsin--La Crosse
- Baptists--Wisconsin--La Crosse
Electronic Content
Some materials available in electronic format.
Collection Inventory
Administrative Materials |
||||
|
Annual reports |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1983-1988 |
1 | 1 | ||
|
1990-1994; 1996-1999; 2001 |
1 | 2 | ||
|
Constitutions |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1951-1976 |
1 | 3 | ||
|
1992-2004 |
1 | 4 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Directories and member information |
1 | 5 | ||
|
Financial materials 1970-2009 |
1 | 6 | ||
|
Job descriptions |
1 | 7 | ||
|
Letterhead and envelope samples |
1 | 8 | ||
|
Meeting minutes and associated materials 1992-2009 |
1 | 9 | ||
|
Service programs |
1 | 10 | ||
|
|
||||
Historical Materials |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
General file 1903-1976 |
2 | 1 | ||
|
Biography of Reverend Minor Vanderbeck 1977 |
2 | 2 | ||
|
Buildings |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Heritage Preservation Commission application 2005 |
2 | 3 | ||
Scrapbooks and Photographs |
||||
|
Photographs |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Christmas programs 1970s-1990s |
2 | 10 | ||
|
Choir 1970s |
2 | 11 | ||
|
Church building 1940-2011 |
2 | 12 | ||
|
Church building images taken by Anita Taylor Doering, 2009 April These images are available in electronic format only. |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Church services 1970s-1980s |
2 | 13 | ||
|
Early congregation photos and negatives 1912-1959 |
2 | 14 | ||
|
Festivals and picnics 1970s-1980s |
3 | 1 | ||
|
Parishoners |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1960s-1980s |
3 | 2-4 | ||
|
2000s |
3 | 5 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Pastors 1890s, 1960s-1970s |
3 | 6 | ||
|
Sunday school and bible school 1950s-1990s |
3 | 7-8 | ||
|
Visitors, entertainers 1971, 1980 |
3 | 9 | ||
|
Scrapbooks |
||||
|
General themes |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1903-1994 |
3 | 10 | ||
|
1903-1994 |
4 | 1 | ||
|
2004-2008 |
4 | 2 | ||
|
Textual documents |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1960-1969 |
4 | 3 | ||
|
1970-1979 |
4 | 4 | ||
|
1980-1989 |
4 | 5 | ||
|
Scanned images |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Members' obituaries 1990-1999 |
4 | 6 | ||
|
Pastor's scrapbook 1917-1979 |
4 | 7 | ||
|
Wedding scrapbook 1898-1993 |
4 | 8 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
History of Bible Baptist Church building |
2 | 4 | ||
|
Open house 2006 |
2 | 5 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Centennial celebration 1993 |
2 | 6 | ||
|
Centennial celebration audio recording 1993 September 12 This material exists in analog as well as electronic formats. |
2 | 7 | ||
|
German prayer books 1803, 1881 |
2 | 8 | ||
|
Newspaper clippings 1946-2009 |
2 | 9 | ||
|
|
||||