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The history of the St. Paul congregation is rooted to Neuendettelsau, Germany and the St. Nikolai Lutheran Church, and it's pastor, Rev. Wilhelm Loehe, who recognized the spiritual needs of many Germans that had emigrated to the United States. He set about recruiting and training church workers to serve this group far from thier homeland. A series of Franconian colonies were establish in the Saginaw Valley: Frankenmuth, St. Lorenz, Frankenhilf (now Richville), St. Michael and Frankenlust.
 1905: Construction of present church building. |
The story of the St. Paul church community is truly one of purpose. Its seeds were laid in Germany by thier Lutheran faith that nourished its development. The founder and pioneer of this church community was a young pastor ordained in 1847, Rev. Ferdinand Sievers; that year he lead a group of Bavarian emigrants to the U.S., settling initially in Frankenmuth.
The following year with financial support from the Franken Society for American Missions in Erlangen, Germany, Rev. Sievers turned his attention to a new settlement in Frankenlust; he purchased of 645.7 acres of Indian reservation land from the government. The area was then a part of northern Saginaw County and about four miles from Lower Saginaw (now Bay City). This facilitated the arrival of a second group of emigrants to the Frankenlust colony. On June 22, 1848 at Dierker's barn, the colonists organized St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church at Frankenlust with Rev. Ferdinand Sievers becoming their first pastor. They held thier first service on Sunday, June 25.
Charter members of the first settlerment were:
Rev. Ferdinand Sievers, Johann L. Hachtel, Mr. and Mrs. Albrecht Kuch and their two-year old son, Michael; Mr. and Mrs. Andreas Goetz; Mr. and Mrs. Paulus Knoerr; Mr. and Mrs. Johann G. Hemreich; Mr. and Mrs. Johann G. Haeckel; Catherina Ziegler and Eva B. Engzer.
On October 4, 1857, the first framed church was erected replacing the log-cabin building that had previous replaced temporary dwellings. On December 17, 1905, the current church building was dedicated.
View listing of Charter Members, Pastors and Teachers.
| Related Pages |
Heritage/People/
 Bio: Rev. F. Sievers
Heritage/Writings/ Rev. Sievers' Letters(1848-69)
Maps Library/ {1851 Homesteads Map}
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| Names Referenced |
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Beers, F.W.*
Engzer, Eva B. Goetz, Andreas* Goetz, Andreas (Mr.& Mrs.) Florentine, Eleanor L.* Hachtel, Johann L. Hecht, Georg A.* Haeckel, Johann G.(Mrs.) Helmreich, J.B. Sr.* Hemreich, Johann G. Himmler, Cantor* Himmler, Johann L.* Knoerr, Paulus (Mr. & Mrs.) Kuch, Albrecht (Mr.& Mrs.) Kuch, Bergrat F.* Kuch, Carolina* Kuch, Michael Langer, Johann G.* List, Henry* Loehe, Wilhelm Rev. Mammel, Herber Rincker, H.W.* Schmidt, Johanna C.* Schwab, John* Sievers:
Agnes*
Trinklein, J. Jacob Rev.*
Andres* Bernhard Rev.* Ferdinand Rev. Fredinand Jr. Rev* Friedrich Rev.* Gottlieb* Heinrich S.* Renata* Sigismund* Wagner, Elmer R. Ziegler, Catherina Ziegler, Oscar (* in Pictorial text.) |
| Subjects Referenced |
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Dierker's barn
Concordia Band* Erlangen, Germany Franconian colonies: Fankenhilf (Richville)
Goetz Farm*
Frankenlust Frankenlust Mills* Frankenmuth Franken Society - for American Missions Grueneplan, Germany* Indian reservation Kochville Twsp.* Leinberger Farm* Lower Saginaw (Bay City) Lueneburg, Germany* Neuendettelsau, Germany New York* Saginaw County Shelby Co., IL* Sigel, IL* Squaconning Creek* St. Lorenz St. Michael St. Nikolai Lutheran Church Trinity Luthern Church* Univ. of Halle* (* in Pictorial text.) |
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