1887. Montgomery Ward mailed out a 540-page catalog this year. In Chicago, Star and Crescent Milling Co. was founded, a company which will become part of Crosby and Washburn, to be renamed General Mills in 1928. C.F.W. Walther, pastor in Perry County and at Trinity, St. Louis, president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and the first president of the LCMS (1847-1850, also 1864-1878), died. St. Nicholas Catholic Church was established in Evanston. On February 27, Bethlehem's Treasurer reported the cost of the new church building as $6864.70. Beginning May 1st, Pastor Detzer held monthly English services in the church.
1888. The Interstate Commerce Act was adopted by the U. S. congress. "Kodak" box camera made picture taking simple. Heinrich Hertz proved the existence of radio waves. The coin-operated public telephone came into existence. Edison's phonograph was manufactured for sale to the public. Edward Katzinger founds a commercial baking pan company in Chicago which became the Ekco Housewares Co., the country's largest non-electric housewares manufacturer, by the 1960s. Wheadon Methodist Church of Evanston was organized. Immanuel Lutheran Church was organized in Evanston for Swedish Lutherans; the congregation bought Bethlehem's old church building for $450. and moved it from Florence Avenue.
1889. Benjamin Harrison becomes President. Herman Hollerith counts the population with punch cards. Strowger, a Kansas City undertaker, invents automatic telephone exchange. Gustave Eiffel builds tower in Paris. The Alpha Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Freedom was formed as a separate African-American synod from the North Carolina Synod. Chicago's 4,200 seat Auditorium Theater opened, attended by President and Mrs. Benjamin Harrison. A new constitution and by-laws was discussed and adopted at Bethlehem on the 17th day of March. This document was still in use in 1922. Bethlehem erected its first large school-house on a lot purchased at Lake Street and Florence Avenue. The building was two stories tall and made of brick.
1890. The Sherman Anti-Trust Law was signed. The Battle of Wounded Knee was the last major conflict between Indians and U.S. troops. Typewriters were in common use in offices and the first moving picture shows opened in New York. The United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America was founded by merger of the Norwegian Danish Conference, the Norwegian-Danish Augustana Synod and the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood. The population of Evanston 13,059 in the 1890 census of the United States. Trolleys came to Chicago, rides were 3 cents. There are now 600 restaurants in Chicago. F.W. and Louis Rueckheim use Creator's peanut roaster-popcorn maker machine at their Chicago popcorn stand and invent popcorn mixed with peanuts covered in molasses which they name CrackerJack. Bethlehem's new school building was dedicated to the service of God on the 2nd day of March. In the summer Pastor Detzer accepted a call to an English congregation in St. Paul, Minnesota. After many futile efforts to obtain a new pastor the congregation succeeded with the help of the Lord to persuade Pastor J. D. Matthius of Chicago, son-in-law of Pastor August Reinke, to accept the Evanston pastorate. He was installed into office in September.
1891. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. On October 16, founder and first music director Theodore Thomas leads the Chicago Orchestra, forerunner of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, in its first concert, at the Auditorium. Philip Armour's company was the largest packer in the country and controls 30 percent of Chicago's grain supply; under the brand name Veribest, Armour manufactured vegetable, soup, sauce and meat products. William Wrigley set up a chewing gum business in Chicago. Trinity Lutheran Church was organized by Norwegian Lutherans in Evanston and the Unitarian Church of Evanston was established. Bethlehem's congregation became affiliated with the Addison Orphan Home Association on September 13th. Bethlehem's first Mixed Choir was officially organized. A Men's Choir was in the charge of Mr. Bittner. The fifth anniversary of the new church building was celebrated in three services.
1892. Aluminum, a new material, was adapted to cooking pans and The Illinois Pure Aluminum Co. was founded in Lemont to manufacture cookware. Evanston annexed South Evanston. On July 12, Ottomar Fuerbringer, co-founder of Concordia College, Perry County, Missouri, died; he had helped draw up the LCMS constitution in 1846 and 1847. Bethlehem Lutheran congregation was granted membership in the Arlington Heights Old People's Home Association on April 3rd, 1892. In fact, the congregation assisted in effecting the organization of the Home. The Ladies' Aid Society, which met in church after the afternoon services, presented the congregation with a church bell on the 8th of May. The Society meets in the church after the afternoon services. In their homes and at occasional meetings at the school the Ladies' Aid Society sewed for the Old Folks' Home and for the Orphanage at Addison. A Bell Regulation ("Glocken Ordnung") was adopted in July. A second teacher, Miss A. Zeng, was employed at the school in the fall. In November, it was resolved that a parsonage be erected on the rear of the church lot. The Building Committee was R. C. Hacker, Joachim Witt, W. M. Bork, and Pastor Matthius. Mr. Jennings was employed as the architect, while the firm of H. C Wasmund and Miller was awarded the building contract. The estimated cost of the building was $2,370.
1893. Henry Ford built his first car. Rudolph Diesel patented the diesel engine. Verdi's Falstaff debuted. Kipling publishes The Jungle Book. Financial Panic in the U. S. leads to four year Depression. In Chicago the Lake Street and Jackson Park elevated rail lines were opened. The World Columbian Exposition in Chicago displayed 43 types of bicycles and 300 horse-drawn carriages and attracted more than 1 million visitors. In December, the Art Institute of Chicago opened in new quarters on Michigan Avenue and Adams Street. A small sausage company in Chicago was acquired by the Ladanyi and Reichl families which became the Vienna Sausage Co. Chicago and Evanston Electric Railway Company brought streetcars to Evanston, changing its name to Chicago North Shore Street Railway Company. The Evanston Corps of the Salvation Army was founded. The Walther League was organized in Buffalo, New York. 3: Walter A. Maier was born on October 4. Maier was the first full-time secretary of the Walther League, the first speaker on The Lutheran Hour, and a professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. In the fall at Bethlehem, Pastor Matthius was granted permission by the congregation to give spiritual attention and to do mission work among the Lutheran families of Wilmette. During the school-year of 1893-1894, Mr. M. E. Bittner was obliged to take charge of both school- classes, since it seemed impossible to obtain a teacher for the second school-class. Congregational voting members resolved in 1893 that each family would send its children to Bethlehem's Christian Day School.
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