1921. Warren Harding became President. Congress set up a national quota system for immigration. On July 2, President Harding signed a joint congressional resolution of peace with Germany, Austria, and Hungary; the treaties were signed in August. The word "robot" entered the English language. On October 26, the Chicago Theater opened on State Street with a stage show starring Buster Keaton. The tallest office building in Chicago was the 398-foot-high Wrigley Building. In Evanston, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and St. Athanasius Roman Catholic Church were organized. Increases in enrollment at Bethlehem School necessitated a larger school-house. It was resolved on April 24 to erect a large modern school building on the old school-house site. The building committee members were: Henry Clausen, Louis Dunfrund, Fred J. Breitzmann, Wm. Oehlerking, Pastor Luecke, Mr. Kasten, Mr. Toenies, Carl Thiel, John Harms, Louis Harloff, Henry Harloff, John Wichmann, Edward Boelke, Fred J. Breitzmann, Wm. Weise, Gustave Weise, John Roth. In November the building was completed at a cost of $35,000. The dedicatory services were held on the 19th, the pastors J. D. Matthius, Paul Luecke, Sr., and Paul W. Luecke, Jr., officiating. It provided room for over 200 pupils. Other features of the school were the parish house facilities, such as the large auditorium on the second floor with a seating capacity of 500, the kitchen with its modern equipment, and the special club-room, furnished with bowling alleys by the Men's Club. A fourth teacher was employed, Miss Mathilda Doederlein of Chicago, for charge of room No. 4, which also comprises the "Kindergarten" class.
1922. A radio commercial was broadcast at a cost of $100 for ten minutes. Sears and Roebuck began selling electric refrigerators in 1922 (the first refrigerator in America was the Kelvinator in 1918). Louis Armstrong moved to Chicago at the invitation of Joe "King" Oliver, and after a brief sojourn to New York returned to Chicago to establish himself as the first great soloist in jazz. The Soviet states formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) The first sound films were developed. Insulin was first given to diabetic patients. Reader's Digest was founded. The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society was started; it has become the nation's largest nonprofit provider of long-term health care and retirement living services, with 240 facilities in 26 states. Lutheran university students voted into existence the Lutheran Student Association of America, now known as the Lutheran Student Movement-USA.
At Bethlehem school the enrollment reached 217, filling the new school built for 200. Teacher Toenies resigned because of ill health. Mr. A. H. Schultz was added to school faculty in September. The pastor began to greet the worshipers at the church door. The congregation celebrated its Golden Jubilee on November 26. A commemorative booklet was published in German and English. The Sunday School had eight teachers and a superintendent and held German classes at 9:00 am and English classes at 10:00 am.
The Harmonia Church Choir practiced every Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm with Director C. E. Kasten; choir officers were John Green, Mrs. Wm. Schwake, Norma Stolte, John Niemann and Emil Kaus.
The Men's Club met every third Tuesday at 8:00 pm and gave an annual play to raise money for worthy causes; its officers were John Mueller, Louis Krueger, Henry Green, and August Thiel.
The Evanston Walther League officers were Edwin Thiel, Sophia Schuett, Tillie Schuemann, Arthur Marken and Norma Stolte. The Bethlehem Junior League officers were Fred Henning, Virginia Runge, Helen Harms, Eleanor Schroeder and Edward Boelke; meetings were held every second Tuesday at 8:00 pm.
The Naehverein (Ladies Sewing Circle) met on the first Thursday and third Friday of the month in the afternoon with officers Mrs. W. Hendry, Mrs. W. Ryan, Mrs. F. Toenies, and Mrs. C. E. Kasten. The Von Bora Ladies' Society met the first Thursday of the month in the evening and the third Thursday in the afternoon with officers Mrs. George Simmons, Mrs. W. Weiss, Mrs. Carl McCabe, and Mrs. John Schmidt. The Bethlehem Young Ladies' Club officers were Caroline Harloff, Frances Schuett, Alma Niekrens and Anita Paasch.
The Bethlehem Lutheran Girls' League was a club for girls engaged in domestic work, arranged especially for girls from out of town and welcoming all Lutheran girls doing house- work; they met every second and fourth Thursday afternoon and evening of the month with supper served by the Club on meeting days and Bible Class from 8-9 pm; officers were Della Mueller, Ida Thiel, and Meta Bargmann.
The Concordia Mutual Benefit League met every second Monday at 8 pm with officers John Harms, Fred Forbeck, Henry Brandt, Robert Hacker, August Thiel and John Wichmann.
Officers of the church were: Pastor-Rev. Paul W. Luecke; Financial Secretary-John E. Mueller; Church Elders-H. J. Clausen, Fred L. Breitzmann, Louis Dunfrund, Wm. Oehlerking; Trustees-Henry F. Harloff, Wm. Weise, Edward Boelke, John Thiel; Chairman-John Uecker; School Teachers-C. E. Kasten, Principal; Miss Norma Stolte, F. W. Toenies, Miss Mathilde Doederlein; Secretary-C. E. Kasten; School Board-John Harms, Louis J. Harloff, John Roth; Treasurer- Julius Grass; Finance Committee-John Roth, Edward Harloff, John Green, Alfred Harrer, F. J. Breitzmann, Wm. Schreiber, Wm. Martens, Edward Wahls, Edward Boelke, Henry Doehring; Ex-Officio: The Church Elders, the Trustees, the Financial Secretary, the Treasurer. Bethlehem has 285 families, 1225 souls (baptized members), a communicant membership of 825 people and 148 voting members.
1923. President Harding died. Calvin Coolidge became President. Kodak introduced home movie equipment. Neon advertising signs arrived. George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" was written. The Ku Klux Klan conclave in Indianapolis drew 200,000 people. Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch failed. Chicago's Mars Co. developed the Milky Way candy bar. Ekco builds a huge plant at Cicero and Armitage Avenues in Chicago. The Edgewater Beach Hotel was completed. Lutheran World Convention, the first international, inter-Lutheran organization, held its first meeting in Eisenach Germany. Many Americans participated. Later, during World War II, American support kept the organization going. Northminster Presbyterian Church was organized at Evanston. Miss Minnie Kohn replaced Mr. Schulz as teacher at Bethlehem. Mr. W. M. Mirow accepted a call as teacher. The debt on the new school was reported to be $17,000.
1924. Notebooks got spiral bindings. The Eveready Hour was the first sponsored radio program. Daily coast-to-coast air mail service was instituted. Pictures were transmitted over telephone lines. There were two and a half million radio sets in the United States. Courtyard apartments were built, three-story walkups which allowed air and light to enter all the units and typically rented for prices ranging from $50 a month for two rooms to $90 for five rooms. The Bethlehem Walther Leagues had the privilege of being host to the Illinois District Walther League Convention. At this convention this District was divided into the Northern Illinois and the Central Districts. The old custom of having men and women commune separately was abolished. From henceforth men and women were to kneel side by side at the Lord's Table.
1925. President Calvin Coolidge was considering giving financial aid to Europe. The Scopes "Monkey Trial" was about to begin. A moving image, the blades of a model windmill, was telecast. The Tribune Tower was built in Chicago. Dominick's first store appeared. The Bismarck Hotel was built. A one-car garage cost only $159 delivered and erected. Creamed dishes become staples of the American diet for 50 years. Plow's Restaurant menu contains chicken a la king (75 cents), crab meat a la newburg ($1.50), plain creamed chicken (90 cents), chicken au gratin (75 cents) and creamed shrimps and rice (75 cents). The professional Repertory Company presented three short plays by Kenneth Sawyer Goodman in an invitational dedication performance onstage at the new Goodman Theater, named after the late young Chicago playwright. The Cubs were mired in seventh place. The Lutheran University Association purchased Valparaiso University. Bethlehem's first congregational minutes in English (same secretary as previously) began August 31. The English division of the congregation asked to have their Christmas program on Christmas Eve and it was resolved that the German service would be at 6:30 pm and the English at 8:15 pm. On the church anniversary German service was at 9:45 am and English at 11:15 am. Resolved to use the money of the treasury for the poor by the congregation's treasurer if necessary. "The trustees shall see what they can do about the lights in church that they shall not blind you during the sermon." Mrs. C. E. Kasten became a teacher in the school.
1926. The U. S. Immigration Act passed which curtailed and rendered nearly impossible any immigration from non-European countries. Filipinos were exempted from these restrictions because they were residents of a U.S. territory. Germany was admitted to the League of Nations. Midway Airport opened as Chicago Air Park. Brach's Candies built a new factory on Cicero Avenue in Chicago which was to become, at 2.3 million square feet, the world's largest candymaking operation under one roof, producing 10 million pounds per week. Chicago had 375,000 motor vehicles. Development occurred along the roads radiating out from Chicago. Green Bay Road was an old Indian trail that became a trading route. Bethel A.M.E. Church was founded in Evanston. The campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, was dedicated on June 18. The Mission to the Blind was founded by our Synod. The number of elders at Bethlehem was increased from four to six. Several English-speaking people asked for Lenten services on an evening during the week, Pastor Luecke to get a preacher for the services. Bowling team granted permission to bowl on Wednesday or Thursday evenings. Some were disappointed or dissatisfied that the congregation has English services, but voters supported the minister preaching English as well as German. Bethlehem's AAL branch was given permission with thanks to calcimine the school auditorium and corridor. Permission granted to ask for donations for Mr. Mirow toward his considerable expenses during the last year. June 28 at Grant Park was a celebration of the sesquicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence sponsored by AAL with about 50,000 Lutherans expected to attend. The Walther League Hospice of Evanston was dedicated. It was resolved to purchase 50 new German songbooks. "As the constitution is in some instances inadequate and in other instances antiquated," a committee was appointed to revise it. A pledge system was authorized for the next year. "The Pastor Luecke announced that the people should not always believe the paper for different erroneous reports had been printed about him burying certain people."
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