HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY



J. Ralph Boynton, clerk. The fourteen charter members held meetings at the
Hammel School House, Cotey's Hall, and Webster's Hall, until the erection
of a
church building about 1888; this was a frame building 30x50x16 facing First
Avenue
and cost about one thousand dollars to erect. Nov. 8, 1914 at 2 A. M. this
build-
ing was burned to the ground. It was the morning of the day that a Temperance
program was to have been given by the Sunday School. No certain cause for
the
fire could be assigned. The present church, a structure about 50x50 made
of
concrete blocks and facing Second Avenue was built in 1915 at an approximate
expense of $3,500. The following have served as pastors, subsequent to the
Rev.
Sawyer's service: Nov. 1881, Dr. J. A. Brown; Aug. 1885, Rev. J. F. Guyton
Aug. 1886, Rev. D. A. Campbell; Jan. 1890, Rev. D. H. Richie; Dec. 1891,
Rev.
Chevis; April 1893, Rev. Thomas Barker; Sept. 1896, Rev. A. A. Martin; June,
1899, Rev. W. D. Stevenson; June, 1902, Miss Brown and Miss Harlow; Dec.
1908, Rev. Thomas Hoffman; Jan. 1911, Rev. Klein; April, 1912, Rev. Wm. Vater;
Aug. 1914, Rev. Samuel Bullough; Aug. 1918, Rev. Vaughn; Sept. 1920, Rev.
F. H.
Splies, the present pastor. There were periods of months when the church
was
without a pastor, but for no length of time were services discontinued.,
The
membership at one time reached the hundred mark, but gradually decreased
as
the families began moving away from the Pittsville vicinity in search of
other
employment after the shutting down of the saw mills here. The membership
at present is twenty-five, although the average attendance for the year past
was
85. The Sunday School has an enrollment of eighty. The Ladies' Aid Society
numbers twenty-six.
   Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church, Missouri Synod, of Pittsville.
This
society was organized with 24 members, Oct. 14, 1888, under direction of
Rev.
W. Knuf, a missionary pastor. Services were held here every three or four
weeks.
Mr. Knuf having other congregations to attend to. In 1892 the society was
in-
corporated, the articles being dated June 6, and signed by Freidrich Lipke,
William
Schiller and Christ Runo. The first elders (1888 to 1891) were Gortfried
Sowatzki,
Friedrich Bunge and Andreas Protz; the trustees, William Schiller, Christoff
Runo and Fred Keip. On Aug. 26, 1892 bought a lot for a building, the latter
being erected soon after. It was a small frame structure and was used for
church
services, and also as a school, until 1908, when the present brick church
edifice
was built. Since that time the frame building has been used for parochial
school
purposes. It is situated about 200 yards north of the church. The brick edifice,
which cost about $9,000, has a seating capacity of between 300 and 400. The
parish now contains 365 souls, including 50 voting members. There is a well
organized Ladies' Aid Society. The school has an enrollment of 25. The church
services are held in the German language, the school being taught in German
and
English. The first regular pastor was the Rev. H. Maack. The present pastor,
Rev. G. Dobratz, assumed charge in 1914.
   The Pittsville High School, including the eight grades, in the school
year of
1921-22, had an average enrollment of 184. There were six teachers, with
J. R.
Kalhoun principal. The school officers were G. W. Severns, Verne McCoy and
C. A. Salter. The school is under county jurisdiction.
   The fraternal societies having lodges or meeting places in Pittsville,
are the



.226