Most people who drive through the sleepy community of Douglas, located about four miles east of Waterville, notice the picturesque white church, which stands on the edge of town. The church building brings locals and passersby back to a time when early settlers were carving out livelihoods on the plateau. It demonstrates their values in taking time to build such a lovely place of worship at the center of their community. We can imagine horses and buggies bringing families from all the surrounding countryside to worship each Sunday, summer and winter.
The church was dedicated as St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in 1915 and was an active place of worship until 1968. During that year, the Douglas and Waterville congregations merged and began to worship in the United Lutheran Church in Waterville.
St. Paul’s was unused from that point until 2006, when members of the Douglas Community Historical Association undertook a restoration project that has preserved the church’s original beauty. Since the restoration, the church has been called the Historic Douglas Church and has been used for the annual Douglas Community Historical Association Christmas party and for weddings and other special events
Sept. 19, which is a Saturday, will mark the exact 100-year anniversary of the first dedication ceremony of the church. In order to celebrate the centennial of the building, the Douglas Community Historical Association is planning a party that day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will include food and lots of fun activities. An ample lunch will be provided free of charge by members of the Historical Association. Local musicians, young and old, will be performing in the sanctuary throughout the celebration. The ladies who make quilts for Lutheran World Relief each winter will be having a free drawing to give away one of the extra quilts they made this year to a lucky guest. Several community members who own vintage cars and wagons will be displaying these around the church building. Miles Mittlestaedt, a Waterville High School student whose family has been attending St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and United Lutheran Church for generations, will be putting together a PowerPoint presentation of the history of the church.
The group has prepared souvenir remembrance magnets for guests. The magnets have a picture of the church on them and the years “1915-2015.” They also plan to sell books depicting the early history of the church in pictures. In compiling the books, the association would be interested in any old photos people have of events related to the church. Those who have photos should contact Linda Daling at 669-1661.
This celebration is open to all and will be a fun day for people of all ages. It will also be an important time to remember and celebrate the history of the Historic Douglas Church.
From the Empire Press