Immanuel Lutheran Church - Fiftieth Anniversary - 1890-1940

Written by Ole Aas, George Moen and Martin Leum

Immanuel (Moen) Lutheran Church

To the north of Coon Prairie, along the northern border of Vernon County, Wisconsin, in the town of Christiana, lies a region not vastly different in topography from that of Coon Prairie. Like Coon Prairie this region was already at the time of which we write, the early seventies, largely peopled by Norwegians, and was an important Norwegian community.

Across the line, into Monroe County, in the town of Portland, lies another region, more rolling but nevertheless just as fertile.

When settlement of this region began in earnest is not definitely known, but, from marble slabs erected in an old cemetery, near where the Immanuel church now stands, we learn that many burials were made during the late fifties and through the sixties so this region must have been well settled even at that early date.

Most of the early settlers of this region came from the eastern states, mainly from New York State and from Ohio, and were largely of English descent. We also know that there were some Norwegians who had acquired farms in the town as early as 1858, near Hazen’s Corner, a stopping place on the old Black River Trail, near where the village of Cashton is now situated. In the western part of the town on what was known as Fleischer’s Ridge, were others. In the north central part of the town, a group of German families had also established themselves. These organized the German Lutheran congregation of Portland and built a church a short distance west of where the Portland store now stands.

In the early seventies emigrants from Norway began to arrive in ever increasing numbers, and as these immigrants were mostly farm folks (bondefolk), they adapted themselves most readily to farm conditions as they were here. Many of these immigrants, having brought some means with them from Norway, and, looking forward to self-owned farms and homes, began to look for farms that they could buy; and, as many of the original settlers were anxious to sell, the farms changed ownership rapidly. Thus, in the course of years, this region, also, became largely Norwegian.

During this period of constructive settlement, the churchgoing people had attended services at Coon Prairie. All ministerial service were performed by pastors of the Coon Prairie congregation. But, as time went on it became apparent that a nearer place, where religious service could be held, was necessary, and so in 1872 North Coon Prairie congregation was organized. This congregation became a member of the Norwegian Evangelical Synod of America, and under the guidance of the Reverend H. Halvorson prospered both in membership and in other ways.

No organization, religious or otherwise, can truthfully say that it has been 

entirely free from controversy during its lifetime. The Norwegian Evangelical Synod was no exception. In the middle eighties a controversy arose, doctrinal in nature the discussion of which has no place in this sketch. This controversy in time came to the many congregations of the synod. It came to the North Coon Prairie congregation also, but had, at the time to which this short sketch is leading us, to some extent subsided.

Early in 1890, the Coon Prairie parish with several outlying congregations, was considered too large for one pastor to adequately serve, therefore the question of an assistant pastor to Reverend Halvorsen was brought before the several congregations of the pastorate. In the North Coon Prairie congregation, this matter, coming so soon after the doctrinal friction, became an annoying one. The voting members were about evenly divided, and, at a meeting to settle the matter, those in favor of an assistant pastor won out by a small majority. Being unable to accommodate themselves to conditions as they then existed, with but a remote possibility of a compromise about fifty families withdrew to form a congregation of their own. This became the Immanuel Lutheran Congregation.

Moen Cemetery