October 2009 Luckey Historical Society Newsletter
Thanks to all of you for your help and support during the Luckey Fall Festival. We had a good variety and quantity of items donated to sell. We had plenty of help setting up, tearing down and manning our spaces. The tent arrangement worked out well. The screen tent area used for a rest area was “busy” most of the time. We only had a few drops of rain and for the most part the weather was very pleasant. Saturday evening we had sold most of our items. As it was supposed to rain Sunday morning we decided to pack up late Saturday. Clothing and household items that could be used by the poor were donated to Dave Derr for his church give away. We sold $203 in donated goods. The cost of space rental was $60 so our net profit was $143. Dick and Dave Otte were in charge of the “Whatsit” display. They designed and built the display, procured moneys for the $100 prize, and even paid for the rental of the space in the commercial tent. The businesses donating $25 dollars each were; Bob’s Plumbing, Otte & Son’s Plumbing, Sarver & Son’s Construction and Meyer Electric. The prize money was returned to the society as a donation. A large number of personal contacts were made, calendars sold, information regarding the society shared and many people enjoyed the contest. The net profit from the Otte adventure (including the prize money) was $163. The combined profit for the Fall Festival was $306. During the festival we also sold a total of 17 calendars.
It was discovered that even though we are a legally recognized nonprofit institution, we still must pay sales tax on certain items. Fred Witzler completed the necessary paper work and obtained our Vendors License. Fred Witzler donated the $25 license fee. We now have to file with the IRS twice a year and pay our sales tax when applicable. Our first filing will be in Jan. 2010. On Oct. 7th Ruth, Sally and Fred met to work on organizing our financial records. We now have a more official means of recording money flow. This is necessary for our own sanity, preparation for IRS filing and preparation in the event of an audit.
This week I was given the opportunity to scan a collection of pictures originally belonging to Hannah Spahn and given to Bob’s Barbershop. The collection includes pictures of old Luckey that I had never seen. One picture I was very happy to get, was a good picture of Faith Methodist Church before it was moved. There is also a picture of Grace Lutheran before the exterior siding was put on and the old stucco surface can be seen. I am hoping to print copies so all can see them at the October meeting.
The Town Hall project is slowly progressing. We need to build up our treasury again so that we have some funds to work with. I am hoping to have a bake sale the first Saturday in December at Otte’s. Check your calendars before the meeting so we can discuss this adventure. We have received permission to use the outside water source of the Grace Lutheran Church for our restoration project on the Town Hall.
We need to sell the calendars that we have as soon as possible so we can determine if we are going to need to order more. Try to find out how many you will need before the next meeting. We have 30 remaining to be sold. I will bring them to our October meeting.
Meeting Thurs Oct. 15th at 6:30 in the Library Calendars are $15.
Tea Thurs Oct 22nd at 1:30 in the Library Membership dues are due, $20 per family
Next Possible Bake Sale Dec 5th at Otte’s Plumbing
Make checks payable to; Luckey Area Historical Society, Inc.
Over and out
Sally Predmore
1. The Evangelical Church at Luckey, Ohio, was organized in the early part of the year 1860 by German speaking Swiss immigrants who settled mainly east of Luckey. It was organized as the Jacobs Class and kept that name until sometime later when it was named Salem Evangelical Church. The Smith schoolhouse was rented until 1882 and then purchased by the congregation for services. In 1884 the lot was purchased from Henry Fahle and the congregation continued on as the Jacob Class using the schoolhouse until 1893 In 1893 the little frame church building, which formerly had been the schoolhouse was sold to the Catholics, and the present edifice was built. A new church building was under construction during the pastorate of H. C. Berger and was dedicated November 19, 1893, costing $1,500. In 1920 when the church became self-supporting the name was changed to Zion Evangelical Church and eventually the Zion United Methodist Church.
2. Zion Lutheran Church was organized, with the help of Salem Lutheran Church Pemberville, in 1883. The trustees bought property on the northeast corner of Park Drive and Eddy Street from Mr. & Mrs. I. W. Krotzer, and built a frame church. Timber for the church was cut from woods of members of the congregation. A parsonage was secured for August Cordes, the first pastor, and his family, right across the street on Park Drive. A Christian Day School, known then as German School, was also located on the property. This school with lessons taught in high German was conducted by the resident pastor. A new building was erected in 1956 and the old one dismantled.
3. The seeds of Faith United Methodist Church were sown when a Methodist Sunday School Class was organized in School No. 7 in the Hopper Settlement about 1870. When the school was moved to another location the congregation went to the Methodist Church at Stony Ridge. In 1882 the congregation from the Hopper Settlement decided to build a church in Luckey. The location selected was on the corner of Lime and Krotzer. It did not prove to be a good one. There was no place to park and the trucks from the lime plant raised great amounts of dust as they made their daily rounds by that corner. In 1938 the church was move to Lots No. 49 and 50 on West Main Street. Construction started on the new addition and remodeling on the old part on July 4, 1950. For several years worship services were held in the social room until, in 1958, the furniture for the new sanctuary was purchased and installed and the new worship facilities were completed.
4. The Grace Lutheran Congregation was formed as the result of a group of people separating from the Zion Lutheran Church here in Luckey. The separation may have been caused by a strong desire to use English rather than the use of German. The first meeting of the founding fathers of Grace was held January 20, 1920. The first worship service was held in the Luckey Methodist Church. Rev. J. G. Johanssen was the first pastor of Grace and organized the church orchestra. The orchestra performed for Grace and community gatherings. By August 1921 the members of Grace began worshiping in the basement of their growing building. The dedication of the church occurred on February 12, 1922. The original exterior was stucco and later replaced by the wooden clapboard.