Christian (Kansas, USA)
Christian was an extinct village of a Mennonite settlement located in Garden and Alta Townships, Harvey County, extending into Mound and Turkey Creek Townships, McPherson County, Kansas. Christian and Daniel Krehbiel, Christian Hirschler, and Christian Voran purchased land, the corners of which joined one mile south of the present town of Moundridge. They jointly laid out a town site in 1874 and named it Christian, the name of three of the landowners.
Soon Daniel Krehbiel built a store on his land as the first business place of the town. Christian Ellenberger built a blacksmith shop near by. A church building dedicated 4 March 1877 was constructed across the corner on Christian Krehbiel's land. About 1884 or 1885 William Galle and Peter J. Galle established a store near the church.
The first post office of the town was located in the home of Christian Hirschler, who was appointed postmaster 13 July 1876. On 3 April 1877 Daniel Krehbiel was appointed postmaster and the post office was moved into his store. Upon the appointment of William Galle as postmaster 10 February 1886, the post office was moved into the Galle store.
In 1886 the El Dorado-McPherson branch of the Missouri Pacific established a station just one mile north of Christian and named it Moundridge. Christian was then dissolved, and all the business buildings were moved to Moundridge. Christian had only five homes, and the five families living in them comprised the whole population. The First Mennonite Church of Christian in Moundridge has its name from this town. When the church building dedicated in 1877 became too small a larger building was constructed at Christian and dedicated 10 February 1884. The original building was moved to Moundridge in 1888 to house the West Zion Mennonite Church, and the building erected in 1884 was also moved to Moundridge in 1908 and continued in use of the First Mennonite Church of Christian until 1950. On 5 November 1950 this congregation dedicated a new building erected on the same grounds.
| Author(s) | P. P Wedel |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1953 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Wedel, P. P. "Christian (Kansas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 20 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Christian_(Kansas,_USA)&oldid=86727.
APA style
Wedel, P. P. (1953). Christian (Kansas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 20 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Christian_(Kansas,_USA)&oldid=86727.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 578. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.