Drake Baptist Church
Drake, McHenry County, North Dakota 58736
Drake, McHenry County, North Dakota 58736
75th Anniversary
July 3-4, 1977
Drake, North Dakota
City of Drake founded by Mr. Herman Drake in the year 1902. We, in Drake are proud of our rural heritage. We are especially proud of our fine religious institutions and educational facilities and fine business establishments.
Celebrating our 75th Anniversary of the city of Drake and 60th Anniversary of the Drake Alumni.
Info from - back of the 75th Anniversary July 3-4, 1977, Drake, North Dakota plate
July 3-4, 1977
Drake, North Dakota
City of Drake founded by Mr. Herman Drake in the year 1902. We, in Drake are proud of our rural heritage. We are especially proud of our fine religious institutions and educational facilities and fine business establishments.
Celebrating our 75th Anniversary of the city of Drake and 60th Anniversary of the Drake Alumni.
Info from - back of the 75th Anniversary July 3-4, 1977, Drake, North Dakota plate
Drake Baptist Church
By Mrs. Dale McCarty and Mrs. Ervin Adam
Only a few details of the early history of the Drake Baptist Church congregation have been recorded.
It had its beginnings in April 1900 when six Baptist families from California, Missouri, joined the many pioneers to take up homesteads in McHenry County, northwest of what is now Drake.
This group met in a schoolhouse for some time. Then in 1908 a church was erected two miles west of Guthrie on the farm of John Haldi, Sr.
The Great Northern Railway Company, in staking out its Surrey cut-off, found the church yard directly in its path so negotiations were made to have the church building moved to Guthrie. Today fast Burlington Northern trains travel over the old church yard with never a thought of days gone by.
Until 1915 the church served by Anamoose Baptist pastors as an outstation. In this year, however, the church organized itself and became a member of the Northwestern Baptist Association and the now American Baptist Churches of America.
In the summer of 1945, the church at Guthrie was moved to Drake to meet the need of a growing community here.
The old edifice continued in use until November 1951 when, because the congregation had outgrown it, the present church building was purchased from the Baptist people at Roseglen and moved to the new location where it stands today.
Charter members of the church were the families of John Haldi Sr., Gottlieb Beutler, Samuel Gerber, Ernst Gerber, Mrs. Kate Beatty, Wiliam Koenke, Rudolph Roth, Louis Beutler, Henry Beutler, William Beutler, Sam Beutler and Fred Beutler. None survived.
Dedication of the present church was Nov. 11, 1951. Rev. A.W. Bibelheimer of Turtle Lake, who had recently served the Drake church and who did much work in securing the building, delivered the dedication message. Dr. Roy W. Hodges, executive secretary of the Baptist State Convention, delivered the main address.
Ground-breaking service at the new church site was June 17, 1951.
Present executive officers of the church are William Rutter, Dale McCarty and Eddie Beutler, deacons; Jay McCarty, Harold Harris and Andrew Jans, trustees; Mrs. Ervin Adam, clerk; and Eddie Beutler, treasurer.
Rev. Ernest Lautt is pastor; The church is active in support of Camp Bentley west of Drake.
Names of pastors who served the church as remembered by John Haldi Sr. were
Rev. August Herringer
Rev. A. Schulz
Rev. Henry Schniut
Rev. G. Eichler
Rev. William Graybel
Rev. S. Olander
Rev. William Reese
Rev. A.C. Anderson
Rev. H.H. Thorlakson
Rev. A. Jacobson
Rev. C.F. Brown
Rev. N.E. McCoy
Rev. Frank Anderson
Rev. Willard Osborn
Rev. H.C. Knuth
Rev. A.W. Bibelheimer
Rev. J.S. Hefta
Rev. D.H. Yeend
Rev. Howard Amstutz
Rev. Dennis Anundson
Rev. Albert Steinke
Rev. TylerKriedeman
Rev. Ernest Lautt
Info from - Prairie Patchwork: A Collection of Anecdotes from Drake, North Dakota (pages 88 & 89)
By Mrs. Dale McCarty and Mrs. Ervin Adam
Only a few details of the early history of the Drake Baptist Church congregation have been recorded.
It had its beginnings in April 1900 when six Baptist families from California, Missouri, joined the many pioneers to take up homesteads in McHenry County, northwest of what is now Drake.
This group met in a schoolhouse for some time. Then in 1908 a church was erected two miles west of Guthrie on the farm of John Haldi, Sr.
The Great Northern Railway Company, in staking out its Surrey cut-off, found the church yard directly in its path so negotiations were made to have the church building moved to Guthrie. Today fast Burlington Northern trains travel over the old church yard with never a thought of days gone by.
Until 1915 the church served by Anamoose Baptist pastors as an outstation. In this year, however, the church organized itself and became a member of the Northwestern Baptist Association and the now American Baptist Churches of America.
In the summer of 1945, the church at Guthrie was moved to Drake to meet the need of a growing community here.
The old edifice continued in use until November 1951 when, because the congregation had outgrown it, the present church building was purchased from the Baptist people at Roseglen and moved to the new location where it stands today.
Charter members of the church were the families of John Haldi Sr., Gottlieb Beutler, Samuel Gerber, Ernst Gerber, Mrs. Kate Beatty, Wiliam Koenke, Rudolph Roth, Louis Beutler, Henry Beutler, William Beutler, Sam Beutler and Fred Beutler. None survived.
Dedication of the present church was Nov. 11, 1951. Rev. A.W. Bibelheimer of Turtle Lake, who had recently served the Drake church and who did much work in securing the building, delivered the dedication message. Dr. Roy W. Hodges, executive secretary of the Baptist State Convention, delivered the main address.
Ground-breaking service at the new church site was June 17, 1951.
Present executive officers of the church are William Rutter, Dale McCarty and Eddie Beutler, deacons; Jay McCarty, Harold Harris and Andrew Jans, trustees; Mrs. Ervin Adam, clerk; and Eddie Beutler, treasurer.
Rev. Ernest Lautt is pastor; The church is active in support of Camp Bentley west of Drake.
Names of pastors who served the church as remembered by John Haldi Sr. were
Rev. August Herringer
Rev. A. Schulz
Rev. Henry Schniut
Rev. G. Eichler
Rev. William Graybel
Rev. S. Olander
Rev. William Reese
Rev. A.C. Anderson
Rev. H.H. Thorlakson
Rev. A. Jacobson
Rev. C.F. Brown
Rev. N.E. McCoy
Rev. Frank Anderson
Rev. Willard Osborn
Rev. H.C. Knuth
Rev. A.W. Bibelheimer
Rev. J.S. Hefta
Rev. D.H. Yeend
Rev. Howard Amstutz
Rev. Dennis Anundson
Rev. Albert Steinke
Rev. TylerKriedeman
Rev. Ernest Lautt
Info from - Prairie Patchwork: A Collection of Anecdotes from Drake, North Dakota (pages 88 & 89)