History
The Building
River Valley Christian Church's roots date back to 1857 with the work of the Bethel Evangelical Church in New Ulm, MN, and vicinity. This church began only two years after the first settlers had emigrated to New Ulm from Chicago and founded the village. The first services were held at the home of Carl Lauer.
This church faced many hardships: during the Sioux Uprising of 1862, over two-thirds of the town was burned, and many members of the congregation were killed, including two of the church ministers and Carl Lauer; in 1870, an infestation of grasshoppers brought the people of New Ulm to the point of starvation; and in 1881, a cyclone brought great devastation to the town.
However, the Bethel Evangelical Church survived, and in 1905 it purchased the lot on 100 North Washington Street for $3,201 (the current location of RVCC). In June of that year plans were drawn for the building. The first cornerstone was laid in August, and by early November the church was dedicated. The total cost of the building and the furnishings was about $5,000.
Sometime in the 1920's, church member Robert Schroeder furnished the bell in memory of his parents.
In 1928, there was a fire in the coal-burning furnace which was in the basement corner under the entryway. Fortunately, the damage was covered by insurance.
In 1946, the Bethel Evangelical Church and the United Brethren Church merged; the name was changed to Bethel Evangelical United Brethren Church. By 1965, this congregation grew to around 100 members, causing them to look for a larger facility. A lot on Oakwood Avenue was purchased, and the 100 North Washington Street property was listed for sale.
The Church
Meanwhile, on September 30, 1962, several members of the Church of Christ of Madelia, MN, who lived in and around New Ulm, decided to establish their own church locally. They rented the former Hillcrest Cafe located at the junction of highways 68 and 15. With Dale Marshall as their first minister, the newly-formed "New Ulm Church of Christ" held services at this facility for four years. They used the building's bedrooms as classrooms, and had access to the kitchen. Then, in 1965, they saw that the property at 100 North Washington Street was for sale, so they purchased it for $10,000.
The church was incorporated on June 28, 1965, and its charter members were: Jim and Ada Boutwell, Eldridge and Elinor Daugherty, Donald and Roberta Hawkins, Clarence and Bernice Scheible, Shirley Wallner, and Gerald and Janet Walston.
In April 1992, the New Ulm Church of Christ voted to change its name to "River Valley Church". The change was needed due to confusion with another local congregaion with a similar name. The similarity caused flowers, food, mail, and people to sometimes end up at the wrong building. The new name was chosen to identify the beautiful area and to reflect the non-denominational aspect of the church.
On February 21, 2007, the church again changed its name to officially include the word "Christian", and to add "of New Ulm" to its title, since another Minnesota church was already incorporated under the name "River Valley Christian Church". Hence, the church has since been known as "River Valley Christian Church of New Ulm".