Peace Lutheran Church

This folder contains a booklet from the 50th anniversary, two booklets from the 75th anniversary, a congregational historical record,a booklet on the history of the church, a bulletin from 1962, newspaper clippings, a congregational statistical record, and a letter from R. Mensch.

This congregation was founded by a small group of German speaking pioneers whose background and roots are traceable to the very beginning of “Lutheranism.” Settlement in the Colfax area began about midway through the 1890s. In 1901, the Endicott-Alkali parish called Rev. Carl Anton Horn to serve, and he continued to preach at Colfax from time to time. The group of Lutherans in Colfax organized as a congregation on November 9, 1902. It was requested that Rev. Horn be permitted by the Endicott congregation to serve Colfax, and this was granted. The first full-time pastor was Rev. George Finke, who came from Astoria, Oregon and was installed on April 5, 1902. In the fall of 1903, the first church was erected, and for a few years, Peace shared their pastorate with Farmington. An annex to the church was built in 1949. In 1950, the cornerstone was laid for what was to become a different and almost entirely new Peace Lutheran Church. The remodeling project was completed and dedicated on September 24, 1950. On August 21, 1950 another addition to the physical plant was completed, and more remodeling was done in 1963.