The town of Windthorst was the dream of German immigrants seeking a better life for their families in America. From this dream, a truly memorable church was built and continues to stand in memory of this community. It all began in 1876 when a group of German immigrants formed the German Catholic Aurora Homestead Association in Cincinnati, Ohio, aiming to head west in search of better opportunities and to establish their own community. Both Kansas and Arkansas were considered ideal locations for this community, with Kansas surpassing Arkansas because of the buffalo grass, fertile soil, good water supply and invigorating climate. The location was a small piece of land ten miles southwest of Offerle, a city founded in 1876. The land that would become Windthorst was bought from the Santa Fe Railroad company for ten dollars an acre. Once interest in establishing the new town began to grow, the railroad granted an additional eighty acres so a church, school, and a cemetery could be constructed.
Ludwig Von Windthorst a German politician and leader of the Catholic Centre Party (Alamy.com)
Back in Ohio, the excitement over a possible new town began to build, especially when the rail agent spread a rumor that the railroad would pass through this new town. Henry Tasset, along with two other men, Frank Klenke and Herman Thesing, were the first to head out to Kansas to find the right spot for their new town. Sadly, the promises of the railroad passing through Windthorst didn’t come to fruition, but that didn’t stop plans for establishing the new community. The town association decided to name the town Windthorst after Dr. Ludwig Von Windthorst, the leader of the Catholic Center Party in Germany. On February 24th, 1878, the first families arrived at the Offerle train stop, headed for the future site of Windthorst. The first few years would be very hard for these settlers, filled with many difficulties that would test their faith. Lack of rain or too much rain, which could kill off some of the crucial livestock and destroy crops, threatened the early community.
Despite these challenges, these settlers persisted and gradually expanded their community, with the church as the focal point. During the first year while the church was being built, services took place in Henry Tasset's living room, one of the town's founders. The first church, named St. Francis, was built in the spring of 1879 and was dedicated on Easter Sunday by Father Ferdinand Wolf, a Benedictine priest. The community opened a school and even a post office, though it only operated from 1898 to 1905. Henry Tasset’s oldest daughter, Anna, would be the first teacher in the town, teaching in a small schoolhouse that also served as a boarding house until the 1926-1927 school year.
The community would continue to grow over the next two decades, and in 1892, when the people of the town outgrew their humble little church, a new one was built with the new title of Immaculate Heart of Mary. The current church was built between 1911 and 1913, with its official dedication taking place on June 12th, 1913. The bishop who performed the dedication, Bishop John Hennessey, would say, “that they had erected one of the greatest tributes of gratitude and faith in the West.” The church was designed by a firm in St. Louis but built by William Foley, a native of Dodge City. He and his crew needed forty-seven wagon loads of materials, which they transported nine miles from the Bellefont train station
The church is designed in a Gothic Romanesque Revival style that mimics architecture from the 11th and 12th centuries, a style which made a resurgence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This architectural style is characterized by buttresses and elaborate brickwork, both of which are notable on the church. Additional outlying buildings included a rectory and eventually Windthorst High School. The church's steeple rises an impressive one hundred twenty-five feet and is visible for miles. The standout feature of the church is the elaborate stained-glass windows installed in 1916 by Emil Frei, a German immigrant with offices in St. Louis and Munich. Much of the interior, including these windows, was donated by organizations or individual families from the congregation.
Windthorst, despite being a bustling town, was never officially incorporated in Ford County. By the 1970s, most residents had moved to the nearby town of Spearville which prompted the high school to be combined into the school district that served Spearville. The church would hold its final mass in July of 1997. Despite this closure, the church remains a tourist attraction, offering a glimpse into the splendor of its stained-glass windows. It has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The former residents and others continue to preserve the town's legacy through an organization called Windthorst Heritage Inc. to keep its memory alive today. This small community contributed to the lives of many people in the surrounding areas and will be a landmark for years to come.
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