The Iron Mountain Lutheran School for Boys and Young Men

Issued by the Brotherhood of the United Lutheran Church in America.

[This four page flyer was distributed sometime in early 1930, however no specific date is given.]

About a year ago the Brotherhood was asked by the Inner Mission Board of our church to establish and maintain a school for mountain boys and young men at Konnarock, Va. While the girls’ school, which is maintained there by our Woman’s Missionary Society, has been doing a good work, it became evident that to redeem the mountain districts not only the girls but the boys and young men must be given a Christian training. It is even more important in the case of the boys because of the position of the men in the code of the mountain family.

After carefully investigating the matter we have the following statement to make: we found, within two miles of the present girls’ school, a property well adapted to our purpose. This property is owned by Mr. C. L. Hassinger ( a Lutheran) and the Hassinger Lumber Company. It consists of a farm of 200 acres under cultivation with a large, well-built barn and a smaller barn, an unusually complete equipment of farm machinery, two tenant houses, an orchard of 1,200 apple trees in full bearing and a vineyard of three and a half acres.

With this property there also goes one seven room house, an assembly building having a chapel that will seat 300 persons, with a piano, organ and moving picture machine, four recitation rooms and a cemented basement. Also a hotel of 33 rooms with kitchen, dining room and porches. All these buildings have a steam heating plant, running water, wash bowls, bath tubs, toilets and sewer connection and also wired for electricity. This also includes a garage for five machines and a small building now used for the post-office and barber shop. The hotel, without any change is well adapted for a boys’ dormitory in which we could put at least seventy boys. This entire property is offered to us for $20,320.

There is also available two good houses, one of ten and the other of eight rooms equipped in the same way as the buildings mentioned above, and a building 50 x 60 with two floors, containing a large refrigerating plant complete. This building is well adapted for manual training work. This additional property can be secured for approximately $7,000.

There is a fine herd of Jersey and Holstein cattle and a flock of sheep. We should buy about 16 cows and 25 sheep. This would costs us about $1,600. With this additional property the total amount for this entire plant would be $28,920.

The Kind of School to be Established

This is to be distinctly a Christian Trade School. A Lutheran Congregation will be organized and special efforts will be made to lead every student to Christ and into membership into the Church. Careful religious training will be given.

Here the students will be taught farming in all its details; orcharding, poultry raising, care of hogs and sheep, making of furniture, the building of houses, blacksmithing and whatever else is necessary to fit them to establish a prosperous home for themselves. Part of the day will be taken up in work and part in study. Such branches in English as will be necessary will be taught. The stress, however, will be laid first upon Christian training, then upon industrial education.

The Opportunity

In the providence of God this work has been pressed upon our attention at the opportune time. This property was developed during a large lumbering operating that has now ceased and the property has become available for this school. Mr. Hassinger, the owner has lived there for 23 years. He knows the mountain people well and is deeply interested in them. He aided largely by gift and otherwise to establish the girls’ school. He will do much to establish and maintain the boys’ school.

If this property was not at our hands and we should have to buy land, clear and get it ready for the plow and erect and equip these buildings, we would not be able to do it for twice this sum. We should thank God therefore, for His leading in giving us this opportunity to do this work at so small a cost.

We could not have gone forward with this work two years ago. No can we three years hence without the expenditure of a large sum of money. The opportunity is now.

The Students

Under the auspices of the Synod of Virginia, Rev. Kenneth Killinger has done a notable work in the mountains. He has a parish fifty miles wide and one hundred miles long. It is out purpose to work in close affiliation with him. We expect to receive first of all the young men from his parish into the school. He assures us that he can send us at least fifty students at once. We deem this arrangement wise for the reason that when the students return to their homes they will become members of a Lutheran Church and will have the training to enable them to render important service in the Church. In this way we will not loose to the Kingdom and to our Church, these young men who have received this training. It is the hope also to find in the group, young men who may be trained to be lay readers and preachers, so that under Pastor Killinger’s direction we can extend his work into new fields and establish prosperous Christian Communities in many sections.

The Leadership

In every task someone has to take the leadership and bear the responsibility. In this case the Brotherhood is doing this, but it is the purpose to secure the co-operation of all the men of our Church in this work. There are many Bible Classes that we hope will make this a part of their regular program.

Thus, if we all recognize this as an privilege that has come to us and an opportunity to render a great and notable service for Our Lord we shall be able to do this work and find great interest and joy in doing it. It will give zest and enthusiasm to every Brotherhood and men’s organization of whatever kind.

The Funds

The plan is to secure pledges for a period of three years, so that sufficient funds would be secured, not only to purchase, but also to conduct the school for that period. This will give us the opportunity to set out house in order. We will be able then to secure an income from the farm and from some other sources that will insure the future of the school.

No doubt many men will prefer to follow other plans and this of course will be acceptable to us. In the providence of God, this work has come to the men of our church as our special task and we earnestly solicit the hearty cooperation of every man.

We shall be glad to give additional information if you will write us. We shall also be glad to have Rev. Killinger or the executive secretary of the Brotherhood come to your church to present this cause. We suggest that Brotherhoods and other men’s organizations write to us for pledge cards so as to secure the sum needed as speedily as possible, so that we may be able to open the school sometime in the autumn. This of course will depend upon sufficient pledges being made. This is the job of every man in our Church and we hope for a general cooperation. Keep in mind that we are doing this work for the glory of Our Lord.

The Konnarock School, established and maintained by our Woman’s Missionary Society is two miles distant. We will therefore work together to develop a great school that will redeem the mounting region over a large territory. To do this the two schools are necessary.

We lay this important work, so clearly given us to do, upon the hearts of the men, and confidently expect that there will be a generous response to make real this unusual opportunity to do a notable work for God.

We therefore earnestly solicit your help. Give a specific sum every year for three years, or for one year, if you prefer. Sign a pledge card and return it to your pastor or send it to us. Cards and material send on request.

Men want, men need a real job in the Church. Here it is. Let us go to it and do it with a vim.

Checks are to made payable to The Iron Mountain Lutheran School. And sent to the office of the Brotherhood, 1208 Race St., Cincinnati, Ohio.