From the history of Zion Lutheran in Rhinelander (recorded for the 1929 dedication of the present church):In 1896 five other preaching stations were to be added to the Rhinelander parish, Reverend Dejung was given an assistant. Candidate J. Dejung, junior, who graduated from the Theological Seminary in this year, was called into the field. He was installed and ordained by his father in the old church.
The following year brought the division of the too-large-a mission field. The Reverend Dejung, junior, became first pastor and his aging father the assistant. The parishes of Florence, Tomahawk, Crandon, and Eagle River, later also Enterprise, branched out from the mother church of Rhinelander. Before 1897 all were affiliated with our Zion Lutheran.
Though the congregation was officially organized as a church in 1888, it was not incorporated until September 22, 1880. Among the signers of the incorporation act were the Reverend John Dejung, Andreas Mohr, Fred Weber, and Carl Peter, the last mentioned of whom was one of the early secretaries. In 1902 the congregation numbered sixteen families.
Ever since 1900 the old church could no longer meet the requirements of the growing congregation. A new church was thought of. In the spring of 1905 the old church property, located on what is now Mason street, was sold. (The site of the first church, was immediately north of A. R. Mangerson's Grocery store).
On October 4th of the same year, the old church together with that section of Rhinelander was destroyed by fire. Two months before this, on July 30, 1905, the congregation had laid the cornerstone of their new frame church at 27 North Stevens street. This new church was built at a cost of $4,000, Herman Wildhagen of Appleton was the architect and Mr. Theodore Dejung of Cameron, Wis., the contractor.
At this time the congregation numbered thirty-eight voting members. None of the charter members remained. The church council was composed of E. Gildenzopf, Rudolph Horn, Albert Kutz, Robert Luethy and Jacob Miller. H. Fritzsch, Rudolph Horn and Henry Roepcke served on the building committee.
After 25 years of service the Reverend Dejung, junior, resigned and left for Rice Lake to nurse his ailing father.
