Connecting With Zion’s Past

by Dennis Dugger

Did you notice the photo of a Neubauer family in the Jan. 14th issue of the Messenger – Inquirer? It showed John L. Neubauer, his wife, their daughter, and others in the 1920’s. Though the caption was in error (The names of the wife and daughter were switched.), it said that they once lived in a building owned by the German-American School Association, abbreviated GASA for the rest of this article. The building also housed the hospital, and John L. Neubauer raised a garden on the land, provided vegetables to the hospital, and they prepared meals for the patients.

John L. Neubauer’s parents, John S. and Christina Neubauer, were born in Bavaria and were charter members of our church. The deaths of John S. Neubauer (1818-1877) and Christina (1813-1885) are listed in our records, and four of John L. Neubauer’s children were baptized at Zion. John’s brother was George L. Neubauer (born about 1848) who was the grandfather of Frank Neubauer.

GASA was formed in 1863 for the purpose of educating the German children and a schoolhouse was soon built in the upper part of town. With two teachers most of the time, it was well-supported by the German community supplemented with only a small public contribution. GASA stopped operating the school in 1871 when the Owensboro school district was authorized by the state legislature, with the understanding that the German language would be taught in the public schools. A number of Zion’s early members were very active in GASA; several serving on its board. When the German school closed, the assets of GASA were invested, and eventually grew to about $6500.

In 1898, GASA entered into an agreement with the city to establish the City Hospital. It conveyed eight acres between Triplett and Breckenridge streets to the city, seven from the Nick Schmidt homestead and one from John L. Neubauer. The GASA building was used as a hospital until a new hospital was constructed. The deed provided that the hospital be managed by a board with representation chosen by both the city and GASA. Half of the members of the first board were men associated with Zion; John Neubauer, Adam Steitler, Jr., and Charles Werner. GASA donated over $6000 toward the first hospital; over three times as much as all other donors added together. The hospital, constructed at a cost of $5200, had 12 rooms plus an operating room. In its first year of existence, it served over 250 patients. A description in a 1904 booklet, Illustrated Owensboro, stated that the hospital was very modern for the times and something of which the city was rightly proud.

GASA withdrew from the hospital board in 1938, and the property was conveyed to a new corporation formed to administer the hospital. The last representative of GASA on the hospital board was John Friedman, also a member of Zion.