Saturday, October 17, 2009

New York City Research

For the last of my Continuing Education this year, I visit Wagner College on Staten Island in New York City, in order to research Northern Lutheran observations on the South, slavery, and the Civil War. Wagner holds the Sutter Memorial Archives related to New York area Lutheranism. The collection proved to be more extensive than I anticipated. Do I have to go again? Soon? To New York City?
Thanks so much to Clint Daggan, the son of the Sutter Archivist, John Daggan. Clint also showed me some of his research into northern responses to the Civil War -- very helpful indeed.
When I researched the history of Texas Lutherans long ago, I interviewed a very senior pastor (Fred Kern) who actually left Texas in the 1920's to attend Wagner. I tried to imagine this tall Texas from the scrub of south central Texas in the big city of New York -- what a cultural shift, but he taught horseback riding in Central Park and met his wife, an accomplished musician, in the city. God leads folks all kinds of directions.
Do I have to go again? Soon?

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