Saxon Lutheran Memorial

An outdoor history museum and log cabin village
Home     About Us     Contact Us     Site Map     What's New & Who's Who      
 The Saxons have arrived and a community is born.

                                            It's 1839 and you have just arrived on a river steam boat
                                                          from St. Louis to a wooded region along the Mississippi
                                                                      called Perry County that you will soon be calling home. 
 
This is what the 600+ Saxon Lutheran immigrants faced as they disembarked onto the shores in Wittenberg, MO.  They traveled here by ship from Bremen, Germany through New Orleans and up the river to St. Louis.   There they stayed for a few months until land was purchased and they could finally settle and become a community again.  The early settlements were called: Wittenberg, Dresden, Seelitz, Frohna, Johannesberg, Paitzdorf (later changed to Uniontown) and Altenburg.  This was the beginning of the East Perry County community as we know it today with Altenburg, Frohna, Uniontown, and  Wittenberg being the remaining active communities rich in church history, German culture and family heritage. 
 
The Saxons suffered many difficulties and losses, yet through persistence, determination, good community neighbors from Brazeau and above all, devout faith in God, they survived.  Not only that, they thrived.  They were a hardy bunch with a mission to be able to freely worship and teach in a way that was agreeable with their conscience. 
And in this endeavor they also succeeded.
 
The Saxon Lutheran Memorial is an outdoor living history museum in the setting of a log cabin village commemorating the establishment of the East Perry County community by the courageous, dedicated and devout Saxon Lutheran immigrants from Germany in 1839.  Our site is dedicated to their pioneering spirit, the early lifestyles of homesteading and the beginning of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod which is all displayed throughout the various exhibits in our museum and log cabins on the property.
 
You are welcome to make arragements to schedule a tour for your family, organization, church or school by
contacting the curator, Lynda Lorenz at the information listed below. 
Buses and large groups are welcome, please schedule at least two weeks in advance.
 
Saxon Lutheran Memorial
Lynda Lorenz, Curator
296 Saxon Memorial Drive
Frohna, MO 63748
 
573-824-5404
 
 
 
At the end of a quiet gravel road, in the heart of the country, atop rolling pasture hills and wooded land, you will surely find rest and relaxation.  When you travel to the Saxon Lutheran Memorial you will find all of that and more.  You will also find interesting rich history, possibly familiar surroundings and personal connections, family traditons and a heritage deeply rooted in 
German culture mixed with devout religious Lutheran beliefs. 
 
When making a visit, whether you are just passing through or have called ahead to schedule a tour, you can be assured of a tour of the grounds and buildings as long or short as you have time to spend, many picturesque opportunities,  beautiful natural surroundings and an interesting story or two.  All of this is freely available, however, since we are a non-profit organization, you are encouraged to consider leaving a free-will offering to help continue the
preservation and upkeep of this important historic site.
 
Our site offers a variety of useful opportunities.  We have space enough to accomodate medium sized groups (50-100)very comfortably under the pavillion at the Visitor's Welcome center. 
Are you planning a family get-together, an anniversary, or a birthday party?  We have space to accomodate your group.  Do you belong to an organization that is looking for a place to meet?  We can put you
 on our calendar once you have called ahead to schedule.
    
 


The property that the Saxon Lutheran Memorial sets on was originally owned by a frontiersman named, Thomas Twyman from North Caorlina back in 1820.  He built a log cabin, two slave cabins and a barn, which are all still on the property
and included in the tour.  The slave cabin pictured above is in the process of being repaired and set up as a cabin might have looked when it was used - it will be a new site to see when you come
for a visit this fall. 
 
In 1839, the property was purchased by two brothers, Adolph
and Christian Bergt.  They were members of the Saxon Lutheran immigration that arrived in Perry County and settled in Frohna.  They built a second cabin which is attached to the 1820's cabin, and added on to the barn.  Over the years a few others have owned the property, but in 1961 it was purchased by the Concordia Historical Institute, the archival arm of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, to be restored and made available to the public as a historic site in honor of the Saxon Lutheran immigration in order to preserve the heritage and purpose of their trek from Germany to America.
 
There is new energy on staff at the Saxon Lutheran Memorial that brings with it lots of new ideas.  You will find the proposal and progress of those new ideas posted on our site.  It will be exciting to see what additions will be made to the site and new projects are
being done to keep the old structures and artifacts fresh,
exciting and educational for our visitors.
 
 
Saxon Lutheran   Memorial             Hours of operation:
Lynda Lorenz, Curator                        March 1 - November 30
573-824-5404                                                Monday - closed
296 Saxon Memorial Drive                        Tuesday - Saturday  9am - 5pm
Frohna, MO 63748                                        Sunday 1pm - 4pm
slmlynda@core.com                                    Closed on most holidays
 
 
COMING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
FOR PERRY COUNTY, MO
(that I am aware of at time of update,
please feel free to let me know of other happenings.)
 
Sept 6       Hillbilly Tour Model T car club
Sat            Come check out 100 model T cars as they
                 ramble across southeast MO for their 25th
                 anniversary ride.  They will arrive at the Saxon
                 Memorial around 10:45am and leave by
                 1:30pm.  A baked potato bar will be set up for
                 lunch, the public is invited to eat lunch and visit
                 with the members of the tour.  Stay for a little
                 while longer and enjoy the sights and sounds of
                 the mini-festival for that day.  Find a seat
                 along the route and greet them as they make
                 their way into Altenburg earlier that morning.
 
Sept 19-20  East Perry County Parade & Fair
 Fri-Sat       Friday starts with a parade at noon and the fair
                  grounds officially open immediately following.
                  All the typical country fair attractions - rides,
                  animals, 4-H judging, crafts, canned goods,
                  attendance prizes, great food (such as a grilled
                  cheese sandwich or fish) and the famous
                  mule jumping contest on Saturday.  Each day
                  has musical entertainment.  Please come by
                  The EPPCA booth to enter the drawing for a
                  wonderful give-away.
 
Oct 11       28th Annual Fall Festival
Sat             9am - 4pm        Saxon Lutheran Memorial
                 Free-will donation as admittance fee.
                 Free parking, buses welcome,
                 Handicap parking available.
                 Food, fun and fellowship
                 Entertainment all day, crafts, old-time
                 demonstrations, buggy rides and a petting area.
                 Once again we will be having a costume
                 contest, so get your outfit ready and sign up.
                 It is only $5 per entry, cash prizes given.
                 Something NEW this year - a farmer's market.
                 Do you put out a fall garden? Well you can
                 sell some of the extras at the Festival this
                 year. Also, Ron's Diner will be a new food
                 vendor this year, you'll want to come try his
                 delicious pork steak sandwiches.
                
                 And new for the kids will be a pumpkin
                 decorating contest between the classrooms of
                 the local schools - Come cast your vote!
                 And there'll be a Kids Krawl bale maze
                 for them to find their way through the garden.
 
                Attendance prizes given all throughout the day.

An East Perry County Pictorial

Saunter through Summer

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Let the pictures speak for themselves.  Anytime

you want  to take a peek through the eye of your camera, please come by, the beauty is there

to behold and to be taken. 

God is an awesome artist.

 

 

WE  LOVE  OUR  VOLUNTEERS 

 

Do you love cultural history?

Do you enjoy being around people?

Are you an outdoors kind of person?

Would you like to learn a new skill or craft?

Do you have a skill or hobby you'd like to share? 

 

If you have answered yes to any or all of the

questions above, then you have found the right

 place.  The Saxon Memorial operates on volunteer services that come from the heart.  This 30-acre

site is a labor of love.   Whatever area(s) of special interest or expertise you have, we ask if you

would be willing to share them with us.  All the maintenance, repairs and new additions are

made possible by people, like you, that want

to make a productive contribution to

keeping history alive, interesting and available for visitors to our area.

 

We need of volunteers for these specific areas:

       Tour Guides

       Log Cabin repair

       Flower beds/Herb garden

       Mowing grass

       Building fences

       Redesigning bulletin boards

       Setting up a slave cabin display for proper

         interpretation

      Creating historic summaries of the

         buildings/cabins

      Being on call for large tour groups 

      General cleaning

 

If any of these areas seem like a project that you or a group

you belong to would like to adopt, please contact the

curator and she will set you up with your very own project.

  Any of the tasks would be a great way to earn volunteer

hours for youth groups or school requirements or it might

just be the outlet you are looking for to unwind.

Call  573-824-5404 or  email,  slmlynda@core.com