INTRODUCTION TO E. R. KUCK’S HISTORICAL TREATISE
In 1962 Edwin Richard (E. R.) Kuck, the founder of Brookside Laboratories, wrote an extensive treatise entitled “An Historical Account of the Early Religious and Social Life of the New Knoxville, Ohio Community from 1836 to 1900”. The story actually begins in the 1700’s, when France and England claimed the land known as the Northwest Territory. It takes us through 1787, after the Revolutionary War, when the United States government opened the territory for settlement and forced the westward migration of the Native American Indian tribes. It then describes the mass German migration to Ohio and the establishment of the Knoxville community along with the development of the community schools and the three churches, of which two are still active, having been established in 1838 and 1843.
He also wrote a detailed three-part biography of his great-grandfather, the Reverend Frederick Herman Wilhelm (F. H. W.) Kuckherman, who came to our community as a young immigrant from Germany. The first installment of this biography is entitled “Henry Kuck, 1821-1852 – as Immigrant, School Teacher, Physician and Religious Leader”. Although this first part of the biography is dated 1821 through 1852, it actually describes the life of Rev. Kuckherman until his total retirement from the ministry to his farm in 1894.
The second portion of the biography is entitled “Rev. F. H. W. Kuckherman, 1852-1890 – as Ordained Minister and Pastor”. This tells of the conclusions about God and The Creation that Rev. Kuckherman formulated from his study of the Bible. The reader of this portion of the biography needs to keep in mind that Rev. Kuckherman, as a young self-educated man, did not have the benefit of Seminary professors, theologians and Bible Study supplements. He made his own interpretations, drew his own conclusions and made the decision not to teach and preach from the Old Testament in order to avoid controversies.
The third and final portion of the biography entitled “Henry Kuck, 1890-1915 – as Scientific Farmer” tells of Rev. Kuckherman’s desire to help the farming members of the community to improve their crops and their farming techniques. In our New Knoxville community he pioneered the use of drainage tile, new labor-saving farm machinery, commercial fertilizer, the use of electricity on the farm, etc.
Following the biography is a credo, containing many notations transcribed from Reverend Kuckherman’s 168-page journal written from 1843-1853 and entitled “What I Believe”. At the very end of the journal he tells of the three conditions of his ordination in the Lutheran faith and his reason for not preaching from the Old Testament.
A HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE EARLY RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL LIFE OF NEW KNOXVILLE
HENRY KUCK, IMMIGRANT, TEACHER, PHYSICIAN, RELIGIOUS LEADER
REV. F. H. W. KUCKHERMAN, ORDAINED MINISTER, 1852-1890