THE CACHE IS NOT AT THE GIVEN COORDINATES!!!
They are for WP1 where you go to start this cache.
For the final coords, answer the nine questions below to find the numbers to use here:
N 43˚ 5A.BCD' W 089˚ EF.GHJ'
As Adams County became settled in the Nineteenth Century, and farming and lumber businesses flourished, the needs of the residents became more than just where to live, what to eat, and what to wear. They needed schools to nourish their minds, and churches to nourish their souls. At first, itinerant preachers would visit communities, then groups of people would gather to worship in whatever buildings would accommodate their numbers. Formal religious affiliations were established and permanent worship facilities were built. There were and are many different denominations in Adams County. Some churches have yoked their ministries, while others have split apart and formed new churches. Some congregations have grown while others have dwindled or disappeared.
This cache will focus on the churches that are or were in the municipality of Adams. At each waypoint you will be at the site of a church or a former church building. Read about each spot, then answer the multiple choice questions that are asked. Find the correct answers, then take the numbers of those answers and substitute them for the letters of the questions in the final coordinates above. When you have answered all the questions correctly and placed the numbers where they need to go, you will have the coordinates of the final cache location.
N 43˚ 56.245’ W 089˚ 49.054’
WP1: Pull in to the parking lot here or over to the side of the highway and learn about the church that you are looking at to the east. The Assembly of God congregation first met in Adams in 1933. Then a building was built in 1935, and the church became affiliated with the regional district of the Assemblies of God in 1938. The building, which was located on the corner of Oak and Willow (now Goggin) west of Main Street, underwent renovations as the congregation grew, but eventually, the congregation outgrew this building entirely. From 1986-88, a new church facility was built south of town where you are now, and the building in town was sold. You will be visiting this site next.
A. As you look at the west side of the Assembly of God Chuirch, how many crosses do you see there?
- (9) ZERO
- (8) ONE
- (6) TWO
- (7) THREE
N 43˚ 57.408’ W 089˚ 49.132’
WP2: Go north a bit over a mile into town and turn west (left) at the stop lights (Grove Street). Turn north (right) on to Oak Street. Approach this church building from the south for the best view. This was originally built by the Assemblies of God in 1935. To accommodate a growing congregation, a basement was built underneath (completed in 1949), and then in 1978-79, the annex to the direct east was built, with a good portion of the labor being donated by the congregation. When the Assemblies of God built a new church south of town, this building was sold to the Seventh Day Adventist Church in 1988. Now the Faith Baptist Church holds services here every Sunday.
B. As you look at the south side of the Faith Baptist Church, how many crosses do you see there?
- (6) ZERO
- (5) ONE
- (4) TWO
- (3) THREE
N 43˚ 57.449’ W 089˚ 48.973’
WP3: Drive east (right) on Goggin Street across Highway 13, then turn north (left) on to Grant Street, where you will see the Trinity Lutheran Church. The congregation was founded in Adams in 1921, but this building is much older than that. It was built in 1887 in Arkdale (northwest on Highway 21), and was obtained from that congregation to be moved into town in pieces by wagon. The reconstructed building wasn’t ready to use until 1924, so the Trinity Lutheran congregation met for three years in the Trinity Congregational Church just down the block, or in homes of members. Until 1952, the same pastors served both this church and the one in Arkdale, and Trinity was a solo congregation until 1990 when it joined with Zion Lutheran Church of Big Flats north of town.
C. Look closely at the southwest corner of the church foundation where you can see a date in a gray-painted block. The year there is
- (0) 1887
- (8) 1921
- (3) 1924
- (7) 1991
N 43˚ 57.513’ W 089˚ 48.973’
WP4: Continue north on Grant Street one block to the Trinity Congregational Church. This church is also celebrating its centennial in 2012, and it is the church in the photo at the top of this cache page. With people moving to Adams for work on the railroad or its construction, organizational efforts for a congregation led to services being held in the Werner and McConnick building in downtown Adams. The minister who was serving the established Friendship church (he was later asked to resign) wanted the church to be moved to a central location to serve both communities. The Friendship members turned this idea down, so a new building was built in 1912-13. That is the east-west north end of the current structure. The the bell tower and the north-south south end were added later, and that part serves as the church worship area. The Friendship Church withdrew from the joint parish during the Depression, and in the 1970s the Adams congregation split over a decision to stay as a Congregational church rather than becoming a United Church of Christ. Those people then went to Grand Marsh to worship in the UCC there.
D. As you face the church from Grant Street, you will see a tan block to the far right amidst the white painted ones. The date on this block is
- (5) 1912
- (3) 1914
- (0) 1928
- (7) 1934
N 43˚ 57.667’ W 089˚ 48.896’
WP5: Continue north on Grant Street until you reach Liberty Street. Turn east (right), where you will see the Immanuel Lutheran Church. Then turn south (right) on Linden Street to arrive at the coordinates. While the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has been in Adams County since 1875 in various locations, it wasn’t until 1933 that a new congregation in the City of Adams itself was established. A year later a church was built on a donated city lot on State Street just west of Main Street. Services were held there until 1980 when this current building was erected on the southeast corner of Liberty and Linden. An interesting note is that the Missouri Synod services in Adams County were conducted in English and German, while those at Lutheran churches in Arkdale and Dellwood were conducted in Norwegian, reflecting the make-up of the early settlers of Adams County.
E. On the east side of the church, there is a small courtyard between the worship wing (north) and the educational wing (south). Visible in this courtyard is a(n)
- (4) STATUE
- (5) BELL TOWER
- (0) FOUNTAIN
- (3) OLD STEEPLE
N 43˚ 57.574’ W 089˚ 48.988’
WP6: Continue south, then turn west (right) on to State Street. At the coordinates, you will be across from the St. Joseph Center east of the former St. Joseph Catholic Church. The Catholic presence in the center of Adams County originated with the St. Leo church in Friendship in 1884. At first it was a mission outreach of the St. Methodius Pilot Knob church east of town, and then it was served by priests from Plover and Necedah. When the railroad came in 1912, it brought many new Catholics to the area, and services were held in a large hall in the new community of Adams. The Friendship and Adams parishes eventually merged, and the St. Joseph’s parish was formed, with the new church being built on the southeast corner of State and Main in 1922. Growth and an added tourist population led to the building of this parish hall here, where masses were held in the summer months, and educational and social activities went on at other times of the year. Over the years, the church building required more and more maintenance, and the church numbers were still growing, so in 2005, a new church building was erected on donated land in Friendship, and the brick church building in Adams was sold. The St. Joseph Center is still owned by the church, and it is still the site of CCD classes and many fundraising dinners.
F. There is a block to the left of the doorway on the north side of the Center. What is the date that you see inscribed there?
- (9) 1922
- (7) 1959
- (0) 1970
- (8) 1985
N 43˚ 57.574’ W 089˚ 49.091’
WP7: Continue west on State Street across Highway 13 to the next set of coordinates. To your right (north), is the original Immanuel Lutheran Church buidling, which is now a private home. After the church moved in 1980, the county used this building as a senior center for activities and a nutrition site for senior meals. When the new community center was opened a few years ago, this building was sold and converted into a private residence. You will notice how little room there is at the location for a growing church membership.
G. The old church building is the middle one of three homes. Immediately to its west is another private residence. What color is this house to the west painted?
- (0) blue
- (8) gray
- (6) white
- (2) green
N 43˚ 57.675’ W 089˚ 49.213’
WP8: Continue one more block west on State Street. Turn north (right) at the stop sign on to Pine Street. Go to the end of the block to the coordinates at Liberty Street. The building on the southeast corner of this intersection once housed the First Baptist Church. It has been remodeled and is now a private residence.
H. The owners of this property have kept a structure that was erected by the Baptist Church, and you can see it on the corner. What is this structure?
- (7) lighthouse
- (1) gazebo
- (6) fountain
- (3) swingset
N 43˚ 58.442’ W 089˚ 49.649’
WP9: Turn west (left) on to Liberty Street and go all the way until its end at Juneau Street. Turn north (right) and drive about a mile until the street ends at Highway J in Friendship. To your right is the new St. Joseph Catholic Church, which was built in 2005. This church is yoked with St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Brooks, with a retired priest serving Mass there on most weekends. The priest assigned to St. Joseph’s parish serves at the Oxford federal prison in the eastern part of Adams County, and he also says three masses here each weekend.
J. Look at the curved wall that faces the intersection here. If you are seeking this cache in the spring, you will see the wall lined with yellow daffodils, but you should still be able to make out the big white letters on the wall. How many letters are there?
- (9) 14
- (6) 19
- (4) 22
- (2) 27
We hope you have enjoyed your tour of the churches of Adams.
Now you are ready to figure out the final coordinates of the cache location,
where you will be looking for a camoed pill bottle.
Good luck!