Saint Wendel, Indiana Explained

Official Name:Saint Wendel, Indiana
Pushpin Map:Indiana#USA
Pushpin Label:Saint Wendel
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Indiana
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Vanderburgh and Posey
Subdivision Type3:Township
Subdivision Name3:Armstrong and Robinson
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Coordinates:38.1056°N -87.6972°W
Elevation Ft:564
Founder:Wendel Wassmer
Named For:Founder
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Area Code:812, 930
Blank1 Name:FIPS code
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:442864

Saint Wendel is an unincorporated community located on the Vanderburgh-Posey county line in the U.S. state of Indiana. It occupies small portions of two townships-- Armstrong and Robinson. The community is named for St. Wendel Parish, which in turn is named after Wendelin of Trier, patron saint of Wendel Wassmer, who originally owned the grounds used for this Catholic church building.

the U.S. Census Bureau had established a census-designated place for this settlement.[1]

History

The settlement was founded by Marcus and Wendel Wassmer. The Wassmer brothers were German-Canadian coopers who had immigrated from Baden to Toronto. Legend has it that in the spring of 1837, they walked south to this vicinity. Upon their return to Toronto in the summer, they found they no longer had jobs and returned on foot once again to the same grounds they had visited that spring. Their second arrival is said to have happened in the fall of 1837. The Wassmers secured some farmland, and their descendants still live there today.[2]

Prior to December, 1841, Mass had been celebrated in St. Wendel parish from the time of its creation in the home of Martin Kohl, but in Christmas week of the year mentioned, the congregation—composed of twenty families—prepared the material and erected within five days a log structure as a house of worship[3] named in honor of Wendel Wassmer's patron saint, Wendelin of Trier.

In 1881, Wendel Station was built at mile 233 on the Evansville and Peoria Railroad at St. Wendel Road, approximately 2miles north of the church.[4] By 1882, St. Wendel's population was 175 individuals.[5]

A post office was established at Saint Wendel in 1852, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1907.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2023_gaz_place_18.txt. U.S. Census Bureau. 2024-06-13.
    Compare to the 2020 U.S. Census settlement list, which does not show this CDP
  2. Web site: The Wassmer Family. Sr. Olivia. Wassmer. New Orleans. 31 Dec 2014. 2001.
  3. Book: Leffel . John . Roe . Shon . History of Posey County Indiana . 1913 . Standard Publishing Company . Chicago . 142–143 . 21 May 2019.
  4. Book: The Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railway. Wendel. 31 Dec 2014. 28 Mar 2014.
  5. Book: Leonard, W.P.. History and directory of Posey County. Evansville. A.C. Isaacs. 91. St. Wendel.
  6. Web site: Posey County . Jim Forte Postal History . 31 December 2014.