St. Benedict is a small town in northeastern Kansas, it is located about four miles north of Seneca, Kansas on Highway 178. This small community was once called Wild Cat after a nearby creek. The first settlers in the St Benedict area was John and Anna Koch and their eight children. They came to the area from Herzel, Germany, in 1857. The family settled along the Wild Cat Creek and they were followed by more German settlers. It was soon decided that the small community of German settlers needed two things to make life bearable: a church and a brewery, the latter of which came first.

In 1859, the first church was organized and named St. Mary's on the Wild Cat. The cemetery was laid out in the same year. Because of the rapid growth of the parish, three more churches were built within the next 30 years. The current church, built in 1891- 1894, is on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1883, the name of the town was changed from Wild Cat to St. Benedict, which seemed a more fitting name for a Catholic community. On September 10, 1883, the first post office was opened by Clemens C. Blocker who was also the first postmaster. The post office was part of Blocker's General Store.

In 1908, the town of St. Benedict had a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop, two stores, a public school and a parochial school. The stores changed hands many times over the years. The original Blocker's store was passed on to the Clemen's children C. Blocker and Anna Bergman on December 3, 1923. On May 21, 1930. Anna and her husband took full ownership of the store when they bought the Wm. Gerken Store. After World War II, Melvin and Callistus Bergman bought the business. In 1956 Callistus and Florence Bergman moved to Colorado leaving full ownership of the business to Melvin and Zita Bergman. They ran the store until February 12,1987 when they retired. Today the building is used as a furniture store by Steve and Sheril Bergman who bought the the building in February, 1990.

The Mulryan store, run by Dennis and Elizabeth Mulryan, was located at the north end of Main Street where the Haug Wagon Shop had been. The store closed in 1956. The C. Blocker Hardware Store was in business for 35 years when fire claimed the place in 1968. The Blocker's had a gas pump out front and Mr. Blocker was considered as a respectable craftsman, wiring homes for electricity and doing a lot of woodwork and furniture repair.

August and Karoline Droge were prominent business people of St. Benedict. He was a carpenter and cabinet maker and she was a licensed undertaker and embalmer. Karoline also worked as a midwife and nurse for the community. Karoline died in 1940, and her son took over the funeral business. Many of the houses that August built still dot the countryside, and his furniture is still found in many area homes. Another business operated in the town was a repair shop owned and operated by Emmett Bergman. The Emmett's Repair is still in the town today.

St. Benedict organized their Catholic school in 1883. The present school was built by the parish in 1913. It was ran as a Catholic school until 1935 when it began accepting state funds and then it was considered a public school. In 1966, St. Benedict school unified with another school in Baileyville, Kansas. Today the school building in St. Benedict houses the Elementary School. High school and junior high students attend B&B Jr.-Sr. High School in Baileyville.

The Church before the present-day Church.	The present-day Church, with the old parish house.
Inside of the Bergman and Blocker. April 4, 1921	Mary Blocker with her children, and her mother-in-law in front of Blocker's Store.
Melvin & Callistus Bergman in front of Blocker's Store.	Melvin Bergman, John Blocker, & Rinehold Widman in front of Blocker's Store.
In Feb. 1968 Blocker's Hardware Store burned down. This photo shows the rubble.	The store owned and operated by Melvin Bergman from W.W.II to 1987 when he retired. Today it is a Furniture Store owned by Steve Bergman.
Mulryan store 1927-1956 in St. Benedict.	An Allis-Chalmers tractor in the 1930's.
A religious celebration at St. Mary's in the late 1930's.	Building the school at St. Benedict in 1913.
The Wildcat River flooding on July 4, 1921 west of St. Benedict.	Oregon Trail ruts can still be seen two miles south of St. Benedict.

The sources of the information for this page came from a book by Lillian Engelken, called "Reflections of Nemaha County, Kansas." Other information provided by a report by Laurie Niehaus.

This page was created by Brad Bergman.

This page was last updated 3/24/99