Geo. Kilgen & Son, Inc. / Chas. C. Kilgen
1915

Updated via email from organist Julie Dragvold. -- I'm the organist for Elstad Lutheran Church and I also looked into the history of our beautiful organ when we had our 150th anniversary in 2004.
The organ was made by George Kilgen and Son (Charles) of St. Louis Missouri. It was installed in the church in 1915. The Anniversary Book states, "On April 19, 1915 men from the congregation went to town and hauled the organ to the church. It took five loads to get all the parts there, but by April 29th it was assembled and ready to use. On Sunday May 9, 1915 there was a dedication of the costly new pipe organ."
It was refurbished in the 1980's and all the lead pipes were replaced with plastic tubing. The company that repairs our organ (Obermeyer Organ Company) suggested once that we should put the organ on the National Register of Historic Things?

According to the 'History' page of the parish website, "The pipe organ was also installed in the 1900's and is one of few remaining pipe organs of its kind or age. It was first installed in the balcony but later moved to its present location at the front of the church, opposite the pulpit. Many of the women in the congregation worked very hard to raise the money needed to purchase the organ. One woman even drove a pony cart loaded with jars of honey for sale to the various homes in the community to raise money. The organ bellows were hand pumped until electricity became available."

Updated through online information from Thurlow Weed, -- Perusing the church's website (https://www.elstadlutheranchurch.org/) reveals - via their joint newsletter - that it is a parish comprising two separate churches: Elstad Lutheran, and Highland Prairie Lutheran (http://www.highlandprairielutheranchurch.org/).

In the country near highway 21.