USA > Iowa > Clinton County > Lyons > A fifty years' record of life and work in Grace Church Parish, Lyons, Iowa > Part 1
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THE GOLDEN JUBILEE OF
GRACE CHURCH
LYONS, IOWA.
1905
GRACE CHURCH - PRESENT INTERIOR
0
A Fifty Dears' IRecord K
Life and Work
in
Brace Church Parish,
Lyons, Joura.
Published for the Golden Jubilee December 22nd, 1905.
REV. H. W. BEERS, 1855-1860.
REV. GEO. W. WATSON,
1860-1866.
REV. HENRY ADAMS, 1866-1868.
REV. LYMAN N. FREEMAN, 1868-1870.
REV. A. P. CROUCH, - 1870-1873.
REV. SAMUEL CURRIE, - 1875-1880.
REV. WM. T. CURRIE,
1880-1885.
REV. T. J. BROOKES, 1885-1888.
REV. R. B. WHIPPLE,
1888-1889.
REV. H. L. GAMBLE, 1889-1890.
REV. GEO. T. GRIFFITH, 1891-1892.
REV. C. H. WEAVER,
-
-
1892-1894.
REV. C. W. TYLER,
1894-1901.
REV. T. W. JONES, - 1901-
Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these [fifty] years - - - to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou would- est keep his commandments, or no .- DEUT. VIII. 2.
The work of Grace Church parish opened most auspiciously fifty years ago. Lyons was then con- sidered one of the most promising towns in the new and rapidly growing state of Iowa. To be sure, in that same summer of 1855, in a dis- Lyons in 1855. agreement concerning rival railroad projects, a new town had been laid out two miles below on the river, and named Clinton, but the future significance of this movement was not appreciated, and Lyons dominated all the region between Dubuque and Davenport. Into this busy, bustling, young community the services of the Church were carried by the Rev. Hiram W. Beers. It was the maiden effort of a man afterwards widely known and honored, and who in his maturity was compared to Liddon, both for eloquence and for a striking personal resemblance. Well may Grace Church be proud of the memory of its founder.
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Mr. Beers held services in Metropolitan Hall, sit- uated in the third story of a business block on Main Street, between Third and Fourth. The work met with instant success, and steps were almost immedi- ately taken to organize a parish. The first record reads as follows:
"At a meeting of the members of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the town of Lyons, Clinton Coun-
ty, Iowa, held at the Town Hall on Sat- The Church urday the 22nd of December, A. D. 1855, Organized.
to take into consideration the propriety of establishing a Protestant Episcopal Church in said town of Lyons, the Right Reverend Bishop Lee of Iowa, being present, was requested to act as chairman of said meeting, and Thomas S. Bris- coe appointed secretary. On motion of Mr. Edward McCoy a parish was organized and styled Grace Church Parish. On motion of Mr. D. Adams the chair was requested to appoint a committee of three to re- port five suitable persons to act in the capacity of Vestrymen till the next regular election which will take place at Easter. The chair appointed Messrs. Adams, McCoy and Ferris. After a short time the committee reported the following named gentlemen: Messrs. James Hazlett, Andrew R. West, Harvey B. Ring, William D. Robinson and Leander Smith, which were voted in by acclamation. On motion the vestry were requested to meet on the following Wednesday evening to take such steps as necessary for the erec- tion of a church edifice. There being no other busi- ness the meeting adjourned.
Lyons, Iowa, BISHOP LEE, Chairman.
Dec. 22nd, '55.
T. S. BRISCOE, Secretary."
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Thus within a few months of the first opening of services Lyons could report a parish duly organized, a settled clergyman, and plans for a church building, -surely an unusual record.
The newly appointed vestry reported progress at their first meeting, and at their second elected Messrs. Hazlett and Robinson to serve as wardens un- til Easter.
On January 23rd, 1856, at a called meeting, plans were considered for raising funds for the proposed building, and Messrs. Hazlett, Smith and West named as a committee to secure a suitable lot. ยท
A Generous Proposition.
On March 20th, we find that the fol- lowing resolution was unanimously adopted:
WHEREAS, Certain gentlemen of this city (Lyons) propose to make notes of five hun- dred dollars each, payable in five yearly installments, to the Vestry and Wardens of Grace Church Parish, said notes to be sold for the purpose of raising funds to erect a house of worship for said parish, therefore
Resolved, That this board will use all possible exertions to raise funds to meet the yearly pay- ments on said notes, and will stand indebted to the makers of said notes for any balance that the parish has not paid at the end of the said five years."
How far this generous proposition was carried out the records do not state.
At the first regular Easter election on March 24, 1856, the number of vestrymen was increased to seven, "Messrs. Hazlett, Gates, Cotton, McCoy, West, Rob- inson and Foster" being chosen, with Messrs. Hazlett,
9.
Robinson and Teal as delegates to the Diocesan Con- vention in May.
The vestry met a week later and chose James Hazlett as Senior Warden and A. R. Cotton as Junior Warden, with A. R. West as Treasurer and T. S. Briscoe, Secretary. At this meeting there is a record of thirty-five dollars being allowed Mr. N. H. Ben- nett "for organizing and leading the choir;" thus we find the service of song established at the very be- ginning of the parish history.
Perhaps the committee named some months before to secure a lot had met Building Plans. with difficulties, for in May we find a motion to appoint "a committee of one to negotiate for a lot on which to erect a church edi- fice. Our worthy Rector, Mr. Beers, was appointed." The same meeting took steps to start a subscription for funds towards building the proposed church.
Soon after the vestry made formal application to be admitted into union with the Diocesan Convention, promising "to observe and abide by the canons and usages of the Protestant Episcopal Church."
Bishop Lee reported to the Convention the or- ganization of the work at Lyons, stating that a gift of $500.00 from the Sunday School of Reports on St. John's Church, Providence, R. I., The Work. had enabled him to establish the ser- vices. This interesting fact ought to be recalled with lively gratitude at this time.
Mr. Beers reported to the same Convention that there were about 200 regular attendants upon the
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services, although the parish had been organized with only three actual communicants, which number had by that time been increased to seven. We have no means of ascertaining the names of these three origi- nal communicants.
By July of this same year (1856) the decks were evidently cleared for action, and we find the following terse records:
"Resolved, That we proceed to build a church edifice.
Resolved, That we choose three persons to act as a building committee.
Resolved, That Rev. H. W. Beers, Benj. Lake and R. W. Rand act as such committee."
Mr. Beers was also requested to visit such cities as he might deem advisable and solicit outside aid in building the church, but there is no further record on this subject, and we are glad to believe that most of the funds were subscribed locally. Evidently a loca- tion had been secured, although no mention is made of the fact. This location, as we all know, was at the corner of Sixth and Franklin Streets, which has ever since been the parish home.
Two weeks later the building committee was au- thorized to contract for the building, providing the liabilities should not exceed $3000.00, and on August 28th, on motion of James Hazlett (bless- Building Begun. ed be his memory for it!) "it was order- ed that the building committee add four
feet to the width of the present plan of the church edifice," the minutes concluding with "Ad-
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journed to the laying of the corner-stone by Bishop Lee."
From this time on matters must have proceeded apace, indeed we find no record of any further meet- ings until on March 2nd, 1857, it was
" Resolved, That we tender a call to the Rev. H. W. Beers to the rectorship of this Parish," Mr. Beers' previous tenure having probably been somewhat in- formal.
That the church, now approaching completion, was also free from debt, is to be inferred from the immediate "Request to Consecrate" drawn up by the Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen, in which it is de- clared to be "the desire and resolution of said Parish to regard said Church, when thus consecrated, as sep- arated from all unhallowed, ordinary Request to Consecrate. and common uses, and dedicated to the service of Almighty God, for reading and preaching His holy word, for cel- ebrating His holy sacraments, for offering to His Glorious Majesty the sacrifice of prayer and thanks- giving, for blessing the people in His name, and for the performance of all other holy offices."
There follows a copy of the "Consecration Seal of Grace Church," in which Bishop Lee duly certifies to the Act of Consecration "in the presence of divers of the clergy and of an assembled congregation on this twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Consecration Seal. Fifty-Seven, being the festival of the Ascension of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
GRACE CHURCH
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It will be of interest to know that the clergy present at this consecration service, besides the rec- tor, Mr. Beers, were the Rev. Messrs. Benedict of Galena, Street of Bellevue, and Trimble, Clinton.
The building, in its main part of stone, of a pleas- ing style of architecture, had a wooden chancel, evi- dently meant to be quite temporary, The Church Building. but which eventually did service for over forty years. The nave, in its exterior, practically remains unchang- ed to the present day, and its ivy-wreathed walls are among the most familiar landmarks of the city. The Bishop reported to the Convention this year that the newly consecrated church had cost $4500.00, of which $3850:00 had been given locally. He also speaks of the work at Lyons as "so far eminently successful, having grown rapidly with the rapid growth of the town," and again mentions a gift of $500.00 from the Sunday School of St. John's Church, Providence, R. I., in maintenance of the work. How much longer this generous support continued we cannot say.
The church building being thus open for services, we find that the vestry appointed a committee of nine to fix upon a schedule of pew rentals, and announced that the pews would be publicly rent- First ed on Monday, June 1st, at 10 A. M. Pew Holders. Then follows an interesting diagram showing the original seating arrange- ments of the building, with two aisles and four rows of narrow pews. It appears that almost every seat was at once taken, at prices ranging from $35.00 to $5.00, but aggregating nearly $1000.00. We here give this diagram and list of the first pewholders.
Choir.
1
2 Mrs. Leffingwell.
3 W. J. Lawrence.
22
W. D. Robinson. 21
A. R. West. 20
N. E. Pearce. 19
Mr. Hay. 18
South Aisle.
5 R. D. Ferris.
6 J. T. Foster.
7
J. B. Coy.
8
A. R. Cotton.
17
D. Adams. 9
Geo. Burton. 16
10 J. G. Young.
S. R. Williams. 15
11 A. P. Durlin.
14
12 A. Chandler.
13 H. E. Gates.
.
10
4
H. M. Barker.
11
1
29
Wm. F. Davis. 28
3 E. R. Richmond.
Mrs. Morrill. 27 KUJETONS
Jas. Hazlett. 26
5 Thos. Crew. -
Hazlett & Rand. 25
6 J. B. Clinton.
R. W. Rand. 24
7 Hart & Bostworth.
8. The RECTOR'S Seat.
Dr. Towner. 22
9 J. G. Ringer.
10 Strother & Keeler.
Courtright. 20
11 H. W. Boyd.
N. Showerman. 19
E. P. Dole. 18
MRS. FRANCIS. 13 John J. Jefferies.
14 H. W. Parker.
15 Thos. Leedham.
16 Thos. Leedham.
North Aisle.
GRISWOLD. 12. R. N. Rand.
Dr. Hudson. 17
4 E. S. Hawley.
John Pickering. 23
M. D. F. Abbott. 21
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In the following February ('58) we find the vestry inviting "the Rev. H. W. Beers to continue his charge of the Parish as Rector the coming year," similar ac- tion being taken annually for a number of years. Evidently a different conception of the tenure of a rector's office from that which now prevails, was then held.
A little later we find the vestry appointing a committee to invite strangers to attend Grace Church, another to investigate the title to
Parish Items. the church property, and giving the sexton permission to erect a dwell- ing on the west part of the church lot. This little cottage was long a feature of the church property, and was finally removed to make room for the rec- tory. It is still to be seen on Seventh street, being the house now occupied by Mr. C. E. Morgan.
For sometime only routine business is recorded, though we note the annual appointment of a "Collec- tor" as well as a "Parish Treasurer" as a feature of both interest and value. The title to the property seems to have caused some uneasiness, for in the fall of 1859 another committee was appointed to "examine into same, and confer with the owners with reference to obtaining deeds." In November, 1859, there seems to have been a final settlement with Miss Randall, for the title to the lots, though the financial terms stated are a little vague.
The business depression which followed upon the great panic of '57, is doubtless indicated by the ac- tion of the vestry in February, 1860, instructing a committee to endeavor to rent the pews for a total of
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$650, while at the same time a subscription paper was to be circulated towards defraying all the con- tingent expenses.
On March 21st, 1860, the Rev. Mr. Beers notified the vestry of his non-acceptance of their "invitation" to remain with them another year, he having accept- ed a call elsewhere. The vestry adopt-
Mr. Beers ed resolutions expressive of their sin- Resigns. cere regret at this decision, of appre- ciation of his "arduous and successful labors in establishing our parish and erecting our church, and wishing both him and his estimable lady that peace and happiness which Christians only know in their progress through life."
In the nearly five years of his rectorate, Mr. Beers had reported 43 baptisms, 33 confirmations, 21 burials and 11 marriages, and he left Review of a parish of something over 40 com- His Work. municants. After years of most dis- tinguished service in the Church Dr. Beers died in 1891 as the honored rector emeritus of Trinity Church, San Francisco. He served many congregations, but none has more reason to revere his memory than that of the little Iowa town in which he did his first work.
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The vestry, now numbering nine members, took immediate steps to secure a successor to Mr. Beers, but at the same time fixed the salary at $400.00, a proceeding not apparently likely to subserve that pur- pose. This was, however, undoubtedly to be supple- mented by a stipend from the mission funds.
Bishop Lee recommended the Rev. Rev. G. W. Watson Called. George W. Watson, of Council Bluffs, who was accordingly called. Some correspondence resulted in a vote to increase the salary to $500.00, and in June we have the following interesting minutes:
"A communication was read from Bishop Lee proposing a union of this parish and Clinton under the Rev. Mr. Watson. Mr. Rand Proposed Union with Clinton. made verbally a proposal from the Clinton parish that we unite with them in calling Mr. Watson, they to pay $450.00, we $350.00. Mr. Watson to reside there and we to have the choice of services. On mo- tion the clerk was requested to notify the vestry of Clinton parish of the rejection of their proposition."
And apparently time has made it no easier to bring about such proposed unions.
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In July we find Mr. Watson already installed as rector at Lyons, while subsequently the vestry voted to "allow Mr. Watson to hold services at Clinton every other Sunday afternoon," which arrangement con- tinued for the space of several years, Mr. Beers hav- ing previously supplied services there for the greater part of his ministry.
Judging by the parish records one might take the early '60s to have been days when nothing more en- livening than an invitation to some lady "to take charge of the melodeon," or a motion calling upon some delinquent committee "to be War Times, present and report," was taking place, but we must not forget that these were the stirring times of the Civil War, and that Lyons was all athrob with the echoes of the mighty struggle and offered freely of its sons to fight their country's battles. It is still recalled that during those momentous years the pulpits of Lyons were filled by exceptionally able men in Watson, Magoun and Kynett, and great doubtless were the themes up- on which they spoke.
The anxiety of the times is strikingly shown by the fact that for three years during the war not a single marriage is recorded in the parish.
In 1864 we find the Easter meeting of the opin- ion that the parish had no legal organization, where- upon "Articles of Organization" as per form pre- scribed by the Convention, were drawn up and signed by those present.
In May of the same year the parish had the honor of entertaining the Diocesan Convention, at the close
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of which took place the only ordination service prob- ably ever held in Grace Church, when the Rev. Fred- eric Humphrey, soon afterwards called as rector of St. John's, Clinton, was advanced to the priesthood.
In June, 1865, Mr. Watson notified the vestry of a call received to Davenport, but that he was quite satisfied with his present. work, save a little better attendance of the members at Church, and that his salary had been inadequate for the last two years, whereupon it was unanimously resolved that the ves- try would be glad to have Mr. Watson continue in charge and would endeavor to add $100.00 to his salary.
However, on April 2nd, 1866, Mr. Mr. Watson Retires. Watson asked to be released from his charge, he having accepted the rector- ship of Christ Church, Burlington. It was agreed that his resignation should take effect May 1st.
In his nearly six years of successful service Mr. Watson had baptised 63, presented 46 for confirma- tion on 8 different occasions, held 27 funerals and per- formed 11 marriages. He left the parish with about 50 communicants. After a long and most useful ministry the Rev. Dr. Watson departed this life in 1900 at Iowa City.
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The vestry took immediate steps to secure a new rector, and one month after Mr. Watson's resignation extended a call to the Rev. Henry
Rev. H. Adams Rector.
Adams, of Independence, Iowa, who assumed charge July 1st, 1866. That the financial outlook was at that time considered bright, is to be assumed from the fact that Mr. Adams' salary was fixed at a higher figure than his predecessors had received, as also that the vestry, about this time, purchased an additional lot to the west from Miss Randall.
Mr. Adams' pictures show him as a white-haired gentleman of genial mien, and he is remembered as a man of polished manners and of good ability. For a time matters moved on auspiciously, but financial clouds began to develop before the end of the rector's first year, and we find the vestry in the following May (1867) agreeing that they were unable to pay the promised salary, and that a reduction of $250.00 a year was necessary. In connection with this action it appears that the parish was still Financial Difficulties. receiving $150.00 a year from the mis- sionary funds. The rector was noti- fied of the vote of the vestry, but evi- dently considered the action taken somewhat summary and declared himself unable to accept the reduction. The "divergence of opinion" thus created, to use a
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current diplomatic phrase, dragged through a whole year. A settlement was repeatedly sought, but it was not possible to agree upon terms. The vestry offered to release Mr. Adams, paying him arrearages at the figure they had established; he declared his readiness to go provided he was paid according to the original agreement,-so the unfortunate controversy went on. That his resignation was long in the hands of the vestry pending this financial settlement, is proved by the fact that several communications were received from Bishop Lee recommending a certain Rev. Mr. Page as the next rector, before Mr. Adams had ac- tually relinquished his charge. There is no documen- tary evidence to prove upon what terms the settle- ment was at last made, but it is believed to have been finally satisfactory to Mr. Adams, and that his resig- nation took effect July 1st, 1868. He remained in the city some months longer and offici- End of Third Rectorate. ated on several occasions at marri- ages or baptisms, but probably held no public services in the Church after the date mentioned, as we find the vestry in the same month taking action to secure Sunday supplies, or, in lieu thereof, the services of a lay reader.
Little is known of Mr. Adams' subsequent life,- as is not strange after his unfortunate experience in Lyons-but he must long since have passed to his rest. During the two years of his ministry he had baptized 27 persons, presented 2 classes for confirmation num- bering 11 individuals, performed 3 marriages and 7 burials, and the parish had increased to abeut 60 communicants.
19
Closed doors were not popular in the Lyons par- ish, and in the latter part of October the vestry was called together to consider an arrangement for tem- porary services. The Rev. Lyman
Mr. Freeman N. Freeman, described as of the
in Charge. Diocese of Wisconsin, now residing in Chicago, offered to supply the parish until Easter.
This proposal was favorably received, provided the Bishop should consent and that the missionary stipend were available. Both must have been the case, and Mr. Freeman accordingly took charge.
At Easter the finances were reported in a satis- factory condition, and other matters being also ap- parently agreeable, Mr. Freeman was called as rector, though the records read "for one year," A Brief which would rather indicate the status Ministry. of a "Priest in charge."
Mr. Freeman is recalled as a man of very considerable ability as a preacher, but of a tem- perament which brought his work to a somewhat abrupt close before the year was over. His last of- ficial entry in the parish register is made in January, 1870, and it was probably about this time that he left the parish. Being a man then already well advanced in years, he must long since have passed away, al- though no data is available.
During his ministry of some fifteen months he recorded 16 baptisms, presented 2 confirmation classes numbering 18, and officiated at 2 marriages and 11 burials.
20
The minutes of the vestry throw little light up- on the history of the ensuing months, but subsequent entries show that on June 1st, Rev. A. P. Grouch in Charge. 1870, the Rev. A. P. Crouch must have taken charge under an arrangement to hold good for one year. By fall the spirits of the parishioners had revived and plans were set on foot for a thorough renovation of the church building, which were carried out. At Easter, 1871, the white marble font still in use was an offering from the Sunday School, as the inscription on it shows. At this time also, Mr. Crouch was formally called as rector.
In the course of the following year Mr. Crouch began holding services at the little village of Haun- town, some ten miles north of Lyons, where there were several Church families. A mission was organ- ized under the name of Trinity, and a building, given by Mr. W. C. Clifton, fitted up for services.
At the annual parish meeting, Easter, 1872, the question of declaring the seats in the church free, was brought forward by the rector. The idea met with favor, a subscription list in the place Pews of the previous pew rentals proved Made Free. successful, and at a parish meeting called on April 22nd, 1872, the follow- ing resolutions were adopted:
"Resolved, That the seats of Grace Church are declared to be free to all, from and after the first Sun-
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day in May, 1872, until otherwise ordered by the members of the parish.
Resolved, That the current expenses of Grace Church for the ensuing year be raised by subscrip- tion."
Thus was inaugurated a policy which, through whatever of storm and stress, it is believed the par- ish has since consistently maintained.
Nothing beyond routine business is recorded of the remainder of Mr. Crouch's administration. He is kindly remembered by the older
Mr. Grouch parishioners, but increasing deafness Resigns. rendered his ministrations difficult and induced his resignation, Oct. 1st, 1873. He continued to reside in Clinton for a number of years, but beyond supplying services at Hauntown, soon withdrew from all clerical labors. He is still living in retirement at Kansas City.
During his more than three years' ministry there are recorded 30 baptisms, 3 confirmation classes num- bering 14 individuals, 14 marriages and 12 burials.
Mr. Crouch's resignation was followed by a de- plorable suspension of services, which continued for two years. Neither the town nor the parish was fulfilling its early promises. Steadily Services Clinton, so close a neighbor to the Suspended. sonth, with its superior railroad ad- vantages, was encroaching upon Ly- ons' territory of trade, and in the early '70s business
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depression became marked. Many of the older and staunch supporters of the parish had removed, and a period of gloom and discouragement set in. There is not even the record of an Easter parish meeting in 1874. To add to the difficulties, the diocese lost its first and well-beloved bishop that summer, and with- out the kindly counsels of Bishop Lee, whose memory is still so warmly cherished by all who knew him, the doors of Grace Church remained closed. The first sign of life recorded is a vestry meeting held Nov. 27th, 1874, when R. N. Rand, J. S. Stratton and R. T. T. Spence were named as delegates to a special convention called to meet at Davenport on Dec. 9th, 1874, being the one convened to elect a successor to Bishop Lee.
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