USA > Iowa > Cedar County > A topical history of Cedar County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 19
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Former pastors who have been in charge of this church are the Revs. Proe- vensen, Rohe, Thisted, and Beck, the latter now of Brooklyn, N. Y .; the second is deceased ; the first is at Coulter, Iowa, and the third in Wisner, Neb. Rev. Hofgarrd is the present pastor
All the services in this church are conducted in the Danish language, and this includes the Sunday school. During the public school vacation a parochial school is held by the pastor for the purpose of teaching the Danish language and religion.172
The Missionary Baptists organized a church in Iowa Township in 1847, which continued about two years. The Free-Will Baptists organized the Bethel church in 1867. This church was a mile below the Rochester Ferry and Rev. Decker was their pastor for many years. Friends commenced holding meetings in the house of J. H. Painter in 1849, which place continued to be their house of wor- ship for probably one year. It was then held at the house of Lawrie Tatum a year or more, when it was changed from Iowa to Springdale Township.
In 1865 a Free-Will Baptist Church was organized by Rev. O. E. Baker in the western part of Farmington Township, of which John Quincy Tufts, Joel
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
Clark and Frank Butterfield were the founders. Prior to this services and Sun- day school had been held in the school house by Elder Reeves.
Still another church-Methodist Protestant-was established in the north- western part of the township, but was later on removed to Bennett, Inland Town- ship.173
The Downey Baptist church was organized in 1870, the corner stone having. been laid in 1869. The builders of this church were the pastor, Rev. Sangster of Iowa City, and A. B. Cornwall, Joseph King, C. F. Hoyt and J. M. Watson.
The Christian Church of Durant began in the spring of 1872, Rev. John C. Hay, State Evangelist, commenced a series of meetings in the Congregational church, which resulted in the appointment of a preliminary meeting to be held at George Deming's April 20, 1872, and a number of the brethren and sisters of that denomination were in attendance to consider the propriety of erecting a house of worship in Durant, viz: John C. Hay, George Deming and wife, G. W. Deming and wife, Alfred Nye and wife, W. D. Vermillion and wife, Mil- ton Heinly, Charles Trunkey, Moses Nye and J. D. Petersen. After much discussion George Deming was appointed chairman and W. D. Vermillion secretary. Pledges were then taken to raise the amount to built a church. W. D. Vermillion offered to do the drafting, write the specifications and act as sec- retary for the society, which was accepted. Geo. Deming, Alfred Nye and Charles Trunkey were appointed a building committee. This committee met on the 24th day of May, 1872, at the Nesbitt House in the office of the Justice of the Peace and entered into a contract with Messrs. Keator and Linsley to erect the church. The chapel was finished November 18, 1872, and the following Lord's Day Rev. John C. Hay preached the first sermon in it, when $769.10 were con- tributed by the audience.
At this visit Rev. Hay agreed to preach the following year one-half of his time for $500.00. The following are the original members: George Deming, Cormelia R. Deming, Alfred Nye, Sarah Nye, Charles Trunkey, Milton Heinly, Teresa Sry, Iona Nye. Number of members now belonging, thirty-six.
The following are the ministers who filled the pulpit after the organization of the church: Rev. John C. Hay, Rev. L. Lane, Rev. A. J. Garrison and Rev. R. H. Ingram.
The church used to be alive to all missionary work. A ladies' sewing society was organized May 9, 1877, for the promotion of benevolent work. They held their meetings semi-monthly. The officers of the society then were: Mrs. George Deming, President; Miss Mattie Fisher, Secretary and Treasurer. Services were held in the chapel every alternate Lord's day. This church has no organi- zation now in Durant.174
A Protestant Episcopal church, consisting of about ten members, was organ- ized in Tipton in 1856, and during the summer of 1859 they built a very neat little house of worship, under the superintendence of their pastor, Rev. W. T. Campbell, at a cost of about $1,100. After Mr. Campbell's ministration there was only occasional public worship held by this church.175
The first religious service of the Episcopal church of Durant was held at the depot in February, 1856, by the Diocesan of the State. Right Rev. W. H. Lee preached the sermon, at which time a parish was organized under the above
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title after St. Paul's of New Haven, Conn., from which they afterwards re- ceived $75.00 to be applied in establishing and erecting a church at this place. On the 21st day of June, 1856, the corner stone of the church was laid with appropriate ceremonies, Bishop Lee conducting them, and in November of the same year the church was consecrated. The second sermon was preached in the church by Hon. George F. Magoun, afterward President of Iowa College. The first child baptized was a daughter of Joseph Weaver, by Rt. Rev. Bishop Lee. The Rectors of this society have been Revs. Geo. C. Street, Campbell, Johnson, Curry, James Allen Webb, Kaapka and C. H. Stroh.176
The only church remaining in Durant is the last one mentioned, at least the only one having services.
The first religious services at Fairview were held in the house rented for school purposes by Mr. Geiger and these services were conducted by a Protestant Methodist minister. Rev. Mr. Bolton afterward held services in the house of Mr. Tivis and Sabbath school was conducted in the home of Mr. Lichtenwalter, when the Elder Martin Baker, mentioned early in Cedar County history, also preached occasionally. The first organization was effected about 1855 in the former residence of John Hecht, by Daniel Wertz, preacher.
The United Brethren church was organized at an early day by Rev. Baker, the first pastor. In 1868 the two denominations built a Union church on section twenty and services were held alternately and a union Sunday school was in successful operation.
The Lutheran church was organized by Rev. D. A. Altman in 1867 at the school house. In 1866 a church was erected under the pastorate of Rev. J. J. Huber. This was located a half mile west of the Union church. The first elders were Jacob Geiger and Jacob Stockslager. As the new settlement is composed mostly of Germans who belong to the two churches in Lowden, the Lutheran church was sold a few years ago and moved to Harmony Point, some distance west of its first location.177
One of the oldest organizations for philanthropic purposes in this county is the Bible Society which meets annually to this day. As early as 1842 it began to carry on its work. Daniel Hare, mentioned among the pioneers, was its first president; Henry Hardman, at whose house the first sermon was preached ; Judge Tuthill, recognized as a citizen of much influence; Solomon Aldrich, a charter member of the first Methodist church; John P. Cook, who conducted the first mercantile business in Tipton, were chosen as vice presidents. Rev. Uriah Ferree was the first secretary, and E. E. Edwards, once sheriff of the county, the treasurer.
This organization sought then and now to keep the county supplied with the scripture where some were unable to furnish themselves, and to that end made an effort to keep a census of the county where such service was needed.
Dr. J. F. Kennedy, afterward for twenty-five years secretary of the State Board of Health for Iowa, was one of its presidents. S. S. Daniels, war editor of the Advertiser, was its treasurer and depositor. Hon. J. H. Rothrock, later a judge of the supreme court of Iowa, was a member of its most important com- mittee. Rev. Wm. Lee, a pioneer minister, and Wm. Elliott were among the
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Reformed Church Methodist Episcopal Church Catholic Church
TIPTON CHURCHES
Lutheran Church Presbyterian Church
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
leaders in the organization. This society was organized in 1842, as mentioned, and is the sixth oldest in the state of Iowa.
In May, 1867, the first movement was made to organize the Sunday school forces of the county. Rev. E. Skinner presided at this meeting and Rev. J. Riale was the secretary. A constitution was adopted which specified the qualifications for membership as, "That of any person residing in the county and directly en- gaged in Sunday school work and shall have attended at least one meeting of the association, and shall have enrolled in and contributing to the Sunday school cause." The following Sabbath schools were reported in part and were enrolled: Methodist Episcopal, Lutheran, St. John's Reformed, Congregational and Pres- byterian of Tipton, Methodist of Lowden, York Prairie and Inland.178 Con- ventions of the Sunday schools of the county now include all the churches men- tioned in these accounts of church history with the exception of one or two or- ganizations.
EARLY HISTORY OF THE SETTLEMENT OF "ORTHODOX" FRIENDS AT SPRINGDALE, IOWA, AND THEIR MEETINGS.
BY LAWRIE TATUM-1892. REVISED BY WM. MATHER-1910.
Lawrie Tatum was the pioneer Friend in Cedar County, locating there in 1844. J. H. Painter's was the first family, who settled there in 1845. His house was of logs. It was customary to furnish liquor at house raisings, and he, be- lieving it was not right to do that, informed the men when asking them to help raise, that he could not furnish liquor. They took it kindly and no one declined to go on that account, although he had been informed that he could not get his house "raised" without liquor.
In fifth month, 1848, M. V. Butler, Stephen Dean and Lawrie Tatum, with their wives, went to Salem, some seventy miles, in a road wagon with three spring seats, to attend the opening of Salem Quarterly Meeting, the first Quarterly Meeting of Friends held in the state of Iowa.
The few. members commenced holding meeting in the forepart of 1849 in the house of J. H. Painter on the E. 1/2 of sw. 1/4 Sec. 31-80-3, now owned by Wm. A. Phelps. The heads of families who were there at that time were G. P. Wood, David Tatum, J. H. Painter, M. V. Butler, J. W. Cattell, Stephen Dean, Shaidlock Negus, James Schooley, and Lawrie Tatum. Besides the above named families, there was one other Friend, Rebecca Bowersock. There was no min- ister belonging to the meeting at that time and it was usually held in silence, but the meetings were enjoyed, and they were blessed to those who attended them.
In 1850 the meeting was removed to Lawrie Tatum's log house. While there Benjamin Seebohm and Robert Lindsley, ministers, from England, made the new settlement a visit. They were the first "Traveling Friends with Minutes," who attended the meeting. J. A. Grinnell, a minister, moved with his family of seven into the neighborhood in the autumn of 1850. They lived with Lawrie Tatum's in their log house, which was 16x22 feet, one and a half stories high, for a few weeks while he built a small "plank house." Such instances of "taking in a family" of emigrants for a few days or weeks were very common with the early settlers.
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
In 1851 the meeting was removed to J. H. Painter's gravel house on NE. corner of Sec. 1-79-4, now owned by Henry Negus, and a preparative meeting established. A number of others had by that time settled in the neighborhood Hannah B. Tatum had become a frequent speaker in the meetings, and gave satisfactory evidence that she was called of God to preach the gospel. Her gift as a preacher was acknowledged by Salem Monthly Meeting in Fifth Month, 1852.
In 1852 a concrete or gravel meeting house with flat roof was built on a lot donated by J. H. Painter near the center of Sec. I-79-4. It was, I believe, the first church building erected in Cedar County. (Probably the second .- Ed.) On the 4th month, 9th, 1853, Red Cedar Monthly Meeting was established there, and the Friends of Linn and Jones Counties made a request for the establish- ment of a preparative meting.
In the appointment of committees, etc., in the first two months we find the following names on the minutes of men's meetings : J. A. Grinnell, David Tatum, Samuel Abbott, Samuel Hampton, Brinton Darlington, Abram Parmer, Stephen Dean, Dilworth Schooley, Zachariah Hampton, Israel Negus, Stephen South- wick, James Schooley, Lawrie Tatum, Elisha Stratton, Moses V. Butler, Nathan Taber, Isaac Jackson, Septimus Sharpless, Benjamin Ball, Benjamin Grundy, G. P. Wood, Isaac Negus, Moses Varney, Emmor Rood, Enoch Peasley, Mat- thew Winslow, Wm. Hampton, Peter Collins, Andrew McBride, Isaac Parmer, Albert B. Negus, Elisha Todd, Samuel Fawcett and Shaidlock Negus ..
Red Cedar Monthly Meeting was incorporated under the laws of Iowa in 1853. In 7th Month, 1853, Salem Meeting referred Springdale Indulged Meet- ing (now West Branch Meeting) to the care of Red Cedar Monthly Meeting. It was made a Preparative Meeting in 11th Month, 1853.
Springdale postoffice was established about two and one-fourth miles west of where the village and P. O. by that name now is. The settlement near and west of the postoffice was called Springdale. When there was a store started at the present site of Springdale the postoffice was removed to it, much to. the chagrin of the Springdale settlers. West Branch postoffice and town were subsequently started and Springdale Meeting was held in that town, and Red Cedar Meeting was held at Springdale, which was confusing and misleading. Therefore the names of both meetings were changed to the names of the post- offices where each was situated.
In First Month, 1854, the Monthly Meeting appointed a committee "to carry out the advice of the Yearly Meeting in establishing and having the care of First-day Schools."
Red Cedar Monthly Meeting received by certificate, during the first year that it was held, 290 persons. There were also twelve received by request, making an addition of 302 the first year. There were some received every month. The greatest number was fifty-nine. A few of the heads of families received during this eventful year-4th Month, 1853, to 3d Month, 1854-were: Richard Pink- ham, Wm. Townsend, Michael King, Caleb Gregg, Wm. D. Branson, John Thomas, Geo. Hughes, Nathan Satterthwait, Samuel Peasley, Griffith Lewis, James Walton, David W. Miles, Jas. Staples, Samuel Dean, Thos. Montgomery, G. P. Smith, Jas. Townsend, Thomas C. Battey, Samuel Pearson, Alpheus Hirst,
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
and Wm. Miles. The Friends received during that year came from Ohio, Mich- igan, Iowa, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Maine and Canada. The second year there were some received every month but one. Total received second year 192. There were 176 received the third year. In 1856 Honey Grove Meeting was held one mile east and three miles north of where West Branch now is, and meetings were continued to be held there for nearly thirty years.
Red Cedar Quarterly Meeting was established by Indiana Yearly Meeting and the first session held in 5th Month, 1858. In anticipation of the Quarterly Meet- ing, Red Cedar Preparative Meeting, with the help of Philadelphia, and other Friends, had enclosed a new frame Meeting house 67x42 feet and finished one end at a cost of $2,362.50. The estimated cost to complete the building was $500. It is the present Meeting house at Springdale.
In the second Monthly Meeting, held 5th Month, 4th, 1853, is recorded : "Albert B. Negus and Martha Ball propose marriage with each other; parents consenting thereto." Theirs was the first marriage according to Friends cere- mony in Cedar County. During this year five couples were married according to Discipline and two members disowned for marrying contrary to Discipline, and one disowned for providing, and partaking of marriage entertainment of daughter who was married contrary to Discipline. Many were subsequently dis- owned for thus marrying. In 1865 Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends, and since that time many other Yearly Meetings changed their Disciplines to allow legal marriage in any form although not celebrated in the manner Friends recom- mended in their Discipline. On the 28th of 8th Month, 1876, J. Y. Hoover, a Friend minister, officiated in the marriage of Charles E. Negus and Ellen Tatum, using substantially the marriage ceremony in the Discipline. This was the first marriage solemnized by a Friend minister in Springdale Monthly Meeting. In the spring of 1865 Elizabeth Ann Harris, a Friend minister, sang a hymn in Springdale Monthly Meeting held at West Branch. A few months previously Julia Ann McCool, a minister of LeGrand Monthly Meeting, Iowa, had sung a hymn in their meeting. These were probably the first hymns sung by Friend ministers in any of their meetings in America for more than one hundred years. It was very trying indeed to some of the members to have the singing by E. A. Harris, but J. A. Grinnell and Joel Bean, J. Y. Hoover, and some others thought it was called for of the Lord, and therefore was right, George Fox, and Friends of two hundred years before, placed preaching, prayer and singing on the same basis. But singing had so dropped out of use, that the report that a Friend min- ister had sung a hymn in Springdale Monthly Meeting, was received with great surprise in many parts of the United States. But now how changed. The church has again become evangelistic, aggressive, and missionary, more as it was during the first thirty years after George Fox first began to preach. At the close of the first thirty years the church had increased to sixty thousand members. Now, singing, testimony and prayer are encouraged throughout the Friends' church in America, with few exceptions. That the blessing of God is upon it is shown by the large numbers converted and taken into church membership since the change.
In 1850 to 1855 when Friends were immigrating so rapidly to this part of the country, many of them "entered their land." That is, bought it of the Govern- ment at $1.25 per acre. It could be bought in 40, 80 or 160 acre lots. At that
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time the Government had no limit to the amount that a person might "enter." With very few exceptions the early settlers came with little more funds than enough to purchase their land. As oxen were preferred for breaking the tough prairie sod, and they cost so much less than horses, many of the early settlers had no other team for some years. The oxen were hitched to the farm wagons to take the families to meeting, and visiting, and their produce to market, etc. The settlers were contented, happy and thankful for what they had, and thankful, too, that they had no mortgage notes to harass them. They lived within their means, which was very limited. Dressed pork delivered in Muscatine would bring from $1.25 to $2.40 per 100 pounds. Wheat, which was the staple crop of grain at that time, would bring from 25 to 50 cents per bushel.
We have now traced the early settlement of Friends in the vicinity of Spring- dale from the small Indulged meeting in 1849, held in a private house, with no minister, through the rapid growth of Preparative and Monthly Meetings, and the establishment of a large Quarterly Meeting in nine years. During those years one minister moved to Red Cedar, and three developed their gifts, and were re- corded ministers. Many who were here during those nine years have moved to other parts. A number have passed to their eternal rewards. The few who remain, with those who are with them now, in 1892, have cause to bless God for his over-ruling care and providence of us in those early days, and for his good- ness and mercy and blessing that has been to us, and over us to the present time. Then let us unite in saying, "Praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord ; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever."
ADDITIONAL HISTORY OF THE REGULAR "ORTHODOX" OR "PROGRESSIVE" BRANCH OF FRIENDS, SPRINGDALE, IOWA. (WRITTEN JULY, 1910.)
During the settlement of Friends in Cedar County they scattered over the prairies between the Cedar and Iowa rivers from northwest of Atalissa, around Springdale, West Liberty, Downey and West Branch and west to within a few miles of Iowa City, and west of Cedar Valley, keeping a little west of Cedar River on nearly to Solon. At one time part of this territory was called "Quaker Ridge."
These Friends were earnest advocates of education, peace, temperance, and freedom for all races. For many years after the Civil War they aided much in the education and training of the Freedmen, contributing freely of their means and sending teachers to aid the work in the South. Many of the Friends aided in the Government Indian Schools as superintendents, teachers and helpers.
Regular services and Bible schools are now maintained at Springdale and West Branch.
From time to time large numbers of Friends have removed from this vicinity to Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Oregon, and especially since 1880 very large numbers have removed to the vicinity of Pasadena, California. In many of their new places of residence large and active meetings have been established.
Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends at its 47th annual meeting held in Oska- loosa, Iowa, in 1909, reported fourteen Quarterly Meetings, and 8,929 members ; 95 congregations ; 74 pastors.
10002
UNITED CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, CENTERDALE
FRIENDS CHURCH, SPRINGDALE
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
The conservative branch of Friends have, since 1883, maintained semi-weekly meetings at their meeting house in West Branch, Iowa, and held yearly meetings there and at Earlham, Iowa, alternately.
The "Wilbur" branch of Friends for over fifty-five years, have held meetings in their meeting house two and one-half miles east of West Branch; for many years maintained a primary school and for twenty years past have kept up a boarding school in their fine large three-story building called "Scattergood Semi- nary." 179
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SECTION VI.
INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS.
In the past Cedar County, in average assessed valuation per acre, has been surpassed only by Scott and Polk Counties and both these counties have large cities. This may be due to several causes, the length of time that it has been settled, the skill of its citizens in making use of the soil, the desirability of the place as a residence and another of vital importance is the influx of the German population in the eastern half of the county and the gradually extending of the ownership of the land by these foreign-born citizens who are ready to pay for the land all the owner asks, even beyond his expectations. When once he buys this land he does not sell it, but pays for it, keeps it in a high state of cultivation and buys more if he can.
There are natural reasons for the fertility of the soil due to its formation that are of interest to the scientist and to the one who commences the study of scien- tific agriculture. These cannot be mentioned here, but there is a section of the county that is pronounced especially rich or especially poor that the man of keen insight knows and understands either through long acquaintance or because he has been taught the characteristics of good land. The good ridge extending through the county from the southeast to the northwest is fast passing from the hands of the original settler to the ambitious German who has made his way from the river through the county of Scott across the line far into Cedar and now crowds the western line in places. How much he has added to the farm value it is difficult to tell and probably no method of averages could be devised to show in just what way this has occurred, yet the fact is patent and cannot be disputed. Machinery has made possible the economic management of the large farm and cut the smaller producer out of certain large undertakings since the added expense of this equipment could not be borne with equal return on the investment. The stock men of the county have added much to the continued value and its increase through the restoration of the worn land and the great corn product of the county tells more eloquently than anything else can of the natural advantages of this favored region. Streams are abundant enough to fur- nish the water supply for the pasture in many parts of the county and are taken into consideration when farm values are discussed. The use of them for other
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
purposes of water power has had its day until the increased demand makes the construction of power plants profitable. The local timber supply is fast passing, yet some is now going to waste. For purposes of fuel it is no longer economical unless a tract of timber is owned by the consumer and is carefully managed to secure a future growth.
In an agricultural state the first industry as well as the last must be the rais- ing of crops to feed the herds of stock that make the farmer the master of the situation in the event of tracing the source of prosperity. When he fails all else fails with him. Hence in a history of industrial and monetary affairs in a county like Cedar, one must first of all sound the farmer's standing if he would arrive at any certain conclusion.
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