USA > Iowa > Jones County > History of Jones County, Iowa, past and present, Volume I > Part 31
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HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
This was a pioneer church in Jones county. The members were sturdy, ener- getic men and women who took hold of the church work with an energy and zeal which is rarely manifested at the present day. In a few years they built a neat brick building, and for nearly fifty years a church was maintained and regular services held. During this time Anamosa having railroad advantages, sprang up and grew within four miles and the village of Fairview, gradually melted away. Many of the members moved to other homes and those remaining united with the Anamosa Baptist church. When the church was organized at Anamosa it drew from the Fairview church some of its active workers. E. B. Alderman and his wife, Lydia Alderman, were among these and were charter members of the Ana- mosa church. Lewis W. Homan and Temperance Homan removed from Fairview to Adams county, Iowa, in 1856. They were charter members of the First Bap- tist church of that county. He was the last surviving of the charter members of the Fairview Baptist church, dying at Corning, Iowa, on the 24th day of August, 1909. His wife, Temperance Homan, departed March 27, 1891. Mr. Homan was over ninety-one years old at the time of his death. They had twelve children, five of whom are now living, also forty-four grandchildren and fifty-one great grandchildren.
Elder N. B. Homan was for fifteen years pastor of the Fairview church. Twenty-five years ago he went to Kansas and labored earnestly in organizing and building up Baptist churches until in the fullness of time he was taken. Dea- con Timothy Soper and Mrs. Soper and Deacon A. A. Myrick and Mrs. Myrick were for years the stay of this church. Deacon Myrick and Mrs. Soper are now members of the Anamosa church. While the Fairview church has passed away yet its existence was a great good to the community and did much to make bet- ter and happier the lives of many of the earlier settlers of Fairview township and the adjoining country.
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ANAMOSA.
On Saturday, June 26, 1858, Edwin B. Alderman and Lydia A. Alderman and Eliphet Kimball, Mary E. Kimball, Jane Trester, Mary Baker and Anganett Swazee met at the house of Mr. Kimball in Anamosa and proceeded to organize the first Baptist church of Anamosa. Elder Daniel Rowley, of the Iowa Baptist State Convention, was present and acted as moderator of the meeting ; E. B. Al- derman was elected church clerk. The church voted to have public services at the courthouse at three o'clock p. m., on the next day, at which time they were to be recognized as a regular Baptist church. The first pastor was Elder N. B. Ho- man, who was also pastor of the church at Fairview. The following ministers have been pastors of the church : N. B. Homan, 1858-1860; U. R. Walton, 1860- 1861 ; N. B. Homan. 1861-1868; M. C. Kempsey, 1868-1869; M. T. Lamb, 1869- 1870; Robert Leslie, 1870-1871 ; C. J. B. Jackson, 1872-1876; H. W. Thiele, 1876-1877; C. F. Tucker, 1877-1879; J. C. Burkholder, 1879-1882; C. L. Morrill, 1882-1884; C. C. Smith, 1885-1890; A. H. Ballard, 1890-1895; W. E. Glanville, 1895-1904; J. M. Deschamp, 1904-1907; E. K. Masterson, 1907-1908; John Heri- tage, 1908 to the present time.
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The following have served as clerks of the church : E. B. Alderman, 1858- 1860; S. R. Moody, 1860-1864; C. French, 1864-1865; J. R. Cook, 1865-1866; H. C. Griffith, 1866-1868; I. H. Brasted, 1868-1870; Milton Remley, 1870-1874; H. M. Remley, 1874-1887; Jennings Litzenburg, 1887-1889; H. M. Remley, 1889- 1896; I. H. Brasted, 1896 to the present time.
The church held prayer meetings and services at the home of the various members and in the courthouse or other halls, where they could be accommodated, until 1868, when they erected a substantial brick building forty by sixty feet with a high ceiling and a bell tower. The building cost six thousand dallors and at the time of dedication, Sunday, March 1, 1868, all the remaining indebtedness was paid. At the time of its erection it was the best church building in Anamosa or Fairview township. It has been one of the rules of this church that it would not go into debt, and from the time of its organization up to the present time, outside of the deficiency of one or two hundred dollars in current running expenses, there has been no indebtedness. This church has sent out a great many good mem- bers and efficient workers to other churches. There have been since its organiza- tion up to September 1, 1909, five hundred and seventy-six members. The number at the present time is one hundred and thirteen. About the year 1886, the church built a substantial brick addition providing church parlors and Sunday-school rooms. In 1905 the church was further improved by putting a furnace beneath the audience room putting in a new sloping maple floor, new hardwood casings to the windows, new pulpit and choir platform, new baptistry, a gallery, and stained glass windows, and reseating the entire church with the most improved seats. This improvement cost over three thousand dollars. The value of the church property at the present time is about ten thousand dollars. The audience room is exceedingly neat and beautiful. The church also owns a parsonage worth about two thousand, five hundred dollars. The present officers of the church are: pastor, Rev. John Heritage; deacons : Dr. H. W. Sigworth, C. T. Myrick, I. H. Brasted, Henry Morey and John Barrett; treasurer, B. E. Rhinehart; clerk, I. H. Brasted; trustees : A. H. Morey, C. H. Anderson and Alfred G. Remley. Mrs. Lydia Alderman, now living at Riverside, California, is the only surviving charter member.
The Sunday-school has the following officers and teachers: superintendent, Mrs. John Heritage; assistant, Miss Nellie Hackett; secretary, Robert G. Rem- ley ; teachers : B. E. Rhinehart, Mrs. H. L. Haase, Mrs. I. H. Brasted, Nellie Morey, Mr. H. L. Haase, Miss Ethel Scroggs, Mrs. Judson McCarn and H. M. Remley. The Sunday-school was first organized in 1867. The first superintendent was E. B. Alderman, who served three years. Milton Remley was then elected and served three years ; C. W. Coe then served three years; H. M. Remley served three years. In 1879 John Stewart, the noted butter maker, was elected superin- tendent and served for three years; I. H. Brasted was elected and served about the same length of time; C. T. Myrick was then elected and has been reelected a good many times. Since then the following persons have been superintendent in the order named; A. E. Myrick, C. B. Hungerford, Fred B. Sigworth, A. L. Remley, H. D. Myrick and the present superintendent. The school has always been self-sustaining and has always had plenty of funds. Upon retiring from the superintendency, H. M. Remley became the teacher of the old people's Bible class
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and has taught that class from that time to the present time, over thirty years. His class now consists of eighteen members, with an average attendance of eleven or twelve members. Four members of the class are over eighty years old and the average age is over seventy years
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF ANAMOSA.
About the year 1840, Rev. Thomas Emerson commenced special Christian labor in what was known as "Big Woods," which included the whole of Fairview township and also Greenfield and Rome townships, Jones county. His labors, though brief, were attended with some success, and after his departure to Missouri, Rev. Rankin secured the names of a few persons with a view to organizing a Christian church. But finding the project beset with many difficulties he left it unaccomplished. Soon after this, about the year 1844, Rev. E. Alden, Jr., suc- ceeded in gathering and organizing a small Congregational church in Rome, in the southern part of the county, which probably was the first Congregational church organization in the county. Discordant elements caused its dissolution early in 1846. In the spring of that year Rev. Alfred Wright visited Big Woods as a missionary, and in the September following removed to Anamosa, or to what was then known as Lexington. He labored here to impress upon the scattered Chris- tians the need of a church organization, and on the 14th of November, 1846, Samuel Hillis and wife (parents of Newell Dwight Hillis, now of Henry Ward Beecher's church, Brooklyn), Solomon Hester and wife, Mrs. Margaret Hester, Sr., and Mrs. L. C. Wright met to consider the importance of such a step. After prayer and due deliberation a Congregational organization was agreed upon though all present were Presbyterians. Samuel Hillis was then elected deacon and on the following Sabbath the articles of faith were adopted. Rev. Wright continued his labors here until the autumn of 1853, a period of about seven and a half years. His church then numbered eighty-two members, though scattered over a considerable extent of country.
In 1851 a frame house of worship was erected a little east of what was then the business portion of Anamosa. The building is now used for a residence, just in the angle of Main street, in the western part of town. This church edi- fice was the first erected in the county. It was neatly painted white and comfort- ably seated with solid oak pews. In the latter part of 1853 or early in 1854 Father Wright removed to Quasqueton, in Buchanan county, Iowa.
In 1853 the name of the church was changed from the Big Woods church to the "First Congregational Church of Anamosa." Mr. Wright was succeeded in the spring of 1854 by Rev. E. O. Bennett, who remained here but six months. Rev. H. W. Strong began his labors on January 1, 1855, and on June I following, Rev. S. P. LaDou commenced work here and remained one year.
December 1, 1856, Rev. Samuel A. Benton entered upon the field and min- istered to the church during a period of five years, at the close of which he left and was appointed chaplain in the Fourteenth Iowa Volunteers, under Colonel William T. Shaw. Mr. Benton served but six months when his health failed and he returned to his home. During his last year as pastor, 1861, a commodious
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brick house of worship was erected where the postoffice building now stands on the corner of Main and Booth streets.
June 1, 1862, Rev. O. W. Merrill was called to the pastorate and continued his labors four years as stated supply. On the 20th of June, 1866, he was installed as settled pastor, and continued this relation until June, 1870, when, by his own request and by advice of council he was dismissed to act as superintendent of missions for Nebraska, a position to which he was called by the American Home Missionary society. During his ministry a debt of over seven hundred dollars was paid, the house seated at a cost of five hundred dollars, a spire erected and a bell purchased at a cost of seven hundred dollars, an organ bought and the house carpeted. From dependence on the Home Missionary society for support, the church became self-sustaining. In the eight years of Mr. Merrill's ministry eighty-five were added to the membership and the working ability of the church was more than doubled, as was also its average Sabbath congregation.
In June, 1870, Rev. Wm. Patton was chosen to fill the pulpit and remained three months. In 1871, Rev. R. M. Sawyer began his ministerial labors and re- mained one year. ,
September 1, 1872, Rev. J. B. Fiske entered on this pastorate, and after serv- ing his people most effectively for sixteen years he resigned September 1, 1888, removing to Bonne Terre, Missouri, where he became the pastor of the Congre- gational church of that place.
Rev. W. W. Willard was called April 25, 1889, to fill the pulpit, to begin September Ist, it being understood that his stay would be for only a short time.
Following the death of Mrs. J. B. Fiske, at Bonne Terre, a beautiful memor- ial service was held in the church February 6, 1890, at which addresses were made and appropriate resolutions adopted.
Rev. E. W. Beers followed Rev. Willard as pastor about the Ist of October, 1889, and remained one year. Rev. W. R. Stewart commenced his labors as pas- tor December 7, 1890, and remained about two years. Rev. S. F. Milliken en- tered on the pastorate May 1, 1893, and remained until March 1, 1902, and then accepted a call to Kingsley, Iowa.
Dr. J. H. McLaren was called December 11, 1902, and began his work early in January following. The building of a new church was suggested soon after Dr. McLaren entered upon his pastorate. At a prayer and business meeting held May 28, 1903, the pastor stated that Mrs. E. P. Benton, of Minneapolis, a former member of this church, as was her now deceased husband, would give half the sum required for a new church, a statement received with profound gratitude by all. The pastor and Messrs. H. H. Mckinney, J. S. Condit, C. S. Millard and Mrs. E. A. Osborn were appointed a committee to solicit subscriptions. Sep- tember 3, 1903, a resolution was adopted authorizing the purchase from Mrs. T. R. Ercanbrack of lots 1 and 2 and the north sixty feet of lot 3, corner of First and Booth streets for five thousand dollars, and to sell the old church, the cost of the new structure not to exceed fifteen thousand dollars.
Some time after this, Mr. E. M. Condit, traveling abroad with his wife, gave assurance that he would help the enterprise, and later forwarded his check for two thousand dollars, which was another cause for gratitude and praise to God.
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CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, ANAMOSA
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The building committee consisted of Dr. J. H. McLaren, J. S. Stacy, M. L. Hollister, C. S. Millard, A. J. Byerly and T. E. Booth. Mr. Millard was made treasurer and Mr. Booth secretary.
The purchase of the Ercanbrack property was completed and Mrs. Ercan- brack generously donated two hundred and fifty dollars toward the new church. Plans were accepted from J. H. Prescott and bids followed by several builders. The award went to Anton Zwack, of Dubuque, for fourteen thousand, three hun- dred dollars. March 21, 1904, the trustees were authorized to sell the old church to George L. Schoonover for four thousand dollars, reserving the bell, seats, organ and other furnishings, and it was sold accordingly.
April 7, 1904, Dr. McLaren having resigned, it was voted to extend a call to Rev. A. O. Stevens, of Pontiac, Michigan, to become pastor, and later he was added to the building committee. Following the sale of the old church, and before it was turned over to Mr. Schoonover, a "last meeting" was held in the church on the 12th of April, short addresses being made by T. E. Booth, J. S. Stacy, J. H. Barnard, E. J. Wood, A. Heitchen, C. S. Millard, G. L. Yount and Rev. A. O. Stevens.
A large number of the members of the church and congregation were present and a service was enjoyed that will never be forgotten.
By courtesy of the city authorities, the congregation occupied the city hall for some months and until the new church was ready for occupancy. The cor- ner stone was laid December 15, 1903, with appropriate ceremonies, conducted by Dr. McLaren, Others participating were Rev. W. E. Glanville, of the Baptist church, Miss Bates, assisting at the Methodist Episcopal revival meetings, sang a solo. Rev. J. Percival Hugget, of Cedar Rapids, delivered an interesting dis- course, and Rev. L. L. Lockard, of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Rev. De Witt White of the Presbyterian church extended words of greeting.
September 30, 1904, the dedication recital, at which was given the first public exhibition of a pipe organ in the history of the town, Mr. Kenneth E. Runkel, of St. Paul, Minnesota, conducting the recital, assisted by Mrs. Harry W. Sig- worth, soprano, and Mr. Dwight E. Cook, tenor.
On Sunday, October 20, 1904, the dedication of the church took place, the au- dience room, both wings and the gallery being packed and aisles filled. The exer- cises were opened by an organ prelude by Mr. Runkel, followed by the Doxology and Lord's prayer, responsive reading and an original hymn written by Rev. J. N. Davidson, of Dousman, Wisconsin, formerly a member of the church. T. E. Booth, of the building committee, reported the contributions for the enterprise. Mrs. E. P. Benton $11,500
E. M. Condit
2,000
Church Building Society
1,000
Old church property 4,000
Local subscriptions 4,869
$23,369
There was an indebtedness of only eighty-seven dollars and that and more was quickly raised by a basket collection, Dr. T. O. Douglas, of Grinnell, making an appropriate address. Rev. A. O. Stevens, the present pastor, then
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in happy words introduced Dr. McLaren, who preached an eloquent dedicatory sermon, with theme, "Triumphant Zion," the sermon being published in full in the Eureka.
March 5th, 1905, Rev. Stevens resigned and on July 9th following Rev. Chas. H. Beaver, of Fairmont, Neb., preached morning and evening and on the 17th a unanimous call was extended to him to enter on this pastorate, which was accepted, and Mr. Beaver is still with us, doing a good work for the spiritual life of the church and enlarging the congregation and Sunday school.
One year ago, under the care and direction of Mr. Beaver, the entire in- terior of the church was beautifully decorated, and other repairs made at a total cost of about three thousand, six hundred dollars, which included an en- largement of the basement dining rooms, roof rebuilt and a new furnace in the parsonage, with other repairs and furnishings of a valuable nature.
Because of these improvements, recognition services were held October 29th, 30th and November Ist, with elaborate programs, musical and otherwise, in- cluding a men's banquet under charge of the Men's club of the church, and addresses by T. E. Booth, Richard Owen, Rev. M. A. Breed, of Monticello, Rev. Wilson Denny, of Cedar Rapids, Rev. Charles A. Moore, of Davenport, and Rev. Charles A. Beaver, the pastor. All these exercises were free and they were greeted by large and appreciative audiences.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The First Presbyterian Church of Anamosa was organized September 20, A. D. 1868, by a Committee of the Presbytery of Dubuque, appointed for that purpose, consisting of Rev. James McKean and Rev. J. L. Wilson and Ruling Elder S. F. Glenn. Those uniting in the organization were as follows: John Mckean, Nancy A. Mckean, Mrs. Pamelia Yule and her two daughters, Arvilla Yule and A. Yule, Mrs. J. H. Fisher and Mrs. D. C. Tice. John McKean was duly elected ruling elder of the church, and installed according to the usages of the Presbyterian church. The meeting was held in the Baptist church edifice. Rev. Jerome Allen was present and, by request, preached in the morn- ing: Rev. J. L. Wilson in the evening. Rev. Jerome Allen supplied the church temporarily with preaching during the fall and following winter. The first regular stated supply was Rev. Bloomfield Wall, a laborious and faithful min- ister, who remained with the church for one year from August 1, 1869. During this year, the church grew considerably in numbers, worshipping in what was then the courtroom, where is now (1879) Miller's photograph-rooms.
Rev. Wall having removed at the close of the first year to the southern portion of the state, the church was left vacant and remained so until 1871, when the church secured, in connection with the then Presbyterian church of Wayne, the labors of Rev. J. Nesbitt Wilson for the three successive years. After this time, up to the spring of 1878, the church, although now left destitute of stated preaching, was supplied about once a month by Rev. H. L. Stanley, the able and accomplished pastor at Wheatland, Iowa. During these years, the times were hard, emigration was against the church, several of the most efficient members removing, and death thinned the ranks by the loss of several of the
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most pious and devoted members-the beloved Mrs. Ditto, Mrs. Pamelia Yule and the accomplished Capt. F. C. Mckean being of the number. Notwith- standing seemingly discouraging circumstance the members seemed generally to cling with more tenacity to the faith so true to Christ and the principles of representative republican church government, embraced in its order, as dis- tinguished from absolute democracy on the one hand and the rule of a hierarchy on the other.
A Sabbath school has always existed in connection with the church from the first pastorate of Rev. Wall, and weekly prayer meetings upheld.
In the spring of 1878, having no house of worship, on invitation of the citizens of Strawberry Hill, the place of worship was removed to Straw- berry Hill schoolhouse, where services were held until the completion of the church building, November 17, 1878.
As a preparatory step to the erection of a church building on May 5, 1878, articles of incorporation were adopted in due legal form, under the name and style of "The First Presbyterian Church of Anamosa." They were signed and acknowledged by the following persons: William T. Shaw, Joseph Wood, John Mckean, Albert Higby, B. F. Smith, Abraham Everett and Eugene Carr.
The first board of trustees were: John McKean, Joseph Wood, Albert Higby, B. F. Smith and B. G. Yule, of whom Judge Mckean was elected president and Albert Higby, secretary, with Joseph Wood, treasurer. Col. William T. Shaw had most generously donated to the church, for its use for building purposes, one-half of a block of lots. The church at once prepared to erect a building.
The contract was let to Messrs. Parson & Foley, of Anamosa; on July 1, 1878, and the cornerstone laid shortly afterward by Rev. Daniel Russell. The building was dedicated, free of debt, November 17, 1878, just four months afterwards, complete and finished, which speaks well for the contractors, the church and the generous hearted citizens who so liberally aided by their funds and sympathy.
The building was of brick, twenty-eight by forty-eight feet, with ornate tower ten by ten feet, on the northeast corner, about sixty feet high. The stone work was of the finest Anamosa limestone, with which the building was elegantly trimmed. The style of the architecture was Gothic. The grounds were fenced and ornamented with walls and trees, tastefully arranged under the supervision of Joseph Wood. The bricks were selected by B. F. Smith from his kilns on Strawberry Hill.
This building which was situated on Strawberry Hill, now a part of the city of Anamosa, was destroyed by fire in October, 1901. The fire being started from a bonfire of leaves in cleaning up the church property. The wind blew the burning leaves onto the roof and the dry shingles immediately caught fire and destroyed the church.
In 1902 the resent stone structure situated on North Ford street was built, the stone being furnished by James Lawrence and taken from his quarry. This new church was dedicated on the third day of May, 1903.
Rev. Daniel Russell severed his connection as minister in 1886. The follow- ing persons served the church as pastor since the very effective and conscien- tious serving of Daniel Russell; William Grey; A. W. McConnell; D. Street,
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W. J. Bollman ; David Brown ; J. C. Orth ; DeWitt White and Charles M. Whetsel. who is now the present pastor.
ST. MARK'S PARISH ( PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL).
August 14, 1859, the eighth Sunday after Trinity, a parish was organized in Anamosa, Jones county. Iowa, under the name of St. Mark's by Rev. Walter F. Lloyd.
On Wednesday, March 15, 1860, after morning prayer and sermon, the corner stone of the church building was laid by Rev. Lloyd. Friday, July 20, 1860, the church was opened for divine worship, Rev. Lloyd reading the service. The Rt. Rev. Henry W. Lee, bishop of the diocese, preached the sermon on the occasion, and administered the sacred rite of confirmation and was celebrant at the holy communion.
The following were elected vestrymen at the organization: C. W. Laing. E. H. Sherman, A. H. Peaslee, J. S. Dimmitt, E. Blakeslee, Bedford Fisher, William R. Locke, Matt Parrott and John J. Welsh.
The following have served as rectors of the parish: Revs. W. F. Lloyd, John H. Eddy, Hale Townsend, Isaac Williams, William Campbell. Robert Trewartha, Joseph I. Corbyn, Felix H. Pickworth and Charles H. Kues. Rev. Pickworth, now chaplain at the reformatory, has the oversight of the parish at this time pending the call of a rector.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
When Iowa was still a wilderness, the Methodists commenced promulgating their doctrines, and the Iowa conference established what was known as the Anamosa circuit in the year 1849, and Rev. Vail was sent to sow the good seed. Mr. Vail was succeeded by Rev. Harvey Taylor in the fall of 1850. The population of the circuit at that time was small, but a class of ten persons was formed at Anamosa in the year 1851, and in February of the same year a church society was organized. For four or five years, the regular services of the church were held in the courthouse. After that the public schoolhouse was occupied for a time, and then the church edifice of the United Brethren. In the year 1865, it was determined by the society to build a church of their own. The necessary funds were subscribed, when a difficulty arose in regard to the loca- tion of the church building, which resulted in a withdrawal of about a third of the subscriptions and several of the members. Those who withdrew formed themselves into a society called the Protestant Methodist church, which organ- ization lasted but for a short time. dying for lack of support.
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