USA > Iowa > Mills County > History of Mills County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc. > Part 65
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CHURCHES.
The moral interests of the community have been always carefully sub- served. From the earliest days of its history Glenwood has enjoyed the ministrations of the gospel of peace, and listened to the eloquence of capable men. The earliest services of this character were held in the homes of citizens. Later, when the city's population increased and acces- sions to the churches became more considerable, houses of worship became necessary, and were accordingly erected.
GRACE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH is the oldest organization in the city and dates from the year 1852. The membership was then very small, and no records exist to show either the number or the names. In 1854 a frame church was built at a cost of nearly fifteen hundred dollars, evidencing the prosperity which attended the society. In 1876 this was
16
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HISTORY OF MILLS COUNTY.
replaced by the present brick structure, costing the society some six thou- sand dollars. It was dedicated in the same year by Bishop E. G. Andrews, formerly of Des Moines. Since its organization by the Rev. Mr. Armstrong, who was its first pastor, the church has been ministered to by the Reverends Isaac Kelley, Woolsey, Bunn, Peter Fish, Conger, H. H. Oneal, J. W. Todd, W. P. Golliday, Israel Mershon, A. H. Shaffer, Peter St. Clair, A. P. Hull, J. M. Beck, Fred Harris, W. C. Mar- tin, H. S. Curl, and the present pastor, J. C. Eckles. The present mem- bership is two hundred strong, demonstrating that the society has been prosperous in a marked degree, and faithful to the trust imposed on it.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH of this city was organized October 18, 1856, by the Rev. John Todd, now of Tabor, and an early comer to the neighboring county of Fremont. The membership was originially composed of D. C. Briggs, Catherine Briggs, William Hopkins, Mrs. Clara H. Bosbyshell, Mrs. Bannau, and Cornelia Williams. After four years of successful operation this second society in the city built a church edifice, of brick, at a cost of some five thousand dollars. The structure was begun in the year 1857, but was not completed until 1860, and dedi- cated in the same year. The pastors who have ministered to its audiences have been the founder, the Rev. John Todd, who supplied the pulpit mainly, until 1860; Rev. Mr. Tingley from 1860-1861; A. V. House, from 1863-1865; O. W. Cooley, from 1865-1867; S. I). Storrs, from 1868- 1869; J. K. Nuttings, from June I869 to March 1873; John Alexander, from 1873-1877; A. Rogers, from 1877-1880; and the present pastor, Rev. J. B. Sharp, who began his labors October 1, 1880. The church has been very prosperous during all these past years, and now has a mem- bership of one hundred and fifty-six. The deacons at present are Daniel C. Briggs, I. A. Sprague and J. K. Sheldon.
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, of Glenwood, dates its existence from July 4, 1857, at which time it was organized with the following persons as members: O. N. Tyson, Catherine Tyson, William Hobson, Sarah Hobson, Lucinda Brown, Jacob Adams, Rachel Adams and Catherine Wickham. Eleven years after its organization, or 1868, the society built a brick house of worship, costing nearly six thousand dollars. The build- ing was dedicated in September of that year by J. C. Otis, who was its first pastor. In addition to that gentleman the following persons have served the church in the capacity of pastors, Edwin Cady, S. C. Sale, T. F. Borchers, and the present pastor Rev. F. W. Parsons. The member- ship is now one hundred forty. Since the organization of the church there have been received, by baptism and letter, three hundred sixty-five persons. Many have gone to their reward, others have removed to dif- ferent fields of labor, and a few have lost their interest in matters eternal, and left the good old ways of faith and salvation. But the career of the
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church has been a most prosperous one, and right well have been dis- charged the trusts imposed upon it.
CIVIC SOCIETIES.
The organizations usually included in societies of this kind have long existed in the city. The interests that find men together in communities lead to towns and cities, many who are brothers in respect to secret fra- ternities, and discovering one another's identity and standing, they soon form the nucleus of a new and influentinl association. This has been true of Glenwood. The masons were the first to come and the first to band themselves together.
GLENWOOD LODGE, No. 58, A. F. & A. M., was organized March 19, 1855, by authority of a dispensation granted by James L. Hogan, ~ M. W. G. M. of Grand Lodge of Iowa, with Samuel T. Marks, W. M. D. O. Oaks, S. W .; Achilles Rogers, J. W .; William Street, Secretary; George Hepner, treasurer; B. S. Reeder, senior D .; L. B. Kinney, junior D .; A. H. Burtch, tyler; A. W. Holister, and A. B. Walstan as charter officers and members. The membership has increased to fifty-eight resi- dent menibers, and many who have gone to other states and cities. The lodge is in a very flourishing condition. It is a matter that should be known to all that in this lodge did the plan of bringing the Iowa asylum for feeble minded children to Glenwood have its inception, and here was the influence mainly exerted that attained that object. The lodge is to be congratulated in having done so noble an act for humanity, and so po- litic an act for the state.
MT. GERIZIM CHAPTER NO. 59, ROYAL ARCH MASONS, was organ- ized November 21, 1870, with the following charter members and officers. C. W. Spalding, H. P .; T. P. Ballard, king; A. E. Smith, P. S .; E. C. Bosbyshell, scribe; W. H. Anderson, treasurer; H. J. Rockwell, secre- tary; C. H. Newell, chaplain; Charles P. King, C. H .; L. W. Russell, R. A. C .; R. H. Daniel, G. M. third V .; D. L. Conger, G. M. second V .; W. G. L. Templeton, G. M. first V .; W. R. English, tyler; Benjamin Harrison, F. W. Patrick, P. St Clair and Henry Hastings. The charac- ter of the chapter may be well judged from the men who formed it, and its nucleus and influence was assured from the outset.
GLENWOOD LODGE No. 97, I. O. O. F. was instituted under a charter issued by the Right Worthy Grand Lodge of the State of Iowa, dated October 9th, 1856, and signed by John Pope, grand master, and William Garrett grand secretary. The charter members of the lodge were James Mullen, Thomas J. Jones, Joseph Horsfall, Saul Hibbs, Davis W. Black- mar, James A. Donelan and W. R. English. The first meeting was held October 30th, and the following officers were elected: James Mullen, N. G .; Joseph Horsfall, V. G .; James A. Donelan, Secretary; and Thomas
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HISTORY OF MILLS COUNTY.
Jones, Secretary. The meetings were for a long time held over Hinch- man's drug store. For several years the lodge was very prosperous, but during the war it lost many members, and from a variety of causes fell into a decline. Many members went into the army, others died, and a number of prominent members left the county. A few, however, man- aged to keep up the organization until January 3, 1867, when the affairs of the lodge were wound up and the charter surrendered to the Grand Lodge. April 4, 1871, M. Miller, A. J. Russell, J. A. Donelan, D. B. Lufkin, D. M. Meyers, and H. O. Standish petitioned the Grand Lodge for a restoration of their charter. The following were the first officers of the lodge after its reinstation: M. Miller, N. G .; D. L. Conger, V. G .; A. J. Russell, Treasurer; P. P. Ballard, Secretary. The lodge rapidly increased in membership, and was, at one session of the Grand Lodge, declared to be the banner lodge of the State, having received fifty-two initiates in one year. The meetings were held in the old post-office build- ing, since destroyed by fire. In January, 1875, the lodge took possession of their present hall, which is one of the finest in the state. Since the organization there have been 193 persons admitted to membership. The number of active members as shown by the January report of 1881, is ninety-five. The Past Grands of the lodge are M. Miller, J. A. Donelan, T. A. Davis, D. B. Lufkin, A. S. Ober, G. W. Downs, S. Mershow, E. Starbuck, T. W. Ivory, R. H. Brent, D. L. Heinsheimer, A. J. Hight, Jas. S. Hendrie, J. M. Hixson, and C. W. Shaw. The officers of the present term are: J. W. Laraway, N. G .; Thos. A. Brown, V. G .; Wm. Hoch, Treasurer; Byron Mershon, Secretary; C. W. Shaw, Permanent Secre- tary. They at present occupy their hall in Lufkin's block, in connection with the Western Star Encampment and Glenwood lodge No. 33 K. of P. The financial condition of the lodge is good, considering the heavy demands that have been made upon its treasury. There is nearly $500 in the Widow and Orphan's fund, which is at interest. H. C. Ayers, of Hastings lodge, was its last representative in the Grand Lodge, and is the present D. D. G. M. of this district. Of late there has been a revival of interest and the lodge is now in a healthy and prosperous condition. Lodge meets every Tuesday evening.
WESTERN STAR ENCAMPMENT No. 90, I. O. O. F., was chartered October 18, 1876, by the Grand Encampment of the state of Iowa. The charter members and officers were T. P. Ballard, C. P .; C. F. Foster, H. P .; J. M. Powell, S. W. J. S. Hendrie, J. W .; J. M. Hixon, Scribe; M. Miller, E. F. Landon, George Schindel, Thomas Bowman, R. B. Parish and Charles Deyboos.
The only other secret fraternity represented in the city of Glenwood is that of the KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS. GLENWOOD LODGE NO. 43 of this order was organized February 25, 1879. Dating its foundation from so recent
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HISTORY OF MILLS COUNTY.
a day it has comparatively little history, and scarcely anything can be presented to the reader aside from the names of the founders, and the position they held in the organization. They are W. F. Laraway, C. C. and P. G. C .; Seth Dean, Prelate; J. M. Shaffner, William Dumdi, I. G .; W. H. Parsons, M. G. Burke, H. G. Cilley, P. C .; R. Brent, J. S. Hen- drie, M. of E .; E. W. Coe, H. B. Williams, T. W. Tolman, J. S. Frazee, M. H. Beyer, V. C .; M. G. Edwards, M. of A .; C. C. Sprague, D. A. Farrell, A. J. Russell, H. F. Wilson, M. of F .; A. Davis, John Hettin- ger, P. B. Laraway, D. Jones, C. W. Lufkin, K. of R. and S .; W. R. English, O. G .; and Louis Sovereign. The membership is now forty- four, showing the prosperity of the organization and the favor in which it is held. The lodge convenes each Thursday evening, is fully uniformed, and doing excellent work in advancing its distinctive principles.
The only other civic organization is a military company, organized December 1, 1880, concerning which no further information can be given.
ASYLUM FOR FEEBLE-MINDED CHILDREN.
During the civil war of 1861-65, measures were taken to care for the children of those brave men who fell in defense of their country's flag. On a preceding page* of this volume will be found an account of the various places selected as the site of these institutions. The act, which is there mentioned, establishing the Soldiers' Orphans' Home at Glenwood bears the date of 1866.
Under the general act of the legislature of that year providing for the establishment of an Iowa soldiers' orphans' home, a commission consist- ing of Hons. W. F. Sapp, of Council Bluffs; W. C. Sipple, of Fremont county; Addison Oliver, of Monona; Judge Pendleton, of Sioux City; and W. Hale, of Mills county, was appointed to designate a location and site for a western branch. This committee met at Council Bluffs on July 4, 1866, and after due deliberation the city of Glenwood and the present site was agreed upon. The fifteen acres of ground on which the build- ing was erected and now stands was a donation to the State by Mills county as an inducement for the location of the western branch at Glen- wood.
It will be noted from the page hitherto cited, in March, 1876, the sol- diers' orphans were to be removed from all the other institutions to the one at Davenport. With this act the objects that created the institution ceased to have any connection with it. Two days thereafter the follow- ing entitled act was passed by the Sixteenth General Assembly:
* Pages 199-201.
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Chapter 152 of the acts of the Sixteenth General Assembly, entitled an act to provide for the organization and support of an asylum at Glenwood, in Mills county, for feeble minded children.
Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa:
SECTION 1. That there is hereby established at Glenwood, in Mills county, in this State, an institution to be known as the asylum for feeble minded children, and the property of the State at that point, including buildings and grounds heretofore used for the western branch of the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' home shall be used for that purpose. Said institu- tion shall be under the management of a board of trustees, consisting of three persons, two of whom shall constitute a quorum for business. Said trustees shall be elected by the General Assembly, and at least one of them shall be a resident of Mills county. They shall hold their office for two years, or until their successors are appointed and qualified. They, or either of them, may be removed at any time, by the Governor for incompetency or bad behavior on good cause shown. Any vacancy created from any cause shall be filled by the Governor when the General Assembly is not in session.
SEC. 2. The purposes of this establishment are to care for, support, train and instruct feeble minded children.
SEC. 3. The board of trustees shall appoint a superintendent, whose duty it shall be un- der the direction of the board, to superintend the care, management, training and instruc- tion of the inmates of the asylum and the management of its finances. He shall give a bond to the State of Iowa, in such sum as the board shall require, to be approved by the board, conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties. He shall make quarterly settlements with the board, the latter being represented by the resident trustee, assisted by the county Auditor. The Auditor shall receive three dollars per day for his services while so employed. The superintendent shall be removable by the board at its pleasure.
SEC. 4. The board of trustees shall have the general supervision of said asylum and all its affairs, and shall adopt such rules and regulations for the management of the same as will carry into effect the provisions and purposes of this act. They shall elect one of their number president, and another treasurer; they shall also elect a person, who may or may not be one of their number, secretary. The treasurer shall give such bond as the board shall require, conditioned for the faithful accounting of all moneys that come into his hands. The secretary shall receive three dollars per day for the time he is actually employed during the sessions of the board or under their direction. Said board shall meet on the first Wednesday in November of each year and at such other times as two of their number may direct. All of said meetings after the organization of the board shall be at the asylum. The full compensation of the members of said board shall be mileage, such as is allowed by law to members of the general assembly.
SEC.5. There shall be received into the asylum, weak-minded children, between the age of seven and eighteen years, whose admission may be applied for as follows:
First. By the father or mother, or by either of them, if the other be dead or adjudged to be insane.
Second. By the guardian duly appointed.
Third. In all other cases, by the board of supervisors of the county in which such child resides. It shall be the duty of such board of supervisors to make such application for any such child that has no living, sane parent or guardian in the state.
SEC. 6. The persons for application for admission into the asylum shall be such as the trustees shall prescribe, and each application shall be accompanied by answers under oath to such interrogatories as the trustees shall, by rule, require to be propounded.
SEC. 7. For the support of said institution there is hereby appropriated, the sum of ten (10) dollars per month for each child therein actually supported by the state, counting the actual time such child is an inmate, and supported by such institution, and upon presenta- tion the auditor of the state, for each month, of a sworn statement of the average number of children supported in the institution by the state, for the preceding month, the auditor shall draw his warrant upon the treasurer of state, in favor of the treasurer of the board
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HISTORY OF MILLS COUNTY.
of trustees, for such sum. In cases where the parents or guardian are able to do so, they are to support the child, or children whose admission they apply for; and such abil- ity to support shall be determined by the board of supervisors of the county in which such children reside.
In cases where the parent is able to pay a portion of such support he shall do so, and the balance shall be made up by the state; and the board of supervisors of the county where such child resides, shall decide how much such parent or guardian shall pay. The super- intendent in his sworn monthly statement shall show the number of such children as par- tially paid for, and the amount which the state is to pay, which amount shall be included in the auditor's warrant. In all cases where the parent or guardian pays under the provis- ions of this act the board of supervisors of the proper county shall require such security for the amount to be so paid as the said board of trustees shall prescribe. All salaries for officers and compensations for teachers and help shall be paid out of the support fund, ex- cept as otherwise herein declared. No more of said support fund shall be drawn than is necessary for the purposes for which it is appropriated.
SEC. 8. The expenses of transmission of children to the asylum shall be paid out of the support fund, in cases where they are supported by the state. In other cases by the parent or guardian.
SEC. 9. The board of trustees shall make a full report of the disbursements of the asylum and its condition, financial and otherwise to the general assembly at each regular session thereof.
SEC. 10. The inmates of the asylum may be returned to the parents or guardian whenever the trustees may so direct.
SEC. 11. There is hereby appropriated out of any moneys in treasury, not otherwise ap- propriated, the sum of three thousand dollars ($3,000), or so much thereof as may be neces- sary for furnishing the asylum, the same to be paid upon the order of the president of the board, as it may be needed.
SEC. 12. There is hereby appropriated the further sum of two thousand dollars for the next two years to aid in paying the salaries of officers and teachers, and for help, but no part of this shall be drawn unless the support fund is found insufficient, and then upon the order of the president of the board as the same may be necessary.
SEC. 13. There is hereby appropriated out of any money in the state treasury, not other- wise appropriated, the sum of one thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for the purpose of making such repairs of the said building and grounds as may be needed, to be drawn upon the order of the president of the board of trustees.
There is further appropriated the sum of two hundred dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary for the purpose of purchasing school-books and apparatus for said asylum, to be drawn as aforesaid.
SEC. 14. The superintendent may, under the direction of the board, appoint a matron and steward, and appoint such teachers and employ such help as may be needed.
SEC. 15. The term "feeble minded children," shall be construed to include idiotic chil- dren between the ages of seven and fifteen.
SEC. 16. This act being deemed of immediate importance shall take effect and be in power from and after its publication in the daily State Register and Iowa State Leader, newspapers published in Des Moines, Iowa.
Approved March 17, 1876.
Under this act the buildings were at once set apart by the state for the reception of the unfortunates who should need its care.
It is interesting to note the incipient steps leading to the establishment of this institution. They seem to have been inaugurated by Dr. C. T. Wilbur, superintendent of the Illinois Asylum for Feeble-minded Children, who addressed a circular to various influential men in Iowa, under
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HISTORY OF MILLS COUNTY.
date of February 4, 1876. In this circular he stated that the ratio of poor children, who are idiotic or feeble-minded, to the population of Iowa, was, at least, one in every one thousand. Up to that date there seem to have been taken no steps looking to the care of these children. The attention of Dr. Wilbur was directed to this matter from the frequent applications made to him to receive pupils from this state into the institution of which he had charge in the adjoining state of Illinois. In the circular referred to, he cites a letter to him from a resident of this state, a copy of which is appended:
June 10, 1874.
C. T. WILBUR, Jacksonville, Ill .- DEAR SIR :- Enclosed find statement of our poor child. I sincerely hope it will be satisfactory and that you will take charge of him for one year at least.
My wife has completely broken down with the care and anxiety incident to the case and I greatly fear the result of the further continuance of it.
Doctor, do for the sake of our common humanity, consent to take him for a time at least, for the sake of the respite it will give my wife and family.
I think you can help the case wonderfully, and that he can be taught enough to make the care of him less burdensome, in case you cannot have him remain continually.
I feel that one in your position must have full sympathy for those thus affiicted, and that there is no need of a lengthy letter to arouse it.
We must have help from some source, and I hope you will stretch out a helping hand.
Let me hear from you by return post-state terms of admission, and when we can bring him to you, and don't deny the appeal.
Yours very truly, J. H. W.
The wards of the Illinois asylum all being full, beyond the real capacity of the institution, the application could not, of course, be entertained. Two years later the same individual renewed his application, and this was the immediate cause of the circular. But there were others, and in this state, whose attention had been called to the matter in a most thoughtful manner. The real originator of the movement in Iowa, is Dr. W. S. Robertson, of Muscatine, and who subsequently became a member of the first board of trustees. To the intelligent and philanthropic co-operation of the Hon. John Y. Stone, of Glenwood, the project was presented to the attention of the general assembly, and the act last above cited was passed, and the institution for the feeble-minded of Iowa, began its exist- ence. Besides Dr. Robertson, the remaining members of the first board of trustees were Hon. J. W. Cattell, of Des Moines, and A. J. Russell, Esq., of Glenwood. On April 26, 1876, the trustees held their first meet- ing at Glenwood, and organized with Dr. W. S. Robertson, president, A. J. Russell, treasurer, and J. W. Cattell, secretary. The first act of the board was to examine the property heretofore held as a Sol- diers' Orphans' Home, and now about to be devoted to a new use. In a report to the general assembly bearing date of November 7, 1877, the trustees say with relation to this property that: "The removal
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HISTORY OF MILLS COUNTY.
of the soldiers' orphans to the home at Davenport had taken place about a year and a half before, and the house and farm, although ostensibly in charge of a janitor, had been shamefully neglected and abused. The fences were broken down and the lumber destroyed and carried away; the windows were broken; many of the doors off the hinges; the floors broken and otherwise damaged in many places, and the floor in one large dormitory so polluted and filthy as to demand its removal and a new one substituted; the walls were begrimmed with smoke and dirt; the cellars reeking with offensive odors emanating from piles of decayed and decay- ing vegetables and every conceivable variety of filth and garbage; the drains were obstructed or filled up by the innumerable army of rats, with which the whole place is infested; the cisterns were " broken cisterns which contained no water;" the pump demoralized; the wind-mill, which had lifted the water for the soldiers' orphans from a deep well, was broken to pieces and lost; the roof was so injured that the rain had caused much of the plastering to fall from the upper ceilings, and the walls were damp and dirty. In short, the whole property was in the worst possible condi- tion.
"Such was the state of the property which we had asssigned us, and which necessitated the immediate outlay of a considerable sum of money for repairs absolutely required, not only to save the property of the state, but to render it at all tenable. In consideration of this general demolition, the board directed the resident trustee, Mr. Russell, to employ a man by the month, who should go into the house and as rapidly as possible clean. and renovate the building throughout; and who should also repair the fences and put the land into such crops as should be of use to the family of feeble minds that should be gathered there. This was done, and through the supervision of Mr. Russell few vegetables were used which were not produced upon the lot belonging to the asylum, after such veget- ables could be grown."
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