USA > Iowa > Page County > History of Page County, Iowa : also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county > Part 16
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aid from the people of Page county. It has twenty-seven miles of track in the county. The stations on this road in Page county are: Clarinda, Yorktown, Norwich and Shenandoah.
THE "DENVER SHORT LINE."
The above is applied to a line owned by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy company under the corporation name of Clarinda, College Springs & Southwestern Railway, running from Clarinda southwest to Northbarro, the southwest township of the county, where another section styled the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs line commences and runs on out of the state. This was built in 1881-82 and gives a fine southwestern out- let and connects at Clarinda with the Brownsville & Nodaway Valley road, giving an outlet to the main line of the "Q" at Villisca. On the "Denver Short Line" there are the stations of Page City, Coin and Northbarro.
As these lines are being written the Commercial Club of Clarinda is beginning to congratulate its composite self on the flattering prospects now before the community of a road, which is proposed and the preliminary surveys already completed, for Clarinda taking in College Springs on its way. The line will be seventeen miles in length and has been incorporated as the Iowa & Southwestern Railroad Company.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES OF PAGE COUNTY.
THE CLARINDA METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
(As Written by Rev. C. W. Blodgett on the Occasion of its Twenty-fifth Anniversary.)
What Methodism is in the capital of the state, it will be to a certain ex- tent in lowa ; what it is and has been and is yet to be in Clarinda, it will be in l'age county. I have found it extremely difficult to trace back the history of this church. From far and near has come what little I shall be able to tell you of our church in the quarter of a century of its existence. I find from the records of the court that the board of trustees was organized on the 18th day of March, 1857, though the society had an existence prior to this. I reproduce here a copy of the articles of incorporation : Know All Men by These Presents :
That Isaac Van Arsdol, Edward Long, H. H. Litzenberg, George Miller, Elijah Miller, Edward Keeler, David C. Ribble, Thomas Owen and J. S. Allen, the trustees regularly appointed and chosen by the Clarinda and Mont- gomery County Mission Trustees of the M. E. church, Iowa Conference, and according to the rules and provisions of said church, resolve ourselves into a body corporate for the transaction of such business and duties as devolve upon trustees of said church by the rules of the same.
Therefore, resolved, that we adopt the rules and regulations of the M. E. church for our own government and the government of our successors in
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office, and that the same be made a part and parcel of the articles of incor- poration as will fully appear, reference being made thereto.
Witness our hands and seal this 18th day of March, A. D., 1857.
ISSAC VAN ARSDOL, ELIJAH MILLER,
EDWARD LONG, THOMAS OWEN,
H. H. LITZENBERG,
JOHN S. ALLEN,
GEORGE MILLER, EDWARD KEELER,
D. C. RIBBLE.
Of the original incorporators but three are now living : Isaac Van Arsdol and wife and David C. Ribble, all of Clarinda.
From Samuel Farlow, the pioneer preacher and the man who blazed the way for others and who for nearly thirty years had done valiant service, I learn that he entered on the work called the Page and Taylor Mission, No- vember 2, 1852. No town of Clarinda was then in existence. The nearest preaching was at A. Davis', five miles south and east in the forks of the Nodaway. This was the first Methodist Episcopal church society organized in the county of Page and this was organized by Uncle Billy Rector, as he was familiarly known, a local preacher of Fremont county, who supplied the work. Father Rector died in the winter of 1872, after having lived to the advanced age of eighty years. His was a good life and his works do follow him. At that time, 1852, Rev. Farlow had a preaching place at William Loy's, three miles southwest of what is now Clarinda. In the spring of 1853 Clarinda, as the county seat of Page, was located and Rev. Farlow moved to the place where the town was to be. Mrs. Farlow taught the first school ever held in Clarinda and this school was taught in the preacher's house, which was also used as a church. In fact, there is nothing lawful and right but what a Methodist preacher's house can be used for.
The first sermon preached in Clarinda was by Rev. Farlow in the month of June, 1853. In the fall of 1853 Rev. Farlow, wife and child were taken very sick, and Benjamin Rector, a local minister and lawyer of Fremont county, coming to Clarinda to attend the first court, would watch by his bedside at night, attend court through the day and preach on Sunday. The early lawyers of southwestern Iowa, as well as preachers and laymen, were devout men and men who dared fight a wrong and not abet it.
In the fall of 1853 Rev. Farlow moved to Fremont county and at the close of his second year in that mission his godly wife, who for five years had traveled and labored as an itinerant minister's wife, teaching school and thus supplying at least one-half the wants of the home, fell asleep in Jesus, exclaiming as her last words, "Happy, happy, happy."
John Anderson followed Rev. Farlow in 1853 and organized the first class in 1854. This class was composed of four women. Yes, it was Mary first at the sepulchre of our Lord. It was Mary who stood on Golgotha and it was Barbara Heck who, laying her hand on Philip Embery in 1766 said, "Philip, you must preach for us or we will all go to hell." The first member of the great Methodism of this continent was a woman and it seems befitting that this church should be consecrated and her first altar sanc- tified by a woman's voice and prayers. I have learned the names of but two
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of these members. Mrs. Margaret Van Arsdol, who with her husband, joined during the year, is still with us. Through all these years their allegiance to the church, fealty to God and loyalty to truth and the right has never been questioned. Mrs. Amanda Polsley was another member. She I learn has gone to her reward. The church was organized in a log schoolhouse, and was the property of Dr. Lewellen. Rev. Jolin Anderson and Rev. Samuel Farlow were boys together in eastern Iowa, both entered the conference to- gether, and as Rev. Farlow puts it, both graduated at the same college -- Brush College or Grass Seminary, whichever is most appropriate. John An- derson was a conscientious Christian. He was plain and unostentatious. Rev. Farlow was an Aaron to talk, Rev. Anderson like Moses, slow of speech. The class at the close of this year in Clarinda was composed of the following members: Isaac Van Arsdol and wife, Amanda Polsley, Samuel Johnson and wife and Elijah Miller and wife. Elijah Miller was the first classleader. From 1854 to 1855 Richard Mulhollen was the pastor. The church was blest with a good revival and some of the best members the church has ever had were received.
In 1855 William Howbert was appointed pastor, William Goode being the presiding elder. During Rev. Mulhollen's time, in the spring of 1885, the first Methodist Sunday school was organized. It made some confusion, as there were some who preferred a Union school. There has since then been a perennial Methodist Sunday school in Clarinda. In 1856 Rev. How- bert was reappointed, with Rev. Farlow as his colleague. During their pas- torate the first Methodist Episcopal church was erected, the same still stand- ing and now the property of the United Brethren congregation. It was hard work then and yet the congregation rejoiced over it and shouted in it, and if there had been phonographs hid in the walls good Brethren friends might occasionally hear shouting. Those were the days of shouting. These are the days of probably not less work and prayer and might be the days of more work and prayer if the shouts had not all been shouted. The first parsonage was also built during their pastorate. The cost of the church was one thou- sand dollars. The work embraced Taylor, Adams and Page counties-quite a circuit-but those were the days of magnificent distances and pentecostal quarterly meetings. Services previous to this were held in the court house and many a good jury passed judgment on Jesus Christ and his preachers and, like Pilate, found no fault, but unlike Pilate, were willing to become his followers. In this court house a young man, John H. Merritt, a school- teacher by occupation, was converted. From this point he was sent out as a minister, and since then achieved an enviable reputation both in the North- ern New York and Colorado conferences.
In 1857 Thomas Wallace was appointed pastor. The work then em- braced Page county, a part of Taylor, and one appointment in Montgomery county. Rev. Wallace's ministry was greatly blessed by God. He says "I do not remember many incidents of the ministry of that year," but in Page county it is not an exaggeration to say that he followed to the grave one-half of all who died. Rev. Wallace was the champion in the mar- riage field. For about five hundred couples he said the word that made
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them one in the eyes of the law. Universally beloved and respected, the people of Page county felt that he made but one mistake and that was in packing up his goods, tying his chickens and moving to Mills county. As near as I can ascertain Rev. Guylee was presiding elder.
Following Rev. Wallace, in 1858 came Rev. Cole, who remained but a short time, Rev. Peterson taking up the work as he left it and finishing the circuit of a year.
C. Woolsey was the next pastor, remaining until the fall of 1861. Con- tinuous revivals followed and during these years many of the strongest classes of Methodism were organized in Page and adjoining counties. Rev. Woolsey died in Brooklyn, August 19, 1869, at the age of sixty-five.
In the fall of 1861 J. T. Hughes was appointed to the work, The circuit this year was cut down. The hive had swarmed. Rev. Hughes had three appointments-Clarinda, Tarkio and the Davis schoolhouse. There were good revivals at all these points. Rev. Hughes says among his standbys (preachers know what that word means) were Brothers Van Arsdol. Hinchman, N. B. Moore, Wallace and others. The large maple trees in front of the old parsonage were planted by Rev. Hughes. They were young and tender, he strong and valiant. They are now large and strong. During this year Bennett Mitchell (the Bishop Asbury of west- ern Iowa) was appointed presiding elder. The wide and commanding in- fluence of Methodism today is due to a great extent to the vigorous work, fervent and eloquent sermons and godly life of this man. Few are the preachers that could measure up to Rev. Mitchell.
Benjamin Shinn succeeded J. T. Hughes, coming to the work in 1862 and remaining two years. The society in Clarinda at this time worshiped in the first church built, now the site of the United Presbyterian church, but in the fall of 1863 it was determined to build a new and more com- modious house for the accommodation of the fifth session of the con- ference. This conference held its session in the Presbyterian church (the new Methodist church not being completed), Bishop E. S. Janes presiding. J. F. Goolman was secretary. The conference then numbered but fifty- six preachers with a lay membership of but seven thousand, two hundred and ninety-three. Now there are one hundred and fifty preachers in less than one-half the territory, and twenty-three thousand, six hundred and twenty-six lay members. Of this new enterprise now ready to be replaced by a still larger building, Rev. Shinn says: "Brother N. B. Moore headed the subscription with three hundred dollars and was seconded by Brothers Weidner, Van Arsdol, Hinchman and others. Brother Moore carried the hod and mixed the mortar for the foundation of the new building. Dur- ing this year there were so many obstacles in the way that the building was but little more than commenced. The lumber for the building was hauled by teams from Ottumwa. The conference session and the only ses- sion ever held in Clarinda was held in Father Ribble's grove."
William McKendrie Cain succeeded Benjamin Shinn, and from Clar- inda went to the Sioux City district, and is now deceased.
Dugal Thompson was appointed pastor in 1864. remaining but one
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year. At the close of that year he was appointed to the Winterset district as presiding elder but in that one year he succeeded in completing the church building and having it dedicated free of debt. Rev. Thompson says the cost of the building was six thousand dollars and at the time of the dedication the society was two thousand dollars in debt. "How to raise this was a puzzling question but we got Frank Evans. to come and dedicate it, and when the debt was to be lifted Brothers Hinchman, Moore, Van Arsdol, Weidner and others of the saints and the outside saints and sinners that would make good saints, put their shoulders to the load and off went the debt. We were a happy people that day." Rev. Thompson says: "The Clarinda charge was then, as it always has been and is now, one of the most progressive charges in the conference, especially noted for its Sunday school work and its promptness in supporting all benevolences. My salary that year was paid in full." E. M. H. Fleming was presiding elder at this time.
I believe it was during this year that the good Lord found a sweet singer over in old Yorkshire, England, and sent him to Clarinda. This singer was a genuine Englishman and Methodist Christian. He is liere yet, singing away and working away. It is the prayer of this church that if the Lord has any more such singers and workers who are not especially needed in England, to send them to America. I need hardly mention this brother's name for it is as long as his heart is big and a more thoroughly galvanized Yankee is not to be found.
At the close of Rev. Thompson's pastorate the work was left to be sup- plied. In due time Rev. Bartells came to the work.
In the fall of 1867 A. H. Shafer was appointed pastor and was reappointed in the fall of 1868. It was during his pastorate that the present parsonage was built, or at least a portion of it. The church continued to grow, souls were converted and the society generally built up. Rev. Shafer was well liked and to this day the influence of his efficient labors is felt. During his pastorate W. P. and M. A. Hepburn and others who have been and are yet prominent and working members of the church, became identified with the society.
At the conference session of 1869, C. C. Mabee was appointed pastor, and was reappointed in 1870. Rev. Mabee says a faithful attendance upon all the means of grace and a careful attention to the financial interests of the charge, indicated a spiritual and loyal membership. The Sunday school was well officered and there was a large per cent of adult scholars in attend- ance, a number of whom became deeply interested in their personal salva- tion and were led to Christ the following winter. U. P. Golliday, D. D., was presiding elder : a man in every way fitted for the position. His visits were anxiously looked for and his presence an abiding benediction. Rev. Mabee says: "I shall not deem it out of place to state that the great temperance movement of the Missouri slope was inaugurated here in the Methodist Episcopal church during the first year of my pastorate. An article from the pen of one of the sisters published in the paper and followed the succeed-
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ing Sabbath by a discourse in the morning and platform addresses in the afternoon and evening, continued for a number of evenings in succession, so brought the subject before the people and awakened such an interest that we called to our assistance some of the best temperance lecturers in the country -Mrs. Beavers, Mrs. Fletcher, and Dr. Ross, of Illinois-who gave us a course on the subject. The good work was carried forward, so that in a short time no license was granted to sell distilled liquors in Clarinda." It was supposed that the subscription taken at the time of the dedication of the church was sufficient to pay the entire indebtedness of the building and lot and the matter rested here for some time. During Rev. Mabee's two years on the charge, after examination it was found that a debt yet remained, also some was still owing on the parsonage,-nearly eighteen hundred dollars all together. Again the saints and sinners who would make good saints, lifted and away it went. The bell was purchased during this year. The acces- sion to the church was about fifty in the two years. A generous salary was paid Rev. Mabee and the same supplemented by some handsome donations. This good brother further says: "I cherish the recollection of the two years spent in Clarinda, and keep in my heart a warm place for those dear friends and fellow workers in the gospel."
Following Rev. Mabee came Artemus Brown, the jolliest and most hu- morous man that this church has ever had. He with his family landed here in 1871-Chicago was burning at the time-and his friends say he was ter- ribly frightened but he soon got over the fright and went right manfully to work. Rev. Brown stayed two years and he says his pastorate was free from spiritual chills or fevers of marked virulence. Some were converted, some died, some went to heaven and some apostatized. It can be truthfully said that Rev. Brown preached to large audiences. He pays a very high com- pliment to the church, its fidelity to God and fealty to the right. Judge Moore sent his carriage to Villisca for himself and family. Colonel Hep- burn handed him the first cash but he is inclined to doubt a certain black- berrying announcement that Colonel Hepburn declares he made. During this pastorate William McPherrin and others who are today the active work- ers became identified with the church in an official capacity. In the outer court stood the brothers-in-law and cousins of the church who received much good from this pastorate-Dunlap, Newton Ridenour, Chamberlain boys, Foster, Cramer, Harry Crooks, the last never missing but one sermon this brother preached. During this pastorate the kitchen was built on the parsonage. The railroad also reached Clarinda just as Rev. Brown started for conference at the close of his first year. Whether this pastor preached it here he does not say. A larger circle of friends no minister has ever had than this brother.
Following Rev. Brown, in 1873, came J. M. Holmes, who for two years walked in and out among this people as a man of God. Rev. Holmes reached a class in Clarinda that had never been reached and for the solidifying and spiritualizing of the congregation, his pastorate will ever stand prominent. Though dead, his works do follow him. Enshrined in the affections of the people, he still walks in and out among this people.
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REV. SAMUEL FARLOW
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In 1875 J. A. Wilson succeeded Rev. Holmes. During his pastorate year a gracious revival occurred and the church enlarged its borders. Rev. Wil- son was especially gifted as a pastor and his pulpit efforts attracted large con- gregations. At the close of his pastorate the church and congregation ex- pressed their appreciation and love in the largest donation ever given to any pastor in the charge. G. P. Bennett was this time presiding elder and for four years judiciously managed this and the other charges of Corning dis- trict.
Following J. A. Wilson came P. F. Bresee, in 1876, and he is the only pastor that remained the full term of three years. The sledge hammer blows, saints and sinners and sin received, the telling talks in favor of temperance, the rich and racy delineations of character will in all time to come linger in this city. The largest revival this church ever was blessed with occurred during the first year of Rev. Bresee's pastorate. The salary which had hith- erto been one thousand dollars was advanced to fifteen hundred dollars. The largest missionary collection ever taken was during his term, namely, five hundred dollars. The parsonage was enlarged for Rev. Bresee, as he en- joyed the felicity of having the largest family of any minister ever ap- pointed to the charge. He bequeathed to his successor a large congrega- tion, a well organized working membership and a Methodism whose fame was in all the conference.
W. S. Hooker was appointed to the charge in the fall of 1879 and re- moved at the next session of the conference to the great disappointment of the people, the Bishop deeming him the man to occupy the high position of presiding elder of the Council Bluffs district. Rev. Hooker sustained his enviable reputation as pastor and preacher and kept the church in the com- plete working order he found it. For several years there had been a mis- sion school near the depot, superintended by William McPherrin, organized during Rev. Bresee's pastorate. During Rev. Hooker's pastorate a neat and comfortable chapel, the outgrowth of this Sunday school, was built and paid for at a cost of about five hundred dollars. Large collections were reported at conference and some increase of membership.
In 1906 the fiftieth anniversary of this church was celebrated. The article below tells oi that occasion and the present condition of the churchi, also bringing its history down from where Rev. Blodgett left off in 1881 :
Rev. Hooker was followed by C. W. Blodgett, who is now pastor of the Methodist church in Alleghany, Pennsylvania, one of the great churches of Methodism. It was during Rev. Blodgett's ministry that the church cele- brated the twenty-fifth anniversary. The church at this time had three hun- (Ired full members. In 1881 came Rev. B. F. W. Crozier, who had been presiding elder of the Corning district, and it was under his pastorate that the present church building was erected.
The foregoing sentences have briefly chronicled the salient events of the first twenty-five years of the church's history. Justice could not in so brief a space be done the record of the faithful pastors and their no less faithful followers. They wrought well the results of their labors but they need not fear to meet at the judgment. On Tuesday, December 20, 1881. the board of
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trustees met at the office of McPherrin Brothers and organized for the con- ference year. Present, W. E. Webster, W. F. Burke, J. R. Hinchman, Isaac VanArsdol and M. R. Ansbach. A committee composed of W. E. Webster, M. R. Ansbach and W. F. Burke was appointed to ascertain on what terms the old church property could be disposed of and to estimate the cost of a new church building, procure plans and make an estimate of the amount of subscription that could be counted upon. The trustees sold the church prop- erty, lot 7, block 16, and lots 1 and 2 in block 20, to Elijah Beal and others for six thousand dollars, and purchased lots numbered 4 and 5 in block 20, the location known as the Malin Jones property, for the sum of two thousand dollars. The contract for the new building was let to N. A. Olson, who agreed to complete the building to the satisfaction of the building commit- tec, for the sum of nine thousand, six hundred and eighty-five dollars, this being the lowest bid, he to furnish everything except two hundred and sixty thousand brick which the board of trustees had already purchased, at seven dollars and a half per thousand.
The subscription to the building was supplemented by the sum of five hundred and sixty dollars cash, placed at the disposal of the board of trustees, by the Young People's Aid Society, for the purpose of purchasing the gas fixtures.
The church was dedicated January 6, 1889, under the pastorate of M. D. Collins, the dedication of the church having been delayed for a few years because of embarrassing indebtedness. The Des Moines annual con- ference held its twenty-fourth session at Clarinda, September 12, 1883. At this session of the conference J. B. Harris, E. E. IlgenFritz. W. G. Hohenshelt and L. B. Wickersham were among the number who were ad- mitted to the conference on probation. One of these has acceptably served this charge as pastor and another of this number is the present district su- perintendent.
It was during the pastorate of H. H. O'Neil that the present parsonage was built and with the present equipment of the church and modern facil- ities of the parsonage, the Clarinda charge is one of the best equipped in the Des Moines conference.
The following pastors have served the charge since the twenty-fifth anniversary: P. F. W. Crozier, two years; T. McK. Stuart, two years; H. H. O'Neil, two years : W. F. Burke, one year ; M. D. Collins, two years; E. W. McDade, five years ; J. F. St. Clair, two years; P. V. D. Vedder, two years; E. E. IlgenFritz, five years : F. Homan, one year; and the present pastor, J. W. Abel. since the conference of 1905.
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