USA > Iowa > Page County > History of Page County, Iowa : also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county > Part 17
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46
In all these years Clarinda has been one of the leading charges of the Des Moines conference and the men who have served the charges have been men with marked ability and piety, who have won their way into the hearts of the community and have left behind many a monument of their efficiency.
The charge has had a continuous growth from the day of its organ- ization-more than fifty years ago. In the last twenty-five years up to the conference of 1905, about eight hundred and seventy have united with the
Digtinoco by Google
181
HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
church on probation. Of this number, the record, shows that seven hundred and ten have come into full connection-strong evidence that many who turned their backs upon Egypt, had still a taste for her garlic and flesh pots. Seven hundred and fourteen have been received by letter, six hundred and sixty-three have been removed by letter and about one hun- dred have died-a total membership of four and sixty, representing the work of the last twenty-five years, who remain.
During the present pastorate two hundred and fifty have come into full membership with the church, bringing the total membership up to about seven hundred.
EXTRACTS FROM REV. SAMUEL FARLOW'S LETTERS.
When the first Methodist ministers came into this county it was an entire wilderness, relates the Rev. Samuel Farlow in a letter to C. A. Lisle, in 1006. "Scarcely anything was raised for a living. But when Rev. Richard Mulhollen entered the Clarinda circuit in 1854, things had opened up nicely. Nothing like the heavy toiling or endurance the ministers had to undergo the first three years in starting Methodism in Page and Taylor counties. 'Father' William Rector was all of sixty years of age when he came into Page county. He rode over from Fremont county, where he lived, and organized some of the first societies in Page and Taylor counties. He traveled the new circuit without any salary and subsisted on corn bread and a slice of ham from the 'razor backs.' He did not even get biscuits for Sunday mornings but he was of a buoyant disposition and never com- plained. In following him, I fared somewhat better. On Sunday morn- ings I would be served with hot biscuits occasionally, as a team would go down to St. Joseph and bring up a few sacks of flour and one Samuel Farlow would get some of that flour." Rev. Farlow also speaks of Rev. John Anderson as a "noble brother and as true a man as ever preached in Page or Taylor counties. John and I were boys together on the New London circuit until 1846 and were both licensed to preach about the same time. Rev. Anderson organized the first class in Clarinda. There were only two or three members near Clarinda when I left for Fremont county in the fall of 1853. And here I desire to make a correction, not to be boastful, but to make a true history : I was in charge of the work in Page and Montgomery county Mission and preached the first sermon heard in Red Oak, when it was first laid out as a county seat."
"The first desolate cabin I moved into was about one mile from Alex- ander Davis' home, on a hillside facing the East Nodaway. It was sur- rounded with weeds, weeds, weeds. O. my! how wild it looked there! Some few of the good folks agreed to come and repair the house the next day. That first night a severe snow storm fell and we were fully snowed under, as the clapboards on the roof were all apart, no good to keep out the snow. The chinking between the logs was mostly gone and the chim- ney down to the ground, making a large opening where it once stood. Surely, we were in a bad fix. To add to our discomfiture, the promised
Diafinco by Google
:
182
HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
assistance was not on hand the next morning. So we left the cabin and went up to Alexander Davis', about one mile away. There Philip Bank, the son of Mr. Davis' wife, said to me, he had a cabin about one-half mile from there, in a partial state of completion. The walls were up ready for the rafters but no floor, no chimney, no door. He told me I could have the cabin free if I would finish it. I accepted the offer and went to work on the cabin with vigor. Peter Baker assisting me. We made it quite comfortable and this cabin became the first parsonage in Page county.
"My wife this winter, 1852-3. taught school in this cabin, being the first school taught in Page county. In the spring of 1853 I was compelled to give up my cabin and Mr. Hulbert offered me a box house and agreed to move it to an eight dollar lot of mine on the town plat of Clarinda, if my wife would teach school. To this proposition my wife gave her consent and Mr. Hulbert hitched his five yoke of oxen to the structure and started for town two miles away, and got within about three rods of the crossing at the south line of the town plot, when the oven became so exhausted they refused to go any farther. There the house was permitted to stand about ten days and Mrs. Farlow taught school while there. The oxen being rested, they were again hitched to the house and easily pulled it to its rest- ing place, on iny lot which was a little ways north of James Hawley's store. We did not, however, live in the house while it was being trans- ported. In this house I preached my first sermon in Clarinda-in the summer of 1853. From that time until August of the same year Clarinda was under my jurisdiction. In August myself and family were all laid low in our box house by malarial fever and were for some time absolutely helpless. There wasn't a person came to see us, had no one to cook for us or bring us a drop of water. Finally Peter Bowler discovered our con- dition and conveyed us, sick as we were, to his home at Shambaugh's Mills, where he had three cabins. He placed us in one of them, while in the adjoining one was Josh Brown, dealing out whiskey. We could hear him yell out : 'Come up boys, come up, and take some "black-strap." ' Many a one did and O! O !! O !!! how they would howl in there and use bad talk !
"At that time, thank the Good Saviour, Benjamin Rector, a lawyer and a local preacher, came to attend the first court in the county. He was a good man and a good preacher. He would attend court in the daytime and wait on me at night, like the good Samaritan that he was. He was a son of Rev. William Rector. On leaving for his home in Fremont, he said he would send a carriage for me and take me to his home. This he did at once. I was not able to attend conference but the bishop appointed me to the Sidney circuit, where I remained two years, but O! at the close of my second year, my dear wife lingered with a fatal illness seven weeks and died, leaving me with two children."
Samuel Farlow was the son of Nathan and Martha Farlow and was born in Union county, Indiana, November 3, 1825. He died November 25. 1906, at the home of his son-in-law, John F. Schee, a prominent banker and capi- talist of Indianola, Iowa. Mr. Farlow was converted at a Methodist camp-
Digtinco by Google
183
HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
meeting in his sixteenth year and became a member of the Methodist church. In 1842 his family moved to Iowa territory and settled near New London in Henry county. From his conversion he was active in all church work and was appointed a classleader when but seventeen years of age. He was licensed as an exhorter July 14, 1844, and in 1847 was licensed to preach and was assigned work by the lowa conference of that year. He delivered the first sermon in 1848 ever preached in Independence, Iowa. His work for about five years was in the eastern part of the state largely along the Mis- sissippi river. In 1850 he was married to Miss Isabelle Mason, a school teacher of Burlington. They had formerly been schoolmates. Mention is made in this article of her death which occurred in 1855. In September of 1856 Rev. Farlow married Arbelia Ribble, daughter of George and Sarah Ribble, pioneer settlers of Clarinda. They lived together more than fifty years. His widow and five sons and two daughters survive him.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CLARINDA.
It was Launcelot Graham Bell, the pioneer Presbyterian missionary, who organized the First Presbyterian church of this city. He preached along the line of what is now the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, from Bur- lington to Council Bluffs, and in the counties in the state south of that line. He was the first Presbyterian minister to preach the gospel in this place. He found two Presbyterian families not far from Clarinda, that of B. B. Hut- ton, two miles southwest, and that of John McLean, who then lived in Haw- leyville. The new church was organized August 25, 1855, with five members, as follows : B. B. and F. A. Hutton, and Mary S. Hutton, their daughter ; and John and Melissa McLean. The next day the church membership was increased by William H. and Mahala Robinson.
The church has been a member of the following presbyteries : Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Omaha, Missouri River, Council Bluffs and Corning.
Rev. D. A. Murdock, a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, united with the presbytery of Des Moines, at the same meeting at which the church became a member and returning from the presbytery he was engaged to preach for the infant church and continued to do so for nearly a year. He lived at Hawleyville, then the metropolis of Page county, and sometimes made the trip to Clarinda with Elder McLean, in an ox cart. He received an ap- pointment as missionary to the Otoe Indians and removed to discharge his new duties. For three years the church had only occasional preaching. This was by Father Bell, Rev. Hughes of Pacific City, Rev. Giltner of Nebraska City, and Rev. Swan of Missouri.
Rev. W. M. Stryker, having a commission from the Board of Domestic Missions, preached first in Clarinda, Thursday, October 20, 1859. His pas- torate here ceased September 13, 1863. Dr. Smith said: "Mr. Stryker was an earnest, impulsive man, his nature and his name intimately agreeing, as one who knew him well testifies, and he did much to set the church forward." He died in Fort Wayne, Indiana, January 24, 1885.
Dighinoo by Google
184
HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
In 1864, H. H. White, then a licentiate, was chosen to supply the pulpit. April 9, 1865, he was ordained an evangelist. He became the stated supply of the Sidney church, and its pastor in 1867. The speaker referred to him as an excellent preacher. Mr. White died in 1870.
James W. Clark came here a minister in 1866. He continued his pas- toral work of the church for two or more years, until failing health com- pelled him to resign. After spending ten years in other fields, he returned to Clarinda in 1879, and died in February, 1880. "The church prospered much under his ministry," said Dr. Smith.
The foregoing brings the record of the pastoral workers of the church down to the living.
Robert R. Westcott of this city served the church as its pastor for ten years, from 1869 until 1879. J. E. Williamson preached for six months. James H. Malcolm, then a licentiate of the Des Moines presbytery, was elected March 31, 1880, ordained and installed in April, 1880, and resigned to accept a call of the Scotch Presbyterian church, Chicago, March 20, 1887. The pastorate of T. C. Smith began in April of the same year.
The following shows the growth of the church: Number in organiza- tion August 25, 1855, five ; added on confession of faith, August 26, 1855, two; total, seven ; added from August 26 to October, 1859, sixteen; added by Rev. Stryker, forty-five ; added by Rev. White, twenty; added from June I, 1865, to January 1, 1866, six ; added by Rev. Clark, sixty ; added during part of 1869, seven ; added by Rev. Westcott, one hundred and fifty-four ; added from August 1, 1879, to April 1, 1880, six ; added by Rev. Malcolm, two hundred and thirty-five ; added during present pastorate, three hundred and five; total number received into the church from the beginning, eight hundred and sixty-one. During the pastorate of Rev. Westcott the church became self sustaining.
In 1862 a church was organized at Hawleyville which drew a number of members from the still weak church. These were returned on the disband- ing of the church in 1866. In 1864 a colony of thirty-three was dismissed to forin the Presbyterian church at Yorktown. In the session of the church, fourteen have filled the office of ruling elder, three of whom are dead. These three are B. B. Hutton, thirty years an elder ; James E. McCandliss, seven years; and Samuel C. Johnson, twenty-eight years.
The following is the roster of elders : B. B. Hutton, 1855, to 1885; John McLean, 1855 to 1862; 1867 to 1875 : James E. McCandliss, 1860 to 1867; Henry Loranz, 1867 to the present time; James W. Pruyn, 1867 to 1869; Samuel C. Johnson, 1870 to 1888; William D. Stitt, 1875 to 1884; John T. Porter, 1879 to 1884; V. Graff, 1879 to the present time ; T. E. Clark, 1879 to 1889; T. S. Morris, 1885 to 1888; 1890 to the present time ; J. A. Woods, 1885 to 1895; T. R. Stockton, 1890 to 1801 : G. William Richardson, 1890 to the present time.
Two deacons were elected at the first communion held by Rev. Stryker : Anthony Loranz and Hugh W. Gilchrist. Mr. Gilchrist was soon trans- ferred to Hawleyville but Mr. Loranz continued in office until his death. Said Dr. Smith : "Mr. Loranz had much to do with the church in this early day.
Digtinco by Google
185
HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
He was one of the active promoters in building the first house of worship, and he it was who obtained the bell as a gift to this church, by the church in Lewiston, Illinois, and hauled it in his wagon across the intervening prairies."
February 13, 1861, Thomas Evans was elected a deacon and installed the 17th of the same month. August 3, 1867, William M. Alexander and J. A. Woods were elected. November 30, 1885, J. H. Wolf, Cooper Maxwell, R. H. Fulton and Wilson Woods were elected. Mr. Woods is dead. Said he: "You tell me I am dying. I cannot realize that it is so. I am not afraid." June 13, 1887, F. W. Parish and J. H. Dunlap were elected, or- dained and installed.
The pastor said that the Sabbath school was older than the church, hav- ing been organized in the spring of 1855 as a union school, B. B. Hutton being its first superintendent, and continuing as such until the spring of 1859, when Anthony Loranz was chosen. He was followed in 1863 by Pro- fessor J. A. Woods and he in turn by W. M. Alexander in 1871. Then came T. E. Clark for about ten years and then Professor Woods again. In 1888 Henry Loranz was appointed superintendent by the session.
The prosperity of the school was commented upon. It paid one-half the expense of educating Paul Page, an Alaskan Indian boy. The church was organized in the cottonwood schoolhouse which had been put up by the residents of the neighborhood and this stood on the southwest corner of the south school grounds, This schoolhouse stood alone and from its door scarcely any habitations could be seen. Services were afterwards held in the court house. In 1860 the church was incorporated and Anthony Loranz and B. B. Hutton, the trustees, were authorized to select a site for the church building and to take measures to erect it. February 13, 1861, they presented to the church a house that served its purpose for twenty years. It was a white frame building, standing on the site of the present church. There were two doors in front, three windows on each side and a neat square belfry roofed in tin, wherein swung the bell that Mr. Loranz hauled from Illinois.
February 21, 1881, a congregational meeting of the church unanimously resolved to build a new house of worship. The only instruction given was that it should not cost less than seven thousand dollars. The building com- mittee were V. Graff, Dr. N. L. Van Sandt, O. A. Kimball and J. H. Dun- lap. January 1, 1882, the meetings were transferred from Hawley's Opera House to the still unfinished basement. June 11, following, the upper part having been finished and furnished, the building was dedicated, Dr. Ewing, president of Parson's College, preaching the sermon from the text, "I will make the place of my feet glorious." The basement was then finished. The entire cost of the church was eleven thousand dollars, all of which was pro- vided without a collection on the day of the dedication. "Since then" said Dr. Smith, " the church has undergone extensive changes and repairs. The seats were modified, much to the comfort of the sitter, the walls and ceilings have been frescoed twice, the old lamps have given place to electric lights and pulpit and chair have been enlarged and changed, new furniture has been put on the rostrum, and a new carpet on the floor. The basement has been altered,
Digtinco by Google
186
HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
especially by better ventilation under the floors and about the walls ; paper and paint and shutters have made the rooms below not only more attractive, but also more healthful. A piano has displaced the Sabbath school organ and the exterior has been much improved by taking away the old fence and removing the hitching racks and putting them all in the rear of the church. The praise of all this is largely due to the elect ladies."
After a long and successful ministration of the church in Clarinda, Thomas C. Smith gave way to John M. Maclean, who remained until 1909, leaving in the month of February. He was succeeded by a young man just out of McCormick Theological Seminary, Robert A. Cameron.
October 28, 1901, the church parsonage was purchased, at a cost of two thousand and fifty dollars.
The membership of the church is two hundred and seventy-five; Sunday school, two hundred.
The church is in a flourishing condition. Not a dollar of debt stands against it. The church edifice, however, stands very much in need of repair and possibly by the time this work goes to the printer, several thousand dol- lars will have been expended in remodeling the structure and in placing a pipe organ within its walls.
BAPTIST CHURCH OF CLARINDA.
In the spring of 1857 this church was organized by Rev. James Smith of Bedford, lowa, and had eleven charter members. They soon purchased a frame chapel built by the Methodist people, which stood on the site of the present United Presbyterian church. This served them until 1868, when the present church structure standing on East Promenade street was erected. It is an imposing brick building, costing about eleven thousand dollars, has a basement and the auditorium will seat five hundred people. The church at one time was in quite a flourishing condition but the membership has so dwindled that regular services cannot be held. Rev. J. E. Petty of Tarkio, Missouri, is the present pastor.
THE UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF CLARINDA.
The Universalist church is one of the defunct societies of Clarinda. It was organized January 28, 1859, with twelve members : Job Loy, A. Loy, Sal- lie Pfander, Charles Pfander, Sarah Pfander, Catharine Loy, Sr., Albert Heald, Jacob Loy, William Loy, Rachael Loy, and Catharine Loy, Jr. The society in its early days was quite flourishing and in 1864 erected a church edifice costing about six thousand dollars. The society in Clarinda went out of existence some time ago.
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CLARINDA.
This church was organized February 22, 1864. The above date is given in the records of the church although previous histories of the county make
Digtinco by Google
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CLARINDA
FIRST UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CLARINDA
Diamzeo by Google
Digilized by Google
189
HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
the date 1863. The charter members of the church were: William Alex- ander, Elizabeth Alexander, John R. Knox, Jane Y. Knox, Mary A. Duncan, Jane Lawrence, Samuel Murphy, Eliza A. Murphy, Sarah Gray, Samuel Alexander and Sarah E. Alexander.
Inside of a year the following new members were added: Robert Mc- Lain, Amanda McLain, Patrick Farquhar, Ann Farquhar, Samuel Johnston, Eliza J. Johnston, Sarah M. Johnston, Henrietta Johnston, Sarah J. Wood- worth, Edwin W. Chiney, Margaret Gray, Rebecca Gray, Amanda J. Smiley, Mary A. Murphy, Elizabeth McMichael, John Morton, R. C. Murphy and Sarah Murphy.
The first minister of the church was Rev. D. C. Wilson, who acted as supply until July, 1865, when he removed to Wisconsin and Rev. John S. Hadden was the pastor until January, 1866. In 1866, Rev. D. C. Wilson ac- cepted a call and was installed as pastor in October of that year. He re- mained with the church until March, 1887, and was succeeded by Rev. J. V. Pringle, who came first as a supply in June, 1887, but was formally in- stalled pastor in the following November. He was a man of much ability and energy and through his efforts the congregation increased rapidly. In 1864 the old Methodist church building was purchased and used as a place of worship until 1886, when the present church edifice was erected at a cost of seven thousand dollars. It is a handsome modern brick building, heated by steam and lighted by electricity. Its seating capacity is four hundred, ex- clusive of the gallery. It was dedicated October 3. 1886. The church is free of debt and numbers one hundred and eighty-eight communicants.
The Sunday school is in a flourishing condition and has an average at- tendance of one hundred and twenty-five. The church has in connection wo- men's auxiliaries and children's societies. In 1892 the church was struck by lightning which burned the entire roof and steeple. The building was re- paired at that time and in the fall of 1908 was completely remodeled, rewired for electric lights and practically refurnished.
In 1891 I. C. Rankin came to this charge and remained until 1897. He was succeeded by J. M. McArthur, who remained until 1899. His successor was J. W. S. Lowry, who came in 1900 and filled the pulpit acceptably to his parishioners until 1903, when he gave way to W. M. Jackson. Mr. Jack- son made his first appearance in Clarinda in 1904 and was the pastor of this church until December, 1909. At the present time the pulpit is vacant.
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The above church was organized at Clarinda in 1875 by Rev. James L. Marley, with a membership of twenty persons. The church building was erected in 1879 at a cost of four hundred and fifty dollars. Th auditorium has a seating capacity of nearly two hundred. The membership of the so- ciety is about forty.
Rev. James L. Marley, Rev. Clarke, Rev. William R. Alexander, Rev. J. W. Malone, Rev. T. Reeves, Rev. William Coles, Rev. T. J. Marshall,
Digiized by Google
190
HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
Rev. Brown, Rev. J. T. Nease, Rev. I. N. Daniels and others have filled the pulpit of this church.
COLORED BAPTIST CHURCH OF CLARINDA.
This is the outgrowth of what was a Union (colored) church, which so- ciety erected a frame chapel in the east part of this city about 1880. The church was not paid for and a mechanic's lien was placed upon the prop- erty. The building was used in common until the members of the church de- sired to divide by denominational lines. Neither party wanted to take the church and finally James Shambaugh took up the lien and sold the building to the Baptist portion of the society. They removed the building to where it now stands on Main street, paid off the debt and organized a colored Bap- tist church. They have regular Sunday services.
UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH, CLARINDA.
In April. 1883, three couples, A. B. Brown and wife, Father Mead and wife and William Weaver and wife, came together and organized the society of the United Brethren in Christ. The first services of this organization were held in the Methodist chapel. In 1885 the society bought of the United Presbyterians the frame church erected by the Methodist Episcopal society, which stood on the site of the present United Presbyterian building. The building was removed to East Main street and later to Fourteenth street.
Rev. Thomas Lincomb, Rev. William Clausen, Rev. D. B. Long, Rev. W. D. Fie, Rev. D. B. Clark and others have served as pastors of the church. At the present time the church membership is not very strong and meetings are held but intermittently.
FREE METHODIST CHURCH OF CLARINDA.
This society was organized April 10, 1887, with the following charter members: C. F. Hanley and wife; A. P. Sanborn and wife; G. B. Casey and wife; Frank Woods, Charles Huey and Rose Gibson. A church was bought in 1888 and dedicated in January, 1889. It is frame and cost twelve hundred dollars. A parsonage was built at a cost of eight hundred dollars and in 1902 improvements were made on the parsonage and church to the amount of five hundred dollars. The first pastor was J. M. Reilly, who oc- cupied the pulpit about six months and was succeeded by J. G. Stannard. His successor was Rev. C. S. Hanley, who was not only the minister but the editor of a newspaper, called the Fire-Brand. Below is given a list of the pastors of this church since 1889 up to the present time :
1890-01, W. W. Vinson : 1891-92, W. B. Nixon ; 1892-93, J. S. Phillips ; 1893-94. M. T. Casey, supply ; 1894-95, O. H. Antone ; 1895-97, E. N. Mil- ler : 1807-98, J. S. Phillips : 1898-1900, W. B. Nixon : 1900-03, Anna Taylor, supply ; 1003-04. J. H. Wilson; 1904-07, D. C. Lamson, Nora Lamson ; 1907-08. W. H. Austin ; 1908-09, F. I. Waters.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.