USA > Iowa > Hancock County > History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 31
USA > Iowa > Winnebago County > History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 31
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In Amsterdam school township there are eight teachers; 204 of school age; 166 enrolled; and eight buildings valued at $8,100.
In Avery there are seven teachers; 169 of school age; 141 enrolled; and seven buildings worth $1,850.
In Bingham there are eight teachers; 189 of school age; 139 en- rolled; and eight buildings with a value of $2,800.
In Boone there are eight teachers; 171 of school age; 132 enrolled ; eight buildings valued at $1,300.
In Britt school township there are six teachers; 161 of school age; 124 enrolled; and six buildings worth $5,900.
In Concord there are six teachers; 123 of school age; 62 enrolled; and seven buildings costing $3,700.
In Crystal there are seven teachers; 230 of school age; 143 en- rolled; and seven buildings valued at $5,500.
In Ell there are eight teachers; 185 persons of school age; 148 enrolled; and eight buildings worth $5,800.
In Ellington there are nine teachers ; 280 of school age; 191 enrolled and nine buildings worth $7,900.
In Erin there are eight teachers; 164 of school age; 137 enrolled and eight buildings worth $3,800.
In Garfield there are six teachers; 141 of school age; 97 enrolled; and seven buildings valued at $2,600.
In German there are nine teachers; 171 of school age; 130 enrolled; and nine buildings worth $5,250.
In Madison there are seven teachers; 134 of school age; 129 en- rolled; and seven buildings with a total value of $4,250.
In Magor there are eight teachers; 210 of school age; 149 enrolled; and eight buildings with a combined value of $6,450.
In Orthel there are nine teachers; 192 persons of school age; 158 enrolled; and nine buildings worth $5,400.
In Twin Lakes there are eight teachers; 154 of school age; 141 en- rolled; and eight buildings valued at $4,600.
This makes a total for all the school townships of one hundred and twenty-two teachers, 5 of them men; 2902 persons of ages from five to twenty-one-1490 male and 1412 female; an enrollment of 2187; and 124 buildings with a total value of $75,200.
For the whole county the statistics are: 182 teachers, 12 of whom are men; 4779 persons of school age-2404 males and 2375 females; an enrollment of 3807; 135 school buildings with a total value of $215,000.
Besides the above there are 24 pupils living in Hancock County who attend the Meservey consolidated district school in Cerro Gordo County.
CHAPTER VIII
RELIGION IN HANCOCK COUNTY
ORIGIN OF DENOMINATIONS-HISTORY OF METHODISM-CATHOLICISM- CONGREGATIONAL - GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH - LUTHERANISM UNITED PRESBYTERIANISM-UNITED BRETHREN-BAPTIST CHURCHES IN GARNER-CHURCHES IN BRITT-OTHER CHURCHES IN THE COUNTY.
The first settlers in Hancock County brought religion with them, and although no organized societies or specific denominations were evident until after a few years, meetings were held in the various homes and prayer said by some member of the community. Before speaking of the beginning of religious services in Hancock County. some space must be given to the origin of the various denominations which are said to have been prominent here. Methodism may first claim our attention.
The name Methodism was given to the religions movement inau- gurated in England by John Wesley. The name has been given sub- sequently to all the churches which have sprung from that movement, of whatever nationality they may have been. Other churches, al- though not bearing the name of Methodism specifically, may be safely identified with that denomination. The denomination dates from the year 1739. The religion of the Methodists was introduced into Ire- land in 1747 by the organization of a society in Dublin by Thomas Williams. English troopers carried Methodism to Jersey in 1779 or 1790, after which the mainland of France was invaded. C. G. Miller, a youth from Württemberg, went to London in 1805, was converted, , and in 1830 returned to South Germany, where he preached the doc- trine of that church. In Italy the Methodists first took hold in 1852, when the French sent M. Rostan into the Piedmont Valley.
The first Methodist Society in the New World was formed from German refugees to Ireland, who had been expelled from the Palatinate by Louis XIV. Philip Embury and Barbara Heck were converted in Ireland and upon landing in New York in 1760 began preaching their faith. Thomas Webb, a captain in the army, also preached in New York and elsewhere about the year 1766. Robert Strawbridge, also a native of Erin, began the work in Maryland, assisted by Robert Williams, the apostle of Virginia. In 1769 Wesley dispatched Richard
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Broadman and Joseph Pilmoor, and two years later Francis Asbury and Richard Wright, to help the cause in America.
In 1773 the first conference was held, with ten ministers and 1160 members. The Revolutionary War came at this juneture, but instead of bringing disaster to the Methodists, really tended to increase their numbers. At the end of hostilities there were 80 preachers and 15,000 members. Wesley endeavored to get a bishop in England to ordain one of his preachers in America. He was not successful in this, so concluded he had the necessary authority himself. Accordingly, on September 1, 1784, he ordained Whatcoat and Vasey as deacons, on the next day the elders, and Coke, superintendent. He instructed them to organize the American societies into a church. This was clone at the Christmas Conference in Lovely Lane Chapel, Baltimore, December 24, 1784, to January 2d following. Here Asbury was ordained deacon, elder and superintendent, the societies taking the name of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Since then the growth has been great. In 1914 there were 62,416 churches of all branches; 41,925 ministers and 7,328,829 communicants.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, began in 1844, when the church was divided into two branches. The question of how to abolish slavery separated the members. The north churches believed in the excommunication of the states which favored slavery and the south maintained that such action would destroy all the good work which the denomination had accomplished in America. The General Confer- ence of 1844 authorized the division.
The Methodist Protestant Church was started in 1828 and organ- ized under that title in 1830. It traces its origin back to the Evangel- ical Reformation begun by John and Charles Wesley.
To trace the origin of the Catholic Church would be far too stu- pendous a task for a work of this scope. However, it may be said by way of introduction that the Roman Catholic Church acknowledges the Pope or Bishop of Rome as its leader and adheres to this center of control as essential to membership.
The first account of Catholicism in America is that of the presence of priests in Greenland in the Tenth Century. The diocese of Garder was established in 1112 A. D. The first authentic history opens with 1494, when twelve priests accompanied Columbus to the New World. They were subject to the Spanish See of Seville until 1512, when the first American Episcopal See of San Domingo was created. In 1522 a see was established at Santiago, Cuba, and in 1530 one in Mexico. From these latter named sees were evangelized the Indians of the northeastern and southwestern territories of the prosent United States. The Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits
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established missions through here at this time, also about this same time French missionaries labored with the savages of the St. Law- rence River, Maine, northern New York and on the Mississippi River. In 1634 Jesuit fathers were established in the originally Roman Cath- olic colony of Maryland and after 1681 Roman Catholics were in con- junction with Penn and the Quakers in Pennsylvania. Until 1784 they were under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Vicar Apostolic of London and "their religious needs were attended to by such missionaries as could be induced to cross the ocean."
The American Revolution brought a change for the better. The various disorders of the Old World resulted in a large immigration, the greater per cent of which was Roman Catholic, which in turn was largely composed of Irishmen. In 1790 the See of Baltimore was created, John Carroll being made the first bishop. There were then about 30,000 Catholics in the thirteen colonies. By 1820 the number had reached 250,000; in 1840 about 1,000,000; in 1870, 5,000,- 000; and now the Catholics in the United States number easily 16,- 000,000.
The church in the United States is divided into provinces and dio- · ceses. Each province is presided over by an archbishop and this forms an archdiocese: besides there are 85 separate dioceses, one vicarate and one prefecture apostolic (Alaska). The dioceses are divided into parishes and missions.
Congregationalism designates a church organization of which the Congregational Church is only a part. The term may include the Baptists, River and Plymouth Brethren, Christians, Disciples of Christ, Unitarians, Hebrew Synagogues, Adventists and American Lutherans. The word has other applications covering a broad area.
Congregationalism, as we now know it, had its origin in discus- sions subsequent to the English Reformation. The earliest advocates formed the radical side of the English Puritan Protestants. It is said that notwithstanding the fact that a church Congregational in organ- ization existed in London in 1567, Congregationalism itself was first in the writings of Robert Browne, of Cambridge. He organized a Con- gregational Church at Norwich in 1580-1. He was compelled to seek safety in Holland, whence he issued tracts advising a separation from the Church of England. This gave the name of Separatists to the early members of the denomination. In 1587 preaching was conducted by Henry Barrowe, an attorney of London, and John Greenwood, another Cambridge man. They had gathered a large following by their eloquence and consequently came under the eye of the govern- ment. The organization of a Congregational Church in London in 1592 was closely followed by the hanging of Barrowe, Greenwood and
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John Penry in the next year. Most of the members were exiled to Amsterdam, Holland, where they were led by Francis Johnson and Henry Ainsworth. At Scrooby and Gainesborough in England other churches modeled after the Congregational were founded; both even- tually sought refuge in Holland. The former church with Pastor Robinson and Elder Brewster went to Leyden in 1609, thence a small part emigrated to New England in 1620, founding Plymouth in Decem- ber of that year. Here they lived and struggled under Brewster, William Bradford, Edward Winslow and Miles Standish. More came in 1628, having been driven out of England by Charles I. They united with the former party in 1629 and afterward Massa- chusetts became very strongly Congregational. By 1645 there were 53 churches; in 1816 there were 1020 churches and about 100,000 mem- bers. In 1905 there were 5931 churches and 700,000 members.
The founders of the German Reformed Church came to America from the Rhine provinces in Germany and from the German cantons of Switzerland. The greater part of this immigration occurred between the years of 1710 and 1770. These people established them- selves in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Carolina and Georgia. The first congregation was organized at Germantown, Virginia, in 1714, with Rev. John Henry Haeger as the pastor. Gradually most of the churches of this denomination in the colonies became absorbed by the other churches, the Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Lutherans. The Reformed Church, however, became denominational in Pennsylvania. The first pastor here was Samuel Guldin. The organizer and pastor of the three original churches was John Philip Boehn. Before 1740 there were twenty-four Reformed congregations in Pennsylvania and the leading ministers of the period were Boehn, Templeman, Weiss, Rieger and Goetschius. In 1747 the congregations united in a coetus (synod) under Rev. Michael Schlat- ter, and were under the jurisdiction of the Holland synods. Thus the German Reformed Church began in America.
Lutheranism arose from the Reformation in Germany. The church is the mother of Protestantism. This was in the Sixteenth Century. The Lutheran Church and its branches now has in the United States alone some 2,112,494 members.
Rasmus Jensen, a Lutheran pastor, came to America as chaplain of a Danish expedition in 1619, preaching at the winter quarters at Hudson Bay, where he died February 20, 1620. Dutch Lutherans settled on Manhattan Island in 1623, but did not have a regular min- ister until the English came in 1664. In 1626 Gustavns Adolphus, King of Sweden, prepared to undertake the introduction of the gospel in America through colonization. He died unfortunately in 1632, but his
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prime minister established colonies on the Delaware in 1638. A pastor, Reorus Torkillus, arrived in 1639 and was the first Lutheran pastor in the territory of the United States. He held services in Fort Chris- tina and the first Lutheran Church in North America was there. A block house was soon built. In 1643 there arrived Governor Printz and Rev. John Campanino, who built a church at Tinicum, nine miles southwest of Philadelphia. In 1684 the first English Lutheran serv- ices were held in Germantown and Philadelphia by Heinrich B. Koster.
The first German Lutheran church in Pennsylvania was at Falck- ner's Swamp, established there in 1703. The Germans, exiles from the Palatinate, began to arrive during the Eighteenth Century and settled in New York and Pennsylvania. Rev. John Caspar Stoever traveled among them in 1728 and preached. Rev. Henry Melchior Mühlenberg arrived in Philadelphia in 1742 and brought the Germans together, so that by the middle of the century Pennsylvania contained 30,000 Lutherans, four-fifths German and one-fifth Swedish.
The United Presbyterian Church of North America was organized in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 26, 1858, by a union of the associate and association of reformed churches. By one line it was descended from the Covenanters of Scotland, by the other from the men whose ideas later resulted in the formation of the Free Church of Scotland. The basis of union was the Westminster Standards, together with a Testimony. The start of Presbyterianism has been credited to Calvin and the first of the denomination in Scotland in the Sixteenth Century. The church in America was founded by Scottish, Irish, French, Ger- man and Dutch reformed immigrants in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, the Carolinas and some parts of New England. There was a Presbyterian colony on Massachusetts Bay in 1625. In 1629 a church was fully organized under Rev. Samuel Skelton.
The United Brethren is an evangelical church which arose in Bohemia and Moravia among the followers of John Huss and was originally known as the Bohemian Brethren. The church secured the episcopacy from the Austrian Waldenses in 1467. Moravian immigrants first came to America in 1735, landing in Georgia, five years later going to Pennsylvania, where they founded the towns of Bethlehem and Nazareth. The United Brethren in Christ Church, which more concerns America, arose among the Germans of Pennsyl- vania, under the preaching of Philip W. Otterbein, an ordained minis- ter of the German Reformed Church, and Martin Boehm, a preacher among the Mennonites. The first formal conference was held in Bal- timore in 1789.
The name of Baptist was first given in 1644 to certain congrega- tions of English Separatists, who had just restored the practice of
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immersion. Some of the early colonists in America held Baptist views. The first church was established at Providence, R. I., in March, 1639, by Roger Williams, a former minister of the Church of England, but a Puritan.
CHURCHES IN GARNER
The German Methodist Episcopal Society was first organized in Ell Township as a mission church. The first meeting was held at the house of Sebastian Ell and the Rev. William F. Koerner preached the sermon. About this time Rev. Koerner, who was a circuit rider, or- ganized the first class. Among the members of this first class were: Sebastian Ell and wife, Mary, Christina, Katie, Philip and JJ. C. Ell, Philip Goetz and wife, making ten members in all. Sebastian Ell was chosen class leader, a position he held for several years. Reverend Koerner was the pastor of this church, which met at the houses of the members for about two years. In October, 1874, the mission was changed to a circuit and Rev. Auguste Biebighauser was appointed to take charge. The society built their first church edifice in 1581, at a cost of $2,000. Rovs. E. W. Henke, Gottlieb Hoefner and C. F. Framen were the other early pastors.
The regular Methodist Episcopal Society is said to have originated about 1871 and the Reverend Williams was the first pastor. Prior to this Rev. A. S. R. Groom, a Methodist clergyman from Forest City. came here at the invitation of J. M. Elder and preached to the people. The first class was formed by Rev. W. W. Robinson in 1872.
The German Reformed Church of Garner had its start in 1884. On March 12th of that year incorporation papers were filed, which were signed by the following: F. Greimann, V. Jorten, E. Ukmeyer and William Ketter. Second papers were later filed, signed by Paul Mayer, Jacob Mayer, Carl Bahr and J. O. Runsel.
The First German Evangelical Entheran Church was incorporated October 29, 1894, by John Baack, Christ Reibe and Karl Wurdehmann.
The First Congregational Church here was incorporated AApril 11, 1892. The signers of the articles were W. G. Wells, L. B. Bailey, Carl Hess and others.
St. Boniface Church, Catholic, of Garner, was incorporated January 9, 1912. by James J. Keane, Roger Ryan, Rev. Vincent Opava, George H. Liekteig and Louis Schmidt. J. J. Keane was the archbishop of Dubuque and Roger Ryan was viear general.
BRITT CHURCHIES
The Congregational Church Society was organized on the 26th of December, 1879. Prior to this, however, Rov. R. R. Wood had been
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preaching for some six months in the town. Among the early members of this society were: E. E. Adams and wife, Smith A. Healy, George Alexander, Georgiana Way and William H. Breese and wife. The first services were held in the schoolhouse and continued there until the summer of 1880, when a $1,500 building was erected. Rev. B. St. John was the second pastor of the Congregational Church in Britt, coming to the charge in July, 1883, succeeding Reverend Wood. The church was incorporated February 7, 1882, by E. E. Adams, Mrs. J. E. Adams, S. A. Healy, George H. Alexander, Georgiana Way, William H. Breese and Elizabeth Breese.
The Methodist Episcopal Church in Britt was organized in Novem- ber, 1878, through the efforts of Rev. Z. C. Bradshaw. Among the original members were: K. K. Liquin, William Wright, C. Graves, Mrs. R. G. Hill, Mrs. J. H. Burdick, William Pritchard, Andrew Ander- son, G. Devenpeck and C. C. Way. The first board of trustees was composed of K. K. Liquin, William Pritchard, Andrew Anderson, G. Devenpeck and C. C. Way. The church was incorporated May 26, 1881. Revs. J. Jeffrey, W. H. Drake, E. Turner and H. J. Huston were other early pastors. The first church building was erected in 1881 at a cost of $1,500.
The Scandinavian Evangelical Free Church in Britt was incor- porated November 4, 1891, by C. O. Krogh, John Brostrom and Simon Hanson. Brostrom, H. H. Lee and Andrew Lilje were the first trustees.
The Immanuel Church of the Iowa Conference of the Evangelical Association was incorporated in Britt on June 11, 1896, by Nick Bur- gardt, H. F. W. Steffen and Fred Schoeneman.
The First Swedish Independent Baptist Church of Britt was incorporated February 7, 1898. The church was organized at the house of John Edgren on January 3rd previous. The first trustees were: David Anderson, Swan Anderson and Jacob Swanson. Others who signed the articles of incorporation were : Ben Olson, Nels Nelson and Ben P. Anderson. The last three named were deacons of the church.
The Evangelische Luthrische Dreieinigkeits Gemeinde Ungeaen- derter Augsburger Confession was incorporated April 30, 1903. The incorporation papers were signed by Herman Heyde, Johan Grune- wald, Friedrich Ulm, George Range, William Range and Robert Dress- ler
The Trinity Episcopal Mission of Britt was incorporated February 20, 1902, by John A. Carton, Thomas Daylor and A. J. Robinson.
St. Patrick's Catholic Church of Britt had its beginning about twelve years ago, but was not incorporated until December 30, 1911. Archbishop J. J. Keane, Vicar General Roger Ryan, Rev. W. J. Baxter,
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James Mackin and Hugh Mullin signed the articles which made the church a corporate body.
The Scandinavian Independent Baptist Church of Britt was incor- porated June 18, 1912, by A. M. Pearson, Andrew Larson, William Norstrom, A. E. Latt, Ben P. Anderson, C. G. Johnson, Olof Olson, Oskar J. Hansen, Ben Olson and Jacob Swanson.
OTHER CHURCHES IN THE COUNTY
The first services in the town of Corwith were held in the school- house, the meetings were conducted at intervals of two weeks. Rev. B. St. John, the Congregationalist minister of Britt, and Rev. Henry J. Huston, the Methodist pastor of the same place conducted the services. The First Baptist Church of Corwith was incorporated April 20, 1896, by L. J. Barber, Thomas Ogg, P. F. Black, Samuel Beisell and C. R. Wood.
Ellington Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church was incorpo- rated October 18, 1902, by Nils Olson, Halvor Fosse and Iver Johnson.
The Hutchins Congregational Church was incorporated November 14, 1900, by C. E. Buzick and wife, Charles L. Tutt, Mrs. Tutt and Mrs. Mary Higdon.
The United Brethren Church of Goodell incorporated in the year 1889 according to law, and filed the articles at the county seat on August 13th. O. Oleson, Nels Pearson, J. W. Griggs, D. F. Hunt and George W. Elder were the incorporators. The Goodell Methodist Episcopal Church incorporated March 5, 1895; the articles were signed by John Brisco, C. R. Trumbull and Mrs. Etta Brisco.
Prairie Center Methodist Episcopal Church incorporated August 29, 1898. The Ellington Prairie Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church incorporated June 9, 1886. The signers of the articles were Andrew Larson, Godfrey Carlson and Sewell Simenson.
The First Congregational Church of Woden was started in the '90s and incorporated on February 15, 1899, by C. A. Pfund, T. P. Newell and J. O. Davis.
The Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Twin Lakes was incorporated May 23, 1893.
The Magor Township Lutheran Church was incorporated February 5, 1899, by Peter Knudsen, Aug Kirchgatter and Ang Sillman.
On January 20, 1891, were filed the incorporation papers of the St. John's Lutheran Church of Concord, signed by Fred Bohnke, Fred Pieggel and S. W. Thoda.
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Woden was incorpo- rated December 23, 1913, by Henry Baack, G. G. Saathoff, O. R. Kramer, J. A. Kramer, Fred Gerdes and Ed Reiter.
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Stilson United Brethren Church filed articles of incorporation at the county seat on August 24, 1896, which were signed by Hurley Jeffords, J. H. Nall and Thomas Everett.
The Christian Reformed Church of Bingham Township was incor- porated June 6, 1896, by H. O. Peters, F. Van Hoorn, Everett Breese, Henry Willemssen, Kampo V. Dyk, H. Noordmann, M. Weinenga, Henry Koerner, H. Abbas, Jolm Van Hewelen, W. Weinenga, Peter Greenfield, Ubbe Hindens, H. Limberg.
The Kanawha Christian Reformed Church was incorporated March 23, 1900, by B. Abbas and wife, H. Asfink and wife, G. Feerksen and wife, D. Abbas and wife, H. Peters and wife, A. W. Raben and wife, P. Lyppons and wife, M. Boomgarden and wife, George B. Abbas and wife, F. Abbas and wife, Klaas Gansveld and wife and Miss Lizzie Feerksen.
The Evangelische Lutherische Friedens Gemeinde at Amsterdam was incorporated August 13, 1900, by John Heddens, John Eenhins, George Meyer, Claus Gatena, William D. Schroeder, Ludwig Steffen, John Alke, William Alke, Paul Knack, Feitz Knack, Gerhard Bergmann and George Prull.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Crystal Lake was incor- porated April 8, 1899, by the following trustees : D. W. Bowker, Nels Matson, W. C. Rose, C. W. Hawley, and J. P. Johnson.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Kanawha incorporated December 15, 1899. The articles as filed in the county court house were signed by G. M. Patrick, William J. Birkhofer, A. F. Bouton and Simeon Ross.
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The German Methodist Episcopal Church of Klemme was incorpo- rated February 15, 1892, by Henry Gruetzmacher, C. W. Knapp, Henry Duesenberg, E. H. Lenz and Julius Bettin.
The German Township Methodist Episcopal Church was incorpo- rated by Henry Griewe, Louis Sampson, William Beier, Sr., H. J. Stille and August Schaper.
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