USA > Iowa > Buena Vista County > Past and present of Buena Vista County, Iowa > Part 18
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The committee immediately got into communication with Mr. IIanson and induced him to come to Storm Lake and go over the situation with them. After a careful study of the county, Mr. Hanson reported favorably to the committee, and they urged him to begin the work of organization. The sum of eight hundred dollars was pledged in the Williams meetings for this work. During February, Mr. Hanson began the work of organizing the county, and by the last of May had finished the preliminary work. A convention was held, May 30. June 1, at Storm Lake, to which the several churches of the county and some of the rural points sent delegates. At this convention. the information and statistics gathered by the secretary, were presented, and the different phases of county work discussed, and after consideration it was decided to organize a county Y. M. C. A.
A county committee of fourteen business men was then elected to carry forward the work of perfecting the organization under direction of Mr. Hanson.
The committee was constituted as follows: M. M. Moulton, Storm Lake; W. C. Edson, Storm Lake; G. B. Lawhorn, Storm Lake; W. L. Geisinger, Storm Lake; J. E. Cundy, Storm Lake; G. W. Chaney, Newell ; F. G. Redfield, Newell;
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Dr. S. A. Beason, Newell; Paul Schultz. Alta; A. M. Conner, Alta; Joel E. Johnson. Marathon; F. O. Danielson. Marathon; C. E. Jacoby, Sioux Rapids ; O. A. Cate, Sioux Rapids. Dr. C. II. Johnson has now succeeded A. M. Conner, the latter having moved away. The committee after incorporating. conducted a canvass for funds, and secured seventeen hundred dollars to carry on the work.
Under the provision of the county work plan, allowing a regular secretary to each county after its organization, the committee called O. E. Atkinson, a graduate of Iowa State College, to be the secretary for this county. It is the duty of the secretary to organize new associations where deemed advisable, and to supervise the entire county work. Five towns and three rural points have thus far been organized. The towns are: Storm Lake, organized in March, 1908, having now one hundred and sixty members; Newell, with sixty members ; Marathon, sixty members; Sioux Rapids, thirty-five members; and Alta, having forty members. The rural points are: one out from Marathon, with nineteen members; one ont from Storm Lake with twenty members; and one out from Newell with fifteen members.
Preparations were made and the second annual convention held April 23, 24 and 25, 1909.
ALTA.
The town of Alta is located on the Illinois Central Railway in Nokomis township. in the southwestern corner of Buena Vista county. When the Illinois Central was built through the county in the year 1870 a station was established at this point, but for four years no agent was in charge. The town received its name in consideration of its high altitude, being one thousand five hundred and thirteen feet above the level of the sea, and also in honor of Altai Blair, daughter of John 1. Blair, who was president of the Dubuque & Sioux City railway company, which built the road and to which the state made grants of land for building the railway. Alta lies higher than any town in Iowa, and there is but one point. a promontory near Lake Okoboji. that is higher in the state. It lies on the great Divide between the two rivers and it is a singular fact that its principal business street lies on the very apex of the Divide, the waters on the east side of the street draining into the Mississippi and those on the west side into the Missouri river.
The first resident of the town was J. M. Tibbett, who, in 1870. established a small store on the west side of Main street. where A. C. Rader's business block now stands, selling everything the settlers might demand. The lumber and material for the building was shipped by rail from Fort Dodge, and Mr. Tibbett. opened for business early in the month of August. The depot was commenced July 18 and soon completed. In September of the same year Sanders Furlong. a native of Canada came out and he soon entered into partnership with Mr. Tibbett. He bought the entire interest in the small store in May, 1871, and in
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1872, when a postoffice was established here, Mr. Furlong was made the first Nasby.
James Morrissey was the first section foreman. being the third resident of the town. Ilis daughter, Hannah, now Mrs. A. C. Rader, was the first child born in Alta.
P. G. Peterson, a native of Sweden, came in the spring of 1873 and built a small hotel where the Edwards block now stands and also opened an office for the sale of railroad land. Mr. Peterson came from Chicago and many of his fellow Scandinavians followed him out here. He may be credited, in a great measure, for the large Scandinavian population of the country about Alta, as he located many of his countrymen on the fertile prairies of Elk, Nokomis and Maple Valley townships of this county and Diamond township in Cherokee.
C. T. Steever came May 31, 1873, and was the first station agent, lumberman, implement dealer and grain buyer in the town. In 1876 Mr. Steever estab- lished the Alta Advertiser and was always a "booster" for his town, and easily the foremost business man in his time. J. F. Rahm, a blacksmith, came the same year and built a shop and residence. C. J. and O. F. Wiss, A Leander, N. Dahl, Dr. R. B. Dando, John Sweet, William Sherman, W. R. Weston, P. M. Jenks. L. Hestead and Chester Ilunt soon followed. W. B. Farrar and J. D. Adams are noted as Alta's first legal firm, and Dr. Dando as the first physician.
The town was incorporated about 1876. although the exact date eannot be ascertained as the records seem to be lost. A. W. Seymour was the first mayor, and since then the following men have been at the head of the town government : C. T. Steever, R. J. MacDonald, G. Gerner, A. C. Binnie, R. B. Dando, C. E. Cameron, M. Adams (has served twice as mayor) H. F. Schultz. W. W. Parker, (has served twice as mayor) C. J. Parker. Dr. L. J. Harvey, E. W. Clemons, G. F. Tincknell and the present incumbent. II. JJ. Lichtenberg.
The town today is governed by the following officers: mayor, II. J. Lichten- berg; clerk, II. V. Chasse; treasurer. W. J. Sievers; assessor, N. A. Christensen ; councilmen, C. J. Hetrick, A. R. Browne, C. P. Corneliussen, Lars Larson, G. C. Ishell and Eli Bensene.
In 1880 the east side of the business section was burned to the ground. eight business houses being destroyed. The fire was supposed to be of incendi- ary origin, and the loss was severe on the new village, although the buildings were all frame and quite small. In 1893 came the second destructive fire. The west side, including ten business buildings and one residence, was con- sumed by fire in the night, entailing a loss of something like forty thousand dollars. Of these buildings all but the Clarkson block, were of frame con- struction, but the Clarkson Opera House Block, three stories high and built of brick veneer, was destroyed. But the town arose better and more substantial from the ruins, and with the enactment of a fire limit ordinance and the erection of brick buildings sneh disasters will not soon occur again.
In 1896 the first water works and electric light plants were erected by the city, being owned by the municipality. In 1904 the municipal heating plant was put in, and the town now owns these three systems, valued at almost thirty thousand dollars, with a debt of about seven thousand. The plants were erected by the co-operative assistance of the people who advanced the money to
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the eity and have been repaid in service. It will be a matter of perhaps two or three years more until the debt will be paid and then the city will have properties that will pay all the running expenses of the town from the revenme derived, and at lower rates than can be sustained by private plants.
James F. Toy of Storm Lake established the first bank here in 1878, with W. E. Brown as cashier. This bank later became one of the chain of branch banks operated by The Farmers' Loan & Trust Company, and in 1905 was organized into the First National Bank of Alta, with James F. Toy of Sioux City as president and A. R. Browne as eashier. The second bank was the Bank of Alta, opened by Parker & Tineknell in 1883. In 1909 this bank was reor- ganized into the State Bank of Alta, with W. P. Miller as president, G. F. Tineknell as vice president and manager and W. J. Sievers as eashier. Both banks have a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars.
The town has well equipped business places, including two general stores, two lumber yards, three elevators, one of which is a co-operative, a co-operative creamery, three drug stores, two hardware stores, two clothing and two furniture stores.
THE SCHOOLS.
The first school taught in Alta was opened in 1874 and consisted of one room, with Miss Jennie Carter as teacher. Miss Iris Kelso followed Miss Carter, and in 1875 Miss Bell Moore was teacher. In 1876 and 1877 Ira C. Harlan and Emma Wilson were teachers, the school having arrived at the dignity of two rooms and the growth was steady. The first schools were conducted in small buildings provided in various parts of town, one standing at the present location of the hotel. while for a time school was held in the Swedish Lutheran church.
Mr. Harlan was the first principal of the graded school in the independent district, and was succeeded in that position by the following, in the order named: Thos. Walpole. Mrs. W. R. Mallory, Mrs. O. M. Byam. J. H. ()'Donaghne, S. A. Darland, G. F. Ostrander, H. E. Crosby, G. B. Hess, Willis J. Bell and L. D. Curtis, the present superintendent.
The school at present has the following staff of teachers: L. D. Curtis, superintendent : Edna Windolf, assistant, and Stella Pence, Clara Johnson, Jessie Olson. Mrs. Dora Wessman, Ethel Lawrence and Audrey Adams, grade teachers. The enrollment averages two hundred and twenty-five pupils.
The first school board consisted of C. T. Steever, F. O. Wiss, J. D. Adams, H. J. Pontson and G. Gerner. The present board is as follows: P. Morrissey, D. E. Hadden, G. A. Benson, Clans Lindlief and V. E. Herbert, directors; W. 1. Sievers, secretary and G. F. Tineknell, treasurer.
About 1880 a block of ground was purchased in the south part of town and a schoolhouse with four rooms was erected. This burned to the ground shortly afterward and another was built as soon as practicable. This also burned, and the present building was erected. It is of frame construction and has seven rooms and a laboratory. A library was installed five years ago, thanks to the generosity of Geo. W. Schee of Primghar and local contributors.
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SCANDINAVIAN FREE MISSION CHURCH.
The Scandinavian Free Mission church of Alta was organized on the 7th day of August, 1880. Prior to the organization of the congregation services had been held in the homes of some of the families which affiliated with the church after organization, and in public places. During the same year a church was built and dedicated that fall. The first board of trustees and ineorpor- ators of the society inchide the names of A. P. Anderson, E. F. Christian, Martin Christianson and August Swanson.
The church was organized through the efforts of Christian Corneliussen, Alfred Kindwall and Joseph Sanderson, all three of whom had been members of the Lutheran church. but who had left the church in the movement which was quite extensive during that time, both in the United States and in Europe.
The church is organized with no creed but with absolute freedom in the worship of God. All Scandinavian speaking people. Swedes, Danes and Norwegians, are among the members although the services are condueted in the main in the Swedish language. At times the church has had a pastor, but for the main part of the time since its organization there has been a leader selected from the congregation who has had charge of the services. Traveling exhorters also conduct services at stated intervals.
At the present time there are ten families counted in the membership of the church, with thirty communicants. The official board at this time is as follows: A. R. Anderson, president ; Jacob Wegerslev, secretary and treasurer; and John Nelson, Nels Haar and Angust Peterson, board of trustees.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHI.
The early history of the Methodist church at Alta is the same as that of the church of the same denomination at Storm Lake. In the year 1870 Rev. Horsewell was sent to the Storm Lake charge, then without a church and organization, to look after the spiritual welfare of the people and if possible to effect a Methodist organization. A class had been formed some time before by Rev. Thomas Whitely and Mr. Horsewell perfected this organization. North- west of Storm Lake, on the prairie, he found another settlement anxious to have religious services and so, in 1871, a class was organized at the Hunt school- house, three miles northeast of Alta. In 1872 Rev. O. S. Bryan filled the appointment and in 1873 Rev. Smith D. Fry was pastor. In 1874 Rev. Wilmot Whitfield came as pastor of the Storm Lake circuit and the Elk charge was added, services being held in homes and schoolhouses.
In 1875 church buildings were erected at Storm Lake and Alta. and the charge was divided, the Elk charge going with the Alta church. Rev. Henry Brown was the first resident pastor of the Alta church. The church, built thuring the summer, was dedicated shortly after the appointment of the pastor. The incorporation of the church dates from April 19, 1875. the incorporators and board of trustees being Hosea Bennett, J. L. Bennett, Geo. G. Espe, J. L. Wilson, W. S. VanBuskirk, G. II. Richmond, C. Shell, William Lownsberry and
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T. W. D. Orswell. These were elected at the quarterly conference held at Storm Lake, before the church was organized here.
The church grew steadily from the beginning. In 1887 an addition was built to the main part, and this was occupied until 1906 when a handsome new brick church was erected, through the efforts of Rev. G. W. Southwell and the society, which pledged about twenty-five thousand dollars for the church and furniture. The outside public was also generous in contributing to the building fund.
The pastors who have filled the charge since the organization of the Alta charge are C. B. Winter. William Mooney. William Preston, Robert Smiley, Bennett Mitchell, W. F. Gleason. F. J. McCaffrey. R. Burnip. J. L. Whitney, G. W. Barnes. T. S. Cole. G. W. Southwell and the present pastor, G. O. Kidder.
The present official board is constituted as follows: Trustees: Samuel Parker, president ; D. H. Carpenter, secretary and treasurer; F. G. Tineknell, W. F. Corneliussen, C. II. Millard, W. S. VanBuskirk, N. P. Swanson. John Stomberg, E. J. Edwards and C. MeMullen. Board of Stewards: F. N. Sipe. D. II. Carpenter, secretary ; D. E. Hadden, G. F. Tineknell, A. E. Ililderbrand. J. H. Allen. C. R. Abbott, Robert Parker and John Crombie. Class leaders : Thos. Gurney and John Crombie.
The women in the church have several societies of which the Social Union is for the social upbuilding of the church. Mrs. N. P. Swanson is president and Mrs. JJohn Stomberg secretary and treasurer. Miss Minnie Tineknell is president and Mrs. G. O. Kidder secretary of the Woman's Home Missionary society and Mrs. F. N. Sipe president and Mrs. S. P. DeLay secretary of the Woman's Foreign Missionary society.
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PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHI. 8
The Presbyterian church of Alta was organized on July 1, 1883, in the M. E. church building in Alta, by Rev. Joshua Cook of Storm Lake and Rev. George Knox of Cherokee. The following were charter members: Mr. and Mrs. David Clarkson, Mrs. W. R. Mallory, Mrs. W. P. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Tutt. Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson. P. W. Weidermaier, Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Colby, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Hetrick, and Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Wilson, fourteen persons in all. Officers were elected as follows: Elders: David Clarkson, Sammel Tutt and B. A. Colby; Trustees: Samuel Wilson, P. W. Weidermaier, W. R. Mallory. Dr. W. P. Smith and J. D. Adams. Arrangements were made with the trustees of the M. E. church for holding meetings in that church, and two meetings were so held. The society then leased Hunt's hall, and continued to use that for more than a year. Rov. O. Langfit of Storm Lake was the first. pastor, coming during the summer at intervals. In the fall of the first year of the church a call was extended to Rev. R. T. Pressley, and he became the first resident minister. Upon his arrival a Sunday school was organized on Novem- her 14, 1883, with fifty-nine scholars, with A. O. Kendall as superintendent. The first Christmas entertainment was given the following Christmas and ended in a disastrous manner. The young man who acted as Santa Claus in the
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distribution of presents wore a suit of inflammable material which unhappily caught fire and he was quite badly burned about the face and hands.
In the spring of 1884 the members of the church set abont to raise money for a new church building and so successful were they that with the assistance of friends of the society a meeting was held in July and a building committee, consisting of G. Gerner. F. B. Browne, W. R. Mallory. B. A. Colby and Rev. Pressley was appointed. In the same month the contract was let to F. L. Nelson for two thousand four hundred and ninety dollars and the church was built at once and dedicated that fall.
In 1899 the church was rebuilt at a cost of twenty-five hundred dollars and a heating plant was installed at the same time.
The pastors who have served are as follows: R. T. Pressley, T. B. Greenlee, James H. Clark, John A. MeAlmon. C. A. Price. (supply) Nathan Feather. Geo. II. Fracker, (supply) Chas. Ezra Fisk. W. B. Greenshields, J. J. DePree (ordained November 3, 1903 while serving as pastor), and J. G. Cardy. Mr. Cardy resigned April 1, 1909 and the church has no pastor at this time.
The present official board of the church is as follows: Elders : A. C. Binnie. C. J. Hetrick and J. M. Heywood. Trustees: A. R. Browne, C. E. Cameron, James Yuill, William Farrow and C. P. Corneliussen. Treasurer. A. R. Browne. The record shows that there are at present one hundred and thirty- five communicants.
Of the Sabbath school A. C. Binnie is superintendent and Alta M. Burns secretary. The enrollment is seventy-five.
Mrs. C. J. Hetriek is president of the Woman's Home and Foreign Mission- ary society, Miss Lucy Heywood is secretary ; Mrs. Martha Conner, treasurer; Mrs. A. C. Binnie, secretary of literature ; and Mrs. C. P. Corneliussen, librarian.
The Ladies Aid society is a great factor in the social work of the church, the officers being: Mrs. V. E. Herbert, president ; Mrs. Martha Conner, vice president ; Mrs. C. P. Corneliussen, secretary ; and Mrs. A. R. Browne, treasurer.
LUTHERAN TRINITY CHURCH.
When that part of the county which lies near Alta was settled in 1870 and the years that followed a great number of the new families that arrived were of Scandinavian birth. and they came from Rockford and Chicago, Illinois. They located in Nokomis and Elk townships, while a few secured homes in Maple Valley. There were also a few who came directly from their native land.
Being a religions people, and many of the Swedish people having been connected with the Lutheran Augustana Synod in Illinois, it is no wonder that they felt the need of a church in their new home, and consequently, on the 14th day of May. 1874, a meeting was held at the home of A. F. A. Rokkan, to con- sider the organization of a church. Sixteen families were represented. At this meeting C. J. Peterson. a licensed layman, presided and N. O. Nelson acted as secretary. The Norwegian settlers took an active part in the move- ment, Mr. Rokkan being a Norwegian, and some are vet closely affiliated with their Swedish "cousins."
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The constitution recommended by the Angustana Synod was adopted, an application for membership in the Synod was forwarded and soon the organiza- tion was an established fact. Among the official board and charter members were A. P. Nelson. O. F. Ilultgren, and Simon Ohlson, who were elected deacons, and A. Leander, Olof Anderson and J. O. Sjostrom, trustees. Of the charter members only three families remain here at this time, being A. M. Johnson, O. F. lInltgren and N. H. Peterson. Mr. Johnson withdrew in 1882.
During the same year plans for a church were selected and an edifice twenty by twenty-six feet, in the lot where the present church now stands, was erected. This small building was used for numerons purposes, being at one time occupied as a school. It is now the home of Gust Lund, and stands to the south of the church property. It was the first church erected in Alta.
The congregation soon outgrew the first church building, and in 1881 the present structure was built. at a cost of forty-seven hundred dollars. It was remodeled two years ago, and is yet in a fine state of repair.
During the same year a cemetery lot was secured by the Swedish people. P. G. Peterson represented the railroad land company here and he presented the congregation with five acres. In 1881 it was decided to permit the Nor- wegians and Danish people to share the cemetery, and the title was changed to that effect. An association was incorporated, a provision of which is that two members of each nationality shall act as trustees.
Mr. A. Kindwall, who still lives four miles northwest of Alta, served as leader for the congregation from 1875 until 1879. when a resident pastor was desired, and a call was extended to Rev. Henning Jacobsen. In 1882 Rev. C. O. Olander accepted a call and served until 1885. He found the congregation heavily in debt for the new church which had been erected in 1881, but pro- ceeded at once to clear off the incumbrance. This required many sacrifices by the devoted members, and it is related that at one time a brother mortgaged his farm in order to be surety for the church debt. But by hard effort the church was paid for. and the thanks of the congregation are due to Rev. Olander who, is yet living at Port Arthur, Ontario, engaged in missionary work among his countrymen. During Rev. Olander's pastorate here he lived in the old church for a time, but in 1884 the present parsonage was built.
Mr. Olander was succeeded by Rev. J. E. Rehinstrom, who remained until 1890 when he removed to Lockport, Hlinois, where he died shortly after. The church was strengthened during his stay.
Rev. M. P. Oden came in 1890 and for ten years gave his best efforts to the church, which increased in membership steadily. Ile left in the fall of 1900 and is now living at Kackley, Kansas. Rev. C. G. Lundell was pastor from 1901 until 1906 when he accepted a call to the church at Algona where he is now stationed. After Mr. Lundell's departure students from the Augustana Seminary filled the pulpit until July 3, 1908, when Rev. JJ. O. Kindstrom arrived and is the present pastor.
A flourishing Ladies Aid society and a young people's society, under the name of The Luther League, are connected with the church, aiding in a material and social way.
CARNEGIE LIBRARY, STORM LAKE.
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For some years a Swedish school has been conducted during the summer months, which has been well patronized by the children of the church.
It is interesting to note that at the close of 1874 there were twenty adult members and eleven children in the church. At the present time there are two hundred and five adults and eighty children.
The present official board is constituted as follows: Board of deacons: C. A. Bodine, Swan Larson. William Peterson, Peter Lindquist, C. J. Lindberg and John Widen. Trustees: C. J. Larson, Gust Helgerson, Lars Larson, J. P. Hultgren, C. F. Peterson and John Wilson. Mrs. E. W. Johnson is organist.
IMMANUEL CHURCH.
In 1884 the people living about ten miles north of Alta found it inconven- ient and impracticable to have their church relation so far distant. and therefore, on February 27, of that year, an organization under the above name was formed. Shortly afterward a church was erected and the pastor of the church at Alta devotes a share of his time to the Elk charge. This church is in a flourishing condition, and has seventy-six adult members and forty children. The two churches work in entire harmony and are closely related.
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
The First Christian church in Alta was organized in Angust. 1898, by Lawrence Wright, State Evangelist for the Christian church in Iowa. The church society was formed at the close of a series of meetings held by Mr. Wright in a temporary tabernacle erected for that purpose and situated on the lots north of the Presbyterian church. Forty-one persons composed the charter members of the society: the following were elected the first officers : Ed. Ackert. George MeKay. and Mrs. S. J. Bradfield, trustees; Ed Aekert, O. A. Lawrence, and John Hovenburg, elders: Emma Lawrence, treasurer; Mrs. S. J. Bradfield, clerk.
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