USA > Iowa > Calhoun County > Past and present of Calhoun County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress, and achievement, Volume I > Part 24
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What is now the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Somers was first organized in September, 1880, at the Cedar Center school- house, in Cedar Township, with only four members, viz .: Mr. and Mrs. Calvin McVay and Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Hesser. Services were held during the following winter by Rev. G. W. Southwell and in the spring of 1881 several new members were added to the church. In 1883 the meetings were changed to the Muddy schoolhouse, where they were continued until 1887. On April 15, 1887, the society was incorporated under the name of Cedar Methodist Episcopal Church, with Albert Craven, Werner Moeller, Thomas F. Moore, Sanmel J. Dean, William H. Lotspeich, John Reed and Robert Felton as the truștees.
A Ladies' Aid Society was organized about the time the church was incorporated and took an active part in raising funds for the ercction of a house of worship. Before the elosc of 1887 a neat frame building was erected and in 1888 a parsonage was built. Both church and parsonage were afterward removed to Somers, and on April 2, 1901, the society was incorporated as the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Somers. The trustees who signed the artieles of incorporation at that time were C. I. Johnson, A. C. Brand, E. F.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. MANSON
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Richey, Baily Ham and W. H. Lotspeich. The congregation now numbers over one hundred active members.
Among the early settlers of Union Township were a number of Methodist families, who held meetings at irregular intervals, when- ever they could secure the services of a minister. On these occasions the meetings would be held at the home of some settler or at the school- house. After a time the society now known as the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Lohrville was organized as a charge of the Lake City Circuit, in the Fort Dodge District of the Northwest Iowa Con- ference. This church was incorporated on March 1, 1888, with W. J. Nolin, Charles E. McClure, S. E. Forrest, W. A. McIntosh and D. J. Townsend as the first board of trustees. The society now has a handsome house of worship and is in a prosperous condition.
The First Methodist Church of Pomeroy was incorporated on New Year's day in 1890, though the society had been organized some time before that date and meetings had been held in rented quarters. The first board of trustees after the incorporation was composed of I. C. Butson, C. J. Ingram, Thomas Miller, George W. Smth and G. W. Wilkinson. A church and parsonage were erected, but both build- ings were wrecked by the great tornado of July 6, 1893. They were rebuilt, however, and the name of the congregation was changed to the Christine Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, by which it is still known.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Farnhamville was or- ganized some time in the '80s and at first held meetings in a school- house north of the town. Prominent among the early members were the Wheeler, McVay and Johnson families. Late in the year 1889 the question of building a house of worship came before the congre- gation and it was decided to remove the meeting place to the Town of Farnhamville and build a church. Articles of incorporation were therefore filed with the county recorder on March 22, 1890, with W. W. Wiles, Charles Rose, J. W. Johnson, J. C. McVay and W. H. Wheeler as trustces. A lot in Farnhamville was purchased and a comfortable frame house of worship was erccted thereon at a cost of about two thousand dollars. This was the second church building to be erected in Farnhamville. A parsonage was built a year or two later.
The Town of Jolley was platted in the summer of 1883. F. C. Mallory, one of the residents of that part of the county, belonged to the Methodist Church. After the town began to build up Mr. Mal- lory and a few others organized a Methodist class, which a little later Vol. 1-16
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developed into the Jolley Methodist Episcopal Church. This society was incorporated on April 13, 1891, with F. Long, Isaac Wall, W. J. Johnson, F. C. Mallory and W. B. Harris as the first board of trus- tees, under whose management the present house of worship, a neat frame structure, was erected.
Methodist ministers visited the Gregg Settlement, in Lake Creek Township, at a comparatively early date and meetings were held in Center schoolhouse. In the winter of 1890-91 a movement for the erection of a church building was started and on Saturday, May 9, 1891, an election for trustees was held at the sehoolhouse above men- tioned. Articles of incorporation were then prepared and after being approved by Rev. G. W. L. Brown, then presiding elder of the dis- triet, they were filed in the office of the county recorder, signed by T. W. MeCrary, W. P. Mapel, S. A. Stewart, G. M. Hartley, Wil- liam Acklin, John Dougherty and W. N. Spaulding. A small frame house of worship was then ereeted and services were held regularly for several years. Then the congregation became weakened by the death of some of the active members and the removal of others, the organization went down and meetings were discontinued. The church building was finally sold to the Seventh Day Adventists and removed to Lake City.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Greenfield Township is the outgrowth of a series of meetings held in a schoolhouse during the winter of 1895-96. In the spring of 1896 a church society was organized and on August 8, 1896, the following board of trustees was elected at a meeting held in Cedar (now Somers) Methodist Episcopal Church: W. J. Cooper, T. W. Wright, G. C. Wright, Charles Wiekmann. J. N. Hyde and C. Nicholson. Artieles of incor- poration signed by these trustees were filed in the recorder's office on September 28, 1897, and the church edifice ereeted by the society was dedicated on Sunday, January 2, 1898, Rev. G. W. Pratt officiating. This church is generally known as the Knierim Methodist. A par- sonage was built a year or two after the church was dedicated and the society is in a prosperous condition.
Soon after the Town of Lavinia was founded in the fall of 1899 the few Methodists in that vieinity secured the services of a minister and held meetings in the schoolhouse. Aided by the Methodists of Jolley and Rockwell City, a church organization was effeeted in the' summer of 1900. The first board of trustees was elected at a mect- ing held in the Jolley Methodist Church on December 10. 1900, and was made up as follows: Frank M. Delano, John Whitted, Leonard
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY 243
W. Mccrary, T. C. Maulsby and George B. Peters. The society was formally incorporated on October 20, 1902, and the church building was dedicated a short time afterward.
The youngest Methodist Episcopal Church in the county is the one at Rinard, which was incorporated on April 12, 1905, with the following trustees: E. L. Crawford, J. F. Townsend, W. M. Lakin, M. V. Keith and Charles H. Decker. A frame house of worship was erected and dedicated before the close of that year and the society is growing steadily both in influence and membership.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH
A few years after the first settlement was established in the south- western part of the county, Rev. Moses McDaniel, a minister of that branch of the Christian Church commonly referred to as New Lights, came to Lake City and preached, first at the house of Peter Smith and afterward in the courthouse at Lake City. Peter Smith, Chris- tian Smith, James O. Smith, their wives and a few others organized themselves into a regular church society, which increased in numbers as time passed, and in 1872 steps were taken to build a place of wor- ship. Work on a church building was commenced in the summer of 1873 and it was dedicated early in the year 1874. This structure is still standing, one block north of the northwest corner of the public square, and it is said to have been the first building erected in Calhoun County exclusively as a place of religious worship. Although not so strong as in former years, the congregation still maintains its organi- zation and holds regular services. It is the only society of this faith in the county.
CHURCH OF CHRIST
About the close of the Civil war a number of disciples, or members of the Church of Christ, organized the first church of this faith in Calhoun County at Lake City. Rev. A. C. Corbin was the first pas- tor and under his charge the membership increased. On September, 19, 1882, the church was incorporated with David Parker, James B. Scott and H. W. Sprague as the first board of trustees. In 1883 a frame house of worship was built on South Center Street. During the next ten years the congregation outgrew its quarters and in 1893 work was commenced on the present handsome "Woodlawn Church." The building was completed at a cost of $12,000 and was dedicated in
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1896. In the spring of 1915 the congregation numbered 375 mem- bers. This is not only the oldest, but it is also the strongest church of this denomination in the county. When the present church building was ready for occupancy the old one on Center Street was sold to the Catholies.
Along in the '80s a few members of the Church of Christ and some Presbyterians organized a union Sunday school at the Hawkeye schoolhouse in Reading Township. Regular church services were held, the minister sometimes being a Presbyterian and sometimes a Diseiple. After a time those belonging to the Church of Christ united with other of that faith, living in Union Township, and organized the Lohrville Christian Church. For some time meetings were held in the schoolhouse or in a hall, but about the beginning of the present century a substantial frame church was ereeted and the society is now in a prosperous condition.
In the early '90s Rev. E. M. Miller, minister of the Church of Christ, eame to Calhoun County and assisted in the organization of several new churches. The first of these is the First Church of Christ of Jolley, which dates its beginning from the autumn of 1895. On June 22, 1896, a meeting was called for the purpose of perfecting the organization. Rev. E. M. Miller acted as chairman : Grace Moore, as secretary ; and S. H. Moore, John Sehulz, D. Harvey, Mrs. S. H. Moore and Mrs. II. M. Donaker were elected as trustees. A little later these trustees signed articles of incorporation, which were filed with the county recorder on December 3, 1896, and the following year the church building was finished and dedicated.
The Church of Christ of Rockwell City-usually designated the Christian Church-had its beginning in a series of meetings in a tent in 1895. After the conelusion of the meetings the church was formally organized with twenty-four charter members, among whom were E. E. Reynolds, Robert Whitted, W. H. Trow, W. E. Whealen. William Homan, D. E. Laird. Bertha Reed and Cora Gasaway. On January 4, 1898. a meeting was held for the purpose of adopting articles of incorporation. with a view to building a house of worship. Four days later the articles, signed by A. P. MeCallister, E. E. Reynolds. W. E. Whealen and R. W. Whitted, were filed in the office of the county recorder. The church building was erected at a cost of $2,700 and was dedicated on June 4. 1899, while Rev. A. E. Major was pastor.
The First Church of Christ at Rands was organized by several persons who became converts at the tent meetings in Rockwell City in 1895. The first board of trustees consisted of O. P. Hayes. E.
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Sapp and George H. Tullis, who were elected at a meeting on March 2, 1898, over which Rev. E. M. Miller presided, with Lorah Poe acting as secretary. The society was legally incorporated on March 12, 1898, and immediately afterward work was commeneed on a house of worship. A neat frame church building was erected at a cost of about seven hundred dollars and was dedicated on June 12, 1898.
CATHOLIC CHURCHI
The oldest Roman Catholic parish in Calhoun County is that of St. Thomas at Manson, which was established in 1880. Before that time the Catholic families in the northern part of the county attended the Lizard Church, which is the mother of half a dozen or more par- ishes. Father Lenehan, of Fort Dodge, was the first priest. He was succeeded by Father M. B. Kelley, under whose ministrations the frame house of worship was erected. In 1890 Archbishop Hennessy appointed Father M. C. Daly resident priest, with missions at Barnum and Pomeroy. Father Daly built the priest's residence and purchased the ground for the Catholic cemetery. In 1915 the parish was under the charge of Father Bernard O'Reilly.
The Catholic Church at Lohrville was organized soon after the town was started in 1881. A frame house of worship was built, but it was destroyed by fire in 1896. The present commodious brick strue- ture was built by Father Costello and was dedicated on November 7, 1897, Rev. Father Kinnie, of Grand Junction, delivering the prin- cipal address. Father Costello is still in charge of the parish, which is known as St. Joseph's.
As early as 1869 a few Catholic families settled in the vicinity of Pomeroy. When the railroad was completed through the northern part of the county other Catholics came in and steps were taken to organize a parish. The first mass was celebrated in the schoolhouse by Father Lenehan and his assistants from Fort Dodge. Father Daly, of Manson, next attended the mission at Pomeroy and later organized it into a regular parish, under the name of St. Mary's, but without a resident priest. The first house of worship was blown down by the great tornado of July 6, 1893, after which the present church was ereeted. Rev. Edward J. Neppl was appointed resident priest in June, 1909, and he built the parish residence. In 1915 a new sehool- house was erected at a cost of about ten thousand dollars.
The first mass in Rockwell City was celebrated by Father Car- roll, of Fonda, about 1884 or 1885. There were then but eight or ten
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Catholics in the town. Father McCafferty succeeded Father Carroll and early in the '90s Rockwell City was made a mission of Lohrville. The frame church building was erected by Father Costello while Roek- well City was a mission under his charge. In 1906 there were eighteen Catholic families in the town. That year Bishop Garrigan established a parish at Sae City, of which Rockwell City was made a misson under charge of Father Muyssen, but the relations were soon changed, Sac City becoming the mission. The parish at Rockwell City was then regularly organized, under the name of St. Francis of Assisi, and Father Muyssen was made the first resident priest. He was succeeded in June, 1907, by Father Hunt, who enlarged the church. Father Mathias Marx took charge of the parish in 1911. He built the priests's residence, purchased the old courthouse for $450 and removed to the lot just across the street from the church on the west, to be used as a parochial schoolhouse. The parish in 1915 mimbered forty-nine families.
St. Mary's Catholic Church of Lake City has never been organized as a regular parish and has never had a resident priest. It was organ- ized as a mission about 1892 or 1893 and purchased the old frame house of worship of the Woodlawn Christian Church. As a mission of Lohrville it is regularly attended by the priest from that parish.
CONGREGATIONALISTS
Among the first settlers of Lincoln Township, who came in 1866, were a few who belived in the principles of the Congregational Church and soon after becoming established they began to talk of forming a church society. At a meeting held in the Yatesville Schoolhouse in the fall of 1867, what is now the First Congregational Church of Man- son was organized with Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Brooks, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Glover and Arthur W. Boyee as the charter members. A little later the membership was increased by the addition of James Glover, John Wise, Henry Moses, Mrs. W. H. Davidson and a few others. The first house of worship was built in 1874, on the corner now occupied by the Long Hotel. It was a frame structure and was used for lectures and entertainments because it was the largest room in the town. The Methodists also held their services in this house until they were able to build one of their own.
In 1890 the lot upon which the church stood was sold for a hotel site and the building was removed to the lot where the present Con- gregational Church now stands. There it served the society as a meet-
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ing place until it was replaced by the present handsome edifiee, which was dedicated in 1900 and at that time was considered one of the best' appointed church buildings in Northwestern lowa. In the meantime the society was incorporated on March 10, 1880, as the "First Con- gregational Church of Manson," with A. Wheatley, E. S. Brooks and Henry Moses as the first board of trustees. The new building has an auditorium of 600 seating capacity, a lecture room, a fine pipe organ, a kitchen in basement, and is well furnished throughout. Its cost was about ten thousand dollars.
Alna Congregational Church of Farnhamville was incorporated on April 4, 1883, with D. G. Youker, W. H. Clutter and G. A. Sun- mers as the first trustees. Prior to the incorporation meetings had been held in the schoolhouse. A house of worship was completed and dedicated in 1884 and the society is now in a reasonably prosperous condition. This was the first church to be established in the Town of Farnhamville.
On August 7, 1897, articles of incorporation for the Center Con- gregational Church were filed in the office of the county reeorder. This society was formed some time before that by members of this faith who lived in the northern part of Center Township and some who withdrew from the church at Manson to assist in forming the new one. Before the incorporation serviees were held in the sehool- house, in the northeast eorner of Center Township. The first board of trustees was composed of J. C. Howrey, C. W. Fisher and J. W. Jones. Besides these three men, some of the early members were H. Shields, Lydia W. Fisher, Addie Howrey, Minnie Shields and Abby Fisher. A frame house of worship was built in the west side of seetion 1, in Center Township, about half a mile north of the school- house in which services were first held.
Mizpah Congregational Church of Somers was first organized in Webster County. Quite a number of the members lived in Cedar and Greenfield townships of Calhoun County and about 1906 the ehuren building, a modest frame structure, was moved from its original site to Somers. This congregation has no regular pastor, but is attended by the minister at Farnhamville.
THE LUTHERANS
In several localities in Calhoun County there are a number of Germans or Swedes who were brought up in the Lutheran faith.
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These people have organized a number of churches of that denomina- tion and most of the societies are in a state of prosperity.
Probably the oldest Lutheran Church in the county is the Swed- ish Lutheran Church at Manson, which was organized on May 5, 1871, with Rev. P. H. Pilgren as the first pastor. The first meetings were held in a schoolhouse just across the line in Sherman Township. On February 20, 1883, the church was incorporated with John John- son, John P. Skipper and William Johnson as trustees. The next year a frame honse of worship was built in Manson at a cost of $1,500. It was dedicated on December 4, 1884. In 1901 a furnace was added and other improvements made costing about one thousand dollars.
A few years after the first settlements were made in Lineol and Sherman townships the German Lutherans in that part of the county began holding meetings at their homes or in the sehoolhouse. Rev. T. Doeseher, of Fort Dodge, and his assistant, a young minister named Mattfield, conducted these meetings for some time before a society was formally organized. Then Mr. Mattfield served as a reg- ular pastor for awhile, after which the ministers from Pomeroy eon- dueted serviees oceasionally. On August 15, 1887, St. Paul's Ger- man Evangelieal Church of Manson was ineorporated with Angust Muller, John Leist and Minnie Vetter as the first board of trustees. A small frame church had been ereeted in 1884 and in 1887 a parson- age was built.
There are two German Lutheran ehnrehes in the Town of Pome- roy that are among the early organizations of this denomination in Calhoun County. The Immanuel Church is located in the western part of the town and in the spring of 1915 was under the pastoral care of Rev. Theo Tiemeyer. St. John's is situated in the eastern part with Rev. Henry Meyer as pastor. The building of the latter elinrch was destroyed by the great tornado of July 6, 1893, but was soon afterward rebuilt and both congregations are now in a flourishing condition. There is also a Swedish mission in Pomeroy, which is attended by the pastor of a church about five miles north of town, in Pocahontas County.
St. Paul's German Evangelieal Lutheran Church of Rockwell City, situated in the eastern part of town, was organized about the beginning of the present eentury. When the Methodists built their new church in 1907,the old frame building was sold to the Lutheran congregation and removed one bloek east, where it is still used as a house of worship. Although not specially strong in numbers the church is in a healthy condition and services are held regularly.
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On March 21, 1884, the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lincoln Township was incorporated. The first trustees were: John Stack, Friedrich Mehring and Th. Mattfield, the last named being the pastor. A frame house was soon afterward built in the south side of section 36, near the southeast corner of the township, where the society still holds its services.
A German Lutheran Church was organized in Williams Town- ship at a meeting held on February 20, 1892, when the following official name was adopted "German Evangelical Lutheran St. Johannes Congregation in and around Williams Township, Calhoun County, Iowa." Under this name the society was incorporated on March 4, 1892, with Christoph Meyer, Henry Kruckenberg and Ru- dolph Scharn as trustees. No church was ever built, meeting being held in the schoolhouses.
Skarabarg Church, a Swedish Lutheran society of Logan Town- ship, was incorporated on July 27. 1891. The first board of trustees was composed of John Engstrom, Swan Bangston and Charles Hoff. Before the close of 1891 a neat frame house of worship was erected in the southern part of section 2, but after the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railroad was completed through the township and the little Town of Piper grew up, the church building was removed there and remodeled.
St. Peter's German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Farnham- ville was incorporated on September 27. 1893, with Henry Naefke, Henry Dohrmann and Henry Saucke as trustees. This congregation has a neat frame church and parsonage and is enjoying a steady growth.
In the southeast corner of Center Township, about five miles east of Rockwell City, is a German Evangelical Lutheran organiza- tion known as Immanuel's Church. It was legally incorporated on June 13, 1894, with A. F. Tapps. August Blaas and William Pohl as trustees. A church and parsonage were erected, but the great storm of June 17, 1899, practically destroyed the latter and injured the church building. An eight room parsonage was built that year, to take the place of the one destroyed by the storm, an addition was made to the church and a stecl ceiling put in, making the building really better than it was before the storm.
EVANGELICAL CHURCH
The first organization of this denomination in Calhoun County 79 is the one at Pomeroy, which was organized on February 1, 1879.
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Among the charter members were H. W. Behrens, Henry Albrecht. John Heide, Claus HIoltorf, William Knoke, Hans Holst. August Prange, Chris Hoppe, John Spiest. Henry Beeker. Carsten Holtorf and John Reimers. A church building was ereeted in 1881 and it was the only church in Pomeroy to eseape destruetion in the great tornado of July 6, 1893. Since then a parsonage has been built and the church has been remodeled and enlarged.
Lake Creek Zion's Church, of the "Evangelieal Association of North America," was incorporated on August 14, 1886. F. J. Goetz. David Kammerer and Fred B. Ramige constituted the first board of trustees. On May 28, 1892, new articles of incorporation were filed with the recorder of Calhoun County, in which F. B. Ramige. Henry Ramige and B. Richard are named as trustees. Shortly after the society was first incorporated a frame house of worship was built in the southeast corner of seetion 23, on the road from Lake City to Roek well City.
Zion's Church of Butler Township, a society of the United Evan- gelieal Church, was incorporated on May 29, 1895. The articles were signed by Henry Hout. August Weidauer and William Seiler as trus- tees, and also by Emil Weidaner, Herman Meinke and Bernhard G. Janssen. A frame church was soon afterward built in the southwest corner of section 6, in the northwest corner of the township and not far from the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. Several of the members of this congregation reside in Williams Township and some in Pocahontas County.
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