USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 32
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Rev. Cliffton organized a church and class in each of four school houses, namely: Ward's school house, nine members: Rowland's, six members : Husted's six members, and Bascom's, fourteen.
It is difficult to gather from the records the exact times of each pastor, but during years of 1872-73-74 Rev. Cliffton and Rev. Lothian preached, and probably Lothian was the regular pastor, and still known as the Peterson circuit. At all events, Rev. Lothian makes this general entry in his church record, "that much good work was done in O'Brien. Quite a number of Methodist people settled near center of county and in 1873 the county seat was moved from O'Brien to a new town called Primghar in the geographical center of the county." This difference of dates of the moving of the county seat probably arises from the fact that the records did not all arrive at once. and this entry was rounded up as the result of a year's work.
During the conference year of 1874-75 Rev. J. E. Cohenour was pastor and took in fifteen members in Center township. A parsonage was begun and paid for except a mortgage for one hundred and forty dollars. The parson recites this truism in the record: "It was a good thing to have the parsonage. but a bad thing to have a debt."
Rev. Charles W. Wiley was sent on for the conference year 1875-76 and forty dollars was paid on the parsonage debt and title to the church lots secured. William Clark Green and James Roberts, who laid out Primghar, donated lots for church purposes. For the conference year 1876-77 Rev. James S. Zeigler filled the charge. He found the people in the midst of the grasshopper scourge and much cast down, twelve being received on probation and as many dismissed, being compelled to leave on account of the grass- hoppers.
Rev. C. W. Cliffton was appointed by the conference for the year 1877- 78. In 1878 the Milwaukee railroad was built, and the then new town of Sanborn was united with Primghar in one charge with Rev. W. H. Drake as pastor. The first preaching place at Sanborn was at the residence of Hiram Algyer, who had just removed to Sanborn from Pringhar. The next spring the waiting room of the depot at Sanborn was tendered and occupied as a place for church service. The first members at Sanborn were Ira Brashears, a supernumerary, Jacob Wolf and wife, Patience Daniels, Mary Neece and Nancy Bunkheart. In early summer of 1879 the service was changed to the then new school house, which later on was William Harker's residence. Rev. W. H. Drake, who had acquired quite a reputation as a church builder, that year erected two church buildings, one at Sanborn and
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one at Primghar. Besides being a preacher, he was a good mechanic, and himself made a full hand at all classes of work, carrying mortar, carpenter and doing all-around work and preached on Sunday. He was followed by Rev. Beebe for the conference year 1880-81. This brings the Methodist church up from Old O'Brien to Primghar. through the several school houses with its connection with Sanborn in 1878 and then separation. The further church history of each town will be found under its own head.
TRINITY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, PRIMGHAR.
Inasmuch as a goodly number of the first residents of Primghar in 1872 had moved up with the county seat from Old O'Brien, and as many of the first ministers in the county located there preached in the several school houses between the two places, we will treat it as one continuous county-seat Meth- odist church. Inasmuch also as for the first fifteen years this was practically the only church in the county, will form the reason for giving it larger space than some of the other churches in the county.
All the south part of the county was for twenty years. 1858-1878. a part of a very extensive circuit and included in what was called the Little Sioux Mission, and was served by the following ministers: Rev. O. S. Wright, 1865-66-67; Rev. Seymour Snyder, 1863-64; Rev. R. S. Hawk, 1865-66-67; Rev. W. W. Mallory, 1867: Rev. Thomas Whitely, 1869; Rev. C. W. Cliff- ton. 1870-71 : Rev. John W. Lothian, 1872; Rev. C. W. Wiley, 1873; Rev. J. E. Cohenour. 1874-75 : Rev. J. W. Wiley, 1875-76; Rev. James S. Zeiger, 1877: Rev. C. W. Cliffton, 1878.
Primghar was platted and laid out as a town and became the county seat in 1872, and became a charge in 1878, with Rev. W. H. Drake as pastor.
It was during the two years' pastorate of Rev. W. H. Drake that the first church building was built at a cost of one thousand dollars not including the value of the personal labor of Rev. Drake himself. Rev. Drake was an all-around carpenter, mason, and indeed any and all other work needed and he in fact put in much of that year. Presiding Elder ("Parson") Lozier dedicated the church in October, 1879.
Rev. A. J. Beebe was pastor for one year from conference to confer- ence, 1880-81, followed by Rev. S. C. Bascom for two years, 1881-83.
On June 24. 1882. a destructive cyclone passed through the town and completely demolished this first church building and scattered its debris for a mile and more. The church people then went back into the school house, as they had done prior to 1879.
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Rev. Hugh Hay followed for the years 1883-85. Rev. Mr. Searles, a young student, supplied from the conference in 1885 until April. 1886, when he resigned on account of ill health. Rev. A. King filled out that year and was reappointed for the year 1886-87. It was during his pastorate that the second church building was erected at cost of one thousand four hundred lollars. This building was sold in 1900 to the Catholic church, which they removed to the south part of town and has been since occupied by them.
After the above date from dates of conferences usually held in October and until 1903. the following pastors served the church: Rev. J. W. Lent, 1887-89: Rev. A. A. Marcy. 1889-91 ; Rev. R. K. Calloway, 1891-94; Rev. H. L. Shoemaker, 1894-95: Rev. E. G. Keith, 1895-97: Rev. C. M. Phoenix, 1897-1903.
The present church was built under the pastorate of Rev. Phoenix. Rev. Dr. Ives, of New York, dedicated it September 10, 1900, at a cost of the building of seven thousand four hundred and thirty-seven dollars.
The following pastors then served: Rev. W. O. Tompkins, 1903-07; Rev. F. F. Case, 1907-10; Rev. Charles S. Burnett, 1910-12: Rev. Thomas Andrew, 1912, and is the present pastor.
Its list of presiding elders ( now district superintendents) have been Rev. George Clifford, Rev. W. McCain, Rev. J. W. Ladd, Rev. Bennett Mitchell, Rev. Glass, Rev. Chaplain Jesse Cole, Rev. J. B. Trimble, Rev. Hugh Hay, Rev. J. L. Gilleas and Rev. A. D. McBurney.
Its Sunday school superintendents have been Daniel Bysom, J. H. Wolf, Joseph Metcalf, William Archer, A. E. Hatch, Walter Bonath and Herman Bonath.
Its church officiary for 1914 is as follows: Bishop, Frank M. Bristol; district superintendent, Rev. A. D. McBurney : pastor, Rev. Thomas Andrew ; Sunday school superintendent, Herman Bonath: organist. Ruth Little ; chorister, Ralph Langley ; treasurer, J. L. E. Peck ; secretary, J. H. Wolf.
HARTLEY M. E. CHURCH.
The Methodist Episcopal church at Hartley was organized by Rev. Frank E. Drake in June, 1880, with Mr. and Mrs. Allen Crossan and Mr. and Mrs. D. M. Gano as members of the first class. A church building was erected in 1882, costing one thousand five hundred dollars; it stood on the site of the present church, and served its purpose until 1899, when the new red-pressed brick edifice, trimmed in stone, was dedicated on December 17th of that year. Its cost was about fourteen thousand dollars. The total value
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placed on this today is eighteen thousand dollars. The first parsonage was on the lot south of the Evangelical church. In 1888 the present building was erected at a cost of three thousand dollars. In November, 1913, the mem- bership of this church was one hundred and eighty-five. The pastors who have served this church are as follows: Revs. E. E. Drake, 1880; S. A. R. Groom, 1880-82: E. L. Stephens, 1882-84: A. A. Shessler, 1884-86; R. J. Davenport, 1886-87: J. M. Lothian, 1887-88; W. W. Brown. 1889; C. B. Winters. 1889-91; Levi Jarvis, 1891-93: W. W. McGuire, 1893-94; F. W. Ginn, 1894-98; D. A. McBurney, 1898-1901 ; O. S. Bryan, 1901-03: L. H. Woodworth, 1903-04: William Whitfield, 1904-05; W. M. Ayers, 1905-06; Ira Aldrich, 1906-07: C. E. Boyden, 1907-08: J. F. Hunter, 1908-09: G. R. Gilbert, 1909-13: H. C. Nessen came in the fall of 1913 and is still pastor.
Of all the early officials of this church, there were only two living in 1913, and one of these was J. S. Webster.
SHIELDON M. E. CHURCH.
At Sheldon the Methodist Episcopal church was organized in the pioneer days of the town. The story goes that the first sermon preached in the town by a Methodist minister was by Rev. Ira Brashears in 1872, in the depot of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha railroad. The first class was formed in 1873 by Rev. J. Starkey, who became the first pastor of the church. Meetings were held in the school house on Fourth avenue, later in a hall over the drug store on Main street. In 1881 the first church building was erected where the present church now stands. Among the early pastors were Revs. Starkey, Regby, Hough, Hastings, Bryan, Edgar. When the first building was to be dedicated it was understood that Chaplain McCabe (later the great. widely known bishop) was to be on hand to dedicate, but he failed to get the letter and Pastor Edgar, of Sheldon, went off to Hull to preach, and while gone McCabe arrived on a freight train Saturday night and raised the town and delivered his popular lecture on "Libby Prison," and at the close broached the church question and on the spot raised a subscription of one thousand five hundred dollars on the debt. So when the pastor came home he found McCabe had come and gone to another point where he had a church to dedi- cate. This was during the summer of 1880. In 1889 ground was broken and on August 22, 1899, the corner stone was laid, and on March 25, 1900. the present building was dedicated by B. I. Ives, Rev. H. G. Campbell being the local pastor at the time. Later pastors were Revs. Burdick, Cook, Lace. Suckow. Middlekoff, Carr, Brown. Kennedy, Artman, Cocrane, McKee,
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Campbell, Bassett, Wasser and the present pastor, Rev. J. J. Bushnell, D. D.
The present value of the church property is thirty thousand dollars. Total membership is three hundred sixty-six: Epworth enrollment, one hun- dred : average in Sunday school, two hundred fifty.
The presiding elders and district superintendents have been: Revs. Bennett Mitchell, L. S. Hartsough. James Williams, John H. Lozier, Gleason. Jesse Cole. Trimble, Hastings, Yetter. Hay, Gilleas and the present incum- bent, Rev. D. A. McBurney.
CALUMET M. E CHURCH.
The Methodist church at Calumet was organized soon after the town started and in 1891 a neat frame building was erected. What is now known as the Calumet charge consists of two churches, one in town and one in the country, with a total membership of eighty-three.
ARCHER CHURCHES.
The Methodist Episcopal church at Archer was organized in 1896, and was made up in part of members from those who had belonged to the Baker class, known as the Philby church, then attached to Paullina, and in part of members from the Epworth or what was known as the Toothacre church in Carroll, and in part by the citizens of Archer. A commodious church was built at a cost of four thousand five hundred dollars, and a parsonage, at a cost of one thousand five hundred dollars, as shown by the conference re- ports. The pastors thus far have been: Revs. C. E. Van Horn, J. N. Lis- comb. A. L. Tainter, Rev. Farnham, F. W. Wilson, A. D. Hastings, W. H. Flint, F. G. Cox, S. L. Eddy, A. W. Hunter. E. F. Lovett, R. L. Mitchell and Thomas Hill. It has a present membership of fifty-eight. The Baker or Philby church referred to is situated six miles to the south and west of Archer. The first church building at this point was blown down by a cyclone a number of years ago. This Baker church is served by the pastor at Archer by alternating services morning and afternoon and evening.
PAULLINA M. E. CHURCH.
At Paullina the history of the Methodist Episcopal church has been written up as follows by David Algyer :
(NOTE-It is to be deeply regretted that the book containing the early
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records of the church has been lost, and the following is supplied from memory by W. W. Delmage, one of the organizers of the church.)
The Methodist Episcopal church of Paullina was organized at a meet- ing of members of the church who had come from various organizations of the Methodist Episcopal church at the home of Mrs. Mary S. Marvin, in October, 1883, about ten members being present, and the Rev. J. Fancher. pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church at Primghar, officiating, and among the first membership were the following named people: Mr. and Mrs. W. WV. Delmage, Mr. and Mrs. B. C. Howard, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Bazely. Mr. and Mrs. I. L. Rerick and Mrs. Mary S. Marvin.
Most of that little group have gone over to the Beyond, but the solemn impressions gained that day from the renewed vows of the little band always remained to life's latest day with those who are gone, and with those remain- ing with us yet.
The church was for a time under the pastorate of Rev. J. Fancher. after which Rev. R. Day filled the pulpit, and he was succeeded by Rev. Levi Jarvis, then came Rev. W. N. Dunham, followed by Rev. Fred Ginn, and he by Rev. Thomas Carson, then by Rev. L. S. Troutman, Rev. G. P. Hathaway, Rev. J. McCaffrey. Rev. George Kidder. Rev. J. Skaggs, Rev. L. H. Mckay, Rev. J. R. Magee. Rev. R. L. Stuart, Rev. E. M. Glasgow, Rev. G. Smith and by the present pastor, Rev. B. F. Thomas.
In the year 1889 the present church edifice was erected and, being im- proved from time to time. is now a commodious house of worship, that would be a credit to any community.
The first board of trustees of the church was made up of the following named members: W. W. Delmage, B. C. Howard, Benjamin Bazely, I. L. Rerick and Mrs. Mary S. Marvin. The value of the church property, in- cluding parsonage is twelve thousand dollars. The membership of the church at this writing is one hundred and twenty-five. The present board of stewards are as follows: W. W. Delmage, J. R. Culp, H. G. Culp. George W. Smith, George Raw, R. W. Young, W. J. Ullman, John Ginger, M. L. Peterson and Mrs. R. W. Young, and the present board of trustees are H. G. Culp, George Raw, W. J. Ullman, Jacob Ginger, R. W. Young, George W. Smith, J. R. Culp and George W. Harris.
The ladies of the Methodist Episcopal church, by and through their or- ganization known as the Helping Hand Society, has been a great aid to the church and a great factor for good in the community, always looking after the comfort of the sick and helping the destitute, lending sympathy to the
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discouraged and, in ways that women only know, rendering assistance where it is most needed.
At Sanborn the Methodist church has a membership of ninety-five; its church property valuation is eleven thousand five hundred dollars; number of Sunday school scholars, one hundred and thirty.
At Sutherland the church has a membership of one hundred and fifty- six; value of church property, thirteen thousand five hundred dollars ; num- ber attendance in Sunday school, one hundred and seventy-six.
There are several points in this county where churches exist of this denomination not given above, as facts have not been furnished.
An early-day Methodist Episcopal church was built and organized in Waterman township. It is known as the Highland-Waterman Methodist Episcopal church and was incorporated November 9, 1889. It was incor- porated by J. Cole, president ; A. E. Randall, secretary, and William Gilbert, J. H. Bruner, M. S. Draper, David Patrick and Aaron Bradstreet, trustees.
The name of this church illustrates the early pioneer conditions. The two townships, though only cornering to each other and nearly twenty miles to or from extreme corners, were then all one neighborhood. In those days a five-mile neighbor was a very near neighbor. Thus were the early settlers welded together by church, family and neighborly ties. Though the day of the old circuit rider is past, these country churches rally in memory much that is sacred.
MONETA CHURCH.
The Methodist Episcopal church of Moneta was incorporated January 16, 1903, by Charles H. Colby, F. H. Howard, P. C. Keith, E. E. Dodge and W. H. Pheteplace as trustees and officials.
In the very early day there was erected a very neat Methodist Episcopal church on the northwest corner of section 12, in Carroll township, and known as the (Charles WV.) Toothacre church. It has been supplied at times from Sheldon and at times the Archer, Baker or Philby and this Toothacre church have been served by the same pastor.
There are several items that in later years tend to militate against the country churches. First, they are not often strong enough to fully support a pastor themselves. Second, the automobile now takes the churchgoer into town in half an hour. A third condition also exists in O'Brien county. We had twelve towns and scarcely a farmer but lives within seven or, at most, ten miles from any town.
(21)
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The Highland Methodist Episcopal church, built on the southwest cor- ner of section 28, Waterman township, was built in the year 1893. Rev. Charles Artman preached here some in 1886. In the autumn of 1886 Rev. J. M. Woolery came and preached and organized a church called the Broad Street appointment on the Peterson charge. Meetings were held in the school house until the church was built. The church was dedicated in the autumn of 1893 by Rev. A. S. Cochran, Rev. G. W. Barnes being pastor in charge. They were transferred to the Sutherland charge in the year 1889, then to the Calumet charge, in the year 1909.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES.
By Rev. B. J. Rhodes.
As to the exact date of the beginning of Congregationalism in the county, history is silent. The first organized body had its birth in Grant township on the 9th day of October, 1871, when a few earnest souls who had been worshiping under the leadership of Rev. J. H. Covey concluded that the time was ripe for the formation of a church. Acting on this con- viction, a council of ministers and lay delegates from Congregational churches in the "Sioux country," was called for the purpose of considering the advisability, and, if found expedient, to effect such organization. After due investigation and prayerful deliberation a vote supporting the affirmative was taken, and the First Congregational church of O'Brien county was or- ganized on the above date.
This was the heroic stage in the religious life of the people of the county. Poverty, privation and hardship of one sort and another greatly retarded the progress of organized Christianity. These worthy pioneers, being poor in purse and limited in means, were unable to erect a house of worship at once, and for five years or thereabouts the school house of the district was the sanctuary. The year 1876 witnessed the erection of the first Congregational church building in the county, later incorporated as the First Congregational church of Grant township. Circumstances and ele- ments seemed to conspire against this child of the prairie, and seek its over- throw. First was the scourge of grasshoppers which decimated and de- pleted the population until only one member remained, Mother Slack, and she alone, and single-handed, perpetuated the organization. The 'hoppers broke up the church and a cyclone struck the building, still she would not give up. At length the pest subsided and people returned to the neighbor- hood and thought it well to organize another church, and for this purpose another council was called. Mother Slack objected to the new organization,
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for, said she, "There is a church here now." "Well, where is the church?" "I am it," she replied. "Well, would it not be better to disband and form anew?" "I'll never disband," she said, and so she stood up and took a dozen members into the old church, and preserved its "historic continuity," and the earlier date is recognized in our minutes. This was one of the five churches which united to form the Sioux association, one of the largest in the state today, only one other having as many churches within its bounds. Two words, sacrifice and helpfulness, characterized this church from the beginning. Sacrifice in service and helpfulness where opportunity afforded. Indeed the organic identity of this church was lost to the world through service to others, the principal beneficiary being the Congregational church of Primghar, a child of this mother church, for the making of which the Grant church furnished a splendid quota of men and women, several of whom are still active in Christian service and constitute a substantial part of the membership of the latter named body. Lost in name, it still lives in in- fluence and spirit, and Congregationalists all over the county honor the name and bless the memory of the Grant Congregational church.
Other Congregational churches were organized at Sheldon, Primghar and Gaza, each in the order recorded. And thus, from this modest begin- ning, we have the Congregationalism of today as it obtains in O'Brien county. A brief historical sketch of. each organization and its work fol- lows this article.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF PRIMGHAR.
Twenty-six years ago this month (March, 1914) the First Congrega- tional church of Primghar was organized with fifteen charter members. Previous to this the spiritual life of the town was centered in the Methodist church, the sole representative of organized Christianity in the town. On March 8, 1888, eight Congregationalists gathered at the home of Rice Reader, "a man sent from God;" a man chosen of God to do a foundation work in the interest of organized Christianity in this place. The monument to the consecration, the devotion, the untiring zeal of this brother is builded in the hearts of his colleagues and contemporaries. At this meeting a reso- lution was made, and vows taken which eighteen days later were realized. when the formal organization of the First Congregational church of Prim- ghar was perfected. The following July witnessed the organization of the first Congregational Sunday school, of which Rice Reader was elected super- intendent, which office he filled for eleven consecutive years. This church,
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as others of the state, was a child of the nursing mother, the Iowa Congre- gational Home Missionary Society. One thousand four hundred and ninety- five dollars of home missionary aid was received during the first seven years of its history. The investment, however, proved a wise and remunerative one, for at the end of that seven-year period, in the year 1895. month of December, the good people of this church said, "It is enough. No longer will we ask aid from the Home Missionary Society." Then and there the church became self supporting and has remained such to the present date. More than this. The church has not only been self supporting, but also a helper of others in times of need, very much more than that having been con- tributed for benevolent work in various parts of the earth.
The first church building was erected in the fall of 1899, formal dedica- tion being held on July 27. 1890. Five years later the building was enlarged. two thousand four hundred dollars being expended in addition to the orig- inal investment. The continued smile and favor of God rested upon this people, and growing interest increased numbers until the building again be- came inadequate, and in the year 1910 approximately six thousand dollars was expended on a church building, and the present beautiful, adequate, well equipped church was provided. In the spring of 1894 a parsonage was erected, representing an investment of approximately one thousand dollars, which enterprise was due largely to the active efforts of Rev. J. C. Stoddard. the pastor of the church at that time. Thus the original property investment of two hundred and seventy-five dollars for lots now occupied by church buildings has increased to sixteen thousand seven hundred dollars, present property valuation.
"And what shall we say more?" Space forbids even brief mention of many worthy names and splendid achievements. Only summaries can be made. The fifteen souls constituting the charter members have increased to one hundred and forty-four, the present membership of the church. Ap- proximately four hundred have been admitted to the membership during the years, about two hundred and fifty on confession of their faith.
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