USA > Indiana > Howard County > History of Howard County, Indiana, Vol I > Part 32
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On March 2, 1881, pursuant to public notice, the membership of the church met at the new church building. Elder M. M. Preble was in the chair, and declared the object of the meeting to be to settle the question, "What shall be done with the church debt?" Several speeches were made. A. F. Armstrong spoke of the gen- eral situation, and indicated that it might prove impossible to meet the heavy debt. He advised that the buildings and lots be sold for fourteen thousand dollars. Brother A. B. Walker offered the fol- lowing resolution: "That the new church building and lots be sold to the city of Kokomo for fourteen thousand dollars, secured by ten-year bonds, drawing six per cent interest, and that the trus- tees be and are hereby authorized to complete said sale." Mr. Arm- strong seconded the motion. It was unanimously adopted. Many persons objected to the city buying the property, some advising to hold out longer, while certain influential persons hoped that it would sell cheaper at sheriff's sale, expecting to buy it at their own price. The movers in the proposed sale had shrewdly calculated the effect upon the congregation intended, the fire of the church's spirit was
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rekindled and the sparks began to fly as desired. A subscription paper was started, headed by Dr. Edward A. Armstrong, who sub- scribed one thousand dollars, A. F. Armstrong pledging a like sum, and there were many five hundred dollars, three hundred dollars and two hundred dollars subscriptions until a total pledge reached seven thousand dollars.
The pioneer church structure was sold for two thousand two hundred dollars and the general indebtedness brought below five thousand dollars. That amount of debt was placed upon the church building in the shape of a first mortgage, bearing six per cent. interest. It took seven years to liquidate this encumbrance, but on the 3Ist day of December, 1888, the last dollar of it was paid. Under the second pastorate of Rev. E. L. Frazier, in 1885, the old boards were knocked out of the windows and new cathedral glass substituted. Individual donators were Lawrence Snyder, in honor of little May Snider, deceased, H. M. Sailors, Mary Jackson-Cooper and the Winfield heirs. The various church societies raised con- siderable money for the improvements started thus auspiciously. During the pastorate of Rev. S. M. Jefferson, in 1890, the building was completed and furnished, about six thousand dollars being expended. It was fourteen years from the laying of the foundation to the completion of the building. The ground on which the build- ing stood, the building and furnishings cost more than thirty thou- sand dollars.
Lawrence and Clara Snyder, at their own expense, erected the church tower, installing a bell as a memorial for their daughter. deceased.
In the end the brick structure was destroyed by fire, the fur- nace in the basement in some way becoming overheated, presumably. and firing the structure, which was soon a mass of ruins. Upon its site arose the present beautiful structure.
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The church has always been a missionary church and a great power for good in the community, and hundreds of souls have been persuaded through its efforts to accept the cause of the Master.
With such pastors as the sweet-souled Father W. S. Winfield, the zealous and able B. M. Blount, the oratorical and energetic A. I. Hobbs, who ministered during the trying days of the Civil war; the true and determined agent for the right, regardless of conse- quences, E. L. Frazier; the scholarly M. B. Hopkins; the Socratic debator, Aaron Walker, and a number of others whose names are too numerous to mention, the church has occupied a leading position in the community from the earliest day and progressed steadily for- ward to greater and higher things.
For years Dr. J. M. Darnall was a pillar of strength to the church and of impressive physique and deliberate mein, and devoted with all the ardor of his nature he constituted an impressive influ- ence in the church life. Though of a different type, John Nichol- son, who resembled a kindly, benevolent father, whose affection was ever dominant for the souls of all, left a wholesome influence upon the congregation which time has not obliterated. Dr. Darnall and Mr. Nicholson were, for a long period, elders of the church, in which relation Dr. Darnall served thirty-eight years, having been re-elected a short time before his death, May 10, 1902.
The old brick church was destroyed by fire February 27, 1904. and the new church was erected the following summer under the pastorate of J. H. McNeil. While the congregation were without a house of worship they used the City Hall as a place of meeting. Up to the Ist of December, 1908, there had been paid on the new house thirty-one thousand nine hundred and eighteen dollars and ninety-eight cents, leaving a balance yet due of four thousand two hundred and twelve dollars. Rev. E. Richard Edwards is their present energetic pastor.
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RECENT HISTORY OF MAIN STREET CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
In the fall of 1902, under the pastorate of Rev. J. H. MacNeill, a new pipe organ was installed at a cost of twenty-six hundred dol- lars, the Ladies' Aid Society paying for the same. A gallery was constructed at a cost of about twenty-four hundred dollars, and other improvements made aggregating a total cost of twenty-seven hundred eighty-eight and twenty-three hundredths dollars.
On February 27, 1904, about fifteen months after finishing such improvements, and while twenty-six hundred dollars of the cost of the same was unpaid, the church took fire from an over- heated furnace and was totally destroyed, together with all of its. contents, the church not saving as much as one dollar's worth of property. The church building was insured for five thousand dol- lars, and the contents for three thousand dollars, all of which was fully paid. The building burned about two o'clock a. m. February 27, 1904, and at nine o'clock the same morning the official board of the church met at the office of the Kokomo National Bank and resolved to rebuild at once. And further resolved that the loss should be a financial loss only, and not a loss to the cause of Christ. which is nearest and dearest to the hearts of the official board as well as the general membership of the church.
Subscription papers were soon started and subscriptions to the amount of fourteen thousand thirty dollars speedily obtained. The new building was commenced in May, 1904, and completed by Au- gust, 1905. The building and furnishings cost thirty-nine thou- sand six hundred twenty-five and fifty-five hundredths dollars. The same was dedicated on August 6, 1905, F. M. Raines, of Cincinnati. General Secretary of the Foreign Missionary Society, officiating.
Subscriptions to the amount of eighteen thousand fifty-nine and sixty-five hundredths dollars were taken on that day. The struc-
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ture is of Bedford stone and is of beautiful architectural design, be- ing one of the best buildings of the denomination in the state.
The following amounts were contributed upon memorial win- dows: Mrs. A. F. Armstrong and daughter, Jennie Howe, seven hundred fifty dollars; Mrs. Mary A. Holmes, two hundred fifty dollars ; M. M. Wiley, one hundred dollars ; F. F. and Walter Jack- son, one hundred dollars ; family of Alex. C. Hopkins, one hundred dollars; family of Rev. W. S. Winfield, fifty dollars; Mrs. Julia Jackson, fifty dollars; Thomas Turley, fifty dollars; Rev. J. H. MacNeill and family, fifty dollars; Aaron Albaugh, fifty dollars ; Mrs. Emma Moore, fifty dollars; E. E. Reynolds, twenty-five dol- lars; Will S. Clore, ten dollars: L. C. Hoss' Sunday school class, fifty dollars; Miss India Martz's Sunday school class, thirty-five dollars : Mrs. Jennie Knipe's Sunday school class, twenty-five dol- lars.
The pastorate of Rev. MacNeill ceased in the spring of 1907, and the present pastor, E. Richard Edwards, entered upon the du- ties of his pastorate on May 1, 1907. The membership of the church is about eight hundred. The average attendance of Sunday school is three hundred. Every department of the church under the lead- ership of its efficient and energetic pastor is making satisfactory ad- vances.
ST. ANDREWS EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
BY OTIS C. POLLARD.
The Episcopal church of Howard county dates back to 1885. Then Bishop Knickerbocker, who was a thorough missionary, made his first visit to Kokomo. The Congregationalists kindly lent their place of worship and many who had been identified with the church in former years, in other and even distant lands, came to assist the
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good bishop in the service. Brother R. L. Wilcock, prominent among the Kokomo Methodists for many years, and who has now returned to old England, came down to that first service of Bishop Knickerbocker in Kokomo expressly to make the required responses for the bishop. The Episcopal service is a responsive service and Brother Wilcock was much exercised lest the good bishop have no one "to talk back to him." A congregation was organized which worshiped in various places, sometimes in church buildings, some- times in lodge rooms and halls and office rooms. Clergymen came from a distance to hold the services. The future was rather uncer- tain for the little company, but they kept together and kept on. Accessions came.
The discovery of natural gas brought factories and hundreds of new families to Kokomo. Many of these new families belonged to the church in old England, or in the Eastern states. Their arrival served as a stimulus to the little congregation and strenuous en- deavors were made to raise money for a lot. These efforts were finally successful and, in 1891, there was a resident minister ready to put up a church on the lot that had been secured on the corner of Taylor and Lafontaine streets. A church building was erected two years later and all seemed flourishing. But the panic of 1893 was at hand, and as most of the congregation got their living from the factories, which now utterly failed, there was not the strength to maintain the organization and meet the obligations due to the new church.
The Rev. T. C. Woodard, now of Rochester, New York ( 1908), struggled most heroically under most difficult conditions, for two years, to keep the congregation together and bring everything to a successful issue. He kept the congregation together by his loving and most faithful ministrations and is remembered with gratitude to-day by many families in South Kokomo whom he aided by min-
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istering with his own hands to their necessities. He inspired his people and the townsfolk to the same unrivaled self-sacrifice. The effort to put St. Andrews church into Kokomo seemed to fail. But this was only apparently so. The congregation was still very loyal, due largely to Rev. Mr. Woodard's fine leadership and pas- toral care. The revival of church life came through the personal efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Beacon, who are now residents of Kokomo. In 1897 Mr. and Mrs. Bacon invited the church people to meet in their own house in South Kokomo. Then the Rev. E. W. Averill, of Peru, came down to hold regular services during the week. A hall was secured above Charles Jinkerson's grocery on the corner of South Main street and Markland avenue. The ser- vices were characterized by unbounded enthusiasm and zeal and ex- erted a wide influence, but the work was crippled by the removal of active workers.
STEPS FOR A NEW BUILDING.
A considerable sum was collected in the East. through the efforts of the Rev. J. O. Ward, for a permanent building. Mr. Ward severed his connection with St. Andrews in 1901. He had secured several earnest new members for the congregation and had given an example of faithful and persistent work. The present rector, the Rev. H. R. Neely, came to Kokomo in 1901, and has been in continuous charge for over seven years. He moved the church from Love's Hall, on Markland avenue, to the center of the town. He was not afraid to take up the site of the former disaster. Under his leadership the congregation occupied their former place of worship for over two years, until a more suitable location could be found. Meanwhile the congregation increased in strength. The large lot at the corner of Market and Sycamore streets was secured by the personal efforts of Mr. Neely and held in trust for the benefit
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of the congregation. The monthly rental of the old brick house on the premises, known as the Scoven house, pays for the privilege of church occupation. On the rear of the lot stands the well-known and well-equipped parish house, built at an expense of over five thousand dollars. On this building there was a debt in July of four thousand seven hundred dollars, which had to be held by private parties because no loan company would lend the congregation so large a sum. This debt has been reduced to two thousand four hundred dollars and a mortgage to that amount has been given to a loan agency. This result has been accomplished by simple, steady, plodding work. The great advantages of the parish house have also helped. The expense of administration is the lowest possible. The parish house is really a structure of three buildings under one roof.
THE RECTORY.
The upstairs is the rectory, or parsonage, and is hardly equaled in any parish for comfort, convenience and pleasure. It is a roomy concern and built for busy workers, and no less for needed rest and refreshment of soul and body. The main room downstairs serves as church and also for all activities that go with vigorous church life. Social gatherings are often held there and it is a center for enterprises that are intended for the good of the community. It is the hope of the rector and the congregation that this may be even more true of the future than it has been of the past. When the church is built facing Sycamore street, the parish house will serve for all sorts of guild and club meetings. It is greatly to the credit of St. Andrews that it is conspicuous for missionary zeal. The best meetings it has are the missionary meetings, once each month. and all contribution to church work elsewhere are made promptly and generously. The wise financial foresight of the Rev. Neely has
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given the church a central location in the city and a very valuable property holding, which by his able management, go far towards being a profitable return for the church at present.
GRACE M. E. CHURCH.
BY OTIS C. POLLARD.
In about the year 1841 the first Methodist church was organ- ized in this, now Howard county, at what was known as Spice Run, in a little log hut about twelve by eighteen feet, and located about two and one-half miles west of the place of the present court house on the Wild Cat turnpike. About three years afterward, in the year 1844. that pioneer preacher for this section of Indiana, Rev. Jacob Colclazer, organized the first Methodist church, and. in fact, the first religious organization in Kokomo. The house of the late David Foster, near where the new jail now stands, was used as a preaching place until a new log church could be built. The mem- bers of this organization were: Adam Clark and wife, Elizabeth Foster, N. R. Linsday and wife, Thomas Lamburn and wife, Den- nis McCormick and wife, and Mrs. Joseph Skeen. No one man did more for the growth of Methodism in this community than Judge N. R. Linsday. Dr. J. McLean Moulder, in his interesting mono- graph on the Methodist church in Howard county, says :
"A log church was built on South Washington street, in the year 1844. It was, at the time of its erection, probably the most expensive building in the county. The following year a Sabbath school was organized with Adam Clark as superintendent. Its av- erage attendance was about fifteen and it was conducted only dur- ing the summer months. This church was used until the year 1851, when a frame church was built upon the site of the present church.
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N. R. Linsday, Hayden Rayburn, and Joshua Sharp were leading spirits in this enterprise. The church was completed in 1852 under the pastorate of Rev. M. S. Morrison. The old log church and ground were sold for seventy-five dollars and the money put into the new edifice. During the next ten years the church and town had a rapid growth, and the frame church became too small to accommo- date the congregations, and in 1864 it was decided to begin a larger building, and the brick structure, that was torn down for the erec- tion of the present church, was the result. The pastor was the Rev. Charles Martindale, and he rendered valuable service in this vast undertaking.
"Judge N. R. Linsday, J. W. Crowley, C. Sharp, H. Rayburn, Worley Lease, Eli Weaver, William Styer, John Steward, John Jamison, David Hazzard and Dr. Buck were among the most lib- eral givers for the erection of this church. During its erection two men lost their lives, one being overcome by heat and the other being instantly killed by a piece of timber falling on him."
It is related that about this time, somewhere near the year 1869, an organ was placed in the church, and was the cause of much bitterness. So intense was the feeling that on one occasion, no less notable than the Northern Indiana conference, someone placed a quantity of cayenne pepper in the organ bellows, and the meeting was nearly broken up as a consequence. Times changed, and at last the organ was permitted to remain unmolested. Dr. Moulder con- tinues :
"The first choir leader was Samuel C. Moore, and Emma Ma- son was organist. In the year 1873, under the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Stabler, the church was remodeled, frescoed, etc., at a cost of four thousand five hundred dollars. The following were quite active in this work : D. Hazzard. N. R. Linsday, James O'Brien. J. W. Crowley, S. G. Lane, T. M. Kirkpatrick, George Deffenbaugh.
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"The Sunday school has always been a power in this church. The following have been the superintendents : Adam Clark, Reuben Woods, John Jamison, John Prebble, N. P. Richmond, Henry Wooten, David Hazzard, J. McLean Moulder, S. Cox, J. F. Elliott A. N. Grant, G. O. Roach, J. E. Hillis, G. E. Meck, H. G. Woody, E. E. Springer, W. E. Sollenberger.
"During the winter and spring of 1876-7, during the pastorate of Rev. H. J. Meck, a great revival caused about one hundred ninety to unite with the church. Also great revivals have occurred under the pastorates of Rev. C. H. Brown, J. S. Bitler and W. D. Parr. The church has been noted for years in the conference as being spiritual and progressive.
"February -2, 1890, under the pastorate of Rev. C. H. Brown, the first service was held that resulted in the building of the Mark- land Avenue church, which cost about four thousand dollars. Rev. Brown, Rev. J. W. Oborn and Judge James O'Brien were the lead- ing workers in this enterprise. The corner stone was laid in August by the Rev. C. E. Disbro, and the church was dedicated by Rev. A. W. Lamport on the 14th of December.
NEW CHURCH EDIFICE.
"It was during the very efficient and prosperous pastorate of the Rev. W. D. Parr that the present commodious and handsome church was erected, which, as an auditorium, is said to have few, if any, equals in the state. This building is not only a credit to the Methodists of Kokomo, but the entire city and Methodism as well. The first meeting looking to this enterprise was held May 6, 1893. but owing to the financial panic that was sweeping the country, it was postponed until March 4. 1894, when a committee composed of Dr. Parr. A. A. Charles and Dr. J. L. Moulder was appointed to
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visit churches and select a plan. March 24, 1895, this committee made a report, and the building proposition of E. S. Hunt was unanimously accepted. August 5, 1895, the contract was let for the building to the Armstrong, Landon & Hunt company, the con- tract price for the building, without furnishings, being twenty-five thousand three hundred dollars. The entire cost of the building completed was about thirty-five thousand dollars. The old brick building was torn away and on the 19th of August, 1895, the first excavation was made for the new edifice.
Only two accidents occurred during the erection of the build- ing, neither of which was fatal. September 30, 1895, the name of the church was changed from the Mulberry Street to Grace Methodist Episcopal church. The new church was dedicated De- cember 6, 1896. Rev. Charles H. Paine, D. D., LL. D., preached the dedicatory sermon and had charge of the finances, assisted by Bishop Charles C. McCabe, D. D., LL. D. The successful accom- plishment of this great undertaking was almost wholly due to the zeal, energy, and wise management of the Rev. W. D. Parr, who gave his undivided attention to every detail of the work from the inception of the purpose to build until the structure was completed. During his pastorate Beamer chapel was built, as a result of his fore- sight and faithfulness. In the spring of 1898 the pastorate of W. D. Parr expired by limitation, and the Rev. Edward Timberlake Gregg was assigned to the church and did most acceptably dis- charge the duties of pastor for one year and about two months of his second year, when the Father called him from labor to reward at 6:15 p. m., May 30, 1899. No one ever died in Kokomo to whom greater respect was shown. His body lay in state in the west tower of the church and for three hours a constant stream of sympathiz- ing friends passed by and reviewed the remains. There was scarce- ly a dry eye in the vast concourse of people. The Knights Templar
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had charge and the church services were conducted by his presid- ing elder, the Rev. M. S. Marble, assisted by many ministers of the North Indiana conference. During the funeral every business house, including the saloons of Kokomo, front door and back, were closed. In September, 1899, Rev. Jacomiah H. Jackson was appointed to fill out the remainder of the year. He did most efficient work un- der trying circumstances. The following April the Rev. Arthur S. Preston was appointed to this church and served with good results for one year. In the spring of 1901 the Rev. Leslie J. Naftzger was appointed, and did a grand work for the Master. On June 24. 1901, the board of trustees purchased the property at the corner of Clay and Mulberry streets of Joshua C. Leach for the sum of three thousand dollars, to be used as a parsonage.
MARKLAND AVENUE M. E. CHURCH.
While the Rev. C. H. Brown was pastor of the Mulberry Street Methodist Episcopal church in 1890 a Sunday school was started in South Kokomo, the school being held in the building owned by Dr. Lewis C. Kern, an ardent member of the church. From this Sunday school grew the Markland Avenue Methodist Episcopal church. The idea of a church in South Kokomo was con- ceived by the quarterly conference of what is now Grace Methodist Episcopal church, which had charge of it until the church was dedicated in December, the same year. Rev. J. W. Oborn was pastor a few months, being succeeded by the Rev. Ross Gahring, who put the church on a substantial basis. In turn were the Revs. Fred Stone, D. H. Guild, C. C. Cissell, Charles White, Dora V. Williams, G. B. McNary, and Rev. C. W. Shoemaker, the present efficient pastor. It was to the Rev. Williams that the good fortune fell of lifting the church from its load of debt, and who pre-
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sided over the ceremonial of burning the mortgage, which had been given for fourteen hundred dollars. The congregation is now erect- ing a splendid edifice on South Main street, which, when completed, will represent a cost of not less than twenty-six thousand dollars. The members of the present board of trustees concerned in the building of the new church are J. F. Morrison, president : E. J. Showalter, sec- retary ; J. M. Jackson, treasurer; O. B. Albright, James Burrows, Dr. J. O. Greeson, J. B. Davenport, Harry Raines, and A. M. Jack- son. The church is active in religious societies, which are the La- dies' Aid Society, the Home Missionary Society and the Epworth League. Mr. W. E. Jacks' Sunday school class is a singular agency for good in promoting special church work. The Markland Avenue Methodist Episcopal church has done an incalculable good in the lo- cality wherein it is situated. Its demand has been amply and faith- fully met, and it has touched spiritually the large element of popu- lation within its jurisdiction employed in the South Side factories. It is a growing and flourishing congregation, with its membership alive to the possibilities of spiritual growth in the future. It is an active, successful church.
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTISTS.
The First Church of Christ Scientists perfected a formal or- ganization in 1908, but services have been held by the believers for four years past. The congregation, which now numbers thirty-five. and includes representative people of the city, is enjoying an excel- lent growth within and enlisting public favor to its tenets.
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