USA > Kansas > A history of Methodism in northwest Kansas > Part 24
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"The circuit consisted of six appointments: Para- dise, Fairview, Success, Baswell, Homewood, and Green. During the winter a revival was held at each appointment resulting in more than 200 conversions. The most sweeping revival was the Homewood, where nearly the entire community turned to the Lord. This meeting closed just before Conference. We were moved from the circuit and a supply sent who spent
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most of his time playing checkers and chewing tobacco, and this large body of young converts went into the Evangelical Church which had an organization in the community."
After 1897 Paradise ceased to be the head of a charge and has not since been restored to that dignity.
The church was begun during the pastorate of W. E. Holland and completed in 1907. Since Seman's pastorate Paradise had been connected with Waldo, and the present statistics are included with that charge.
Wallace.
This is the county seat of the county of the same name which borders on Colorado. The town is 24 miles east of the Colorado line. In the late '60's, it was commonly thought that civilization would never reach beyond Manhattan, but the immigrants attracted by the great plains pushed west until by the middle of the 80's they touched the Western counties.
Wallace became an appointment in the Conference in 1886. The first year, Wallace and Sharon Springs were joined and together formed a charge. W. M. Sedore was the pastor. There were 20 members and a Sunday school having an enrollment of 35. There was a church valued at $300. Two hundred were paid on it leaving a debt of $100. The building was probably of sod. The pastor received $172 for the year's work.
The next year Wallace was alone and R. B. Beaty was the pastor. There were 27 members at the one point but no Sunday school was reported.
The pastor was allowed $300 at the first of the year but only $200 was paid. The men who afterward served this church were as follows: '89, J. W. Jack- son. At this time Wallace drops from the list of ap- pointments and does not appear again until 1911, when it was served by J. F. Gruver, who remained
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with them two years. '13, J. F. Clark; '14, J. R. Week- ley. Here Wallace disappears again from the appoint- ments and is not found until 1917, when it again ap- pears, but is left to be supplied.
Evidently Methodism did not flourish at Wallace. It does not follow that because it ceased to be the head of a charge the class was disbanded. So far from this the class organized in 1886 has preserved its identity to the present; but the pastor has lived at some other place and Wallace has been a part of some other charge, probably of Sharon Springs. It would be gratifying to the writer if he could definitely state where it had connection. But not having been in- formed, he can not state. He can only state definitely what he is able to gather from the statistical tables. In 1889, there were 64 full members and 35 probation- ers, but no Sunday school was reported and there was no church property. The next figures that are avail- able are those of 1912, at which time there was a church valued at $1,200 and a parsonage worth $60. There were two Sunday schools, but only 36 members and one probationer. The pastor was paid $415.
The last report made was that of 1914. J. F. Clark was pastor. There was one Sunday school with an enrollment of 40 and 22 church members and one pro- bationer. The pastor was allowed $150, but even that was not all paid. The church had been improved and was valued at $2,000.
Statistics for 1917: Church, $1,800; parsonage, $800; full members, 173; probationers, 5; salaries, pastor's, $927; district superintendent, $64; bishop, $16; benevolences, $1,802; Sunday schools enrollment, 248; Epworth League, 40.
Wilson.
The first account of Methodism at Wilson is from a statement of M. M. Stolz; he says: "In October 1878
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I was appointed by G. S. Dearborn, presiding elder of the Salina District as preacher in charge of a circuit I was to organize in the western part of Ellsworth and the eastern part of Russell and the southeastern part of Lincoln counties with headquarters at Boaz, now Wilson. That fall I organized a class at Wilson con- sisting of W. L. Nesmith and wife, N. Hood and wife, W. H. Cargart and wife, Mrs. Stolz and Jennie Stolz. Services were held in a school house south of the rail- road and we lived in two rooms of the Brocker house. I served Wilson for three and a half years and report- ed 200 members. The railroad donated an acre of land for a parsonage."
In 1882 E. Locke was sent to Wilson; J. M. Mil- ler was appointed pastor in 1883 and remained three years who in turn was followed by W. H. Wil- liams. Williams says of his stay there: "This charge of three appointments has a membership of 262 in- cluding probationers. The pastor and his devoted wife have labored faithfully and the Lord has bless- ed their labors, in the conversion of many souls; 85 have joined the church on probation and 38 by let- ter." Williams also succeeded well with the finances and collected $1000 for debts and improvements. Williams went from Wilson into missionary work in New Mexico. J. C. Dana succeeded Williams at Wil- son and the work moved successfully forward.
The following men served the charge: Dana, '89- 90; R. B. Beatty, '91-93; R. A. Hoffman, '93-5; F. N. Cox, '95-98; W. R. Allen, '98-03; J. H. Kuhn, '03-04; W. D. Schermerhorn, '04-05; J. W. Snapp, '05-07; M. F. Loomis, '07-9; W. L. Cannon, '09-10; H. Roisy, '10- 11; C. R. Wade, '11-13; M. G. Terry, '14-15; C. M. Snyder, 15-17.
Successful revivals have been held at various times; in 1891 R. B. Beatty conducted a ten weeks' meeting resulting in 70 conversions and 32 united with
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the church; the next year a union meeting was held and 20 professed conversion; in 1894, in 1895, and in 1904 successful revivals were held. That in 1904 was held in connection with members of the Salvation Army and resulted in 60 conversions. J. W. Snapp the pastor in 1906 reported the church in a flourishing condition; the attendance at Prayer meeting had doubled and all the meetings of the church were large- ly attended, including Epworth League and the Sun- day School. The church averaged $2.50 per member for missions for the year.
The report for 1917 is: Church, $4200; parsonage, $3200; benevolences, $897; Sunday School enrollment, 310.
Winona.
The Rev. Guy Hamilton was the first Methodist pastor at Winona. He supplied the charge in 1887, though he did not organize the class. This was done by H. S. Plummer in 1888. In 1889 the society bought a building of the school board and remodeled it for a church. During the same year a parsonage was built by William York and was occupied as late as 1912. In 1902 the church was removed to another location and again remodeled entirely free from indebtedness.
William Nash was pastor in 1890 and the next year he reported three Sunday Schools, having 15 officers and 70 scholars, while the pastor received $250. The next year Winona and Monument constituted a charge with F. N. Cox as pastor. He received a salary of $425 but reported one Sunday School and 55 scholars. In 1893 J. F. Clark was pastor and the salary was fixed at $500 but only $375 was paid. In '94 it was fixed at $300 of which the entire amount was paid. Pastoral support continued about the same until '98 when Winona and Sharon Springs were joined, but for the next three years the support was not improved over
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that which had been paid by Winona alone. In 1901 Winona was dropped from the list of appointments. It does not seem, however, that there was any inten- tion of giving up the work, but possibly with the de- sign of impressing the people with the necessity of greater diligence and more self-sacrificing devotion to the cause. It seems to have had that effect at any rate, for the next year A. C. Northrop was pastor and the salary was fixed at $600, $100 more than had ever been allowed before and it was all paid. Besides this $115 were paid on the benevolences. The membership was more than doubled over that of the last report.
The next year 1902 W. S. Harper was pastor. He served the charge four years, and it was during this pastorate that the church was moved and remodeled for the second time. The pastors who followed Har- per were: A. W. Dick, 1906-08; C. A. Davis, '09-10; N. S. Ragle, '11-12; E. S. Sitterly, '13-14; J. P. Lane, '15; L. V. Hassell, '16-17.
At present the Page Church is connected with Winona and reports a more valuable church than that. at the head of the charge.
CHAPTER IX.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES IN THE MANKATO DISTRICT.
Agra.
This charge consists of two preaching places, Agra and a school house, Mattison twelve miles distant from Agra. The name first appears in the Conference Min- utes as the head of a charge in 1900, though previous to this Agra had been a part of the Kirwin circuit. Since 1900 the charge has been served by A. C. Hens- lee, 1900-02; Grant Mann, '03; E. H. Tannehill, '04; A. C. Henslee, '05; Thos. Muxlow, '06-07; L. E. Cook, '08-10; R. T. Pruit, '11; W. W. Hurlbut, '12; G. H. Cowman, '13-14; G. Johnson, '15-17.
The church was built in 1890 while R. Bisbee was the pastor of the circuit. The church at Agra had been destroyed by a storm and the Presiding Elder James Boicourt appealed for outside help, stating that the people were not able to rebuild. The church, however was erected and enclosed. The support being meager the pastor moved to his farm in Norton county, but continued to serve the circuit. In 1891 he moved back to the charge where the people gave him a royal wel- come.
The present status of the charge is as follows: Church, $2000; parsonage, $2000; full members, 70; probationers, 2; pastor's salary, $1050; Dist. Supt., $72; bishops, $18; Sunday School enrollment 235 in two Sunday Schools, with 30 officers and teachers.
Aurora.
This is a small station on the branch of the Santa Fe railroad leading from Abilene to Concordia. It is the first station south of Concordia. The first Metho- dist class organized in that vicinity was at Sulpur
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Springs, the next station south, five or six miles dis- tant; this was made a point on the Rice charge and with Enterprise constituted the circuit. From some cause the people at the Springs failed to support the church and some years ago the building was moved to Aurora. It continued to be a part of the Rice charge till 1912 when Aurora was made the head of a circuit and with Heber Church constituted a charge.
The following men served Aurora: 1912, P. O. Rice '13, I. E. Lutz; '14, G. A. Jackson; '15-16, Mark E. Smith; in 1917 E. C. Allen was appointed but fail- ed to report on the work and the charge was without a pastor till in the Fall, when a young Brother Fish, a student at the Wesleyan, was sent as a supply. There had formerly been a Presbyterian society at Aurora. Some of the members still adhered to that church, though a number had united with the Methodist so- ciety ; but when the Methodist pastor failed to put in his appearance, the Presbyterians invited their pastor at Miltonvale to give them a service which he had been doing for some time before the student from Salina came. The Presbyterian minister having begun serv- ices at Aurora, when there was no other being held in the place was not disposed to surrender the hold he had gained. So at this time the Aurora church is ser- ved by a Presbyterian pastor, and Fish the young man, from Salina devotes himself to the Heber appointment.
The first report of Aurora charge appeared in the Conference Minutes of 1913. There were two church- es valued at $2400, and a parsonage worth $600. There were 30 full members and two probationers. They paid the pastor $465, and the sums asked for district superintendent, support of bishops and conference claimants. There were two S. S. having an enroll- ment of 90 scholars. No report was made for benevo- lences. In the 1916 report, there was the same num- ber of churches and Sunday Schools and the enrollment
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had reached but 110. There were 35 members. They paid the pastor but $400 and gave nothing for support of the bishops or conference claimants.
March 19, 1913 the following note appeared in the Central: Last year the church had but one member. W. A. Allen undertook its resuscitation and has so far succeeded that the circuit has raised $1000 for repairs and pastoral support. The edition of March 18, 1914 stated that two years ago the church had but one mem- ber but recently eighty persons met the superintendent to plan for the coming year.
Belaire.
This name is found first in the list of Conference appointments in 1893 and the work was supplied by G. W. Sage. In '94 Cora was associated with Bellaire and the work was supplied by Rev. Elwell, who served also in 1885; '96-7, Grant Mann; '98, N. S. Ragel; '99-1900, Thos. Muxlow; '01-2, W. T. Allison; '03-4, W. A. Pierce; '05, C. A. Whippo; '06-7, L. E. Cook; '08, J. S. Weir; '09-10, F. L. Courter; '11, W. Glazier ; '12-13, B. Cook; '14-15, J. D. Baker; '16-17, F. D. Funk.
There is a church valued at $4000 and a parsonage worth $1200. N. S. Ragel seems to have had quite a successful pastorate. The church property was im- proved by the expenditure of $300, thirteen were add- ed to the membership and a second Sunday School was organized this adding eight officers and teachers and thirty scholars to the Sunday School attendance. L. E. Cook was another pastor who left evidence of suc- cess. He came to Belaire in 1906. The church was valued at $600. Cook remained two years. At the close of his second year the church was valued at $3800, and $3019 were paid that year. The parsonage was improved by different pastors. Its original value was $400. In 1912 it was worth $1000.
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Statistics for 1917 give the following figures : Church, $4000; parsonage, $1200; membership, 71; Prep., 20; pastor, $531; D. S., $40; bishops, $8; C. C's., $25; F. Ms., $20; H. Ms., $15; Gd. total, $233; S. S. Ow's. & T's., 12; Enrl., 62; Av., 30; Exp., $25.
Belleville.
According to the earliest record it was early in the year 1870 that R. P. Cheney, J. F. Wells, J. S. Price, W. F. Compton, H. B. Buck, Ezra Ball, J. D. Ball, John Fulcomer and their several wives and a few others met at the old log Court House to listen to a sermon, by J. W. Reynolds of the United Brethren Church. A week later R. P. West, the Methodist pioneer in these parts, preached at the same place. That year West was pastor of the Lake Sibly Circuit. The next year the name was changed to Lake Sibly and Concordia, and was left to be supplied. Rev. Freeman and G. E. Nichols each supplied a part of the year. In 1872 J. J. Walters was appointed to the Belleville charge.
The first quarterly Conference held was on May 27, 1871. G. S. Dearborn was the presiding elder, and Rev. Freem was the pastor. A building committee was appointed consisting of J. F. Wells, R. P. West, S. K. Waterson and J. S. Price. They requested that a young man be sent them as pastor. Another quarter- ly Conference was held in March 1872, at which time Rev. Nicholson was pastor. A committee was then ap- pointed to secure a charter for a church. A parson- age was built in the summer of '72 costing $400. A charter was obtained May 2, 1873, signed by W. N. Smallwood, secretary of state. J. T. Shackelford was appointed pastor, in the spring of 1873. Under his leadership a church was projected, but was not dedi- cated till October 1874, when George Winterbourne was pastor. The church cost $2000 and was dedicated by Rev. Calvin Holman.
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The Methodist Sunday School was organized in 1875. John Fulcomer was superintendent. The first organization of ladies was effected in the Fall of this year. It was known as a mite society. Belleville was continued as the head of a circuit consisting of Fair- view, Union Valley, Beauchamp and Springfield, un- til 1886, when Belleville became a station. The other points having been attached to other charges.
The Epworth League was organized in June 1890. The present church was built in 1892. It was dedi- cated January 15, 1893 by bishop Warren, E. P. Michener was the P. E. and D. A. Allen the pastor.
The charge has been served by the following pas- tors in addition to those already named. T. B. Gray, C. G. Chrysler, B. W. Hollen, R. A. Hoffman, C. L. Shackelford, W. R. Pierce, D. A. Allen, D. McGurk, L. O. Housel, W. L. Cannon, E. L. Hutchins, J. L. King, H. O. Holter, A. L. Semans, U. S. Brown, J. O. Borton.
July 27, 1892 D. A. Allen reported that the corner stone for the church was laid on July 12. E. P. Mich- ener had charge of the service. G. L. Rarick, A. J. Markley, M. J. Bailey, B. T. Stauber and Judge Post- lethwait were present. Stauber made the address. January 25, 1893 Allen reported that the church was dedicated by Bishop Warren. It cost $7250 and $2800 were raised on the day of dedication.
A revival followed the dedication. The pastor was assisted by E. M. Randall. Sixty-two united with the church; 20 on Conference Sunday. The pastor re- ceived donations amounting to $75 during the year. Bishop Bowman spent Sunday July 2, with the pas- tor at Belleville, preached in the morning, addressed the Junior League in the afternoon, and gave the obser- vations in India at night. In August a league rally was held at Belleville. In January 1909 H. O. Holter reported a union revival service, in which 100 joined our church.
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In December 1912 A. L. Semans reported that Belleville will raise about $1300 for benevolent causes. The Epworth League will raise $80 for home work and $120 to support a pastor in the foreign field. Nearly the entire church and Sunday School are engaged in some activity outside of the Sunday School. This year the W. F. M. S., the Queen Esther Circle, the Home Guards and the Junior League have been en- listed in some active work. Various boys' clubs have been organized and the Epworth League has a large mission study class, and two bible study classes. A men's banquet was held. Toasts were responded to as follows: "Fishing for men," "Hunting for boys," "Why a young man should be religious," "Why the church needs young men," "Why men need the church," "Men and the Sunday School."
In November 1910 the pastor A. L. Semans, with the assistance of C. E. Carpenter, held revival services for two weeks. Twenty-five joined the church and it was greatly strengthened. A Bible class of fifty was organized. February 18, 1914 the pastor U. S. Brown reported that a three weeks' meeting had been held, during which 21 bowed at the altar as seekers. The pastor was his own evangelist. Twenty joined the church. That year the Belleville League received the district banner for allround excellence.
The Conference Minutes for 1917 give the statistics of Belleville as follows:
Church property, church, $9000; parsonage, $4,- 000; membership, Prep, 130; received this year, 127; full members, 537; non resident, 16; deaths, 3; sup- port pastor, $1700; D. S., $112; bishops, $30; confer- ence C's., $70; total, $1912; total Benevo., $1224; Sun- day School total Enrl., 572; Ep. L. Sr., 56; Jr., 27.
Burr Oak.
The class at Burr Oak was organized in the early
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70's. At first it was an appointment on the Jewell City Circuit. James Lawrence was on the Salina Dis- trict, which at that time included this territory. H. G. Breed was the pastor of Jewell City Circuit.
On June 12, 1873 Mrs. Mary Carpenter, wife of T. B. Carpenter, died. Having learned that a Metho- dist preacher was living at Jewell, Mr. Carpenter se- cured E. Mandlin to go to Jewell and get the pastor to come to Burr Oak, and conduct the funeral service. This was the first Methodist service held in this vicin- ity. Two weeks latter Breed returned, and preached in the second story of Carpenter's store. On January 28, 1874 the Methodist Church of Burr Oak was or- ganized. The charter members were E. Modlin and wife, H. B. Oneal and wife, W. H. Mahony, R. R. Skeels and Susan Skeels, T. B. Carpenter, Susan Mc- Donald, W. C. Huntington, Catherine Bennett, Thom- as Lewis.
Services were continued in the Wm. Riner neigh- borhood, one mile east of the townsite before the town was located. Breed was pastor in 1873-4. On July 10, 1874 the pastor was preaching in the Carpenter hall, when the grasshoppers lit on the town, coming down like a gentle snow storm. Those who did not witness it can scarcely credit the reports that were made by some concerning these pests. Some affirmed that in places they were so thick, that they darkened the sun.
The church was built in 1881. It was a frame structure, 30x50 feet, with foundation of native stone, and a vestibule and tower, costing $2400. It was dedi- cated in June 1881 by H. D. Fisher. A short time be- fore the dedication, T. B. Carpenter stood responsible for $1800 of the whole cost.
This building was replaced by the present brick structure, during the pastorate of C. E. Woods; and was dedicated Dec. 2, 1912 by T. C. Iliff R. R. Skeels, J. N. Hotchkiss and G. R. Wellman were the building
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committee. It cost $16,000. The men who have served the church as pastors were: 1884, A. C. Pattee; '85-6, G. W. Wood ; '87-, E. H. Fleisher ; '89, J. C. Walker ; '94, J. W. Adams; '96-7, J. M. Willis; '98-9, W. Hood; 1900, W. S. Vandervort; '01-2, S. Barber ; '03, J. O. Borton; '04, J. M. Willis; '05, W. Uncaphor; '07, W. A. Van- gundy ; '10, J. M. Mumford; '12, C. E. Woods; '14-17, H. J. Lorenz.
October 31, 1894 J. W. Adams reported revival services held for four weeks, with the assistance of G. L. Glasscock of Cincinnati, in which 30 persons were converted and 25 united with the church.
January 14, 1914, C. E. Wood reported that the Sunday School was being recruited through athletics. March 24, 1915, a Gospel Team of 40 had been active, through whose efforts fifty had been added to the church. J. H. Lorenz was the pastor.
Statistics for 1917 are as follows: Church, $18,000; parsonage, $2,500; Exp., $468; members, 261; Prep., 1, support pastor, $1400; D. S., $96; bishops, $25; C. C's., $60; Benev. F. Ms., $159; H. Ms., $96; Gd. total, $1366; S. S. Of's. & T's., 26; Enrl., 298; Av., 129; Exp., $251; Ep. League Sr., 16; W. F. M. S., $101.
Clyde.
Clyde being one of the first places in this part of the state to be honored by its name appearing in the Conference Minutes, and the preacher, E. R. Brown, being the first Conference man to be appointed in this part of the state, the early history has been recited, largely already.
Mrs. Rockwell says: "The first Fourth of July cele- bration in the Republican valley, an affair of no mean proportions boasted R. P. West as the orator of the day." Another early settler was Moses Hiller a man sixty years old. He and his son David built, what was for that time, a fine house. He was the typical host of
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the frontier, renowned in song and story. His hospital- ity knew no limit and he was the friend of everybody. For two years he walked to Clay Center every week, a distance of twenty-five miles, getting the mail which was brought there. A group of anxious settlers always awaited his return. This service was voluntary and without remuneration. When Cloud county attained the dignity of a post office, Uncle Moses received the appointment of post master and held it about fifteen years. He was not a church member but had a high regard for Christianity, and for those who preached it. Of course, Brother West soon found him, and his doors were opened wide and in his house was preached the first sermon ever preached in Cloud county.
In March 1866 Frank Rupe, his wife and brother came to Kansas and took a homestead near Clyde. The first Sunday the brothers walked five miles to the home of Ben Morely on Dry Creek, to hear West preach. They were the sons of an Indiana Methodist preacher, and had brought their church letters with them. Soon a Sunday School was organized in the Keller home and J. B. Rupe was the Superintendent. This was the first Sunday School organized in the county. In the sum- mer of 1916 at a meeting of the Cloud County Sunday School Association two members of that school of more than 50 years ago, were present, having held a con- tinuous membership throughout the years.
A Quarterly meeting was held in the Heller home in November 1866 and the Methodist Episcopal church was organized and R. P. West was appointed preacher in charge. Frank Rupe and wife, John Rupe, Mr. and Mrs. B. B. Honey, Mrs. Ben Morley, Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Andrew Smith were charter members of the class, at Clyde. Andrew Smith had fallen a victim to Indian treachery. Mrs. Smith afterward married John Rupe. Of these Frank Rupe and Mrs. Mary
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(Smith) Rupe have held continuous membership in the society to the present time.
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