USA > Kansas > A history of Methodism in northwest Kansas > Part 31
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Two years following in 1878, the Kirwin district was formed and Osborne circuit was attached to this new district, while J. B. Orwig became pastor. At
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this time, C. W. Casely, a local preacher, living at Bristow was preaching in a dugout owned by J. S. McMillan. Casely was instrumental in having a preaching point established at Bristow and Orwig organized a class with G. W. Dawes the first class leader.
In 1882, Osborne circuit was divided and Bristow circuit was formed. Bristow circuit now consisted of four appointments, Bristow, Buelah, Covert and Enter- prise.
A class had been formed at Covert by Rev. J. C. Ayers in the log house of Joseph Morris, which is still standing. The class consisted of seven members and Morris was the leader. During the summer services were held in a grove near the house while later services were conducted in the Covert sod school house near the present church building. The first church erected on this charge was a joint affair erected by the Presbyterians while the Methodists assisted with the understanding that they were to have the use of it when it was not used by the Presbyterians. Joseph Morris gave the site for the building.
Enterprise class was organized as a result of a revival meeting which began in 1881 in a sod school house of District 101. The meeting lasted six weeks, being conducted largely under the direction of the presiding elder, Dr. Carruthers, assisted by Rev. Crumley of Iago. There were fifty conversions and at the close of the meetings in April, a class and Sun- day school was organized. Two of the charter mem- bers were daughters of Dr. Carruthers. Enterprise was soon made a part of the Bristow circuit of which Dr. Carruthers was the pastor.
The pastors who served the circuit during the lat- ter eighties and early nineties were Adolphus Pharo, E. R. Zimmerman, W. C. Littell, Joseph Baker, B. W. Hollen, W. R. Allen, A. E. Smith. During the pastor-
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ate of Smith an Epworth League was formed, in November, 1893. H. H. Bowen was pastor in 1894, and he was followed by M. L. Kerr, and he in turn by J. V. Morris. Morris was the first pastor to live at Covert. The pastors following in the late nineties were R. W. Brown, a supply pastor, H. D. Washburn, a local preacher who served the circuit part of the year 1898, while in 1899, J. L. Daniels supplied the charge. In 1900, E. H. Tannehill was appointed pas- tor and during his pastorate special meetings were instrumental in adding many new members to the several classes at Buelah, Enterprise and Bristow, while in 1902 Alton was added to the circuit. Dur- ing much of the time the charge was supplied by local preachers.
In the winter of 1903-04 a successful revival meet- ing was conducted at Enterprise and about the same time the Methodists bought the church at Covert from the Presbyterians for $330, and in 1905 the people at Enterprise built a church costing $2,000.
In 1906 the name of the circuit was changed to Covert Creek circuit and Rev. B. D. Brooks was ap- pointed pastor. That year the Enterprise church was dedicated and in September of the same year a church at Buelah was completed at a cost of $3,500. The circuit now had four churches and a fair parsonage. Brooks served two years and was succeeded by C. L. Harrington in 1908. During this pastorate a great camp meeting was held at Covert conducted by Herb- ert Buffum and wife and Clay Ingalls at which nearly 150 people confessed conversion. Another meeting was held at Bristow and Buelah. At Covert a Holi- ness Association was organized under the leadership of a Nazarene preacher, which resulted in division of the Covert church.
In 1910, Covert charge was placed in the Salina district and L. A. Dugger became the pastor. In 1913
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G. C. Casselman became pastor to be followed at the end of the year by W. C. Green, who served the charge for several years.
In 1918, the Covert charge reported two churches, valued at $8,000; a parsonage valued at $1,000; three Sunday schools with 27 teachers and 192 scholars; pastor's salary, $955.
Cawker City.
The Methodist Episcopal church of Cawker City, Kansas, has had an unusual record of trials, vicissi- tudes and victories, but is today one of the strongest classes in the Northwest Kansas Conference.
On the 29th day of April, 1870, E. H. Cawker, J. A. Segar and R. G. Kahinka with four wagons loaded with lumber and supplies halted and made camp on the present site of Cawker City, on what is now the southeast corner of Wisconsin street and Pennsyl- vania avenue.
The first building was a hotel built by William Spears in January, 1870, and N. E. Hendricks de- livered the first sermon preached in Cawker in the dining room of this hotel in December, 1870. Rev. George Balcom, a Baptist minister was the first regu- lar preacher in Cawker beginning his labors in the winter of 1871.
A Sabbath school was organized by W. Barr and was also held in the dining room of the Spears hotel until the school house was built.
The Congregational church was dedicated in the spring of 1873, and was the pioneer church of north- west Kansas.
This is a brief summary of the religious services in Cawker City prior to the organization of the Meth- odist Episcopal church.
In 1872, just forty-five years ago, elder Dearborn, of Manhattan, visited Cawker to make preparatory
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arrangements and Rev. G. A. Blackstock organized the church March, 1872, becoming its first minister. Three years later in 1875, Rev. H. G. Breed made the first effort to erect a church building, laying the cor- ner stone on Thanksgiving Day, 1875, but only the foundation was finished. Rev. E. R. Brown com- pleted and dedicated the frame building in 1879, which was destroyed by fire in May, 1884, Rev. A. B. Con- well being pastor at the time.
Six months later, on October 30, 1884, it was de- cided to erect a stone building; the corner stone was laid in December, 1884 and dedication services were held August, 1885, under the pastorate of Rev. A. B. Conwell, Dr. H. D. Fisher preaching the dedication sermon. The property was valued at $3,500.
While Dr. C. W. Wynant was pastor, the building was remodeled throughout and rededicated.
This second structure was also destroyed by fire Sunday, February 26, 1911, the fire being discovered just as district superintendent J. W. Snapp was clos- ing a sermon, preparatory to the communion service. The large congregation passed out quietly and though the fire company rendered the best possible aid, the roof, belfry and interior were soon burned, leaving the stone wall standing. The organ, pews and other furniture were saved. Part of the early records of the church were burned. Rev. C. W. Talmadge was pastor at that time.
The evening previous at the Quarterly Conference the mortgage on the new $4,000 parsonage was burned and the church and Ladies' Aid Society were out of debt for the first time in several years. Later in the evening, an informal reception was held in honor of the district superintendent and there was general re- joicing over the spiritual, social and financial condi- tion of the church.
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Only two days elapsed after the fire before a meet- ing was held at the parsonage and the members unanimously voted to rebuild the church at once. A building committee composed of J. W. Higgins, John Domino and Charles Vasterling was elected and the work of rebuilding and enlarging the church was com- menced. The members were undaunted by misfor- tune and went to work enthusiastically with courage, faith and prayer.
The manager of the opera house kindly offered the use of that building for church services as long as it was needed and the offer was gladly accepted.
Additions to the original structure were built of the same stone and the church as it now stands con- tains besides the main auditorium, a pastor's study, choir loft, a choir room, large class room and the ladies' parlor, with galleries above the class room and the parlor, giving a total seating capacity of about 500. The basement may be used for class rooms also. The building is nicely furnished throughout, with new pews in auditorium and is valued at $12,000.
The first service held in the new church was the funeral of Sister Eliza Clingman, December 4, 1911.
In January, 1912, the pastor, Dr. G. R. Hall ob- tained subscriptions for the $2,000 indebtedness on the building at the close of the Sunday morning ser- vices and on February 18, 1912, the church was dedi- cated. Dr. Smith of Salina Wesleyan, delivered the sermon and all the pastors of the city assisted in the union services throughout the day.
Under the leadership of Dr. G. R. Hall, the present pastor, the work of the church is being strengthened in every department and has an active membership of one hundred and sixty-two members. Of this num- ber, one, William Belk, was a member when the church was organized and four, Joseph Jackson and wife and
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J. W. Higgins and wife, were members when the first church burned.
During all these years the Ladies' Aid Society has been a powerful help, having bought the first parson- age and helped pay for the present parsonage which was built in 1907 while Rev. J. A. Bull was pastor. With the lots, it is valued at $4,000. They have also subscribed over $400 toward furnishing the new church and for many years have paid $100 annually on the minister's salary as well as meeting minor financial claims. The present membership is 65 active and 5 honorary.
J. W. Tucker is superintendent of the Sunday school which is in a prosperous growing condition with a membership of 244. Several of the classes are organized and have pledged large subscriptions to the building fund.
The following ministers have served this charge since it was organized in 1872: G. A. Blackstock, H. G. Breed, E. R. Brown, C. L. Shackelford, A. B. Con- well, J. C. Walker, G. W. Winterburn, Joseph Baker (with Episcopal church), S. A. Greene, J. C. Dana, W. C. Littell, C. E. Trueblood, W. A. McWright, J. A. Monroe, C. W. Wynant, A. J. Good, E. V. Allen, G. L. Rarick, J. A. Bull, C. W. Talmadge, G. R. Hall.
The satistical report for 1917 gives the following : Church, $8,000; parsonage, $2,000; expenses, $321; full members, 160; preparatory, 7; support pastor, $1,400; district superintendent, $96; bishop, $22; conference claims, $60; benevolences, foreign mission, $101; home missions, $79; total benevolences, $631; Sunday school officers and teachers, 27; enrollment, 227; average 125; expenses, $122; Epworth League, Sr., 32; Women's Foreign Mission Society, $30.
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Downs.
The first service in the vicinity of Downs was held on April 21, 1872 in the home of E. Courter on his claim in Ross township. Rev. George Blackstock, pastor at Cawker City, was the preacher.
A class of five persons was organized who were E. Courter and wife, F. D. Young and wife, and Mrs. Laurinda Cox. Later the services were taken to the home of F. D. Young and continued there till the summer of 1873, when it was moved to the home of Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Courter's father. In the following winter the place of meeting was again changed to a bank school house on the farm of A. M. Blunt and continued to be held there till the spring of 1876. In 1873 a revival service was held which resulted in much good. G. A. Blackstock pastor.
H. G. Breed served the charge from 1874 to 1877 and E. R. Brown from 1877 to 1880. In 1876 the Oakdale schoolhouse was built and services were changed to it and continued there till 1880, when they were taken to Downs.
In 1880, A. T. Riley a transfer from Illinois, be- came the pastor at Downs. In 1876 a school house was built in district No. 2, known as Oakdale. The services were moved there and were continued at that place till 1880, when the members of Oakdale, 25 in number, transferred their membership to Downs. The services were held in the Congregational church for two and a half years. Those who removed their membership to Downs from the school house were Henry and Celia Asper, Thomas and Mary Bartholo- mew, Emmons and Sarah Courter, John and Laur- inda Cox, Lucy Christianson, W. W. and Susan Diamond, Joseph and Mary Delay, H. Elsie, Lucy Getty, Sarah Greenman, William and Sarah Garner, Hannah Garner, W. A. and Laura Hopper, Maria
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Getty, Franklin and Ellen Hull, Alice Hull, Lydia Merryfield, Sarah Pitt, Isaac and Nancy Williams, F. D. and Alice Young, George Elizabeth and Margaret Oldson.
F. D. Young was the class leader. The Sunday school was organized in the home of E. Courter, May 6, 1872; E. Courter, superintendnt, and Sidney Pitt, chorister; and was continued there in summer time till the school house was built. A parsonage home was built for the pastor in 1882 on the corner of F. D. Young's farm at a cost of $300. The church was built in 1882, during Riley's pastorate. Its dimensions were 28x46 and cost $1400. The second parsonage was the home, afterwards owned and occupied by George McConnell, just east of the old church; and was built during the pastorate of J. C. Walker. It was ex- changed for the present parsonage property during the pastorate of W. L. Cannon.
At the session of Conference held at Salina in 1888, R. A. Hoffman was appointed to Downs. He reports that in the fall of that year a revival was held, with the assistance of a band of the Salvation Army, in charge of Lieutenant Colonel White, in which 90 per- sons were converted or reclaimed. Sixty-two united with our church. On a Sunday afternoon soon after the meeting closed, the pastor baptized 24 persons. During the winter a semi-weekly prayer meeting was maintained, with an attendance of from 65 to 90.
In December 1889 a revival was held by a pastor G. H. Woodward, assisted by Rev. Aura Smith of Illinois in which 40 persons were converted. January 1990, $100 was raised for benevolences. I. McDowell succeeded Woodward, who was followed by E. H. Fleisher. He addressed letters to the business men of the community asking why business men do not attend church; and made the replies received the basis of his sermons for the next three Sunday nights. It was
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made plain that most of the reasons assigned were the merest excuses. A. D. Beckhardt was pastor from March to September '94 and E. L. Hutchins succeeded him, and served till '97. During his pastorate re- vivals were held in which a number of persons were converted.
The church was enlarged by the addition of the East and West wings and the vestibule, the last year of the pastorate of E. L. Hutchins, at a cost of $1700. It was rededicated March 16, 1897 by Dr. now Bishop W. A. Quayle. Four hundred and forty-five dollars were needed to clear the church. It was pledged. Feb- ruary 5, 1896 E. L. Hutchins reported in the Central, the results of a revival recently held, 60 conversions and 47 accessions to the church. July 7, 1897, W. L. Cannon reported that the church had been painted, and money pledged for inside work, and adds, "When fin- ished it will be one of the neatest churches in the west- ern part of Kansas. December 1st of that year he re- ported church painted inside, and new pews put in. March 26, 1902 he reported 15 converted during the year, 10 joined on probation and 15 by letter. A debt on the parsonage of $336 was paid. This was the fifth and last year of Cannon's pastorate. He was followed by W. H. Sweet. The next winter three churches, the Christian, Congregational and Methodist, united for a revival to be held in the opera house, by Rev. John E. Brown, evangelist. It began January 4, and continued 23 days. More than 200 professed conversion, and 78 joined the Methodist Church. Another revival worthy of note was held during the pastorate of Sweet, con- ducted in the church by evangelist L. P. Law. Thirty- two persons united with the church on probation and eleven came into full membership later. A revival of considerable proportions was reported by J. L. King in November and December 1909. C. B. Allen was with the pastor 16 days; but the revival had begun be-
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fore Allen came and continued after he left. Many bowed at the altar, some for pardon, some for restora- tion and some for full salvation.
PERSONAL HISTORY.
E. Courter and wife moved to Kansas from Iowa. They lived in the old blockhouse at Waconda during the winter of 1871-2, and moved to their homestead, March 20, 1872. The winter had been very severe. They saw hundreds of cattle perish around them. E. Courter was born, in Patterson, N. J. but was brought up near Sunbury, O. where he enlisted in the 96 O. V. I. and served till he was discharged on account of sick- ness.
In the fall of 1908 he and his wife made a trip to Sunbury to attend the reunion of his regiment. While there he died very suddenly. The remains were brought to Downs for interment. He was a strong supporter of the church. His death was the first to occur of the original class of 1872. Sarah Courter was born in Clark county, Ohio. When seven years old, her parents moved to Winfield, Ohio where she was married in June 1866. Nine children were born to them, F. E. Courter of the N. W. Kansas Conference, and Mrs. Minnie Summers, a former deaconess were two of them. Mrs. Wm. Hopper was born and raised in N. Y. She and her family came to Kansas from Colo- rado, in 1872, where they were a part of the Greely Colony. F. D. Young was born in N. Y. and brought up in Ohio where he enlisted in 1861, in the 125 regi- ment O. V. I. In 1864 he was discharged on account of wounds. He came to Kansas in 1871. The next year he returned to New York and married. They came to Kansas and settled permanently in Ross Town- ship in 1872. One child was born to them, Mrs. Hattie Foot who for years was the dependable and efficient organist in the Downs M. E. Church.
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For a number of years the Methodists of Downs had talked and dreamed of a new church but it did not take definite form till October 1914, during the pas- torate of L. A. Mckeever. In the fall of that year definite plans were laid which being wrought out gave them a very excellent church. The building in 64x82. The exterior is of light grey brick, with Bedford stone trimmings and columns. Main room is oak. The art glass windows are especially fine in design and color- ing. The two large windows show the Resurrection scene of the Women at the Sepulcher and the Good Shepherd.
The ordinary seating capacity of the audience room is 375 including balcony and choir. This can be in- creased to 650 by opening the main Sunday School rooms and balcony. There are twelve class rooms be- sides the primary and beginners' rooms.
The church was dedicated Sunday March 19, 1916 by John F. Harmon, president of the Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina, Kansas. It is located on a corner lot on Main Street, not far from the center of the town. The church with its site and furnishings cost. $22,000. The sum needed to meet the obligation was $6555. To meet this the Sunday School and Ladies" Aid each pledged $1000. Dr. Harmon proved himself a money getter, for in a little more than half an hour, the pledges given amounted to $7000.
Services were held in the afternoon, in charge of J. W. Snapp, district superintendent; at which ad- dresses were delivered by the pastor, L. A. Mckeever, and by former pastors J. C. Walker and W. L. Can- non. Interesting reminiscences were related, as to the struggles made years ago to gain a foot hold for the church. When Walker was pastor the church was im- proved, he doing the carpenter work. At the night service Dr. Harmon preached another great sermon.
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Taken all in all it was unquestionably the greatest day, that Downs Methodists had ever experienced.
March 21, 1917 the pastor, L. A. Mckeever, wrote, "We are closing a very good year. We had a banquet in the basement of the new church last Monday night, the first anniversary of the dedication. In the early summer the church began to grow in all departments. The League had declined in interest till the attendance was only 15 to 20, in the spring. In the fall the aver- age was 70; and they organized a Gospel Team which has done splendid work. The average in the S. S. for five years was from 148 to 155. In 1915-16 it was 176. It increased so that for the past six months it was over 300, and for the last quarter was 320. We were in a four months efficiency S. S. contest with Stockton and Alton, governed by fixed rules. Downs won, on all points, by a comfortable majority.
The enrollment has increased from 340 to 520; and the average attendance is a little more than 82 per cent. of the enrolled scholars. We began the year with a debt of $7100. During the 8 months preceding dedi- cation we paid on the new building $1450, and during the year $4100 on the debt, and $600 for other im- provements. In November we had Rose Potter Crist with us for three weeks. It was a good spiritual meet- ing, which left "a good taste." There were 60 conver- sions and 40 accessions to our church, and a number to other churches.
The Baptist Church began a meeting in January. Frank Schusler was the evangelist. The Methodists were active in the meeting, and soon the crowds out- grew their church, and they accepted an invitation to come to the Methodist Church. The meetings lasted nearly six weeks. Two hundred and eighty were con- verted and reclaimed. Eighty-one joined our church, 70 the Baptist, and several united with other churches.
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This meeting also left a hearty good fellowship among the churches and Christians. One good result of the Crist meeting was the organization of two country prayer meetings, which have an attendance of 25 to 50. Our mid-week meeting is attended by 70 to 100.
The Conference Minutes for 1917 report: Church, $24,000; parsonage, $2000; full members, 380; Prep., 8; expense, $895; salaries, pastor, $1400; D. S., $96; bishops, $24; C. C., $50; Benev. F. Ms., $125; H. Ms., $102; Gd. total, $1404; S. S. O's. & T's., 36; Enrl., 520; Av., 230; Exp., $287; Ep. L. Sr., 65; Jr., 65; W. F. M. S., $143; W. H. M. S., $194.
Delphos.
The early history of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Delphos is not unlike that of the typical frontier church. The first religious service we can get any account of was a Sabbath School held in the Yockey school house northwest of town, on what is now H. P. Dean's farm. This was in 1870, when Del- phos consisted of Geo. W. Strickler's 12x24 store, a harness shop, blacksmith shop and three small resi- dences, and when the nearest railroad was the Union Pacific at Salina, forty miles away.
A Methodist preacher, Rev. Mr. Adams, was the first to hold regular services in the community. He and a Baptist brother, Rev. Mr. Balcom, who came now and then from Cawker City preached in the log school house or the "soddy" or the cabin of some set- tler. Rev. Adams was a typical circuit-rider, going on horse back with saddle-bags behind him, up and down the sparely settled Solomon Valley seeking the strate- gic points where he might lay the foundations of the kingdom of his Master. He came west for his health. He told the people that they ought to have some place for the burial of their dead, and some say he started
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the movement to secure the present cemetery site. He died and was buried two miles east of town but some years later his remains were removed to this cemetery.
In 1871 preaching services were held in a vacant store-room at the northwest corner of the public square. After the death of Mr. Adams the work was carried forward by Rev. J. N. Bartells who was suc- ceeded by Rev. L. D. Winder. We have no authentic record and have been unable to learn just how long these men served the church. Rev. Winder was a very frail man and died soon after leaving this community.
In 1873 Rev. James Phillips took up the work and traveled a circuit composed of Delphos, Glasco, Bethel and Pipe Creek. The one room parsonage was built in 1874, the rear room of the old parsonage which still stands across the street south of the church. The Rev. Phillips did much of the labor in securing this the first parsonage. He aided in cutting the timber, had the logs sawed into lumber and floated it across the river near Glasco and it was then hauled to Delphos by friends and members of the church. Rev. L. A. Tall- man followed Rev. Phillips in March 1875 and was pastor for two years.
The first Methodist Church building was erected on the site occupied by the present building in 1879. W. C. Davis, a member of the church, who has a furni- ture business in Delphos, built both this and the old parsonage. Rev. C. K. Jones was the pastor. He him- self worked hard on this building.
Dr. T. J. Reams, who was appointed district super- intendent of the Topeka District a few years ago, suc- ceeded Rev. Jones in the spring of 1879. He was not here long until a Kansas cyclone passed through Del- phos and twisted the new church building on its foun- dation. It was soon replaced and during his pastorate of one year the spiritual life of the church was at high tide.
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