USA > Nebraska > A history of Nebraska Methodism, first half-century, 1854-1904 > Part 30
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effective operation but a few years, and has not been able to do as much as it will in the next quarter of a cen- tury. Happily, just as Nebraska Methodism emerges from under the disastrous financial conditions that have made much church-building an impossibility in the past, there emerges upon the scene of action, a Chaplain Mc- Cabe, in whose fertile brain and large, warm heart so
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
many forward movements have been born, and about this time he starts that prolific source of helpfulness for Ne- braska and the entire West, known as the Frontier Fund. This has wonderfully stimulated church-building.
An incident in the early history of the Wayne Church illustrates the difficulties pastors and presiding elders have had of inspiring the discouraged band with enough confidence to induce them to try, even after the need of a church had become most urgent. The only thing in the way of rapid advance and permanent hold at Wayne was a church. Strange to say, the Presbyterian, Luth- eran, and Baptist had all got ahead of us, and we were pensioners on the bounty of the Baptists for a place to worship. But the very fact that these three had already been built made our people feel that it was impossible to build another.
This was the situation in 1884, when the pastor, H. G. Pittenger, sent for the writer, then presiding elder, to attend a meeting called for the purpose of considering tlie advisability of erecting a place of worship. The voice of nearly all the brethren was against the project, deeming it impossible. Things seemed to be going the wrong way, and the pastor, whose heart was set on having a church, was weeping, when good Sister Wm. Miller rose and spoke as follows: "You brethren say we can't build a church. I say we must." And with the tears stream- ing down her cheeks she continued, "You know my health is poor and we live a mile from town, and hoped we might this year have a more comfortable conveyance than a lumber wagon. But I will continue to ride in the old lumber wagon, and put that $100 in a church." And then when I told them that the Church Extension
FIRST CHURCH BUILT IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, 1868. SIZE, 25x40. SEATING CAPACITY, 200.
PRESENT ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, LINCOLN, NEBRASKA. SIZE, 142 X 150. SEATING CAPACITY, 2,300.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
would give them $250 and loan them $250, they took courage and soon had a subscription of $1,000, and soon after this had a $2,000 church.
This case at Wayne is mentioned as typical of a great many. Perhaps no part of our work has represented more of faith and the spirit of self-sacrifice than in the
SOD METHODIST CHURCH BUILT IN TYRONE, RED WILLOW COUNTY, IN 1886. A TYPE OF MANY OF THE FIRST CHURCHES ERECTED IN NEBRASKA.
building of these first churches, How many of these have been built, not because from a business standpoint, the prudent man of the world could say it was practica- ble or even possible, but because some self-sacrificing Mrs. Miller has said it must be done. Perhaps in no field have so many seeming impossibilities become real- ities. There were evidently at work in this phase of our
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
church life moral and spiritual forces that the cool, cal- culating business man wot not of. When we had organ- ized at Stanton the second time, in 1883, the need of a church seemed imperative, and as presiding elder, I was urging them to build, but was met with doubts as to their ability. John A. Ehrhardt, who knew every one in the community, undertook to show me that $600 was the utmost that could be raised. I said to him, "Raise that and we will build a church." The point in this, as in many such cases, was to get the people to venture. When they started with their subscription paper, they soon had over $1,000 pledged, and ere long they had an excellent church.
These scenes witnessed at Wayne and Stanton, with slight variation of detail, but always arising from the same cause, love for the Master, and faith in God, are transpiring in every section of the State, and Nebraska Methodism enters upon a church-building era.
The Church enters upon this last period with seventy- seven churches valued at $147.000, and sixty-one par- sonages valued at $41,266. We now have by Confer- ences :
Conferences.
Churches.
Value.
Parsonages.
Value.
Nebraska,
241
$748,250
I24
$133,805
North Nebraska,
167
564,005
104
123,580
West Nebraska, .
134
233,750
68
55,190
Northwest Nebraska,
32
46,950
25
17,950
Total,
574
$1,592,955
321
$330,525
Thus Methodism has built seven times as many churches this last twenty-three years as she did during the first quarter of a century. Counting those that take the place of the old ones, she has built nearly two a
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
month, and has laid upon the altar for that purpose over $1,500 a week, or $250 a day.
Not only have the churches built during the last period been much more numerous, but with the help of the Church Extension Board she has been able to build bet- ter churches.
CHAPTER XXV. FOURTH PERIOD. (1880-1904.)
METHODISM AND EDUCATION.
IT is characteristic of the spirit of Methodism that among the first things the Church thought of and planned for was a great Christian institution to be called "Simp- son University," to be located in the city of Omaha. During the first session of the Nebraska Territorial Leg- islature, in the winter of 1855, the following charter was procured :
AN ACT
To incorporate Simpson University.
SECTION I. Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Nebraska, that Rev. W. H. Goode, J. H. Hopkins, W. D. Gage, Charles Elliott, Moses F. Shinn, Thomas Benton, Jr., O. B. Sel- den, John B. Robinson, Mark W. Izzard, Thomas B. Cuming, Charles B. Smith, W. N. Byers, and J. P. Buck- ingham, with their associates and successors, be, and are hereby erected a body politic and corporate, by the name and style of Simpson University, at Omaha, Nebraska. For the present the aforesaid individuals shall constitute a Board of Trustees.
SEC. 2. The object of said corporation shall be the promotion of the general interests of education, and to qualify students to engage in the several pursuits and
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
employments of society, and to discharge honorably and usefully the various duties of life.
That this action was taken prior to the organization of the Church in Omaha or anywhere else in the Terri- tory, as is probable, and before a single church or par- sonage building had been erected, and when there were not to exceed 300 members in the entire Territory of Ne- braska, is creditable as indicating the interest the Church always took in the work of Christian education. And that this enterprise was not merely local, is shown by the following report which was adopted at the first ses- sion of the Kansas and Nebraska Conference, in October, 1856:
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION.
Your Committee to whom was referred the subject of education in this Conference, have had the same under consideration, and beg leave to present the following as their report :
We are gratified in being able to present to this Con- ference the fact that our brethren in Nebraska Territory have taken such initiatory steps as to secure the passage of an act of incorporation for the "Simpson University," located at or near Omaha City, the capital of Nebraska Territory, and that the trustees of said institution have been presented with the generous donation of fifty acres of ground, from Rev. Moses F. Shinn, of the Iowa An- nual Conference, now residing in Omaha, and twenty- five acres more, from Hon. T. B. Cuming, secretary of the Territory of Nebraska, lying adjacent to the town plat of Omaha City, now worth not less than one hundred dollars per acre, as the permanent site of the university,
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
and for university purposes; and the title to the same will be confirmed to the said Board of Trustees for that object ; therefore,
Resolved, First. That each presiding elder be re- quested and is hereby instructed and authorized by this Conference, to give especial attention to the subject of education, and where lands and tenements can be se- cured by donation for educational purposes they take such measures as may be necessary to secure, in fee sim- ple, such lands for sites of seminaries or universities, and their building and endowment by legislative action and otherwise.
Second. That as a Conference we will co-operate with the Board of Trustees of Simpson University as far as practicable in their efforts to establish and sustain a first-class university at Omaha City, Nebraska Territory, by our patronage and otherwise.
I. F. COLLINS, Chairman.
Defective titles and consequent litigation defeated this first enterprise. .
Another enterprise was projected in 1857 at Oreapo- lis, just south of the Platte, and near its mouth. Besides the indorsement of the Conference, Oreapolis Seminary had the backing of some of the wisest and strongest men of Methodism outside the Territory, among them Pro- fessor George Loomis, a leading educator, and Hon. John Evans, who had already borne a conspicuous part in the founding of Evanston, Illinois, which was named after him, and the establishment of the great Northwestern University at that place, and who was afterward Gov- ernor of Colorado, and contributed largely to the found-
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
ing of Denver University. Even Dr. John Dempster, first president of Garrett Biblical School, proposed to become responsible for a theological school as a department if ten students could be found. But these men themselves soon saw that the enterprise was premature and with- drew, and soon after, the Conference withdrawing its support, the school was abandoned.
Though this second effort proved abortive, the Con- ference still maintained the receptive mood assumed as we have seen at the first session of their Conference, with standing instructions to pastors and presiding elders to be on the lookout for opportunities to locate an institu- tion of learning. And if propositions from ambitious towns inviting the Church to locate its educational instit11- tion in their community could be regarded as opportuni- ties, there were many such in the first twenty-five years of her history. But in almost every case this very ambi- tion defeated the project by insisting that the institution should be a university or, at the very least, a college.
A typical case of this kind was the proposition from Peru, under the leadership of Rev. H. Burch, the pastor, backed by the Church and the leading citizens of the place. A generous offer was made on condition that the Church would establish a school of college grade. This the Conference refused to do deeming such an under- taking premature and unwise, but offered to accept the proposition on the basis of an institution of seminary grade. But as the subscriptions of the people of Peri had been made on the basis of a college, the citizens de- clined the Conference proposal and offered their bonus to the State for the establishment of a normal school, and it was accepted.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
There are few places of any importance in the eastern portion of the State which did not during the first twen- ty-five years make a definite proposition of some kind, or were in some way considered in relation to the loca- tion of a school. Many private enterprises were begun by Methodist ministers or laymen, and these were con- stantly knocking at the door of the Conference for adop- tion as Conference schools, or at least some kind of recognition. Among these private enterprises may be mentioned the Nemaha Collegiate Institute, by Professor J. M. Mc- Kenzie, who afterward served the State as State Superintendent of In- struction, and the Church in connec- tion with York College; a seminary at Nebraska City, by Rev. P. T. Ken- PROFESSOR J. M. MCKENZIE, ney; at Factoryville, on the Weep- ing Water, by Mrs. Nichols ; at Fre- First Principal of State Normal School, and second State Super- intendent of Public Instruction. mont, by Rev. Mendenhall; at Os- ceola, Rev. J. J. Fleharty established Nebraska Wesleyan University,
which, on the location of the seminary at York, he re- moved to Fullerton. Having failed to secure adoption by the Nebraska Conference, he still hoped he inight find favor with the North Nebraska Conference, but in this he also failed, and the Fullerton school was aban- doned when the Central City School was established.
Thus there was scarcely a session of the Conference that this matter of the duty of the Church to establish a school of some kind was not considered. In 1870, in order evidently immediately to affect something along
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
this line the following action was taken: "That a com- mittee of six members be appointed to receive applica- tions for the location of one or two schools, to be under the control and patronage of the Conference, but for which no financial responsibility shall be assumed, said committee to report at the State Convention" (which had been provided for). Not being ready to report at the convention the committee obtained leave to report to the succeeding Con- ference at Lincoln, which they did as follows: "Propositions have been received from Papillion, Bellevue, Lincoln, Pawnee City, Weeping Water, and Ashland, each of which has its advantages." Of these it was decided that the choice lay between REV. J. J. FLEHARTY, A. M., Ashland and Bellevue. In view of existing numerical and financial con- Pioneer Educator. ditions it was still deemed inexpe- dient to attempt to locate a college, but nine trustees were appointed and empowered to ac- cept propositions for a seminary. But at the session of 1872 the trustees reported that no acceptable proposition had been received. They were continued and instructed to meet at the Methodist church at Lincoln on the first Tuesday of the following October, and if practicable make final choice of a location. This Board was com- pelled to report to the Conference of 1873 that they had not been able to fix on any location for a Conference seminary, but it was resolved "that we will never cease our efforts to build an institution of learning, such as the times demand, until crowned with abundant success."
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
But before that success was achieved the dreadful grass- hopper scourge of 1874-77 intervened, making the post- ponement of the long-cherished object to a later date necessary.
In 1879, however, the Conference established a semi- inary at York, Nebraska, with Rev. E. Thomson as prin- cipal. Thus, while Nebraska Methodisni had from the first year of its organized existence watched prayerfully and carefully for an opportunity to establish an institu- tion of learning and actually made one attempt, and en- tertained a large number of propositions from ambitious towns, the Church did not really, in an official way, adopt an institution till its membership had reached above ten thousand and the population of the State had reached 450,000. Tlis seeming failure during the first twenty-five years of her history to formally enter the educational field, was not the result of indifference, or a want of appreciation of its impor- tance, but all efforts prior to 1879 REV. R. N. MCKAIG, President of York Col- lege. were premature, the population and membership being insufficient in numbers, and what there were being incapable by reason of financial limitations to sustain even a seminary. But from now on she has had from one to three in the field.
York Seminary continued to prosper, and in 1883 the grade was raised to that of college. In 1885 Rev. R. N. Mckaig, D. D., succeeded Dr. Thomson as president.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
In 1884, three years after its organization, the North Nebraska Conference appointed J. B. Maxfield, N. H. Gale, D. Marquette, J. L. St. Clair, William Worley, J. Fowler, J. B. Leedom, a commission with power to act, and instructed them to locate and establish a seminary within ninety days. The commission met at Fremont, and from a number of propositions accepted the one from Central City, and established a seminary. A building worth $10,000 was erected, and Rev. J. B. Maxfield, D. D., was elected president.
In 1885, by the action of the Conference, it was raised to the grade of a college, and named Nebraska Central College.
The institution prospered, and the attendance in- creased from about thirty the first year to one hundred and fifty at one time. In 1887, Dr. J. B. Maxfield re- signed the presidency on account of broken health and D. Marquette was elected to succeeed him. But the task proved too much for his physical strength, and he, too, was compelled to resign in 1888, and was succeeded by Rev. J. W. Shenk. He soon resigned and was followed by Rev. H. A. Crane, and he by F. W. Ware.
In 1886 Rev. Allen Bartley and others founded the town of Bartley in the Republican Valley, and estab- lished Mallalieu University, with a view to its ultimate adoption by the West Nebraska Conference, and Edward Thomson was called to the presidency. While it was never formally adopted by the West Nebraska Confer- ence, it was so far recognized as to be authorized to send representatives to the commission that was to unify the educational interests of the State.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
UNIFICATION.
Thus in 1886, there were three colleges, one in each Conference, struggling for existence. The York and Central City institutions were within thirty-five miles of each other, and each was burdened with debt, and being Conference schools were limited to their respective Con- ferences for patronage and support. The struggle seemed hopeless and the prospect for building up a strong, high- grade institution of learning, worthy of the Church of John Wesley, seemed to many remote, if ever attainable. Mallalieu, while possessing a pretentious title, had not even been formally adopted by the Church.
This was the educational situation when Bishop Fow- ler came into the State to preside over the three Con- ferences then existing. He found that Nebraska Metli- odism was already the victim of a tendency to the undue multiplication of institutions, each Conference insisting on having its own high-grade school of learning. This makes it impossible for either to realize the best results in the establishment of a strong institution.
Bishop Fowler proceeded to lay the matter before the three Nebraska Conferences over which he presided. The result was the following concurrent action, which orig- inated in the North Nebraska Conference, that being held first that year, and was adopted by the other two :
Resolved, That while there is so much reason for re -. joicing because of zeal for our educational interests, we also desire to guard against the disaster sure to come from undue multiplication, within narrow territorial limits, of institutions of learning of the same grade ; and, in order to secure the unification of our educational work in the State of Nebraska, therefore we, as a Conference,
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
request our presiding bishop to appoint a committee of five, to act with a committee of the same number from each of the other Nebraska Conferences together with Bishops C. H. Fowler, Thos. Bowman, H. W. Warren, and C. D. Foss, as a joint commission, to take such action toward this unification as they may deem proper. And we also request Bishop Fowler, as chairman of said con- mittee, to invite this suggested action on the part of these Conferences and the co-operation of these aforeinen- tioned bishops.
Resolved, That the Board of Trustees of Nebraska Central College be requested to appoint three of their number to represent them in the commission to consider the unification of our educational work in the State of Nebraska.
Besides the four bishops named, the following per- sons were appointed on the commission :
CONFERENCES.
Representing the North Nebraska Conference: Rev. J. W. Shenk, Rev. J. W. Phelps, Rev. A. Hodgetts, L. H. Rogers, A. J. Anderson.
Representing the West Nebraska Conference: Rev. T. B. Lemon, D. D., Rev. I .. Stevens, Rev. W. C. Wil- son, Rev. G. W. Martin, Rev. P. C. Jolinson.
Representing the Nebraska Conference: Rev. W. G. Miller, D. D., Rev. C. F. Creighton, D. D., Rev. H. T. Davis, Hon. J. W. Small, Hon. C. C. White.
COLLEGES.
Representing the "Nebraska Central College:" Rev. J. B. Maxfield, D. D., Rev. David Marquette, Hon. N. R. Persinger.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
Representing "Mallalieu University" Rev. L. H. Eddleblute, Rev. Jas. Leonard, Rev. Allen Bartley.
Representing the "Methodist Episcopal College of Nebraska :" Rev. R. N. McKaig, F. K. Atkins, F. L. Mayhew.
The Commission met at the call of Bishop Fowler, at Lincoln, Nebraska, December 15th, and continued in ses- sion three days. All the members were present, includ- ing Bishops Bowman and Warren. Bishops Fowler and Foss could not be present. The following telegram ex- plains the absence of Bishop Fowler: "Chicago, Illinois, December 16, 1886 .- Two days lost by two derailings. Baggage just in from wreck. Can not reach you. Very sorry."
Bishop Bowman was elected chairman of the con- mission.
After a careful consideration of all the interests in- volved, the following plan of unification was adopted :
PLAN OF AGREEMENT FOR THE UNIFICATION OF OUR COL- LEGES IN A UNIVERSITY IN NEBRASKA.
First .- That trustees, to be hereafter appointed, se- cure a charter for a university to include as contributory or allied institutions the schools and colleges at present or hereafter coming under the control of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Nebraska.
Second .- That all schools or colleges, which are now or may hereafter become the property of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Nebraska shall be under the con- trol of the University trustees, but all the property, real, personal, or mixed, shall be held and controlled by their own local boards of trustees.
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
Third .- The first Board of University Trustees shall consist of seven trustees, from within the boundaries of each Conference in Nebraska to be appointed by this commission, and approved by the several Conferences to which they belong, and that hereafter the trustees shall consist of seven persons from each and every Confer- ence, elected in four annual classes by their respective Conferences. The persons thus elected by the several Conferences shall constitute the local boards of the sev- eral colleges within the bounds of their respective Con- ferences.
These several local boards of trustees to hold and control the property of each college as above provided, and each local board may nominate so many additional members as each separate Conference may determine to elect, who, in addition to said local board, shall perforni the duties of said local trustees.
Fourth .-- Duties of the University and College Trustees.
(a) The University Trustees to have and hold all property belonging to the University proper, and to manage the affairs of the same.
(b) To determine the course of study, text books to be used, systems of grading, and to do all such other work as appertains to the general educational interests of the allied colleges. Providing that each college elect its own faculty and arrange for its own internal dis- cipline.
All other powers remain with the local boards of trustees as defined by their charters and by-laws.
Fifth .- Any school or college existent, or that may come under the charter of the University, shall be en-
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HISTORY OF NEBRASKA METHODISM.
titled to retain its college name, to acquire property to be held for the benefit of such college, to teach regular preparatory and collegiate studies, as far as the end of sophomore year of the university course, and to confer academic and normal degrees. The colleges of the uni- versity shall have the same courses of study, use the same text-books, and students of one college shall be en- titled to enter the same grade and rank in any college of the university, on certificate of standing, without ex- amination.
Amendment to Article Fifth.
The clause in Art. 5 of the above which reads, "as far as the end of the sophomore year," etc., shall be un- derstood to be so interpreted that any college of this uni- versity may be graded in its classical curriculum in every detail, so that its classical. senior year of graduation shall not be graded higher than the end of the sophomore year of the classical course of the university.
The following addition was adopted :
The Board of Trustees shall make the grade of the university equal to that of any Methodist university in the United States.
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.
Having traced the steps by which, by a process of evolution, this institution came into being, the plan under which it was founded, the subsequent history of its growth and development, contains so much of thrilling interest and far-reaching influence, that a somewhat de- tailed treatment seems justified.
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