Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties, Part 64

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co.
Number of Pages: 820

USA > Nebraska > Adams County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties > Part 64
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties > Part 64
USA > Nebraska > Hall County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties > Part 64
USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties > Part 64

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The railroad war dates back almost to August 12, 1871, when the first rail of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad was placed within the town- ship of Sutton. Shortly after Attorney Joseph Wil- sey, of Crete, waited on French and induced him to give right of way on condition that a depot should be established at Sutton. This deed was not re- corded until after his deed to the Clark brothers was filed, and so became worthless. The company, however, placed a freight car here to be used as a depot building. It was No. 124, and this number was painted on a bleached buffalo skull, which was suspended from a pole attached to one end of the On the town of Grafton being surveyed for

the railroad company, this temporary depot was moved four and one-half miles east of Sutton, basing their action on the fact that Sutton was given up to saloons, and that the Vroman claim was still unsettled. This peenliar transfer was made Decem- her 15 and 16, 1871. The war was then commenced in earnest. The Vroman title was settled, and in January, 1872, Mr. Weed was authorized to offer the railroad company one-half of Clark, Maltby & Way's addition and twenty acres of Maltby & Way's lands, on condition that the depot be re-established. Other steps were taken, but without avail, and not until April, 1873, did the people cease their efforts to obtain a depot. Meantime the merchants gave their freight to the St. Joe & Denver Railroad. Rob- bins & Marthis had removed their store from Graf- ton to Sutton in December, 1872, and the battle against the railroad company was virtually won. In May, 1873, it acceded to the terms proposed by the citizens, and in the fall of that year the depot was erected and R. M. Grimes appointed agent. He was succeeded by L. S. Sage.

A daughter was born to Mrs. F. A. Gross, Feb- rnary 15, 1872, being the first birth in Sutton. Maude, a daughter of Asa Tracy, died April 21, 1872, being the first death.

A colony from Southern Russia, near the port of Odessa, on the Black Sea, came to Sutton and set- tled in the town and adjacent country in the fall of 1873. The principal leaders of the colony were John Grosshans, Henry Griess and Henry Hoffman. The whole number of families was fifty-five. They bought, in the aggregate, 16,120 acres of land, at an average cost of $7 per acre, making $112,840 that was paid the Burlington & Missouri Railroad Company and to the homesteaders for land. Their property in Sutton cost them $18,000; their com- bined wealth in this county in 1882 was $500,000.

Sutton, in July, 1873, comprised forty-one houses, nearly all devoted to business. The Times and Herald were published, two hotels were carried on, and the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad depot was built.

In 1871 there were only eleven houses in exist- ence here, but before July, 1882, there were no less than 284 buildings in the town. During the first

car.

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CLAY COUNTY.

eleven years of Sutton's up-building (1871 to 1882) there were only five business failures recorded. The principal business buildings in 1882 comprised the two-story building, with Masonic hall above, of 1. N. Clark & Co .: store building of Connor & Shop- pard; the two-story building, with Odd Fellows hall, of John Grosshans; the one-story building, Griess' hardware; one story, of Weed & Co., and store, same size; old conrt honse, two stories; new public school building, with projections each way, twenty-four foot posts, with a belfry and dome; two rooms below and a chapel, with all the modern con- veniences of cloak and apparatus rooms.

During 1873, 2,483 tons of freight were received and 1,154 tons forwarded; during 1875, 4,239 tons were received, 5,255 tons forwarded; during 1875, 120,681 pounds of merchandise and 528 car-loads of grain were shipped. The same year were received 1,389,716 pounds of merchandise; 414 barrels of salt; 94 barrels of lime; 54 barrels of coal oil; 101 barrels of apples; 11 carloads of emigrants' mova- bles; 26 cars of corn for seed; 209 cars of lumber, and 183 cars of coal, etc.

In November, 1871, the Gray & Bemis nursery was established. The first directory was published in February, 1872, by Houston & Street, of Lincoln, the volume showing three dry goods and grocery houses, two flour and feed stores, one drug store, one hardware, two lumber yards, one hotel, one implement warehouse, one nursery, one livery, one fur and hide store, one meat market, two real estate offices, one physician's office, one attorney's office, and one shoemaker's shop. This latter concern was also the residence of the local preacher, for William Woolman was a sole and soul cobbler. The popu- lation in 1871 was 35.

On November 1, 1871, I. N. and Martin Clark opened the first store on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, west of Crete, at this point, having first purchased the unsold lots on the town-site from French, for $4,000. They opened a hardware store February 20, 1872, having, ten days before, estab- lished a drug store. C. M. Turner erected his store-house November 17, 1871, and opened it for business December 9, while Corey & Co. opened their store simultaneously; but the latter sold to

Stewart & Evans prior to 1881, and returned to Crete. The business street was then known as Whisky Row. Merrill & Co, opened a general store in January, Thompson & Young established their agricultural implement house, John I. Smith a har- ness shop, Charles Meyer a shoemaker's shop, and on Rev. Burlingame being appointed postmaster, he purchased Maltby's building. J. M. Gray erected a building south of the postoffice, the Calkins and Jenkin's houses were erected, and the Mines build- ing (the first school house), was moved to the Gray lot. The establishment of the depot and of Malt- by & Way's addition to the town, tended to with- draw some interest from Sorghum or East Sutton, and the town south of the track was called Scrabble Hill. The Fitzgerald building was the third erected on Scrabble Hill, the first having been erected by F. A. Gross, late in the fall of 1872. In April W. A. Way moved to this point from Crete, and opened a hardware store in the Fitzgerald building, and shortly after the Kribbler furniture store was built and opened. This building was oveupied by George Henry in 1881, and Weed & Co. succeeded W. A. Way, in 1874. In the fall of 1873 Way & Stewart erected the building which was subsequently occu- pied by Keller & Co. and Merrill & Co., the latter commencing business in January, 1873, shipped the first car load of grain from Clay County, Angust 14, that year, the grain being raised on Russell Merrill's farm, on Section 20. In March, 1873, Connor & Sheppard opened a grocery store, Mrs. M. V. Foote opened a millinery store, and Mrs. C. M. Church followed her example August 10, 1873. About this time the Melvin Brothers opened their general store south of the track, and they, with Gross, Kribbler and Turner, were the pioneers of Scrabble Hill. A. B. Lucore built a two-story business house on Main Street early in 1873.

Grice & Towslee established their harness busi- ness February 25, 1875, succeeding John I. Smith, a very talkative character, who flourished in Sor- ghum's palmy days, and whose business card still remained all over the front of his former shop on Main Avenue. On the same day, J. F. Evans & Co. opened their lumber yard, succeeding Monnell, Lash- ley & Weed. F. W. Hohmann came from Lincoln,

380

HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.

Neb., and opened a dry goods and grocery store, in June, 1874; he was a musician by profession. John B. Eaton & Son built a grain warehouse Feb- ruary 1, 1874. The building was afterward sold to Eaton & Pyle, and later passed into the hands of F. A. Pyle & Co. Eaton & Pyle enlarged it to a horse-power elevator, having a storage capacity of 7,000 bushels, and a daily capacity of 1,000. J. F. Evans & Co. (T. A. Margrave, manager), com- meneed the grain business in the fall of 1874. This company were extensive dealers, from the Missis- sippi River to Sutton. The daily capacity of their elevator at Sutton was 2,000 bushels. McKee & Robinson commenced the photograph business in the summer of 1873, McKee afterward succeeding. W. J. Keller & Co., druggists, commenced operations November 30, 1875, as successors to J. Thompson & Co. Alcorn & Clyde began business in agricul- tural implements September 15, 1875, succeeding to Alcorn & Colvard. J. E. Ryan, from Illinois, operated the first exclusive dry goods store in the county. May 19, 1876, Mrs. F. A. Gross opened a millinery store and dress-making establishment. In the spring of 1876, B. B. Cronin commenced in the boot and shoe trade, the first of the kind in Sutton. The Sutton Brick Company (J. S. LeHew, superin- tendent; I. N. Clark, treasurer); commenced the suc- cessful manufacture of brick June 1, 1876. April 22, 1876, Sherwood & Torrey opened their meat market. Kreiger & Ballzer were in this business before them, and had a shop just north of Gray's old lumber yard. Afterwards the shop was moved to Saunders Avenue. W. Cunning bought into the firm and sold out again to Kreiger. Cunning was appointed deputy sheriff, which office he held four years. Earlier he used to be a great man to drive work, and did most of the heavy hauling in the town. Later, Eugene Bemis succeeded to the bnsi- ness, and had a dray built, the first one in the town. The first builder in the town was Henry Potter, now of Spring Ranche. He built P. H. Curran's saloon near the last of May, 1871. The first plastered building in Sutton was the county court house, built and plastered early in 1873. The masons came from Crete. Other tradesmen not before mentioned were A. A. Scott, Montgomery & Bro., Emery &

Bro .. and I. B. Terryll, builders: W. W. Jordan and Farris & Co., masons; Speneer & Co., William Smeltser and James McVey, blacksmiths; Daniel Cronin and F. J. Hoerger, carriage and wagon makers; Paul Braitsch, successor to J. D. Harris, jeweler; B. B. Cronin and George Karcher, shoe- makers; Ramsey & Griffith, house and sign painters; John Nehf, barnessmaker; Augustus Meyer, barher; William Ryan, P. H. Curran and James Stewart, billiards.

The petition for the incorporation of Sutton was granted October 15, 1874. This petition was signed by William A. Way, Francis M .. Brown, James J. Melvin, John C. Merrill and Dr. Martin V. B. Clark. In granting the petition the commissioners named them trustees, and they organized with F. M. Brown president, R. G. Brown clerk, F. M. Davis treas- urer, and I. D. Emery marshal. In 1875 Messrs. Way, Merrill and Clark, with Paul Braitsch and George Seward, formed the board. J. L. La Hew was chosen clerk, Davis treasurer, and W. Wilkinson marshal. An election on the question of issuing $5,000 10 per cent bonds to the Sutton Mill Com- pany was held April 6, 1875.

1876-Trustees: F. A. Pyle, E. P. Church, J. W. Shirley, James Sheppard and I. N. Clark; chair- man, E. P. Church; clerk, J. S. Le Hew; treasurer, F. M. Davis; marshal, A. Brown. F. M. Davis re- signed the office of treasurer and J. A. Tont was appointed, December 9, 1876, to fill the vacancy. During the early part of the year a petition, signed by R. G. Brown and twenty others, was presented to the board of trustees, asking that they incorpo- rate Sutton as a city of the second class. In re- sponse to this request of the citizens, ordinance No. 24 was passed by the board, whereby the town was incorporated as a city of the second class. An election was held and the following officers elected: mayor, I. N. Clark; police judge, J. R. Maltby, clerk, J. S. Le Hew; treasurer, J. A. Tout; mar- shal, C. F. Meyer; councilmen for the First Ward, J. S. Sheppard and W. E. Bemis; councilmen for the Second Ward, T. Weed and F. A. Pyle. This administration was characterized by general activity and improvement, since continned, making the town of Sutton the neat and attractive place it now is.

381

CLAY COUNTY.

In compliance with the statutory enactment regnlat- ing such matters, the next election of city officers was held on the first Tuesday of April, 1878, at which time the following persons were chosen to the respective positions: mayor, I. N. Clark; clerk, J. S. Le Hew; treasurer, L. R. Grimes; police judge, E. P. Burnett; marshal, C. A. Melvin; city en- gineer, Frank Conn; councilmen for the First Ward, W. E. Bemis, for two years, and J. S. Sheppard, for one year; councilmen for the Second Ward, F. A. Pyle, for two years, and James Thompson, for one year. J. S. Le Hew was appointed police judge May 6, 1878, vice E. P. Burnett. At the next regular election, in 1879, R. G. Brown was chosen mayor; police judge, J. Rowley; city clerk, A. L. Lamont; city treasurer, J. S. Le Hew; city marshal, R. H. Stewart; city engineer, F. A. Pyle; councilman for the First Ward, F. J. Hoerger; coun- cilman for the Second Ward, James Thompson. A. L. Lamont resigned the office of city clerk, and A. A. McCoy was appointed August 30, 1879.

The, winter of 1879 proved a period of misfort- une to the flourishing young city of Sutton. Dur- ing that time the Legislature passed a law requiring all places to have a population of 1,500 before they could be incorporated as cities of the second class. But Sutton, by all known methods of computation, could not raise her numbers to that point, by a few hundreds, and thus in the period of youth "was eropped the golden plumes of this proud young city." Accordingly, with the beginning of the next year, in abject humiliation, she was compelled to resume the less elegant garments of a village. The officers elected, in 1880, to take control of the vil- lage were as follows: trustees, M. Wittenberg, C. W. Brown, James Thompson, George Honey and A. E. Meyer; chairman, A. E. Meyer; clerk, A. A. McCoy; treasurer, J. S. Le Ilew. A. A. McCoy resigned the office of village elerk, January 4, 1881, and William F. Stone was appointed.

1881-Trustees, R. G. Merrill, M. V. B. Clark, F. A. Pyle, J. E. Bagley and Henry Grosshans; chairman, J. E. Bagley; clerk, W. F. Stone; treas- urer, J. B. Dinsmore.

1882-Trustees, R. G. Merrill, F. J. Hoerger, F. M. Brown, W. W. Wieden and T. R. Linton;

chairman, F. M. Brown; treasurer, J. B. Dinsmore; clerk, W. F. Stone.

The trustees of 1883 were F. M. Brown, W. D. Roberts, F. J. Hoerger, J. C. Merrill, W. W. Wie- den; W. F. Stone, clerk, and J. B. Dinsmore, treas- urer. In 1884 E. Landman took Mr. Stone's place, and F. C. Matteson that of Dinsmore. In 1885 Messrs. Merrill, Roberts, Hoerger and Matteson were still on the board, with Henry Nagel and A. Grosshans, new members; Richard Darnsted, clerk, and F. C. Matteson, treasurer. In April,-1886, a city government was re-organized with A. O. Ken- dall, mayor; Theo. Miller, clerk; T. Weed, police judge; J. B. Dinsmore, treasurer; Charles Newman, engineer; J. W. Shirley, C. W. Walther, F. C. Mat- teson and A. Grosshans, aldermen. In 1887 Henry Grosshans was elected mayor, with the same police judge, clerk and treasurer; Frank Conn, engineer, and the same aldermen as in 1886. A village coun- cil also assumed control for a part of this year, but their claims were found untenable by the supreme court. This council comprised C. B. Gray, W. II. Thompson, A. Greenheid, George Honey, H. Jones and L. Jarrett. In 1888 F. C. Matteson was chosen mayor; F. M. Brown, police judge; Theodore Miller, clerk; John Ochsner, treasurer; F. Conn, engineer; Henry Nagel, P. H. Schwab, William Griess and E. W. Woodruff, councilmen. This council submitted the question of issuing $20,000 bonds, the proceeds to be expended in the construction of a system of water works. The question was approved by a ma- jority vote, but, the legality of the bonds being ques- tioned, the case was presented to the supreme court, with the result of placing a quietus on the work. In 1889 the People's and Anti-License candidates were leaders in the contest for municipal honors. F. C. Matteson (P) received 174 votes and Charles Moon (A-L) 80 votes for mayor; H. M. Clark was elected clerk; J. J. Ochsner, treasurer; John Ling, engineer; M. Wittenberg and E. W. Woodruff were elected councilmen; Martin Clark and Theodore Miller, new members of the school board, with E. P. Burnett, R. S. Silver, Peter Griess and II. C. Brown old members.

The first hotel was erected in February, 1872, by William Shirley, who settled here in December,

382

HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.

1871. The Central Hotel was built on the site in June, 1874, and the old building made an annex to it. Some years later the building became the dry goods house of M. Wittenberg.

The Clark House was built in the winter of 1871-72, for I. N. & Martin Clark, who carried on their hardware business therein until January 1, 1873, when Dudley Hoisington transformed it into a hotel. In August of that year E. P. Church be- came proprietor and carried on the house until No- vember «1881, when he moved to Harvard to take possession of the Metropolitan. The Clark House is now the billiard hall of George W. King.

The Occidental was erected by R. G. Brown in 1878, at a cost of $4,500, and was opened by W. J. Abbott, who after a six month's term was sue- cceded by J. T. Mollyneaux, as lessee. Mr. Molly- neaux bought the house in 1880, and traded this house for the Oakland.

The Oakland House, built in 1886, by a stock company, was opened by George A. Blue, June 30, that year. C. W. Walthers and Crumley conducted the house for short terms. In August, 1888, F. M. Curtis took charge of the Oakland House, but cou- dueted it only for some time, when Mr. Crumley returned as lessee and carried on business until Mr. Mollyneaux purchased the building.

The pioneer bank of Sutton was established by L. L. Grimes and J. B. Dinsmore, January 1, 1877. They erected a brick building for an office in No- vember. In 1879 or 1880, F. C. Matteson took the place of L. L. Grimes.

The Sutton Bank was founded in April, 1880, by L. D. Fowler and George H. Cowles.

The First National Bank, of Sutton, was opened in October, 1885, in the company's building just then completed. George H. Cowles was the first president of this house; J. N. Clark, vice-president; L. D. Fowler, cashier; George E. Birge and J. E. Bagley, directors.

The Fowler & Cowles Mortgage Company in the report of July 17, 1886, claimed resources esti- mated at $83,420.54. George II. Cowles was pres- ident, with L. D. Fowler, M. C. Joslyn and George E. Birge, directors.

The Sutton Board of Trade was organized Feb-

ruarv 14, 1887, with L. D. Fowler, president; F. M. Brown and F. C. Matteson, vice-presidents; I. N. Clark, treasurer; J. W. Johnson, correspondent; and Daniel S. Van Valkenburg, recorder. The officers then chosen are practically the officers of the board to-day.

The first school building in Sutton was a frame house, built by Owen Mines, which stood nearly between the residences of C. M. Turner and Mr. Rowe. It was sold at sheriff's sale to the Clark brothers to satisfy a lumber debt in favor of Weed; afterward rented to Thompson & Young; then sold to J. M. Gray & Co., for an office, which they oc- cupied in 1882. William Weed taught the first school in the town, and the second in the county, commencing about January 20, 1872, with an aver- age attendance of fourteen. Another building was erected for school purposes in the fall of 1872, and stood on J. M. Gray's homestead, just outside of the town limits, on the east side. This building contin- ued in use as a school house about two years, when it was sold to district No. 20, about six miles south of town' and was occupied by that district as a school house in 1882-83. A large school building was erected in the spring of 1876. Besides this, the old court house was made use of to accommodate the schools, in which one of the primary departments was kept in later years. The school was graded by Prof. J. W. Johnson in the fall of 1876, and en- rolled a total of 215 pupils, about 180 of these he- ing regular attendants in 1882, under the instruc- tion of Prof. W. C. Picking, as principal; Laura E. Sawyer, assistant, and Nellie Henderson, Mattie Torry and Katie Conn, teachers of the primary de- partments.

In the winter of 1883-84, a course of study was adopted by the schools of Sutton, and arrangements made by which close connection with the State Uni- versity was established. The Sutton school building was destroyed by fire January 21, 1886. The value of this building was placed at $7,000. In June, 1886, the contract for building the new school-house was awarded to J. L. Hutchinson, of York, for $13,400. The series of bonds issued comprised twenty of $500 each, and thirty $15 interest cou- pons attached to meet the interest for fifteen years.

383

CLAY COUNTY.

The school board of district No. 2, comprised John E. Bagley, John J. Bonekemper, Isaac N. Clark, H. C. Brown, Richard Darnsted and Joseph Grive. In November. 1886, Prof. Stephens pre- sided over the high school, assisted by Miss Lake, Miss Merrill, Miss Constable, Miss Mollie Brown, Miss Clara Lake, and Mr. Eberhart, of the German classes. In 1887, the names of Misses Clark, La- mont, Mallock and Braun appear on the list of teachers.

In June, 1888, Misses H. R. Brewer, S. L. Lake, Anna Il. Merrill, Ethel D. Constable, Clara M. Lake, Janie Lamont. Lucy Roys, Mollie L. Braun and Mrs. Moore were the teachers.

In 1876, the Iowa Conference, of the Evangeli- cal Association of North America, sent Rev. W. Schwerin to Sutton as its Missionary. That year a parsonage was erected, but no organization was effected. In 1877-78, Rev. C. Smith was the pastor of the work. Some success attended the work.

In 1879, when the Nebraska Conference of this Association was organized, Rev. A. Fische, was sent to the work. June 16, 1879, the society was organized with twenty-eight members who were served by Mr. Fische for three years. In 1882, Rev. H. Sahl was sent to Sutton as pastor and served for three years. In 1884 a church was built. In 1885 Rev. A. Branckle was appointed pastor and served three years. This year the parsonage was repaired and an addition built thereto. In 1888, Rev I. Laipply was appointed. The society num- bers at present 123 members.

The first sermon at Sutton of the Christian Church, was preached December 30, 1875, by Elder J. M. Yearnshaw, of Lincoln. three members being in attendance, The first sermon at Marshall was on January 3, 1876. Meetings continued until the 11th. January 9, a Sunday School and Church was organized, the result of Elder Yearnshaw's labors. The first sermon preached at Fairfield was by Elder Newcomb, February 13. 1876; members present were only three. April 18, 1876, a series of meet- ings was commenced by Elder R. C. Barrow, State Evangelist of Nebraska. A church of twenty-six members was organized at Sutton on the 16th, the meeting closing on the 19th. In 1882 there were

twenty members belonging to the organization; while the Christians had three other churches in the county and a total membership of 175.

The first and only Christian Sunday school in the county up to 1882. was organized September 14, 1874, with four scholars, by Mrs. P. A.' Halleck at her residence. At the expiration of nine months, the school numbered thirty-five, when the place of meeting was changed to the court house, and con- tinued at that place until the county commissioners closed the court house to all church organizations.

The First Congregational Church building was the first house erected at Sutton, and in the county for the purpose of worship. This building was erected in the fall of 1875 at a cost of $1,500. T. Weed, E. P. Burnett, W. Cunning, F. A. Pyle and E. H. White, constituting the building committee. The first services were held in the grove at Sutton in July 1871, by Rev. Mr. Jones. May 26, 1872, Rev. O. W. Merrill, then superintendent of Home Mis- sions for Nebraska, organized a church, with eight members, Thurlow Weed, Mrs. Thurlow Weed, C. Stevens, Mrs. C. Stevens, Thomas Milholland, Mrs. 1. Kentner, Mrs. S. Corey and Mrs. C. M. Turner. The first regular continuous services were conducted by Rev. D. B. Perry, now president of Doane Col- lege. Following Mr. Perry came Revs. Chas. Ilib- bard, Reuben Gaylord, (supply) John Gray, S. F. Em- erson, C. F. Graves, Geo. Scott, E. H. Baker, Geo, Scott, H. B. Frey and F. C. Cochran. The church clerks have been Thos. Mitholland, E. Il. White, Mrs. T. Weed, C. W. Walthus and Mrs. E. D. Good- rich. The present membership is ninety. This so- ciety has organizations at Spring Ranche, Fairfield and Harvard. For the north half Clay, Rev. John Gray, pastor; south half Clay, Rev. Thomas Pugh, pastor. The Harvard society built a church in 1882, and claimed over forty members at that time.

The First M. E. Church building (brick) was erected in 1882, and dedicated that year. The Sut- ton Class was organized in September 1874. by .A. J. Swarts and within the eight succeeding years Greeted a brick church and parsonage at a cost of $3,600. Mr. Ewell was preacher-in-charge at time of building. In June, 1871, a student from Tou- lon, Ill., named Win. Whitten organized a class

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Author: Goodspeed Brothers Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co. Number of Pages: 820

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co.
Number of Pages: 820