Three Brothers, Leonard N., John H., and Andrew Lockwood and their families, settled in the neighborhood of Cold Water Township, Butler County, in pioneer days. Not only were they interested in establishing homes but they had on their hearts the religious interests of the community. Meetings were held in schoolhouses and homes. Sunday Schools were organized.

    On October 21, 1879, twelve people met in the home of John H. Lockwood and organized the Cold Water Baptist Church. Eleven of the people were Lockwoods, Solomon Robinson being the other. Ida M. Lockwood was elected Clerk and Leonard N. Lockwood, Deacon.

    Similar groups of Baptists among the pioneers were meeting in nearby communities. Out of such work, the churches at Sheffield and Rockwell were organized. These organized churhes were often served by the same minister.  

    When the Coldwater church was organized, they called as pastor A. R. Button who was a young man just entering the ministry. He was also pastor at Sheffield. An ordaining council was called and he was ordained. His marriage to Abbie Bush, daughter of Professor Bush of Cedar Valley Seminary at Osage, soon followed his settlement as pastor. For a time they lived at the home of Leonard Lockwood, occupying rooms in their home. Later they moved to Sheffield. During his pastorate, in April of 1882, the building project at Coldwater was started. The church was used in an unfinished condition for two years or more. After a three-year pastorate, he was succeeded by Rev. J. F. Bryant, who also served the church for three years. 

    Then came the pastorate of Rev. Ambrose Hunt. Marked activity, large congregations, the completion and dedication of the church building, characterized his pastorate. The church building was dedicated in June, 1886.

    The building, aside from much donated work, cost $1600.00. Dr. Garton, pastor of the First Baptist Church at Waterloo, preached the dedicatory sermon and led in raising $845.00 needed to dedicate the building free from debt.

    While Sheffield and Coldwater were being served by the same pastor, the following ministers held pastorates: Rev. Geo. Carey, Geo Houghton, G. Chadwick, A. R. Lewis, R. E. Tucker and E. Williams. In 1896, Sheffield desired a full time pastor. Coldwater also took steps to have a full time pastor. Leonard Lockwood offered a plot of ground if the church would build a parsonage. A five-room cottage was built. Rev. Charles Bentley, Rev. Charles Sloan, and Rev. James Wilson, were pastors who occupied the parsonage and gave full time to the field.

    When the Belle Plaine-Mason City branch of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad was built, the Town of Dougherty was started, and a Methodist Church was organized there. This drew largely from the congregation of those who had formerly worshipped with the Coldwater Baptist Church, and for a time the church was without a pastor.  

    In 1904, a call was given to Rev. L.W. Inman whose home was at Marble Rock. He accepted and began a pastorate which lasted for twenty-one years except an interim of eight months in 1912. He did a fine piece of pastoral work. He was in the homes of the people of the community in times of sorrow and sickness. He held meetings and baptized many from these homes. He endeared himself to the whole community. All this work was done involving a drive of thirteen miles from his home at Marble Rock. During the last eight years of his pastorage, he was also pastor at Rockwell. When Rev. Inman closed his work with these churches and became pastor at Charles City in 1925, the church was again without pastor for a time.  

    Rev. A. W. Caul, a field pastor for the Iowa Baptist Convention, visited the church several times and also the Marble Rock church, and after a joint meeting of the Pulpit Committees of the churches, a call was extended to Rev. Geo. Foster of LaMoile, Illinois. He accepted and served the two churches for some years, living at Marble Rock. When A. W. Caul moved to Iowa Falls in 1936 as custodian of the Iowa Baptist Assembly, Rev. Foster became pastor of Coldwater. This was in 1939.

    The church never had a large membership, but it had done a real fine piece of community service. Two from its membership had been licensed to preach. The nearest Protestant churches were at Aredale, some five miles away, so the church ministered to many who were not members of the church. The church was glad to serve the community as a whole, and aimed to uplift Christ rather than stress denominational tenets.

    The Coldwater Baptist Church during its existence was located in the Northeast corner of the Southeast Quarter of Section 1, Township 93 North, Range 19, West Fork Township.

    The building was finally sold to Mike Hudson in 1963 or 1964, and he used the lumber in the building for a corn crib.

Submitted by Mrs. Dean Edwards, 610 First Street North, Greene, Iowa

                                                                                                                      *~*~* 

                                                                                                                     Home