Extracted from the History of Harrison County Iowa
Chicago
National Publishing Company
1891

   SABBATH SCHOOLS OF HARRISON COUNTY.

(Extract from a paper written for the County Sunday School Association in 1890, by  C. M. Cadwell)

Chapter XI

The first effort in this line was in 1853.  Previous to 1852 most of the residents of this county, were only temporarily such, and the improvements made only such as would serve their purpose until they could move on to the Zion of the saints in the basin of the great Salt Lake.

Many of these left in 1851 and ’52 either selling or abandoning their improvements.  These were soon occupied by immigrants from almost every state east of the Mississippi River.

Many of these if not church members, had been in the habit of attending church in their former homes, but finding no church privileges here, soon fell into the habit of visiting on the Sabbath, and even taking the rifle and while women and children were visiting, would bring in a buck or a turkey to help in replenishing the stock of provisions.

Of course they neglected family worship under such circumstances.  Still the Holy Spirit kept calling after them and a few of this class living in Six Mile grove, feeling the need of reform on their own account and because of their influence on their own and their neighbor’s children, resolved to organize a Sabbath school, which was done in the month of June, 1853, in a cabin which had been vacated by one of the saints.  The officers and teachers, were Kirtland Card and Stephen King.  From the first the school was well attended and continued until late in the fall, with interest.  The following spring it was re-opened and continued right on, in or near, this neighborhood for several years.  In 1856 the school was held in a grove.  Meeting in the camp ground.  In 1858 it was moved and re-opened in Buena Vista.  S. King acted as superintendent most of the time.

In 1853 and ’54, Rev. George Rice, brother of Dr. Rice, preached for us occasionally and sympathizing with the efforts of these friends, secured and sent a Sunday-school library which was highly appreciated and extensively read, doing good service in the schools of their neighborhood until about the year 1872 when the remains of it were destroyed by fire in Mr. Card’s house in Buena Vista, or Whitesboro.  While this school was in its infancy another was organized in Calhoun in the summer of 1854 with George A. Brigham, as Superintendent.  This school, unlike the Six Mile school was not well attended, because in a neighborhood where very few cared for anything of religious character and it lasted but a short time and no attempt to try again was made until 1856, when the few met and organized, electing George L. Ferrel as Superintendent.  This school continued through the summer but it seems nothing was done in 1857.  In 1858, however, a school was started by R. Hays, as superintendent, but this continued for only a short time.  From this time until 1865, nothing was done to have a Sunday school.  Then a Miss Sure Clark and Mrs. H. C. Meach, moved by the Holy Spirit, we think, felt that something should be done.  So a meeting was called and these ladies were elected Superintendent and assistant superintendent.

In the winter following a precious work of grace began, and as its results a class of twenty-eight members was formed and among the number was Brother H. C. Meach.  From that time to the present, Calhoun has had a Sunday-School each summer and some of the time all the year.

In the same season the first Sunday-school was started in Calhoun, Dr. Rice started one in the Cutler neighborhood on the road between Calhoun and Magnolia and in 1855 one was started in Magnolia in a log cabin where Frank Mintun’s house now stands, and has been continued most of the time ever since.  Dr. Rice was the first Superintendent of this school (if I a rightly informed.)

These three were the first schools in the county, but in June 1858, one was organized in Little Sioux with Sol Smith, as Superintendent, and E. Schofield assistant.  Mr. Smith did not continue in that position long but Mr. Schofield continued to hold on, with his mother and sister Cynthia, Mrs. Richards, Mrs. Crane, Mr. Barbour and Sillars as teachers.  This school also had a library brought my Mrs. S. June, from New York.  From that time to the present (except one year) there has been a Sunday-school at Little Sioux.

In the McWilliams neighborhood another Sunday-school was organized in 1856 and from that time to the present there has been a school in existence that has been a power for good in that region.

The first Sunday-school at old St. John was organized in January, 1858, Jacob Fulton, Superintendent.  Also, money was raised for a library, which was extensively read, and the school continued very successful until 1862.  No school in 1863, but in 1864 it was organized, and Mrs. Wolcott elected Superintendent, and continued until the fall of 1868.  In the spring of 1865 it was started again with Mr. E. Robinson, Superintendent.  From that time to the present there has been a school kept up with good success.

From the above record we find that there had been Union Sunday-schools opened and carried on with more or less success before 1860.

In the summer of 1867, the first Sunday-school was started in Missouri valley in a small house by Rev. Mr. Foster, who was elected superintendent, and this school has not only been continued until the present, but others have been formed from it in the town.

Also in the summer of 1858 the first Sunday-school in Harrison Township was organized by a Colporteur in the James Roberts house, with H. B. Lyman as superintendent.  This was a Union School.  In the same year another in the Winter and Vining neighborhood near the town of Woodbine.  This was a Methodist Episcopal Sunday-school.  Another at Parrish City, Cincinnati Township, a little south of what is now California Junction, was organized the same year.  These all are the earliest in the county, no others being organized until 1867.

We of present cannot realize the discouragements attending the efforts of the few who were desirous of training the youth of this new county in Bible truth and leading them to see the need of Christian society.  And there are those now living in the county, who attended the earliest schools as children, who are now grandparents and have seen these children regular attendants of the schools in their neighborhood.

Thus in a measure some have seen a reward here, but a greater one is in store for them in the hereafter.

In 1867 the first Sunday-school was organized in Taylor Township, and continued for two years in the summer season only.  Then for nearly ten years nothing was done in Sunday-school work until the present school in Modale was organized with Brother W. W. Morton as superintendent, which position he has filled all the time but one year, and it has become one of the live schools of the county.

In the spring of 1868 the first Sunday-school in Logan was organized with C. N. Cadwell as superintendent.  Also the same spring one some four miles north near Bigler’s grove was carried on for a time by Deacon Hillis, but he resigning, it was carried on through the summer by C. N. Cadwell.

In August, 188, the first general Sunday-school gathering was held in a grove near Logan, when steps were taken to organize the county as they organized Illinois.  At this gathering the Rev. C. C. Cadwell (father of C.N.C.) was present, and gave such an account of what was being done there that it was thought best to try the experiment here.  With this in view arrangements were made for a meeting at Magnolia, in January 1869, and S. King was elected temporary Chairman and C. N. Cadwell, temporary secretary.  January 5, the first regular convention was held in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Magnolia, with quite an attendance.  Rev. Morley Laidley and Wafield gave such encouragement and aid in this effort.  The constitution and by-laws were adopted and the Harrison County Sunday-school Association organized.

The meeting was adjourned to meet again I September of the same year.

From that time to the present, Harrison County has not failed to hold a convention each year, and has been among the foremost counties in Sunday-school work.  Among the many workers there have been some who have always been most earnest in this work; S. King, Dr. Rice, Mrs. Schofield, Mrs. Preston, George Thompson, T. P. Kellogg, C. Mitchell, J. A. Boies, F.F. Beebe, George Gibson, W. W. Morton, L. D. Willet, H. C. Meach, J. A. Howard and C. N. Cadwell.

These persons did all they could in connection with the several ministers to organize and keep Sunday-schools open all year, and by township conventions, interest the people and lead them to help in this work, but it seemed impossible, and the remark was often made, “If there was only a way by which one person could be sustained to attend to this work.”  But this also seemed impossible.

But God in His providence sent into the county in 1881, a young man by the name of Frederick Jewett, as a missionary of the American Sunday-school Union, who did such good work and endeared himself so to the people that by his influence an effort was made in 1883 to raise means in the county to sustain a missionary to do this work.  The effort was successful and there has been a missionary at work in the county most of the time ever since.  This was the first attempt of this kind in the United States, and Harrison County feels a just pride in hearing this fact stated.  By these efforts our county takes front rank as a Sunday-school county, and from present appearances will soon become the banner county of the State in the number of scholars in the Sunday-school.

May those now interested never relax their efforts, but do much more and better work than any who have preceded them.

At the present time there are seventy-six schools in active operation, over one-half of this number been organized and made permanent, by the efforts of the missionaries of the American Sunday-school Union, and the interest they have awakened, has caused further efforts in the way of preaching service in connection with them and four church buildings erected.