Unknown Newspaper - History
Several Concord Cumberland Presbyterians came from Western Pennsylvania
and settled in the northern part of Lee County about the year 1850.
In the year of 1858, Lebbins and Samuel Clark attended the fall meeting
of Iowa Presbytery and requested Presbytery to send some one to preach
for them and if practical organize a church.
Rev. William Legum was appointed shortly thereafter and a congregation
was organized on March 21, 1859 with a total of 18 members.
Lebbins Clark, William C. Wolf and William Greer were chosen Ruling
Elders.
The organization took place in school house No. 8 in Cedar Township
before the village of Mt. Hamill existed. Rev. Legum supplied the
congregation with preaching for two years.
In the spring of 1867 Rev. L.L. Learinor came and in the fall of that
year the congregation secured a house of worship and placed it on a lot
7 miles south of Salem and 4 miles east of Big Mound.
On May 10 1878, there were reported 58 communicants, which was the
largest membership of the church at any time during its existence.
On March 23, 1885, the congregation met in the village of Mt. Hamill at
the school house, and decided to build a new church house under the
moderation of Rev. William F. Baird. The dedication was on
September 30, 1888 and all indebtedness on the building had been made
before the opening ceremony.
In 1899 and 1900 Rev. L. R. Nichols served the Mt. Hamill and
Donnellson Church circuit.
At a meeting in September of 1902 plans were made to join with Sharon
and employ a minister. Progression of the church continued at a
slow pace, until finally no preaching services were held for about
seven years. In the Spring meeting of the Presbytery, 1920 the church
was dissolved by order of the General Assembly. During those
seven years, a Sunday school was maintained through the untiring
efforts of Mrs. Maria T. Reid.
On the night of January 17, 1922, a congregation assembled for the
purpose of organizing a Community Presbyterian Church. The
moderator was Rev. Horace O. Bethel, pastor at large assisted by Rev.
William Cook. George W. Refior, Riley Glendenning and Dwight
Kennedy were elected Ruling Elders, with E.A. Magerkurth, Carl Hopkirk
and Robert Dodsworth, deacons. Twenty-four members joined the
church roll.
A Homecoming Picnic was held on September 5, 1937 that was attended by
181 current and removed residents that signed the registration list and
countless others that did not. It was soon decided to make it an annual
affair to be held the Sunday before Labor Day.
In 1959 the Presbyterian churches at West Point, Sharon, and Mt. Hamill
were served by Rev. Marvin Janssen and later by Rev. Ernest
Gutha. In January, 1967, Kenneth Harden was called to serve the
parish until the nearly 100 year old building was closed in 1982.
Hawk-Eye Gazette - Mt.
Hamill Homecoming Picnic
Sept. 9, 1937
Officers serving the past year were re-elected: Mrs. Ina Cook Smith,
president; Mrs. Leah Clark Schrivel, secretary;
and Miss Emma Paschal, treasurer.
These officers appointed a program committee to make arrangements for
next years home-coming; Chairman, Clyde Bell; toastmaster, Albert
DeRosear; publicity, Minnie C. Refior; devotional, George W. Refior;
grounds and seating, Bert Holland and Herman Schrepfer; registration,
Mrs. Ina Cook Smith, Mrs. Leah Clark Schriver, Mrs. Mabel Smith Sneburg
and Gilbert Bell; Mrs. Josephine Reid, treasurer; Mrs. Ina
Holland, assistant secretary.
The Family Surnames that attended were: BARBER, BARNES, BAUGHER,
BELL, BENTZINGER, BURNETT, CLARK, COOK COULTER, CROSBIE, DEROSEAR,
DICK, DICKENS, ELKINS, EYRE, FAIRWEATHER, FISHER, GAIBEL, GLENDENNING,
HAMPTON, HOLLAND, HOWES, HOYER, KLEBER, LEAZER, LEDBETTER, LEWIS,
MCDOWELL, MICKEY, MOON NEWBY, OVERTON, PAISLEY, PARISH, PASCHAL,
PICKARD, PONTE, POWELL, REFIOR, REID, RODEL, SCHREPFER, SCHRIVEL,
SCHRIVER, SEYB, SHAMPONI, SHELBURG, SHETTS, SMITH, SNEBURG, STILL,
THOMPSON, TRAUT, VEGALIUS, WAHRER, WEBER, WELCHER, WINTERS.
History article from unknown newspaper, circa 1967, found among family
scrapbook items gathered by Mrs.
J. M. Newby, 1882-1964; and loose family papers of Mrs. Mary B. (Newby)
Trueblood, 1911- 1998. Ttranscribed by L.K. Newby.
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