Our First School House.
Our first school house in the neighborhood was erected
in the fall of 1842. We had by this time some valuable additions to
our community in the way of families, in which there were children
large enough to go to school. There was the Lewis family, as also
those of Messrs, Lutz, Stucksleger and McKee.
These neighbors all seemed to feel the importance of
having a school and were ready to unite in the work of erecting a
building at once. The location was fixed on our place opposite to and
a little beyond our house. By the beginning of winter the school
house was finished and the teacher was engaged. This must have been
on of the first school houses in Linn county.
Our first school teacher was Mr. Putnam R. Lawrence,
who had but recently come to Marion. The school passed off very well,
so far as I remember. We had our spelling schools and our exhibitions
and our debating society, which were well sustained, and which proved
to be not only a source of improvement, but of a great deal of
pleasure. One of our text books was the old "English Reader," whose
moral tone, and the excellence of whose selections have scarcely been
surpassed by any of the school books published in these later years.
Our public exhibitions in the school were, I dare say, hardly up to
those of our modern schools, in point of merit, nevertheless I can
easily imagine that they might have been of a much lower grade. I can
only recall a few of the pieces spoken. One was the "Nightingale and
Glowworm," by Cowper, and another was "The Beggar's Petition." This
latter was spoken by Wm. Lewis. Emerging from behind the curtain, in
the garb of an old man, bent low by the weight of years, and leaning
heavily upon his long staff, he began in a low and feeble tone of
voice his sad petition:
"Pity the sorrows of
a poor old man,
Whose trembling limbs have borne him to your door;
Whose days are dwindled to the shortest span;
Oh, give relief, and heaven will bless your store."
The whole scene was so real and so pathetic as to leave
a lasting impression upon the minds of us younger children.
The teachers in succeeding years were, Mr. Joseph
Greene, in the winter of 1843-4, and Mr. H. M. Manley in the winter of
1844-5.
First Religious Services.
Our first
religious meetings were held in private houses, but when the school
house was erected in our neighborhood in 1842, of course, that became
the center of this whole region, where all congregations assembled,
whether religious, literary or political.
Our first
ministers located at Marion as their center of operations.
The first
Methodist minister who came on to the circuit was Rev. J. Hodges, sent
out by the Rock River Conference in 1840.
Mr. Hodges
preached his first sermon in Cedar Rapids, as nearly as I can
ascertain, in the fall of 1840, the place of meeting probably being at
Mr. John Listenbarger’s cabin on the west side of the river. This is
supposed to be the very first public religious service ever held in
Cedar Rapids.
Rev. S. W.
Ingham, still living at the age of eighty-five, with a body and mind
remarkably well preserved for a man of his years, tells me that he
came to Marion in October, 1841, Mr. Hodges having closed his labors
on the circuit in August of that year. Mr. Ingham remained on the
circuit two years. He preached occasional sermons at the Carroll
school house, at the house of Levi Lewis, and at John Listebarger’s on
the west side of the river.
In the summer of
1843, when there were but five or six settlers, Mr. Ingham writes: “I
preached to them three or four times and formed them into a society.”
It is stated on
other authority that the members of the society were Jason Bartholomew
and wife, Levi Lewis and wife, Mrs. Julia Ann Cairns, Thomas Gainor
and wife, David W. King and wife, John Listebarger and wife, and
Farnum Colby.
The place of
organization, I believe, was at Mr. Listebarger’s house.
I remember Mr.
Ingham well, and all the persons here mentioned I knew to be members
of the Methodist church, although I could not have fixed the date of
the organization without the assistance of Mr. Ingham.
Rev. Isaac
Searles, it is stated, came in a very early day, but I do not remember
to have ever seen him. He was probably the immediate successor of Mr.
Ingham. Other Methodist ministers I recall who came in succeeding
years, among whom were Rev. Messrs, Hayden, Maxin, Greenup and
Twining, and presiding elders Reed, Worthington and Bowman.
The first
Presbyterian ministers that ever visited this country, so far as I am
aware, were Revs. William Rankin and John Boal. Both of them visited
Mr. Barnet Lutz and preached at his house as early as 1842. Mr. Boal
soon after returned East and was for some time located in Cincinnati.
Mr. Rankin
preached at Mr. Vardy’s house in 1843, or possibly in the fall of
1842. The memories of different ones are somewhat conflicting on that
point. But he did not stay long in this part of the State. He spent
most of his life, however, in Iowa, in the southern part of the State,
where he died only a few years ago.
I recall another
Methodist minister by the name of Howard. He was a very tall man with
red hair. His suit throughout was a heavy variegated, blue cloth,
called Kentucky jeans. The coat was of the Prince Albert style, with
extra long skirts. One warm Sabbath day he preached in our school
house. His voice was loud, and his manner boisterous. He had not
proceeded far when he became very warm, and the perspiration began to
start from his heated brow, and so laying his heavy Prince Albert
aside, he proceeded with his discourse with increased vigor, but with
apparently greater comfort to himself, although to critical minds, not
quite so becomingly attired.
Another minister
of the Wesleyan type used to preach in our school house. He was, no
doubt, a godly man, and I believe, a very good preacher. His dress
was not after the modern clerical style, but I dare say, more
serviceable. His coat and vest were not of the conventional black, but
of a more durable texture, and of a color less subject to being
soiled. His pantaloons were of blue, and closely fitted his slender
limbs, showing off to good advantage his large, substantial boots. It
was the custom in those days for the minister while waiting for his
congregation to assemble to sing a voluntary solo. This minister had a
very fine voice, and he took special delight in singing his hymns on a
key that was far beyond the reach of common mortals. One hymn that he
used to sing with fine effect, and which made a lasting impression
upon our young minds, began with these words:
“Time speeds away, away, away,
Another hour, another day,
Another week, another year,
Proclaim Eternity is near.”
This tune was
most strange and solemn, and the high strains came welling up from a
heart that seemed to us deeply imbued with the spirit of the Divine
Master.
Rev. Mr. Maxin,
above mentioned, used to make our house his stopping place, and I
remember well how it impressed me to see him kneel by the side of his
bed to say his prayers before retiring. His voluntary began something
like this:
“Draw nigh to us Jehovah,
In our social meeting.”
The first line
was repeated three times, rising higher and louder, with each
repetition, terminating in a more rapid and lively strains with the
words, “In our social meeting.”
He was a young
man who was attractive in person, and an interesting speaker.
Debating Societies in the School
House.
Of course the
literary societies of those primitive times were for men only, as the
women had not yet found out their own capabilities in the matter of
public speaking. But among the men, there was a good deal of interest
in these public discussions, and they would often come from a distance
of several miles to attend and participate in them.
Among the
prominent speakers were Messrs. Levi Lewis, Joseph McKeyy, Barnett
Lutz, the Lewis and Cook boys.
I can only recall
a few of the questions discussed on those interesting occasions. One
was something like this: “Resolved that the pen is mightier than the
sword.” Another: “Resolved that the signs of the times indicate the
destruction of the Union.” Still another: Resolved that slavery should
be abolished.” And then that all-absorbing question: “Resolved that
there is greater happiness in the pursuit of an object, than in its
possession.”
I cannot recall
the lines of argument pursued on these various topics, but a friend
reminds me of an illustration used by Mr. Lutz, in connection with the
discussion of the last named question. The question, as we can well
imagine, elicited a good deal of interest, and Mr. Lutz spoke on the
side of the affirmative, and illustrated his point with the story of
an Irishman who had but recently came to this country. One day this
immigrant from the Emerald Isle was passing along and happened to
discover a hornet’s nest hanging on a bush. He had never seen anything
like it before, and he imagined that this snug package, done up in
brown paper, as he supposed it to be, contained a prize worth
securing. Possibly it contained something good to eat; or what is far
better, it might be filled with treasures that would place him beyond
the reach of want for all time, and so Mr. Paddy made a wild rush for
the prize, and he grabbed the hornets’ nest and ran away with it,
when, shades of St. Patrick! The hornets swarmed out in an instant
more, and nearly stung him to death. Here, said Mr. Lutz, was a clear
case where the pursuit of an object afforded far greater pleasure than
the possession.
How the question
was decided by the grave occupant of the chair, I do not know, but I
think the affirmative must have won.
I do not suppose
they indulged very much in pyrotechnics of wit, nor in any oratorical
displays of eloquence in those days, but I think there was some very
sensible talk, for they were men of sound intellects. There was Mr.
Joseph McKee, who was in some respects a little eccentric, and very
modest, and even diffident in his manner, yet when he got up to speak
he always had something worth saying. He would generally plant one
foot on the bench in front of him and then proceed to talk, slowly and
deliberately, but in a manner that was both interesting and
convincing.
Mr. Levi Lewis,
in his manner of address, was not unlike Mr. McKee, but his words were
generally well chosen and weighty, and always commanded the respectful
attention of his auditors.
Mr. Lutz was more
fluent of speech, and more polished in manner, and quite apt in his
illustrations, as the above specimen will indicate.
Mr. and Mrs. Lutz.
Mr. and Mrs. Lutz
are still living near the old homestead, in comfortable retirement,
their original farm having mostly been cut up into city lots, in
Kenwood Park.
It is with
pleasure that we refer to them as honored representatives of our early
pioneers. After a life of fifty-six years in this community, with a
record unstained by any unfair or dishonest dealing or act, we have a
right to point to them with peculiar pride as important factors in our
early history. The example of such people is worth more than gold to
any community where their lot is cast. |
