| LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA |  |
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| LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA | |
Pg 165
Wapello, Iowa
Transcribed by Sharon Elijah, September 18, 2016
Note: The following articles were first printed in Springer’s History of Louisa County” published in 1912.
The Church of Christ in Wapello was organized by Evangelist Simpson Ely, then of Kirksville, Missouri, following a meeting which was held in the courthouse park. The charter members numbered 57 and the date of organization was September 29, 1895. The following May, Evangelist Ely held another meeting, adding some to the membership and closing with a subscription of $1,500 for the erection of a church building. This building was begun the following year and completed in 1897, giving them a property valued at $8,000, now free of debt, owing largely to the liberality of James E. Blanchard, one of the charter members, and father of Charles Blanchard, the latter being the active elder of the congregation from its organization until the removal of the family to Des Moines in the fall of 1910.
The membership of the church has shifted with removals and the unfaithfulness of some, but has always been fairly active in the work, in the Bible school, Christian endeavor (the latter having been one of the largest and best C. E. Societies in the county for many years) and in the benevolent and missionary and civic activities of the community.
Among those who have supplied the pulpit, or occupied it as regular pastors, are the following: Wm. M. Semones, A. B. Clark, I. H. Fuller, D. L. Dunkleberger, J. K. Ballou, G. L. Brokaw, S. B. Ross, A. L. Hill and Wm. A. Hunt. The following evangelists have held meetings: Simpson Ely, R. A. Omer, J. G. H. Bennett, J. H. Bryan, Mrs. Clara Hazelrigg, Charles G. Stout, Arthur Long and “Thompson, the Egyptian.” The present pastor is Reverend O. I. Bennett (as of 1912).
The history of the Church of Christ, or Christian Church, in Louisa County, dates back to pioneer days. The first preachers of what was called the “Reformation”, sometimes called the “Restoration Movement of the Nineteenth Century”, was John Rigdon, perhaps; a little later came Aaron Chatterton, who was itinerating evangelist all over southeastern Iowa. A church was established in Columbus City some time in the early forties. It was first organized in the log cabin of “Uncle Barstow” Williams, who lived some three or four miles south of Columbus City. This church was at one time one of the strongest organizations in the State. Such men as John Errett, Jonas Hartzel, J. K. Cornell, F. Walden, L. C. Wilson, J. Madison Williams, Simpson Ely, J. H. Painter and other prominent preachers and evangelists labored in the church.
Along in the sixties an organization was formed at what was known as Concord, about two and a half miles northwest of Morning Sun. Here a union house was built, owned jointly by the Methodist, Church of God and Christians. For many years the work was fairly prosperous, but the shifting of country population and the building up of churches in the towns left the work to languish and die. For a number of years the old Concord stone church stood practically unused. In 1895 Dr. Wm. M. Semones, then a medical student in the State University, at Iowa City, who was also a good minister of the Gospel, visited the church, where a Sunday School had been organized, and for some months preached in the community, at Concord and at a schoolhouse about four miles southwest of Wapello. It was out of this Sunday School and a short meeting held by Dr. Semones at the schoolhouse, that the church in Wapello grew.
BLAZE DESTROYS CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Building and Contents a Total Loss
WORKERS PLAN TO REBUILD
The Christian Church, Wapello’s newest church structure, erected in 1896-97 at a cost of slightly less than $5,000 was destroyed by fire, along with its contents last Sunday afternoon.
The blaze was discovered shortly after 1:30 o’clock by Gene Patrick and Billy Dale Stroup, two youths who chanced to be passing by. By the time the fire department arrived, which was within a few minutes, the fire had gained such headway that the heat and smoke prevented firemen from reaching the base of the blaze. When it was realized that the structure was doomed the department devoted its efforts toward confining the blaze within its walls and preventing spread of the fire to adjacent residences. The residence of Mrs. Paris did catch fire once but the blaze was quickly discovered and extinguished before any damage was done.
When the fire was finally controlled two hours later the charred walls and bell tower remained standing, but firemen removed sections of the walls to preclude the danger of their collapse with the possibility of injury to . . .
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. . . passersby.
The blaze attracted a large crowd from this and surrounding communities. Many who arrived early and saw the smoke issuing from one corner of the extreme north section of the roof expected to see the blaze controlled in short order but they were unaware of the wide progress the flames had made on the interior.
The fire is believed to have started in the basement from the long pipe connecting the furnaces near the south side of the basement with the flue on the north side. The furnaces had been fired in the morning to heat the building for the day’s services and were checked at noon by D. W. Kremer, caretaker. There was no evidence of fire at that time.
Insurance on the building and its contents had been recently allowed to lapse, bringing to the faithful and courageous little congregation a total loss. Many expressions of sympathy were heard in the crowd when members of the congregation, realizing their financial plight, stood with tears streaming down their faces as they watched the flames reduce their beloved church to ashes.
Services of the Christian Church will be held in the K. of P. Hall Sunday, April 7th. Sunday School at 9:30 and preaching at 10:45 a.m. W. A. Carr of Burlington will be here and his subject will be “One Day At a Time.”
Picture: “Loyal Girls” Sunday School Class, 1911 Wapello Christina Church, Rebecca Woodruff, teacher.
Picture: Christian Church, Wapello, Iowa, 1928.
Celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lockwood seated front row, center. Standing between them is Wilma Williams, daughter of Mike and Frances Mackey, William Murray, the man with the mustache (3rd from left) is the father of Frances Mackey. Standing 5th from left in the middle row is Frances Murray Williams (Mackey).
Picture: Wapello Christian Church. Cornerstone of church states 1896. Located at corner of Mechanic Ave and Prairie Street
Picture: Alpha Delta Class, Christian Church, Wapello, Iowa 1911.
Front row L-R: ___, Ruby Bennett Rock, Mina Askren (teacher), Mabel Ball Stone, Ruth Woodruff Chandler, Goldie Bennett Bridges.
Back row: Rebecca Woodruff, Nita Kremer Schwob, Margaret Runyon Strok, Millicent Hicklin Winter, Anna Van Sickle Pontzius.