LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA

Pg 93
THE REHEBOTH COVENANTER CHURCH
Wyman, Iowa

Transcribed by Jackie Terry, August 12, 2016

        The Reheboth (Covenater) Church of Wyman was largely composed of Pennsylvania families who were members of the same denomination before emigrating to Iowa. In the spring of 1854 they settled in the community near Wyman and on October 19th of that year organized their congregation under the name of Reheboth. A Mr. Benjamin Rickey when told that there were no Covenanter Churches in Iowa, replied that there would be as soon as they got there. The first congregation chose Thomas Graham Sr. and Joseph Puriva to serve as elders and Thomas Garvin and Mr. McElroy to serve as deacons.

        At the same time they extended a call to Rev. Robert B. Cannon who was the pastor of many of these families back in Pennsylvania. Many years later in 1885 Rev. Cannon had a letter published in the Reformed Presbyterian a Covenanter Church Periodical wherein he gave advice to prospective immigrants to Iowa as to what to expect in the way of life in Iowa. He said that: “The soil is dep and rich, water is easily attainable and timber is found near all water courses in strips varying from two to five miles in width. Prices for improved land from $20.00 to $30.00 per acre and unimproved land were from $4.50 to $8.00 per acre.” They were told that a good horse would cost from $110.00 to $150.00 and that it would be cheaper to bring all of the furniture and supplies from home as possible because the cost in Iowa would be much higher. Rev. Cannon also compared the methods of travel, but had personal preference for the water route which was to come by steamboat down the Ohio River and up the Mississippi to Port Louisa which was only 16 miles from Wyman. If traveling by rail the route would be to Rock Island, then by boat to Muscatine and then by wagon or stge. A granddaughter of the Dodds family mentions in a letter that her ancestors came for Keokuk to Wyman by wagon.

        Rev. Cannon accepted the call from the congregation and was installed as pastor on December 14, 1854. For several years the members met in private homes but with the congregation growing quite rapidly in the fall of 1857 they erected the “round” (eight sides) church, two and ½ miles east of Wyman. Rev. Cannon labored long and hard until 1871 and had 135 members in the congregation when he left for a congregation in Ohio. Rev. Edward Elsey was the next pastor and he was installed in August 1874.

        In 1884 the congregation moved to a new church building in Wyman, just west of the schoolhouse. The parsonage was built in 1897. The former church was sold to a congregation of Hard Shell Baptists. This building which replaced the old church is still standing, though not in use, on the corner east of Wyman and about 4 miles north of Winfield.

        Some of the names of these families who came by boat on the Ohio and Mississippi are: Cannon, Dodds, Daugherty, Dill, Rickey and Carson. Ministers servicing the Reheboth congregation were: Cannon, Elsey, Black, George Edgar, W.C. Wallen, A.J. McFarland, and Remo Robb. There was never a musical instrument in the church. The music was led for many years by Mr. J.K. Dinn. An early minute book lists the names of elders serving from 1854 to 1886 as follows: Thompson Graham, Joseph Purvis, Adam Charlton, William McCrea, Hugh Thompson, Jacob W. Willson, George S. Carlisle, James Dougherty, Samuel Wylie, Samuel F. Dill, William Martin, H Frank Samson, James B. Dodds, Thomas G Dunn, James H. Graham, Isaac R. McKenry, Lewis M. Samson. Services were held until September 1930 when the congregation was dissolved.

Picture: Reheboth Covenanter Church of Wyman