THE WELSH SETTLEMENT

pg 406

Louisa county is indebted to Wales for some of its very best citizens. In the west and southwest part of Columbus City township, and in the north part of Elm Grove township is what is often called the Welsh settlement, and it is composed of a class of people who come nearer being all "above par" than any community that we know of; with scarcely an exception they are honest, intelligent, industrious and law-abiding, always attending to their own affairs, but always willing to assist in any enterprise that will promote the progress or prosperity of the county.

The earliest settler among them was John Griffith, who came in 1840. For many years he was the leader in the settlement, as he spoke English better than many of the other early comers and understood our ways better on that account.

Soon after him came Evan Anwyl. He had two sons, William, now dead, and Thomas who lives in the edge of Washington county; one daughter Mary, married Evan Morgan, and his other daughter, Margaret, is the wife of David N. Jones, who was one of the most highly respected men in the community.

Photo of John Griffith

pg 407

There also came such splendid men as John Morgan, John A. Rees, and the Davis', Evans', Williams', Owens', Jenkins', Jones', Roberts', Hughes', and others whose names do not occur to us at this writing. Also Wm. Arthur, Arthur Griffith and David Tudor.

The Welsh are a very religious people, some of them being Congregationalists, and some belonging to what is called the Welsh Calvanistic church.

The pioneer preacher in the Welsh settlement was the Reverend David Knowles, who preached the first Welsh sermon ever preached in Iowa, at Long Creek, on the second Sunday in September, 1845. Mr. Knowles organized the Congregational church at Long Creek January 14, 1846, and was pastor there until 1854, and again from 1861 to 1866. He was a man of great versatility, had a fine education and was a splendid penman, and had few equals in engraving. He was born in Manchester, England, in January, 1811, and resided for some time at Hawarden, Wales, the home of Mr. Gladstone. He preached at one time at Flint Creek, and Old Man's creek, which were Welsh churches, but also preached in English churches at Columbus City, Crawfordsville, Moscow, Wilton and Grand River in this state. Later he went to Nebraska and continued his pastoral work there, until shortly before his death which occurred February 12, 1899.

Another and the second pastor of this Welsh Congregational church on Long Creek was the Reverend Thomas W. Evans, who served there from 1856 to 1861. Mr. Evans was born at Cardigan in Wales, December 21, 1816, and came to Louisa county in 1856. He occasionally served other Welsh congregations besides the one on Long Creek. He died in this county only a few years ago at the age of 86.

The other pastors of this Long Creek church in the order of their service were as follows: Owen Owens, from 1868 to 1871; Samuel Jones, from 1872 to 1875; I. C. Jones, from 1875 to 1877; M. E. Davies, from 1878 to 1881; J. E. Jones from 1882 to 1889; W. H. Jones, from 1889 to 1890; Lloyd Williams from 1892 to 1900; James Jenkins, from 1900 to 1903; R. P. Roberts, from 1903 to 1907. Thomas P. Jenkins, who is the pastor at the present time.

For the information concerning the Welsh Congregational church, we are indebted to Reverend T. O. Douglas of Grinnell, and we regret that we have not similar data at hand for the other churches.

The Welsh settlement has not furnished very many county officials, but this is because so few of the people there seek office. Robert T. Jones was one of the county supervisors, and made an excellent record.

Miss Lizzie Hughes was county superintendent of schools, and has been for many years one of the faculty of the State Normal School at Cedar Falls. She is recognized as one of the leading educators of the state.

---