COUNTY RELIGIOUS SERVICES
The first public religious service
held in Lyon county, as shown by the stories told by the earliest
settlers, was in an Indian tepee, about a mile north of the
present site of Rock Rapids. In the spring of 1870, a band of
Indians camped in Howell's grove, and it became known that they
would hold a religious service on a certain day. The family of D.C.
Whitehead and others were present, and a prayer-meeting was held;
but in the Indian dialect, most of which was unintelligible to
the whites present. These Indians were extremely devout. One of
the white children present distinctly remembers that during a
prayer, a live coal from the wood fire snapped out upon the
cotton sleeve of one of the old squaws; but while she undertook
to smother the fire in her hand, she never once raised her bowed
head.
A little later a colored preacher Nstruck the settlement on the
Rock River and held a service in the new school-house. He was
entertained at the Whitehead home, and his visit is vividly
remembered for the reason that the darkey preacher and the
Whitehead family bible disappeared at one and the same time.
During 1871 and 1872, the few people in this settlement were in
the habit now and then of driving over to the Little Rock with ox-teams,
for the purpose of visiting friends and relatives, and enjoying
the religious services held in the school house there. They
usually went over Saturday and returned on Monday.
In 1873, one Rev. Caleb M. Allen, a Presbyterian minister, came
to Rock Rapids and regular preaching service was held in the
Howell school-house. He built the little house located west
across the street from the Christian church and lived there about
two years. From his habit of always beginning his sermons away
before creation he was nicknamed "Old Protoplasm."
In the fall of the same year, 1873, the Dakota Mission Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal church, which included northwest Iowa,
made Rock Rapids a preaching appointment on Sheldon Circuit. J. B.
Starkey was sent as pastor, who made his home at Rock Rapids. The
town then had, perhaps 300 people and the congregation would
number from twelve to twenty-five.
In 1874, the Rock Rapids class of the M.E. church was formed,
consisting of three full members, to-wit: J.Shade and wife and
their daughter, Hannah; and Mrs. M.S. Thompson, the first
probationer. J.W. Rigby was sent as pastor in the fall of 1874.
The succeeding Methodist pastors were G.M. Binks, J.W. Plummer, D.W.
Chamberlain, B. Webster, Chamberlain a second year, and, in 1882,
S.P. Marsh, who remained three years, and under whose ministry
the membership increased from thirty to over 150. The first
church building in Lyon county was erected at Rock Rapids by this
society. The enterprise was started in 1879 by appointment of a
building committee consisting of J. Shade, J.M. Webb and F.M.
Thompson. During the fall of 1879, $900 in subscriptions was
secured. On July 3, 1880, "Chaplain" McCabe (now Bishop)
held a meeting in the court house at which $300 more was raised
toward the proposed church building. O.P. Miller and C.W.
Williams were added to the building committee, and on June 5,
1881, the new church was dedicated by Rev. John Hogarth Lozier,
Presiding Elder of the Sioux City District. In 1895, this
property was sold to the German Lutherans and in July, 1896, the
Methodists dedicated a new church building constructed of Sioux
Falls granite, at a cost of $13,000.
A Sunday school had been organized back in 1875 with J.M. Webb,
superintendent; F.M. Thompson, assistant superintendent; and Anna
Penman holding all the other offices. In 1876, a Sunday school
picnic was held in honor of the removal of said school to the
court house. Some fourteen persons participated. On the first
Sunday of April, 1883, the Methodists organized their own Sunday
school, O.P. Miller being elected superintendent and, among other
teachers, H.B. Pierce, teacher of the Bible class, which position
both have continuously filled to this date, (1904).
In the year 1887, the Catholic church organized in Rock Rapids,
under the direction of Rev. Riley. A church building costing $3000
was erected in 1889, upon which about $3000 has since been
expended. And in 1902 a parsonage was built at a cost of $6000.
Rev. Thomas Dullard has been in charge since 1890.
In 1887 a Catholic church was erected in Larchwood, and in 1891
at Doon, both under the pasturage of Father Phelan. In 1892,
Father Dullard erected a church at Alvord, making four Catholic
churches in the county at this date, all in a prosperous
condition. Father Desmond is located at Alvord and Doon, and
Father Cooke, at Larchwood.
Rock Rapids contains eight church buildings as follows:
Congregational, Methodist Episcopal, Church of Christ, Catholic,
Norwegian Lutheran, People's church and two German Lutheran.
The Congregational church organized in Rock Rapids June 13, 1878,
at a meeting held in the home of T.C. Thompson. Rev. Palmer was
the first pastor. The church building was erected in 1884 at a
cost of $6000 and in 1890 a parsonage was purchased for $1500.
A Congregational church was erected at Little Rock in 1893. The
first pastor was Rev. P.V. West, and among the first officers
were A.F. Reis, Mrs. Chas. Armour, E.R. Yonkers, and G.L. Van
Easton. Present membership, sixty-one.
At Doon Rev. L.R. Fitch organized a Congregational church in 1889,
the first officers being E.O. Lundt, P. Mather, Mrs. Ludia M.
Wilcox. The church was built in 1890 at a cost of $2500 and in
1891 a parsonage costing $1200 was erected. The present
membership is 105.
A Congregational church was also organized at Larchwood in 1889
and a building erected in 1890.
In 1896 the German Reformed church was organized at Little Rock and in 1896
erected a building costing $1500. The first pastor was Rev. Gerhardt
Veenker and the present membership is drawn from forty-two
families.
The first German Presbytrian church organized in the county was
in 1887, at George, under the leadership of Rev. Henry Wootmann,
who has continued to serve this church for seventeen years. The
first trustees were Albert Arends, H. Behrends, H. Willemssen and
Jan Bloemyer. In 1887 a parsonage was built and two years later a
church was erected. The present membership is fifty-five.
Among the recent church buildings erected in the country
districts is that of the German Reformed Bethel church on section
24, in Midland township. This was constructed in 1903, and cost $1800.
A society, however, has existed in this neighborhood since 1894
when Rev. Jacob Bollenbacker gathered a few members together. The
present membership is thirty-five, the pastor Rev. L. Ziegler,
and the officers Harm W. Harms, Jacob Solma,
B. Brummer and E.J. Browen.
The Methodist Episcopal church has organizations at Lester,
Larchwood, Inwood, George and Little Rock, besides Rock Rapids,
with church buildings at each point except George. As early as
1875, the Albertson class was organized in that neighborhood in
the southeast part of the county, and for some years was a part
of Rock Rapids Circuit. In 1879 it was attached to Beloit. When
Warren (afterward called Inwood) was laid out a Sunday school was
among its first organizations with behind it such men as the
Albertsons, Wm. Oats and J.P. Negus. For years this school was
the largest, strongest and most progressive in the county. In the
spring of 1904, a new Methodist church was dedicated at Inwood,
taking the place of the one first built in 1887. The new
structure is one of the finest in the county, costing $9000.
Inwood also contains flourishing churches of the Lutheran and
Baptist denominations.
The first Methodist pastor at Little Rock was H.B. Green in 1885,
when the charge was made independent. In 1894, the church edifice
was built at a cost of $2300, and in 1896, a parsonage was bought
costing $900. Present membership is seventy-two.
In October, 1885, on invitation of P.M. Casady, Rev. H.P. Dyer
came to Rock Rapids and held a series of meetings in the interest
of the Church of Christ. Afterward Rev.H.H. Ross preached in Rock
Rapids a few times, and in February, 1889, Rev. J. Carroll Stark
held a four weeks' meeting. In May, 1893, Rev. John M. Van Kirk
preached here occasionally, and in December, Evangelist A.D.
Finck held a series of meetings. The formal organization of the
Church of Christ in Rock Rapids occurred on Janury 3, 1891, at
the home of F.P. Wallace. P.M. Casady and H.J. Kennedy were
selected as elders and Wm. Kennedy, Wm. S. Peile, F.P. Wallace
and J.T. Woodrow as deacons. In 1894, during the pastorate of Rev.
W.F. McCormick a church building was erected at a cost of $4000.
On Sunday afternoon, November 1, 1896, fire broke out in the
church basement but after a hard fight the flames were
extinguished. The building sustained great damage, but the
membership, assisted by the citizens of the town soon repaired
the damage. The present membership is eighty and the pastor is
Rev. J. Morgan Harris.
Unity church, or Rock Rapids, was organized in 1886 by Rev. S.S.
Hunting, of Des Moines, with a membership of twenty-five.
Services were first held in Shannon's Hall, then in the court
house and finally in Richard's Hall, afterwards known as Unity
Hall. In 1899, Rev. A.J. Williams from the Congregational church
organized the People's Church and many of the Unitarians became
members. In 1890 the society connected itself with the State
Unitarian Association. In 1900, a church building was erected at
a cost of about $5000. Rev. E.A. Cantrell is the present pastor.