![](../graphix/bridge_r.jpg)
|
HISTORY
OF
FIRST
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - WINTERSET
|
|
![](church_images/first_united_methodist_winterset.jpg)
First
United Methodist Church (Built in 1918)
Photo
Courtesy of Google Maps
The
first Methodist services in the county were held in Walnut
Township at Camp Meetings. As the
population grew, Methodist congregations popped up all over the
county and predominated in numbers as they still do today.
Winterset very quickly formed a congregation and in the following
years, not only grew with the town but absorbed members from the
rural churches who could no longer sustain their own church.
The
log courthouse built in Madison County in the early days was the
first public meeting place of the Winterset Methodist forefathers.
Previous to services being held in the Courthouse, people had been
meeting in homes throughout the county which were being served
regularly by ministers on horseback. The preacher would mount a
store box in the center of the room and the audience would sit
about on benches.
The
first Methodist minister who preached in Winterset was George W.
Teas, who was appointed to the Three Rivers Mission, a circuit
formed at a session of the Iowa conference held at Fort Madison,
in August, 1849. Andrew Coleman, who was the presiding elder of
the Des Moines District at that time visited the County during the
year and preached at the various appointments in the County. It
was during this year, 1849, that the first church organization at
Winterset was formed. It consisted of 10 members, as follows:
Claiborne Pitzer, who was appointed class leader; E. R. Guiberson,
wife and mother; Israel Guiberson, Thomas Ainsley, Esther Ainsley,
James Folwell and wife and Martin Ruby. Parson Teas reported 154
members on the circuit at the end of the first year.
In
1850, Teas was replaced by Rev. G. Case who in turn, was replaced
by Rev. David T. Sweem in 1851. That year the circuit contained
329 members and 5 local preachers. In September 1852, the old
circuit was divided in two and the western part became the
Winterset Mission to which Rev. Robert G. Hawn was sent. Hawn was
followed by R. Swearingen who served 2 years during which
membership doubled. The growth continued and in 1865, Winterset
was removed from the circuit to become a station with an assigned
pastor.
Space
will not permit relating the many achievements of each pastor.
However, the following is a list is a pastor known by name. Many
of the early pastors, being circuit riders, served simultaneously
and records were not kept of the specific years.
William
Teas, 1849 |
Chas.
Novlsey |
Chas.
English, 1899-1902 |
V.P.
Fink, 1850 |
K. Notts |
R.W. Matheny,
1902-06 |
David
Sween, 1851 |
C. C. Mabee,
1864-66 |
E.W.F. Requa,
1906-09 |
Robert
Hawn, 1852 |
W.E. Smith,
1866-67 |
A.A. Walburn,
1909-12 |
R.
Swearengan, 1853 |
H.H. O’Neil,
1867-70 |
W.G. Hohanshelt,
1912-15 |
Samuel
Weeks |
J.R. Carey,
1870-71 |
M.M. Cable,
1915-17 |
Leonard
Parker, 1855 |
J.B. Hardy,
1871-72 |
Jackson Giddens,
1917-23 |
James
Haines, 1856 |
J.F. Goolman,
1872-73 |
David Shenton,
1923-28 |
L.M.
Goodfellow, 1857 |
B.F. Cosier,
1873-74 |
A.P. Keast,
1928-34 |
J.B.
Rawls |
J.A. Smith,
1874-76 |
Lloyd Lanning,
1934-38 |
J.W.
Anderson |
E.M.H. Fleming
1876-78 |
W.W. Bentzinger,
1935-36 |
W.L.
Peterson, 1859 |
J.W. Todd,
1878-79 |
Roy Tally,
1936-38 |
U.P.
Golliday, 1860 |
W. F. Laidley,
1879-81 |
J.R. McNichols,
1938-40 |
J.M.
Barker |
C.H. Newell,
1881-84 |
Walter A. Samp,
1940-46 |
Enoch
Wood |
W.D. Bennett,
1884-86 |
Gaylord
Hufstade, 1946-49 |
J.F.
Goolman |
W.C. Martin,
1886-87 |
Glenn R.
Parrot, 1949-54 |
D.
Thompson, 1861-62 |
Armimus Brown,
1887-88 |
Wesley
Steinmetz, 1954-59 |
M.
Sheets |
J.R. Horswell,
1988-90 |
John Porath,
1959-65 |
L.
Jones |
C. L.Mye,
1890-92 |
Everett K.
Burhan, 1965-70 |
R.S.
Robinson, 1862-63 |
Fred Harris,
1892-97 |
Newton
Coughenour, 1973-77 |
G.J.
Nixon, 1863-64 |
Wm G.
Riheldaffer, 1897-99 |
Paul Bousfield,
1977- |
|
In
the early 1850s the Commissioners of Winterset donated lots in the
300 block on East Jefferson the Methodists for a building site.
The location was described by some as “far out on the
prairie”, and there were those who excused themselves from
attending church saying they would to “trail through the wet
grass”. In 1869 lots were purchased in the 1k00 block of Green
Street and new church building was begun. Financial difficulties
beset the contractor and the project had to be abandoned. The old
church at 212 E. Jefferson was repaired and used until 1880. The
church built in 1880 cost $7000 and was built on the same location
on Jefferson Street.
In
1884 a fine two story parsonage was built next door to the church.
In 1967 it was torn down and a new one story parsonage built at
101 S. 4th on lots donated to the church through the will of
Elizabeth Ruby.
The
present church building was constructed 1918.
The
membership totals 980 members as of 1984. with an annual budget of
$106,000. There have
|
![](church_images/win_me_old.jpg)
Winterset
Methodist Episcopal Church (1880)
Photo
courtesy of 1915 Madison County History
|
been many changes over the past 125 years.
The church has grown from a log cabin to a spacious brick
structure valued at $530,000. A Day Care Center was opened in
1974, caring for 25 children.
In
the 1960s two rural Methodist Churches in the county closed and
many of their members joined the fellowship of the Winterset
Church.
Source
1: History
of Madison County and its People, Volume 1, Herman Mueller,
The S. J. |
|
Clarke Publishing Company,
1915, Chicago, Illinois |
Source
2: History of Madison County, Iowa, 1846–1984, compiled
by the Madison County |
|
Genealogical
Society, Taylor Publishing Co., Dallas, Texas |
Source: 3 |
The Winterset
News, Anniversary Edition, October 13, 1938, Page 19 |
|
Maintained by
the County Coordinator
|
|
This
page was created on December 10, 2010.
This page was last updated Sunday, 28-May-2023 13:40:00 CDT
.
|
|