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The fall of 1856 brought the first church meeting at what would become
Wesley Chapel. Organized by the families of William B. Wilson, Thomas Kayton,
and David Kayton, early settlers in rural Mills County, it was held in the
Wilson home located near Mud Creek, one mile west of the present Wesley Chapel
Church. Soon the attendance outgrew the homes and services were held in the
nearby Big Mud or Benton Schoolhouses.
In 1870, John Plumb, Sr., donated a piece of land for a cemetery and a house
of worship. Three years later the first Wesley Chapel Church was built, across
the road south and a little east of the present building. It was a neat, plain
frame building with a foundation of native rock from a quarry south of
Henderson.
By 1898, the trustees began to talk about a larger church. The first building
was torn down and the lumber used in the new. On May 24, 1898. a deed was
signed by Ezra and Grace Plumb giving one half acre on the corner opposite the
cemetery. Soon the cornerstone was laid, and the following year the new church
was dedicated.
Since the church sits on a hill and the steeple was quite tall, it was struck
by lightning several times. In 1917 the steeple was removed and the interior
of the church redecorated.
In 1919, on land just west of the church donated by Edd and Martha Wilson, a
parsonage was built which saw continuous service for 50 years until the
present Nishna Valley Parish was organized in 1969 and Emerson became the
location of the official parsonage.
Through the years, Wesley Chapel has served as a community center for Farm
Bureau meetings, 4-H meetings, and other activities.
The annual fall harvest sale has continued to unite members of the church and
community in a day of fellowship.
At different times in its history, Wesley Chapel had been affiliated with
churches at Emerson, Silver City, Hastings, Henderson and Strahan, and it is
currently yoked with Emerson in the Nishna Valley Parish.
Wesley Chapel carries on with the work begun by the earliest settlers that of
bringing the Good News to this part of Anderson Township. As the 21st Century
begins, the challenge is to look at ways of making this building and its
ministry more meaningful and accessible to the community. |
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