of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 316-323
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. Rev. A. B. Robbins was pastor of the Congregational church of Muscatine over fifty years, if the time he spent as pastor emeritus is included. He administered to the spiritual necessities and frailties of his flock from November, 1843, to 1891, when he retired from the regular pastorate of the local church. He then was honored with and gave honor to the title of pastor emeritus. His death occurred December 27, 1896. Following this article will be found a sketch of his life and work in Muscatine.
Rev. Robbins was an honored and useful member of the Academy of Science and often contributed to the edification and enjoyment of its members, by addresses and the reading of papers upon various subjects in which society was mainly interested. In May, 1883, he carefully prepared a history of the Congregational church, of which he had been pastor since itS organization, and read the paper to a large audience gathered to hear him in the rooms of the Academy. That history of the church's existence, trials and triumphs, growth and prosperity, was most entertainingly given to his auditors on that occasion, and is reproduced on these pages, after having been somewhat curtailed in matters of statistics and reminiscence:
"In the year 1839 a church called 'The Presbyterian Church of Musquitine County, Iowa Territory' was organized in the city, then a town called Bloomington. This was made by its constitution a new school Presbyterian, and was supplied with preaching by a Congregational minister, supported by the American Home Missionary Society, a society at that time sustained by both Congregational and new school Presbyterians. This church was dissolved by vote of the presbytery at Iowa City in 1845. In the last part of the year 1841, and the beginning of 1842, another Presbyterian church, connected ecclesiastically with the 'Old School' body, existed. There were several members of Congregational churches in both of these Presbyterian organizations, and other Congregationalists not connected with either were in the town or vicinity. The formation of the Congregational church grew out of an effort, desired with great unanimity by all these three parties, to unite in one church. It was organized on the 29th of November, 1843, with articles of faith and covenant, and by-laws, according to Congregational standards, with twenty-six members, twelve men and fourteen women.
A. B. ROBBINS FIRST PASTOR. "Rev. A. B. Robbins, of Salem, Massachusetts, a graduate of Amherst College and Andover Seminary, and ordained as an evangelist by a council called at Salem, and commissioned as a Home Missionary by the American Home Missionary Society, served by invitation the church as its acting pastor from November, 1843, to January, 1853, at which time he was installed as pastor of the church by a council of churches and ministers called, meeting on the 20th of January, 1853.
FIRST MEETING IN THE COURT HOUSE. "The church held its services of worship on the Sabbath for several months in the court room of the old court house, occupying occasionally on a cold or wet day, one of the offices in the lower story of the building. It then removed to a room furnished for the purpose over a store nearly where Mr. Coe's book store now is, (on East Second street). Both these places, the court house and the store, were a long time afterward destroyed by fire. I am not aware that the church had anything to do with these calamities. Here the church remained, with an interval in the heat of summer again at the court house, * * * until the 8th of December, 1844, when they removed to their new house of worship, built on what was then quite a lofty ascent, by a winding path through stumps of trees, to a lot 60xl40 feet, upon which (lots purchased in 1910 by the First Baptist church for a building site, on the southwest corner of Fourth and Sycamore streets) now stands (1883) the fine residences of Mr. Semple and Romulus Hawley.
THE FIRST CHURCH EDIFICE. "This building was of brick, facing the river, but on the rear of the lot. Its dimensions were 22X40 feet. Its timbers or joists for the floor were cut, hewn and drawn from the woods by the brethren from the country. It was furred and lathed, an uncommon thing in brick houses at that day, here, the pastor and the brethren working at this. No application for help on the part of the church was made to eastern friends. But the shingles upon the roof of that building were voluntarily given by a contribution from the John Street Congregational church of Lowell, Massachusetts, and afterward its bell, the same one now used, was presented to the pastor by several individuals in the Essex Street--now called the Union, Congregational church in Boston, Massachusetts. This bell, weighing with its yoke, etc. about 600 pounds, was too heavy for the roof of our church building and a wooden tower of plain, undressed plank was built for it in 1848. This gave rise, in those free and easy times, to the name of the church as the 'Stern Wheel church.' Though this name and others by which the church was, at various times, honored, for example as the 'd----d Yankee church,' and the 'Uncle Tom's Cabin church'--came the rather from its real or supposed more than usual, interference with the sentiments then prevailing up to the time of the war. You will please remember that the Congregational church built the first house of worship, properly so called, in the place. Others combined under the roof of some building used for secular purposes--one a schoolhouse, the other a Masonic lodge.
THE SECOND CHURCH EDIFICE. "In October, 1852, the church had erected another house of worship upon the corner of Third and Chestnut streets. They worshipped for about two and a half years in a very commodious and pleasant conference and lecture room in the basement of this building, and in June, 1885, removed to the upper room of the building. The dimensions of this house were, on the outside, 70x43 feet. It had a spire 70 feet in height from the ground, with a large hand, unfortunately (from which it was nicknamed by some, the Benjaminite church) the left hand, pointing its forefinger upward. The space in the lower part, or the basement of the house, was divided into a lecture or Sunday school room, 21X10 feet, a furnace room and a hall 9x39. The pulpit, quite an innovation at that time, was only three feet from the floor, although there was a gallery at the front end of the house. The house had seventy-two pews, and with the gallery would seat 576, and cost, including the lot, $7,000. There were in the church at the time ninety members, and the prospects of abiding and growth were very fair; but, alas! in 1856, when it was supposed that this was to be the great central city of Iowa an ambitious change in the grade of Third street was made, and we were left in Our church building some twelve feet up in the air, at the bottom of our foundation.
THIRD CHURCH EDIFICE. "Obliged either to lower or rebuild, it was decided after much consultation and debate, Upon the first day of June, 1857, that the house of worship at the corner of Third and Chestnut streets be taken down and rebuilt on the rear of the same lot, that thirty more feet in width be purchased from the next lot, and that the dimensions of the new building be increased to ninety feet. It was the understanding and expectation that in three years or less, the new building would be changed into a business block of two stores, and that immediately thereafter a new and beautiful house should be erected on the corner. This work, under the energetic superintendence of Joseph Bennett, was immediately performed. After holding the Sunday services for sixteen days in what was then called Mississippi Hall, (Mississippi Hall stood On Water, or Front street, a short distance east of Sycamore street, also known as Fimple's warehouse and later as McKibben Hall. It was a three-story brick, erected by Andrew Fimple in 1856 for a grain warehouse, the upper story of which was then used as a hall by the Muscatine Light Guards. After 1877 it was used as a warehouse in connection with Cadle & Mulford's sash and door factory, and with their factory was destroyed by fire, June 13, 1880) a large room on Water street, the church resumed its services on the 11th of October, 1857, in the building they now (1883) occupy. This is the rebuilt and elongated old church. This church building has been several times very thoroughly repaired, once in 1865, and again in 1873, and at other times.
"The general crash in the business interests in 1857 hindered the completion of a vast number of plans, and among them, that in reference to a new edifice for the Congregational church. And these disasters left the church encumbered with a heavy debt, which after some years was removed, by, among other measures, the sale of the site reserved for a new building."
FOURTH CHURCH EDIFICE. The fourth church building was erected on the corner of Third and Chestnut streets in the winter of 1892-3 and dedicated March 5, 1893, by Dr. L. W. Munhall, of Philadelphia, who, with Dr. Birch, began a series of revival meetings at that time. The building was a handsome brick affair, with an imposing spire and cost $30,000. February 2, 1907, it was destroyed by fire, together with its new organ, which cost $4,300. The loss, however, was practically covered by insurance. Plans were at once devised for a new building.
FIFTH CHURCH EDIFICE. In the fall of 1907 operations began on the present church building and on the 3d of April, 1908, the initial number of a series of nine dedicatory services were held in the new house of worship, by Rev. W. M. Newell, of Chicago, assisted by the pastor, Bryant C. Preston. Others who took a prominent part in the religious festivities of a week or more were Rev. H. D. Herr, Frank T. Lee, Dr. J. N. Elliott and J. C. H. Light. Judge T. C. McMillan, of the United States circuit court, of Chicago, delivered one of the principal addresses.
This church stands preeminently one of the finest structures of its kind not only in Muscatine but in the state. Every modern convenience has been installed by those having matters in charge and the details that make for beauty and cheerfulness have been kept constantly in mind and satisfactorily accomplished. A sweet, deep and mellow toned pipe organ is by no means the least pleasing and appreciated feature. The church will comfortably seat 1,000 persons. Its cost was $40,000.
An interesting leaf in the historic chapter of the Congregational church is the fact that during its existence of almost three score years and ten, the church has had but eight pastors. Rev. Alden B. Robbins was the first, serving from 1843 to 1896 (associate pastor); Frank T. Lee, 1892 to 1894; W. E. Brooks (associate pastor), 1895 to 1896; L. G. Kent (associate pastor), 1896 to 1897; Horace D. Herr, 1897 to 1904; John P. Clyde, 1904 to 1905; Bryant C. Preston, 1905 to 1910; Arthur S. Henderson, 1910.
ALDEN B. ROBBINS, D. D. The man who was one of the organizers of the Congregational society and church of Muscatine, its first pastor and over fifty years the shepherd of this flock, endeared himself to all who came within the range of his charming personality. His loss to the community has never been replaced and in the sketch given below a fitting and beautiful tribute was offered to his memory by his friend and admirer, John Mahin. His death occurred December 27, 1896, in his eightieth year:
"Dr. Robbins was in a preeminent sense a parish priest--that is, he was a preacher for the entire community. While a Congregationalist, and a true one, his sphere of usefulness and his popularity and acceptability knew no denominational bounds. All recognized him as in some sense at least their pastor.
"Dr. Robbins' fatal illness, heart trouble, dates from about three years ago (1893), when he had a severe attack of the grip, from which he suffered a month. He had an attack of pain in the heart last spring, which occasioned some alarm to his friends but it passed off and he seemed to be regaining his wonted health till the return of the trouble, a few days ago, as already stated.
"Eighty years of life at this grand and exciting era of the world's history, and fifty-three years in Bloomington and Muscatine, Iowa! What a life! How much he saw and how he preached, prayed and watched for the coming of the Lord. Ever since that dark evening of November, 1843, when a young divine, he climbed the hill which stood between Chestnut and Pine and Third and Fourth streets, and was given a western welcome by his first deacon, Pliny Fay, he has gone out and in before us, until yesterday, as minister of the gospel and as a citizen and neighbor.
"Coming from stern New England stock, he was of positive character and strong convictions. He hated slavery, polygamy, the liquor traffic and vice and sin of all kinds. Those who differed from him could but respect and admire him for his honesty of opinions and courage in expressing them. He lived to see slavery wiped out in blood and its twin sister die, and at the last prayer meeting he attended he expressed greater hopes than ever before of the banishment of the liquor traffic from our land.
"As a Union man during the war his voice gave no uncertain sound and he always felt honored that he was one of those who went to Chicago and selected the cloth for the uniforms of Companies A and C of the First Iowa Infantry and did all he could to assist in getting the two companies to the front. Many a soldier left this town with a copy of the Testament or Psalms, in which was written on the fly leaf in the Doctor's handwriting some verse for his encouragement. A vein of humor ran through him and came to the surface now and then, as when, in one copy of the Psalms he gave to one of the Thirty-fifth Iowa was this verse marked: 'He teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight.'
"As a preacher he had the happy faculty of saying a great deal in a short time, as he wrote and rewrote his sermons, and as a reader he had no equal in the pulpit. One of our citizens once said: 'I could sit all day and hear Dr. Robbins read David's Psalms and Paul's Epistles.' He stood often alone in his convictions but he lost no friends by it, for he was honest.
"As a husband and father he was kind and affectionate, and how many of us remember the annual social meetings in the old parsonage, where, while the storm raged without, within the minister became the man and host and was the life of the party. Yet, through all, the minister was not hidden. He was a man of refinement and fine talent. A friend of education and the public welfare, he was often ahead of the times. He was dignified in his demeanor and as the years whitened his hair and beard, his appearance upon the streets was noted by all his friends and observed by strangers. His Christian character shone out brightly and his life was a busy one, as the sketch given below will show.
"His death is a great loss to the church, the city and the religious and benevolent societies in which he took so active a part and which he loved. He would go away from home once a year and his people always had a feast when he returned, as he invariably told them all about it. That noble form will be missed from the streets, his voice will be no longer heard in the prayer meeting or pulpit, but his works will follow him and as long as the Congregational church shall live in Muscatine or Iowa, his name will be revered and honored.
"Dr. Robbins yet lives and ever will live in the results of his noble and self-sacrificing labors for religion, liberty, morality and temperance. Of him it may be said:
'These shall resist the empire of decay
When time is o'er and worlds have passed away;
Cold in the dust the perished heart may lie,
But that which warmed it once can never die.'"The sun and the stars will shine in their seasons but revolving years will neither quench nor dim the light of his noble example. Dr. A. B. Robbins, minister of Christ, patriot and citizen, hail and farewell!
"The names of the 'Iowa Band,' of which he was a member, are: Harvey Adams, Horace Hutchinson, James J. Hill, Daniel Lane, Erastus Ripley, Benjamin A. Spaulding, Edwin B. Turner, Alden B. Robbins, who have joined the great majority, while Ebenezer Alden, Jr., lives in South Marshfield, Massachusetts, William B. Hammond in Rome, New York, William Salter in Burlington, Iowa, and Ephraim Adams in Waterloo, Iowa. The two last named are expected to attend Dr. Robbins' funeral.
"Alden Burrill Robbins was born in Salem, Massachusetts, February 18, 1817, went to the school of Master Gerrish in Salem, and moved with his father's family to New York city about 1829. He attended the Greenwich Academy in that city, then attended the English and classical school of Putnam and Ames in Brooklyn, New York, was one year in the academy at Goshen, Litchfield, Connecticut, after which he returned to Salem to prepare to enter Harvard University, but instead went to Amherst in 1835. He united with the Congregational church at Bolton, Massachusetts, September 7, 1834. He graduated at Amherst in 1839 and that summer was tutor in Hopkins Academy in Hadley, Massachusetts, and in the years 1839 and 1840 was principal of the academy at Pawtucket, Massachusetts. He entered Andover Seminary in the fall of 1840, spending the middle year at Union Seminary, New York city, and returning, graduated in 1843. He was licensed to preach by the Andover Association and was ordained by council, September 20, 1843, in the Tabernacle church at Salem, Massachusetts.
"He was a member of the 'Iowa Band' of twelve ministers formed at Andover Theological Seminary in 1843; He reached Iowa in that fall, leaving Salem, Massachusetts, by way of Albany, and Utica by canal to Oswego, then to Niagara Falls by boat from Buffalo, thence to Chicago by steamer, by way of Princeton to Stephenson, now Rock Island, Illinois, thence to Burlington and to Bloomington, now Muscatine, arriving here November 7, 1843.
"He helped to organize the First Congregational church in November, 1843. Of the twenty-eight charter members, only one, Mrs. M. J. Fimple, now survives. Dr. Robbins was pastor of the church until November, 1891--forty-eight years, when he resigned and was made pastor emeritus. He was twice married. His first wife was Miss Eliza C. Hough, of Canterbury, Connecticut, whom he wedded September 27, 1843. She died in this city of cholera, July 16, 1850. She was the mother of three children, Dana H., Horace H. and Mrs. Anna H. DeForest. The last two are still living. On the 20th of September, 1851, at Monmouth, Illinois, Dr. Robbins and Miss Mary Sewall Arnold were married. Six children were born to them, of whom but two survive, Mrs. Esther B. White and John Alden. The latter lives in Muscatine. Mrs. DeForest resides in New Haven, Connecticut, Horace H. at Grinnell, Iowa, and Mrs. White is with her husband, Rev. George E. White, a missionary in Marsovan, Turkey. Mrs. Mary S. Robbins died in Muscatine, June 22, 1894.
"Dr. Robbins led a busy life. Besides his church and its local and state associations, in which he was deeply interested he was made, in 1867, a corporate member of A. B. C. Foreign Missions, and rarely missed its annual meetings. In 1869 Amherst College conferred upon him the title of Doctor of Divinity. Iowa College at Grinnell was a college which lay close to his heart. There he held the position of trustee and was for many years president of the board. He was also for many years a director of the Chicago Theological Seminary."
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