of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 332-334
THE EVANGELICAL PROTESTANT CHURCH. Some of the early members of this church were natives of Bavaria generally, and came to the United States in 1838, making their way to Muscatine around by New Orleans, from thence to Cincinnati and from there down the river to Cairo, and then on by way of St. Louis to this place. Conrad Riess arrived here in 1848. He was a school teacher and had begun preaching in 1847. He had united with the church at Centerville in the year last mentioned and there received a license to preach for one year. In 1848 his license was continued another year and he preached to about eighteen families, who would gather at the courthouse to hear him. On the 10th of February, 1849, the church was organized. From that time on the church grew and prospered. In 1860 they built their church, which was remodeled at various times. In 1904 a beautiful organ was installed at a cost of $1,500, the gift of Harry Huttig in memory of his parents, who were early members of this society. The church held its fiftieth anniversary February 14, 1909. The present pastor is Rev. Johannes Jans.
FIRST UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH. In the spring of 1850 this sOciety of Christian workers was organized into a tangible body under the pastorate of Rev. L. McVey. From that date to this, untiring energies have marked the pages of the society's history.
SOME EARLY WORKERS. Among those early pioneers in the church whose sacrifices and services made the church possible were the following: Rev. Father Abram Hershey and wife, his son Jacob and his family, his son-in-law, Jonathan Neidig and family, Isaac Neidig and his family, Reuben Burtner, Samuel Frantz, son-in-law of Jacob Hershey, and his family, Mrs. Erb, widow of Christian Erb, and her two sons, Jacob and Christian. These pillars of the church came to Muscatine in April of the year 1850, from Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. They found no church organization here, for the members of the society had come to the city at times, isolated from people of similar belief and in consequence had joined churches of other denominations. The first meetings were held in the homes of the members and Rev. McVey was the first pastor to work in the field. The conference held in August, 1850, placed the Muscatine church in the field with Grandview mission and L. Kinney and Everhart were detailed for duty in the community. Though few in numbers, the congregation went to work with a determination that made them a multitude and the winter of 1850 found them worshipping in their own church edifice, which, though not an elaborate structure, was substantial and afforded a home-like place for worship. At first only the basement of the church was used but within the next year, 1851, the edifice was completed and on the 7th of September it was dedicated. In the year at the request of the church, Muscatine was detached from the Grandview mission and made a station, with Rev. George Miller as pastor in charge.
PASTORS OF THE CHURCH. The early records of the church were rather erratically kept but from 1857 the history is obtainable. The records give the following list of pastors: Rev. J. Winn, 1857; Rev. P. C. Hetzler, 1857-59; S. S. Snyder, 1860; William Davis, February, 1862-August, 1864; J. S. Winn, 1864; T. Brashier, 1865; Martin Bowman, 1866-68; J. H. Vandever, 1869; E. S. Bunce, 1870-73; T. J. Bander, 1873-76; I. K. Statton, 1876-78; R. E. Williams, 1878-80; W. H. Kleinfelter, 1880-83; W. I. Beatty, 1883-87; L. B. Hicks, 1887-93; N. W. Burtner, 1893-98; L. B. Hicks, 1898-1903; W. I. Beatty, 1903-1905; J. C. H. Light, 1905, and is the present pastor.
THE PRESENT CHURCH BUILDING. The present beautiful church building was erected in 1892. The old church site being located in the middle of the block, was not a desirable location so the present site, Sixth and Mulberry streets, was purchased. During Rev. Hicks' first pastorate here he began the new church agitation and had the pleasure of seeing the magnificent fruits of his efforts. He first came to the church in 1887 and served until he was elected presiding elder in 1893, but after five years of service in that capacity he returned to his old charge in 1898, much to the delight of the church and continued as its pastor until 1903, as above stated.
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