TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Muscatine, Iowa

FOREWORD

At the time the town of Bloomington (now known as Muscatine) was platted in 1839, the Parish of Trinity Church was being organized. In 1841 the first church building was constructed. It was a simple frame structure which stood on the rear end of the same lot where the stone church now stands, on the corner of East Second Street and Walnut. This was the first church in Muscatine County and the first Episcopal Church consecrated in Iowa.

The original Parish Register books are kept in the church office at 211 Walnut Street, Muscatine. They are very fragile, and in many places the handwriting has faded. Interpreting the different styles of spidery handwriting was quite a challenge. Several entries were scratched out, indicating that person had stopped coming to this church. Anytime a person moved out of the area or died, their name was "removed" from the parishioner roster. In most cases I was able to decipher the name underneath.

The Parish Register of 1853 to 1863 is the first known volume of church records. It contains records of Holy Baptism, Confirmation, Communicants, Families & Single Persons connected to the church, Marriages, Deaths and some other notations of special church events.

Volume Two of Trinity Church covers the period of January 1864 to 15 April 1899. This record book has pre-printed headings and page numbers. There is a set sequence of chapters recording parishioners’ events in church life. The chapters include; Families Connected to the Church, Holy Baptism, Comfirmation, Communicants, Marriages and Burials.

The following are transcribed HOLY BAPTISM records from Volume One and Two Registers, prepared by Eleanor B. McCleary, Trinity Church Historian. Written permission to share this information on this web site has been given by Richard E. Simpson, Rector of Trinity Parish, September 4, 2001.

Holy Baptism Records of Trinity Church--Volume One
(From 1853 to 1863)

Holy Baptism Records of Trinity Church--Volume Two
(From January 1864 to 15 April 1899)

Further look ups within the Trinity Episcopal Church records and to
obtain copies of documents, you are welcomed to contact:

Trinity Episcopal Church
211 Walnut Street
Muscatine, Iowa 52761
(563) 263-2177
Web Site: https://www.muscatine-trinity.org

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