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Churches
of Poweshiek County
Montezuma M.E. Church - Jackson Township, pg 511-512
The church was organized in
February, 1848, by Gideon Wilson and
the Rev. James Francis New, a missionary, with the following members:
Gideon Wilson, Catherine Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Isaac Wilson, Sarah
Wilson, Mary Faucett.
The present frame church was built in 1856 at a cost of $3,375, and was
improved during the summer of 1880 at an additional cost of $1,500. The
church was dedicated in 1856 or '57, by Presiding Elder Simpson, and
the pastor, Rev. J. Craig.
Pastors have succeeded one another in the work as follows:
Revs. J.F. New, 1849; Blakely, 1851; Bartholomew Vestal; Samuel
Hestwood, 1852, two years; H. Badley, one year; H. Gibson, two years;
J. Craig, 1857, two years; Dr. David W. Robinson, 1859, one year; W.
Lawback, one year; A. Barnhart, 1861; Benjamin Holland, two years;
Marcus Carrier, 1864; G.H. Clark, 1865; J.T. Simmons, 1866; J.G.
Thompson, 1867; A.S. Prather, 1869; James Rankin, 1870; I.N. Bushby,
1871; W.G. Thorn, 1873; B.F. Shane, 1875; L.O. Housel, 1878; D.C.
Smith, 1880.
Mr. Gideon Wilson, most prominent in the organization of this church, a
member of the M.E. Church over 52 years, a successful merchant and
valuable citizen, died Oct. 3, 1879, at the age of 79. During the
pastorate of Rev. Jesse Craig there was a large revival, as also under
Rev. J.G. Thompson in 1867-8, when there were twenty-two additions to
the church.
The largest revival in the history of the church was during the
ministry of Rev. W.G. Thorn, in the winter of 1873-4, when there were
fifty-four additions. During the pastorate of B.F. Shane, there were
thirty-four additions. The last revival was conducted by Rev. L.O.
Housel during the winter of 1878-9, when there were thirty additions.
The present good spiritual condition of the church is attributed in a
great measure, to the last religious awakening. Rev. D.C. Smith,
present pastor, has just came from his previous field in Brooklyn, and
with the present conference year enters upon his duties as spiritual
adviser for this branch of his Master's work. The Sunday-school meets
every Sabbath with an average attendance of 110. Mr. C.R. Clark has
been Superintendent for thirteen years. In this department he has shown
great excellence and worth as may be indicated by the persistency with
which the church has for so many years committed to him this high trust.
Heretofore there has been a country appointment attached to this
charge, at which the pastor preached once in two weeks, but with the
beginning of this conference year that appointment was detached and
placed to another circuit. So that the society in Montezuma now
undertake to support full station work.
Methodist Protestant
Church - Jackson Township - Montezuma, pg 512
This is one of the first church organizations in the
county, being effected in November, 1849. The house of worship was the
first in the county, constructed in 1855 or 1856, of brick, at a cost
of $1,300. It is situated four blocks south of the court-house on the
corner of Third Street.
The original members were: Rev. James Johnson, Abigal Johnson,
Washington B. Harden, Hobson Parker.
The church was dedicated in the year 1856, Rev. George Whedly preaching
the sermon and Rev. N. Snyder giving the charge, assisted by Rev. James
Johnson.
Pastors of the church have served in the following order.
Revs. James Johnson, Alexander Calwell, William Morrow, William Scott,
E.S. Brown, F.A. Kirkpatrick, John McAlister, William Browning, W.M.
Carrel, S.N. Mtheng, H.H. Workman, James Ruker, Leonard Barton, William
Remsburg, H.A.T. Harris, J.C. Hazlatt, Asa Aliet, G. G. Robinson,
present pastor. The present membership is thirty-five.
Three times the church has been severely injured by wind, and once
struck by lightning.
The Iowa State Conference has convened three times in this church.
A branch mission church is established at Brownstown, six miles south
of Montezuma, with thirty-five members; another at Union Ridge
school-house, in Lincoln township, nine miles northeast of Montezuma.
Presbyterian Church -
Jackson Township - Montezuma, pg 513
This church was organized by the
following eight members, May 24, 1856.
James J. Marquis, Martha J. Marquis, Salina Jones, Maria Adams,
Sophemia Blackmar, Sarah Kidder, Alexander Gordon, Miss Margaret Gordon.
On examination, at the same time, there were received:
George Cowie, Margaret D. Cowie, James Duffus, N.A. Duffus, Catharine
M. Riddle, Rebecca Stanley, Alexander Duffus, Elizabeth H. Duffus.
The frame church, situated one block north of the court-house, was
built in the year 1876, at a cost of $3,650, and was dedicated by Revs.
R.B. Herron and Abner Chapman. Names of pastors: Thomas J. Taylor, R.
B. Farrar, William Young, C.E. Spinning, and R.B. Herron, present
pastor. There are 113 on the church roll, seventy of whom are
contributing members. Services were held in the court-house, except for
a little time in the Methodist Protestant Church, till the present
church was completed. In April, 1877, there were thirty-five additions,
and about the same number during the winter of 1878. The Sunday-school
meets each week, with an average attendance of eighty-five scholars.
The following persons have been Superintendents: E.C. Barrett, W.R.
Lewis, M.W. Ward, and W. R. Lewis, who is present superintendent.
The Christian Church of
Montezuma, Jackson Township, pg 513
The church was organized in 1863 or 1865, with the
following original members:
Daliel Harrod and wife, James E. McIntire and wife, Emily Morrison,
Mrs. C.E. Norris, John Souter and wife.
The present convenient frame church was built in 1877, at a cost of
$2,500, and dedicated by Revs. N.A. McConnell and John Rankin.
Pastors have served as follows: Revs. Wm. R. Cowley, E.J. Stanley,
three years, J.A. Guthrie, one year, H.D. Dennis, two years, and John
K. Cornell, the present pastor, who has served nearly one year. The
present membership is 105. Meetings were held in the court-house till
the present church edifice was constructed. Since the church was built,
baptisms have increased rapidly, the ordinance being performed in the
church at the close of evening service. The church contains a good
baptistery and well.
Congregational Church -
Grinnell Township, Grinnell, IA pg 536-539
In March 1854, several thousand
acres of land were purchased, a portion of which was set off for a town
site, for educational purposes and for farms. The April following a
cabin was erected in the grove, two and a half miles west of the town
site, which was occupied by Dr. Thomas Holyoke, H. Hamlin, H.M.
Hamilton, A.F. Gillett, A. Bixby, J.B. Grinnell and others-the first
settlers.
The first religious meeting was held at the log house of Mr. Perry M.
Matison, about three miles west of the town site, in the grove, at
which seven adults were present. The second was in the grove at the
cabin of Mr. Oakley, near Mr. Mattison's, the audience numbering
fifteen, of whom Mrs. Holyoke was the only lady present. The third
meeting was held under the oaks near the cabin, the congregation
numbering nearly thirty. The fourth was held in what was known as "The
Long Home," a rough structure, about 60 feet by 16, made of boards
sawed by horse-power. It was on what is now Broad Street, between
Fourth and Fifth Avenue, West Side, and served as a temporary residence
for about twenty families. At the fifth meeting, which was held in this
building, while yet without a roof, it was resolved that when no
minister was present there should be a reading meeting on the Sabbath,
and that a prayer meeting should be held statedly on Thursday evenings.
The prayer meeting has been regularly sustained up to the present day.
During the summer and fall, meetings were held in "The Long Home" and
in the residences of Messrs. Bixby, Holyoke, Phelps and others, when
the north chamber of the Bixby House, then owned by George Chambers,
was fitted up with seats and occupied as a place of worship through the
winter. In the spring, meetings were held in the house of Mr. Phelps,
situated on the corner of Broad and Commercial Streets, and in his
parlor the church was organized.
Articles of faith, covenant and by-laws having been prepared the
organization of the church was effected on the 8th of April, 1855,
under the direction of Rev. Samuel Loomis.
The following are the names of those who, on that day, were constituted
the Congregational Church of Grinnell:
Rev. J.B. Grinnell, Mrs. Julia A. Grinnell, William N. Ford, Mrs. Lydia
W. Ford, Mrs. Lucy Ford, Mrs. Christiana Patterson, Thomas Holyoke,
MD., Mrs. Nancy Holyoke, Gideon Gardner, Mrs. Naomi Gardner, Anor
Scott, Mrs. Harriet B. Scott, Sumner Bixby, Mrs. Sarah H. Bixby, Abram
Whitcomb, Mrs. Mary Whitcomb, Levi H. Marsh, Mrs. Edith Marsh, Emory S.
Bartlett, Miss Lucy Bixby.
In June, 1855, measures were taken to erect a temporary building for
meetings and a school. Rev. J.B. Grinnell agreed to build one 16 by 24
for $150. It was a rude structure, untouched by plane or brush, and the
lumber being green, wide seams were soon opened to the weather, so that
on rainy days the audience would have found comfort in raising their
umbrellas, and the minister's sermon was in danger of being ruined. The
next place occupied for worship was a lower room in a large, new
school-house; and in the spring of 1856 the upper room of the same
building, 40 feet square. In June of this year, the General Association
of Iowa here held its meeting. This room was used for worship till
1860, when the church edifice was erected, which was twice enlarged to
meet the increasing wants of the community. For two years, the main
dependence for preaching was upon Rev. J.B. Grinnell, who, though
strongly solicited to accept a salary, persistently declined any
compensation other than the good will of the people.
Rev. Samuel Loomis preached often in 1855, and in the fall of that year
Rev. S. L. Herrick, from Vermont, became a resident, and, for five or
six years, rendered gratuitous service on the Sabbath, in connection
with others. About 1857 Rev. L.C. Rouse, from Ohio, moved into the
place, and joined with ministers already on the ground in maintaining
the regular ministration of the sanctuary. In the year 1860 Rev. J. W.
Matthews, of Maine, was called to act as pastor. He remained not quite
a year, and then returned to New England. In 1863 Rev. S.D. Cochrane
was called to the pastorship, accepted the call, and was installed May
1, 1867. His labors were continued till April 13, 1869, when, at his
own request, he was dismissed by a council called for the purpose.
President Magoun, of Iowa College, was then invited to supply the
pulpit till a pastor could be obtained. Early in 1870, a call was
extended to Rev. W.W. Woodworth, of Belchertown, Mass., who accepted
the call, and entered upon his duties in June of the same year. March
1, 1871, he was regularly installed by a council. November 5, 1875,
Rev. Mr. Woodworth tendered his resignation, having received a call
from Berlin, Conn., the scene of his earliest ministerial labors. The
church, taking into consideration his earnest wishes in the case,
accepted his resignation, and he was regularly dismissed, November 26,
1875. The pulpit was supplied from various sources during the year
1876. December 29, of that year, a call was extended to Rev. J.M.
Sturtevant, Jr., of Denver, Colorado, to act as pastor of the church
for one year. The call was accepted, and he entered upon his duties
February 10, 1877. The church has been blessed with many very precious
revivals. Previous to the labor of a regular pastor, over two hundred
had united with the original twenty who constituted the church at its
organization. And all along the years, showers of blessings have been
shed upon the church, till it now numbers over six hundred.
The present magnificent stone church was commenced in the spring of
1877.
The building (without furniture) cost twenty-six thousand dollars.
The laying of the corner-stone occurred June 26, 1877; the ceremonies
were held at two p.m., and were as follows:
Invocation-Rev. S.L. Herrick.
Reading the Hymn-Rev. Thomas Brande.
Singing-by the choir.
Reading of Scripture-Prof. S.J. Buck
Prayer-Rev. J.M. Sturtevant.
Address, and laying the corner-stone-by Hon. J.B. Grinnell.
Address: "The Church and College"-by President G.F. Magoun, D.D.
Statement from the Building Committee.
Doxlogy.
Benediction-Rev. E. Adams.
The following articles were placed in the box: Manual of the
Congregational Church of Grinnell, containing, "Articles of Faith,"
"Covenant," and "Historical Sketch of the Church." A Catalogue of Iowa
College. Copies of the Grinnell Herald, College News-Letter, Chicago
Advance, and Des Moines Register. History of Town of Grinnell. Various
coins in present circulation.
There was a large congregation of people, and they were impressed with
the ceremonies, as well as rejoiced to see the building of God's house.
The church is a large structure, seating, in the main auditorium, eight
hundred, with a large Sunday-school room and a parlor. The seats are in
the form of an amphitheater, ascending from the pulpit to the most
distant row. The arrangement of the house is of the most approved
modern style. The floors carpeted, the seats comfortably adjusted and
neatly cushioned, the pulpit set with red velvet cushioned chairs and
sofa, the parlor elegantly furnished, the infant class room with all
the conveniences, and kitchen, with cook-stove, the superior system of
ventilation, lighting, and heating, are among the comforts and
blessings enjoyed by the church and congregation.
The stone of which the church is constructed came from Mason City and
Bentonsport. The lighting is with gas, manufactured on the premises,
with the Imperial Gas Machine. The heating is by steam, the boiler and
furnaces being located in the basement. The ceiling is of ribbed iron,
and curved in many angles There are three entrances to the large
audience room, and two large vestibules. The choir is in the rear of
the speaker. The infant class room may be separated from the main
Sunday-school room by sliding doors. The tower, which is to contain the
bell, is yet to be completed. The church has a membership larger than
any other of the same denomination in the State, and is one of the most
substantial, as well as most elegant, houses of worship in the West.
The parsonage, situated on the east side of the public park, is one of
the finest residences in the city. Rev. J.M. Sturtevant, the present
pastor, has been successful in spreading the influence of the gospel,
and winning the hearts of the people.
[Note: this seems to be
transcribed from a book. When I find out the title and author, I will
post it here.]
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