once every six months to visit his little flock. In 1860 the present pastor, Rev. N. Amlund was regularly settled as minister of this church. In 1870 another church was organized, with Rev. E. JOHNSON as pastor. In 1870 Rev. J. Eistson became the pastor, and the same year the congregation built a church one mile west of Roland at a cost of two thousand dollars. This congregation is building another church this year two miles north of Story City at about the same cost.
In 1873 a church was built at Roland costing $6,000, and in 1875 one at Story City at a like cost. These are said to be the largest and best churches in the county.
There are churches of the same denominations, perhaps equally as strong and wealthy, in the southwestern part of the county, but I have been furnished no information on the subject.
OTHER DENOMINATIONS.
A man named Jessup preached in July, 1855, being mainly remembered as standing in the legs of his boots, the heels being turned well up at the sides. Several of the congregation attended with bare and unwashed feet, all of which may have been out of respect to the preacher. Jessup was of the United Brethren persuasion, and was the fore-runner of Rev. Ives Marks, of Palestine who belonged to the same denomination, and afterwards preached at Nevada, and in other parts of the county.
On Monday, September 1, 1858, the Rev. H. W. Lee, Bishop of this Diocese, preached, and administered the right of confirmation to seven persons on the camp ground west of Iowa Center. It was the first time this service was ever performed in an Iowa Grove. The Bishop spoke of it as a very interesting era in his ministry. On Tuesday he preached in the court house, at Nevada, and confirmed one. Rev. X. A. Welton had been holding services for some time previous.
About this time the United Brethren held a camp meeting in Ballard's Grove in which there was much interest, which was enhanced by a young lady passing into a trance, in which she continued for nine days, conscious but partaking of no food.
September 8, 1856 a notice was published in the Advocate, addressed to the members of the Free Will Society, or those in favor of good liquors being kept by respectable men for medical, mechanical and religious purposes, and requesting such to meet at the house of E. B. Dean, on the eighteenth of that month, to perfect the organization for the Society, and adopt practical measures. This was signed by Isaac Romane, E. B. Dean and James Ferguson as committee.
December 1, 1858, the editor discusses the want of success among the clergymen in arousing a religious feeling in the community, notwithstanding their zealous labors, and closes with an opinion that would do honor to Jack Bunsby, as follows
"The clergy and laymen here have been worked too hard in the