"An Interesting Early History of Decatur County"by Mrs. O.N. Kellogg |
| Chapter Eighteen REV. CARY ARRIVES-NEW SCHOOL BURNS-THE FIRST FULL TIME PREACHER, MR RAWLS- LEON CIRCUIT SELF SUPPORTING-STEPHEN ARNOLD ARRIVES |
| In 1854 Rev. J. B. Cary came with his family to this county and
immediately identified himself with its religious and educational
interests. He was a licensed local preacher in Ohio and his abilities,
natural and acquired, rendered him an acquisition duly appreciated in
the infancy of the county when local preachers were mainly depended upon
to keep up services on the Sabbath in the different settlements. At a
quarterly meeting which he attended in Hopeville soon after his arrival
there were seventeen local preachers in quarterly conference. In the summer of 1855 there was a fine frame school house built in Garden Grove, two story. In the second story Mr. Cary commenced teaching the second winter, the lower story and the cupola being yet unfinished. The third day of school the workmen in the lower story, in the process of soldering the zinc covering of the copula, dropped a coal of fire through the loose floor among some shavings which had been carelessly left under the building, and in a few minutes the whole structure was enveloped in smoke and flames. The children were hustled down stairs as fast as possible and helped out into the air, some of them almost suffocated. In 1857 Mr. Cary joined the conference in which he now sustains a superannuated relation. The first preacher that resided in the county devoting his whole time to the work of ministering was Rev. John Rawls, preacher in charge of the Decatur Mission in 1855. Leon circuit had been set off, and was at that time self-supporting Dr. Dickinson, pastor. As far as the M.E. Church is concerned the whole country has long since ceased to require aid from the Home Missionary Society Fund, except sometimes as a loan in building churches, to be returned to the Fund, and used again many times in the same manner. Stephen Arnold arrived with his family at Garden Grove June 20, 1855. The cars had been running but a few days as far west at the Mississippi River, and none were running in Iowa until some time the following year. Mr. Arnold brought with him seventy or eighty pure French Merino sheep, probably the largest flock of pure bloods at that time in the State. I might mention in this connection that my husband took the first and second premiums for brook mares at the State Fair in 1854. Mr. Stephen Arnold built a good comfortable log house with a brick chimney and hearth-a good cellar walled with brick, a well of living water right at the door, with a quick growing tree planted near it for shade at the back door and cellar door, and everything in like manner was arranged for comfort. The house had three good rooms in front with chambers over them and a kitchen back. The front door yard was ornamented by plots of flowers in great profusion and variety, also ornamental trees and shrubs-also the south window of the sitting room was always gay with beautiful flowers and plants. It is so rare that people in a new country give attention to home comforts, or think of making the log houses beautiful and attractive. But they are gone-Uncle Stephen and Aunt Eva, hand in hand they walked-though the way was often times hedged up or bristling with thorns and in their death they were not divided. My daughter, Josephine, who with her friend, Miss Mary Knapp, called on them a short time before they died wrote me--”It seemed rather sad on going in to see one on each side of the fire, bolstered in rocking chairs, both apparently on the verge of the grave, but it is pleasant to remember and will be when he is over the river, how cheerfully and peacefully Uncle Stephen views the prospect and how sweetly he talked to us when we took our departure.” She added, “and I record it as a special benediction.” He mentioned mother several times and said if he never saw her here he believed he should be in a better place. My daughter, Florence, in Ohio, needed me and my return home has been postponed from time to time and they are gone. |
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