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Shelby County |
CHAPTER XVI. - PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN SHELBY COUNTY (CONT'D)DUNKARD CHURCH.
A number of very early pioneers, including several of the Wyland families, belonged to this church, the members of which are sometimes called German Baptists. The church building located east of Harlan in Center township, was erected in 1878, although there were persons of the Dunkard faith in Shelby county long before that time. About 1861 Washington Wyland and his wife and Mrs. Christian Goodyear were baptized. Soon afterward a church organization was effected with Adam Brandt and wife and Hiram Folck and wife, with possibly a few others, as members. Washington Wyland was chosen minister and Adam Brandt, deacon. Soon afterward Alonzo Palmer and wife, Mr. Ward and daughter, and Miss Cora Carlton were baptized, about 1865. Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Stutzman and wife and Mrs. J. J. Miller joined this church early. About 1873 J. H. Filmore was a pastor of the church, and Hiram Folck was elected some time after Washington Wyland had served as pastor. Following Mr. Folck's pastorate, came that of Stephen Voder and of H. A. Voder. Mr. Hiatt and Mr. Level, also Mr. Meyer, served as pastors. This church no longer holds services, but for many years it was one of the prominent church organizations of the country adjoining Harlan. To this church belonged the families of Obrecht, Washington Wyland, the Yoders, Strohms, Stutzmans, Replogles and others. Nearly all persons of the older generation have passed away. Many of the younger generation no longer reside here. Many of the children did not embrace the faith of their parents. The old church, plain and old-fashioned in its style of architecture, without steeple and devoid of ornamentation, was once the religious home of some of the best people Shelby county ever had.
With the exception ot a United Presbyterian church, which existed at Irwin, the First Presbyterian church of Shelby is the only Presbyterian church ever established in Shelby county, although a large number of Presbyterians have allied themselves with the Harlan Congregational church since its establishment. The following historical statement is by Elder William R. Pomeroy: The First Presbyterian church of Shelby, Iowa, was organized on the 20th day of February, 1880, in the old Baptist church. This was the result of meetings that had been held from time to time since the previous November by Rev. G. M. Lodge and Elder James S. Love. Upon organization the following were constituted as charter members of the church: Mr. and Mrs. John Edwards, Mr. and Mrs. William Shirk, Rosa, Cassie, Addison and Nannie Shirk, Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Pomeroy, Mr. and Mrs. Matthias V. Best, A C . Snyder, Mr. and Mrs Francis Kern. Of the charter members, five are still active members, and one, Cassie Shirk, now Mrs. Charles Evans, retains her membership here, though living at Fergus Falls, Minnesota. At this first meeting of the church the following officers were elected: Elders, William Shirk, R. M. Pomeroy and John Edwards; deacon, M. V. Best; trustees, A. C. Snyder, Marshall Tucker and R. M. Pomeroy. Rev. G. M. Lodge was called to be the state supply of the church. Mr. Lodge continued as pastor of the church until the spring of 1882, at which time Rev. T. R. Lewis was called to the field and accepted, coming on the 11th of June. All of this time the congregation held their services in the Baptist church, but under the leadership of Mr Lewis a movement was started for the erection of a building. The present site had been secured and in 1885 the building was started, and finally dedicated on the 14th of March, 1886. The cost of the building was about four thousand five hundred dollars. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. Herron, of Atlantic, assisted by Rev. Bailey, synodical superintendent. Rev. D. Shenton was at that time pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church, and also assisted in the service. Mr. Lewis concluded his services with the church early in 1888, and the pulpit was not regularly supplied until the call of Rev. J. H. Carpenter, who began his work June 1, 1888, and was installed July 10, 1889. Mr. Carpenter remained the leader of the church until July 27, 1895, this being the longest that any minister has been pastor of this church. On the first of January, 1896, Rev. Albert Aston became the pastor in charge, and continued until January 1, 1901, exactly five years. During his ministry the church made the greatest growth it had made up to that time. The seed that had been faithfully sown was bringing forth its fruit. During the seven years following the work of Mr. Aston the church was served by Rev. Walter Irwin, May 1, 1901, to November 1, 1903; Rev. Thomas W. Leard, January 1, 1904, to February 25, 1906; and Rev. R. S. Weinland, May 1, 1906, to August 1, 1908. Rev. W. B. Lampe first supplied Shelby about four months during the summer of 1909, and returned as pastor on September 1, 1910. At that time there were ninety-eight active members on the roll. The attendance at the services of the church gradually increased, and soon a movement was started by the Young Ladies' Guild to remodel the church and build on an addition. During the winters of 1910 and 1911 this organization worked hard, and finally had seven hundred dollars as a start for this project. At a meeting of the church in the following spring the trustees were authorized to canvass the members of the church for subscriptions, and so liberal was the response to their active efforts that it was decided to start the work at once. The fact that the project was carried through and the building occupied by October 1 was due to the untiring efforts of the pastor and the efficient board of trustees. Rev. Lampe resigned August 1, 1913. Rev. O. C. Carden has been with the church since December 1, 1913, being ordained and installed as pastor May 5, 1914, on graduating from the Omaha Theological Seminary. Th» present officers of the church are: Rev. O. C. Carden, moderator; elders, R. M. Pomeroy, Benjamin Von Eschen, Thomas Norman, Peter Mortensen, W. R. Pomeroy, clerk; trustees, Thomas Norman, president, James Kern, Ura B. Slaughter.
[This is the only Congregational church in Shelby county. The author is indebted to the research work of Rev. Clifford L. Snowden, pastor of the Harlan Congregational church from October, 1896, to March, 1809, for most of the following history of the Congregational church, the first part of this sketch being in the language of Mr. Snowden and, therefore, quoted.] "The original compact from which the present church organization grew was made in July, 1871, by the following persons: James Harvey, Mrs. Lucy Harvey, Miss Cordelia Holcomb, Mrs. Mary A. Wood, Mrs. Anna Closson and Mrs. Sarah Redfield. Meetings of this self-instituted mission were held in various places, ranging from public halls to private parlors. For seven years the pastoral services of the Rev. Mr. Wright, of Avoca, were procured at irregular intervals. The organization grew but slowly. Finally, November 10, 1878, the church was regularly and congregationally organized and recognized by the council of the Council Bluffs association with the following membership: C. Will Fisher, Mrs. Rachel Fisher, R. B. Griffith, Sr., and family, Fred Gooding, Mrs. L. M. Gooding, A. G. Hard, Mrs. Mary Hard, Miss Cordelia Holcomb, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey, M. F. Campbell, Mrs. Sarah Redfield and Mrs. Anna Closson. The following month a large number were received, both by letter and by profession of faith. "The first prayer meeting was held Wednesday evening. February 26, 1879, and the Sunday school was organized July 6 of the same year. "For several years the church worshipped at the Masonic hall, court room and similar places. Finally, however, it was resolved to build and E. W. Davis, of Avoca, presented a parcel of ground for that purpose. "On July 23, 1882, the building was dedicated free of debt. The Rev. Dr. T. O. Douglass, Rev. Dr. E. S. Hill, of Atlantic, and the local ministers assisted on this occasion. Among those who were early preachers and organizers of this church were Rev. E. Adams, of Waterloo, of the famous 'Iowa Band' from Andover Seminary, Massachusetts, and the Rev. Dr. Pickett, whom many old residents will remember. "Since the church has been a separate parish it has been served by the following ministers: Rev. Joel G. Sabin, July, 1879, to December, 1881; Rev. E. L. Sherman, January, 1882, to December, 1884; Rev. C. N. Sinnett, January, 1885, to November, 1886; Rev. J. W. Geiger, August, 1887, to December, 1880; Rev. G. L. Shull, March, 1890, to June, 1891; Rev. J. Bruce Mather, August, 1892, to August, 1896; Rev. Clifford L. Snowden, October, 1896, to March, 1899. In September, 1898, the Tinsley Memorial chapel was built." In February, 1899, Rev. E. W. Childs was chosen pastor and on September 1, 1900, Rev. James Parsons became pastor of the church, which pastorate was held by him until the calling of Rev. Frank G. Beardsley, on March 27, 1904. On August 30, 1908, Rev. Mr. Beardsley resigned to take charge of the theological department of Talladega College of Alabama. On October 7, 1908, a call was extended to Rev. Franklin W. Keagy, of Lewis, Iowa. He held the pastorate until the call of Rev. J. L. Blanchard, in November, 1909. On April 21, 1912, Rev. J. L. Blanchard tendered his resignation to accept a call to Clinton, Iowa, and on June 23, 1912, Rev. Frederick W. Long, ex-president of Tabor College, was called to the pastorate. He resigned October 1, 1913. whereupon, a few weeks later, Rev. H. Jeptha Sealey, the present minister, became pastor of the church. In 1908 the church received a legacy of five hundred dollars from Mrs. Anna Snowden Weeks, one of the devoted members of the church and a former leader of the choir. On Sunday, October 4, 1914, the church was re-dedicated, the occasion being the completion of extensive improvements to the church, including new hardwood floors, new furnace and new church parlors. On this occasion Rev. Frank G. Beardsley, of Keokuk, Iowa, and Rev. Frederick W. Long, of Glenwood, Iowa, returned to Harlan to assist in the exercises. In the afternoon of October 4, 1914, there was a good fellowship meeting in the church, participated in by former pastors and by the pastors of other Harlan churches. Rev. Mr. Sealey. the present minister, responded to these greetings. HARLAN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The present trustees of the church are Fred Louis, chairman, J. B. Whitney, W. H. Lemke. C. D. Booth and G. F. Stewart. J. W. Miller is clerk, B. B. McPheeters, treasurer, and A. McNeil, assistant treasurer.
[The author is under obligations to L. J. Smith, of Harlan, for the facts contained in the following sketch. Mr. Smith took great pains and spent much time in getting the necessary data.] The first Evangelical missionary that preached in Shelby county was Rev. William Newman, who took up the work at the Joseph Gardner school house No. 4, Lincoln township, in April, 1879, also at the Pioneer school house in Cass township and in the Byam school house, east of what is now Tennant. In 1888 the Pleasant Mount church was built by Rev. V. Urbino. The people worshiped in the Gardner school house until 1888, when the Union church was built, whereupon the congregation worshiped there until 1909. Rev. E. P. Lenard commenced to preach at the Pleasant Valley school house in 1884 and preaching was continued there until 1897. The next appointment was at the Hillside school house, one and a half miles east of Kirkman, some time in the early eighties, and this continued until 1908. Rev. W. J. Hahn commenced to preach in "Rabbit Hollow" school house in 1891 and continued services there for three years, at the end of which time this appointment was discontinued. Pleasant Mount church was moved to Audubon county in 1897. Besides the church at Harlan there is now an Evangelical church in Earling and one at Defiance. Cuppy's Grove was looked after by Rev. W. J. Hahn in 1891 and this church continued until 1894. (Mrs. J. Malick informs me that Rev. A Johnson, a Methodist missionary, preached at Cuppy's Grove so early as 1865.) The first class of the Evangelical church in Harlan was organized in 1892, with Ben Fisher, Jonathan Roland and L. J. Smith, trustees. The congregation worshiped in the Beh Hall and had preaching by Rev. W. J. Hahn, and later moved to the Overholt Hall. Ben Fisher was Sunday school superintendent. This organization was maintained until 1895. On November 18, 1897, a reorganization occurred, at which time three trustees were elected, as follows: E. E. Hoover, president; Ben Fisher, secretary, and William Blakely, treasurer. At this time a building committee was appointed,consisting of the following: L. J. Smith, C. D. O'Neal and J. Roland. The present site of the Harlan church, at the corner of Eighth and Willow streets, was selected, and the present building, together with the parsonage, erected, the church being built in the winter of 1897-8. It was dedicated on June 2, 1898, by Bishop R. Dubs. The present board of trustees of the Harlan church are William Blakley, president; E. E. Hoover, secretary; L. J. Smith, treasurer. The present membership is fifty-two. The Sunday school has had an average attendance of forty scholars for the last nine months. The officers of the Sunday school are L. J. Smith, superintendent; Mrs. L. J. Smith, assistant superintendent; Arch Blakely, treasurer. The following is the list of pastors, together with the years of their pastorates: William Newman, 1879; Jacob Wirth, 1880-1881; J. F. Verger, 1882-1883; E. P. Lenard, 1884-1885: V. Urbino, 1886-1887-1888; Charles Knoll, 1889-1890; W. J. Hahn, 1891-1892-1893; W. E. Robinson, 1894; S. H. Streyfeller, 1895-1896-1897; D. C. Busenburg, 1898-1899; V. Urbino, 1900; Charles Pickford, 1901-1902-1903 ; J. H. Freedline, 1904-1905; Thomas Evans, 1906; G. N. Thompson, 1907-1908; G. L. Springer, 1909-1910-1911-1912; Clarence Weston, 1913-1914.
The members of the Protestant Episcopal church in Harlan have had occasional services since 1881. Regular services of St. Paul's church began in July, 1896. The church was organized as a mission July 24, 1896, and was organized as a parish May 24, 1897. The erection of the church building was begun April 12, 1899, the corner stone was laid May 13, 1899, and the church building opened for services by Bishop Morrison of Iowa, on January 7, 1900. The first missionary was Rev. R. L. Knox. The rectors of the church, together with the beginning of their respective service as such, have been: Rev. George Benson Hewitson, 1897; Rev. G. Taylor Griffith, 1900; Rev. Robert W. Hewitt, 1901; Rev. S. R. J. Hoyt, 1904; Rev. Alvin S. Hock, 1910. The present rector of the church is Rev. George R. Chambers, who began his pastorate in 1913. The rectory was built in 1904-5. The present membership of the church is seventy-six, and the membership of the Sunday school about forty-five.
The Christian church of Harlan was organized in 1876 by C. W. Sherwood and was incorporated November 26, 1879. by Peter Noble, W. P. Chance and John Stanley. The first church board was composed of the following named persons: Thomas J. Stanley, William Tibbetts and John Flaugher, elders; John Stanley and Ephraim Douglas, deacons. The charter members were Mrs. Nance, Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Potter, Mr. and Mrs. L. S. Taylor, Mrs. Campbell, Miss Kate Campbell, Thomas J. Stanley, Rachael Stanley, John Stanley, Lucinda Stanley, Mrs. W. W. Wyland, Malinda Porter, Mr. and Mrs. Riley Cass, William Tibbetts, John Flaugher, Amanda Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Ephraim Douglas and William Barnhill. The present church board is composed of the following named persons: L. S. Taylor and J. W. Robinson, elders; George H. Miller, J. C. Steele and W. A. Lessenger, deacons; J. C. Steele, George H. Miller and J. W. Robinson, trustees; W. A. Lessenger, clerk; George H. Miller, treasurer. The pastors of this church during the years of its history would include the following names: Revs. Berry, Adair, King, Lovell, Howe, Picket, James Ellis, Nystram, Hampton, Littleton, Denton, Sarvis, Johnson, McIntyre, McCormick, Ball, Bailer, Aylesworth and McConnell. 
Evangelical Church, Harlan. Methodist Episcopal Church, Harlan. Congregational Church, Harlan. Presbyterian Church, Shelby.
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