AUDUBON COUNTY TODAY. (CONT'D)
RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES.
METHODIST CHURCH, AUDUBON.
Every advantage is offered for the exercise of religious privileges. Religious societes are established in every portion of the county, and generally are in a very healthy condition, evincing the interest the people have in such matters and their readiness to contribute to their support and upbuilding. The Methodists who, as our historical sketch records, were first to establish themselves in the county, have been blessed by wonderful growth, until they have organizations in almost every township, and the echoes of their church bellw mingle and are lost in each other. Presbyterians are also strong in numbers and, besides their spacious and substantial edifice at the county captal, are scattered through the county. The Evangelical society is quite well organized.
JOHN W. GRAY, AUDUBON.
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and has a nice and commodious building in Viola township. They are also organized in Audubon, but have not as yet erected a building for worship. A strong organization of Congregationalists has a good edifice and the catholics have a neat bulding at Audubon and in the south part of the county--quite inadequate to accommodate their numbers. The Baptist, Christian, Danish Lutheran and German Lutheran societies are all well represented, while the second named has a fine structure at Elkhorn settlement. The Seventh Day Adventists have recently effected a small organization at Audubon. Throughout the county religious advantages are offered equal to those of much older localities, the enterprising spirit which has been so potent in business having been employed as well in upbuilding the church and its societies.
EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGES.
JONES & M'KARAHAN, HARDWARE, AUDUBON.
We may be pardoned for expressing a pride in the advanced educational advantages afforded in the county, as well as the magnificent High School edifice at the capital, shown on another page. It is highly complimentary to the intelligence of our people that in the few years that have been devoted to development the interests of education have always been held uppermost, until today we have a system which in completeness has no superior in any of the counties of this state, which ranks so high in the list of general intelligence and first in the proportionate number of citizens that are able to read and write. Both financial aid and the encouragement of manifest interest has been ever liberally extended to the schools, and the prosperous condition of this interest today amply repays the outlay that has been made.
The High School at Audubon is one of the most prosperous in the west, having been for the past seven years under the superintendency of enterprising educators, who were awake to modern methods, which have been introduced with most satisfactory results. The curriculum embraces the higher branches of study, including languages, while special attention is given to a preparatory course for teachers, giving equal advantages in this regard with the Normal schools, and no higher reward or compliment could be paid to those those endeavors have built up the school than the knowledge of the fact that among the successful instructors doing good work in the county today, there are many who have graduated from the Audubon High Schools. The schools open this year in the commodious and elegant new building, under very flattering prospects in charge of seven of the best instructors that could be secured.
The system throughout the county is very complete, so that none are deprived of the advantages. In traversing the county the traveler beholds a substantial and commodious
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district school house every two miles, making a grand total of one hundred and eight in the county other than the several independent districts. This is a grand showing for any people in any part of the world, and in this hasty resume of Audubon county we point to this as among her chiefest and most beneficent advantages.
FENCING.
In many localities the item of fencing is figured as one of great expense coupled with tedious and hard labor, but we are able to dismiss the subject here by simply stating that the herd law is rigidly enforced in Audubon county, and in consequence the great expense and trouble of fencing is obviated, except in so far as the individual may find it profitable to separate his own fields, but he has no obligation to fulfill in this regard either to his neighbor or the public. The law as enforced is proving highly satisfactory to all parties concerned, and our people could not be prevailed upon to repeal it. Roads are generally kept well mowed by thrifty farmers and farms look neat and tidy, amply repaying for the short time occupied in this work. This has proven an inestimable advantage to beginners,
AUDUBON HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.
while the privilege is optional with those who wish to indulge in what may under the law be termed a luxury--fencing.
Transcribed February, 2025 by Cheryl Siebrass from History of Audubon and Audubon County, Iowa,
The Eden of the West., 1887, pp. 16-18.
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