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Eddyville Churches
METHODIST
Transcribed by
volunteer,
HISTORICAL SKETCH
More than one hundred years ago Methodists settled in Eddyville. As
early as 1840, when J. P. Eddy established a trading post at this
place, there was a Methodist Class organized here according to an
account written by J. C. Caughlin.
The first Methodist preacher (possibly the first in Wapello County)
was Rev. T. M. Kirkpatrick who was appointed to the Des Moines and
Muchakinok Missions, which included Eddyville, in 1843. There has
been an unbroken succession of Methodist ministers appointed from
1843 to 1943--one hundred years. In that time the honor of serving
the longest pastorate, five years, goes to Rev. J. C. Caughlin.
From 1844 to 1848 the Methodists worshipped in a schoolhouse built
by Mr. J. P. Eddy. The first church was built in 1848 on a site
across from the present one. A second church building was erected in
1863. It stood on the present church site, but fire destroyed it in
1901. The present church was completed in January, 1902.
Copies of the deeds for the property on which the church and
parsonage stand show that among the trustees at the time of purchase
in 1864 and 1867 were Robert Cooper, Caleb Heacock, J. H. Benedick,
J. M. Fish, John Newell, John Wilkens, Hiram Reeves, George Surbaugh,
B. F. Van Seuven and James Nosler. James and Jemima Nosler deeded
one lot to the trustees for five dollars. The other lot was
purchased from B. F. Van Seuven for three hundred dollars. The
parsonage was built in 1898.
When the Iowa Conference was organized in 1844, Eddyville was
recorded as a Mission and in 1849 It was established as a Circuit.
In 1865 the Kirkville Circuit was formed out of part of the
Eddyville Circuit, leaving the latter with one appointment in the
country, namely Ryanhart. This point was taken from the Eddyville
Circuit in 1867 and Hovden Chapel was added the next year. This
arrangement continued until 1933 when Hayden Chapel was taken away
from the Eddyville Circuit and Kirkville was joined to the charge.
Because the oldest records are not now extant it is impossible to
report the names of the first members. The church is the testimony
of the faith and labor of those early Methodist laymen. Through the
century the church had its ups and downs. It has not become a big
church, but it holds a large place in the hearts of the people who
have received from it the ministry of the gospel of the grace of
God. It stands ready to serve another century.
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