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CHAPTER XV
The Methodist Episcopal Church.
As has already been stated,
the church is one of the trinity of the church, school-house,
and printing-press, which molds civilization and brings
order out of chaos.
The organization of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in Monroe County was about
contemporaneous with that of the county itself. It did
not wait for social organization to take form, being
ever on the alert for new enterprises; but in the month
of August, 1843, and within four months after the opening
of the county for settlement, the Rock River Conference,
then having charge of the work in Iowa, at its session
in Dubuque, being the first annual conference ever held
in Iowa, mapped out a district including the "New
Purchase," and projected a mission west of the
Des Moines River, to which it gave the name of Soap
Creek Mission, after the name of the stream in Wapello
and Monroe counties.
This Mission was designed
to cover all of the "New Purchase" south and
west of the Des Moines River and above Van Buren County;
and Rev. Wm. Hulbert, a young man just admitted into
the Conference, was sent to it as the pioneer missionary
of the church to this part of Iowa. Mr. Hulbert located
at Agency, at that time about on the border of civilization.
Some of those points within his charge at which he preached
were Alexander May's, near where Attica now is; and
another was at the cabin of James R. Boggs, a mile or
two northeast of Albia. He preached only once at May's,
and on that occasion his horse broke loose and returned
to Agency, swimming the Des Moines River. Its owner,
on returning, paddled down the river in a canoe from
Eddyville to Ottumwa, and from thence walked home, carrying
his saddle on his back. Rev. Hulbert is still living,
and now resides at San Leandro, California.
The Bloomfield Mission was
created in 1844, and Bloomfield, Davis County, was the
headquarters of this mission. Jesse L. Bennett and Jas.
F. New were sent out as preachers, but Bennett did not
remain in the work long in this mission, but chose other
fields of labor in the cause of Christianity.
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Methodist Episcopal Church, Albia, Iowa
(click on image for larger size)
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New continued in his charge alone, and
his field of labors embraced all the settlements west
of the Des Moines River from the old base line, where
Troy now is, northwest to the White-breast Creek, 100
miles. There was neither ferry nor bridge to accommodate
the traveler, and the mission was about 300 miles in
circumference.
As Mr. New's territory was
rather too extensive for one minister, Rev. Allan W.
Johnson, of the Eddyville Mission, was directed by the
presiding elder, Rev. Milton Jameson, to supply the
gap made by the retirement of Bennett. Rev. Johnson
took the territory west of Eddyville, and filled the
field for one quarter, preaching monthly.
In 1844 Johnson formed a
class at Boggs', near Albia. The members were John Lower,
leader, Prudence Lower, Jas. R. Boggs, Jerusha Boggs,
Josiah C. Boggs, William Scott and Abiathar Newton and
wife.
The next year another class
was formed south of Albia, at the house of David Rowles.
Of this class Rebecca Rowles, the wife of David Rowles,
Oliver P. Rowles, Miranda Smith, Andrew Elswick and
wife, John and Matilda Massey, Nancy Mock, and Hillah
Hayes and wife were original members. Of this number,
John Massey and Oliver P. Rowles are still living in
Monroe County. Nancy Mock lives in Oregon, and Hillah
Hayes and wife are residing near Ness City, Kansas.
For his three months' service
west of the river Rev. Johnson received 75 cents in
money. After this, a minister named M. S. Frame assisted
New in his mission work, and that year 263 members were
reported to the Conference.
In the fall of 1845 the
mission was divided, and the upper part, including Monroe
County, was called the Upper White-breast Mission. New
was continued in this part of the field, and occupied
a cabin four or five miles west of Ottumwa, on a farm
owned by John Kirkpatrick; later he lived near Albia,
and also resided on English Creek, in Marion County,
for a short time. New afterwards went to Missouri, and
then to Arkansas, where he was shot down by some desperado,
who had robbed his post-office and stolen some horses
in the neighborhood, and whom he and others were attempting
to capture. He is described as a "sledge-hammer"
type of clergyman, and was an active and zealous Christian.
In the fall of 1846 the
field was called simply the White-breast Mission, and
Michael H. Hare and W. W. Knight were the preachers.
That fall, the county seat having been lo-
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cated at Albia, Hare formed the first
class in the town by consolidating the two country classes
at Boggs' and Rowles'. This new class comprised substantially
the membership of the two old classes, with the addition
of A. C. Wilson and wife, John Webb, Sr., and wife,
S. B. Gossage and wife, Arvine White and wife, W. L.
and Celia Knight, Thos. Myers, A. C. Barnes and wife,
John Phillips and wife, Geo. W. Noble and wife, Jas.
Tate, Riley Wescoatt, Thos. Guinn and A. C. Johnson.
The services in those days
were, for the most part, held in the little log court-house
on the east side of the Square.
Rev. Knight died in 1847,
and Hare was left with the entire supervision of the
charge. He afterwards became a presiding elder of the
Albia District, an din 1862 enlisted in the army and
served as chaplain in the Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry.
He died at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, July 27, 1868.
In 1847 Revs. Hugh Gibson
and Joseph Ockerman were assigned to the mission. Gibson
afterwards went to California, and died there, a member
of the Conference.
Ockerman's health having
finally failed in 1847, the presiding elder, Rev. O.
O. Stewart, for want of a licensed preacher, appointed
a private member of the church to take charge of the
local work. This young man's name was Strange Brooks.
He was licensed to exhort, and began his labors in 1848.
Brooks was in time licensed to preach, and later engaged
in church work in Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, southern Illinois,
and Colorado, where he now resides.
In 1848 the Conference records
first mention the name of Albia. In that year the upper
part of the White-breast Mission was set off to the
Knoxville Circuit and the remainder was constituted
the Albia Mission; and it remained a mission until 1851,
receiving more or less support from the Missionary Society.
For eight years this aid was expended for the support
of the church, and towards maintaining its pastors.
The ministers during this
time sent to the mission were: 1848, A. G. Pierce, Joseph
Ockerman; 1849, James Q. Hammond; 1850, Robert L. Cock.
Of these, Pierce is still living. Cock's name was changed
by the Legislature into Cole; and under that name he
preached at Chariton until his death.
In 1851 the Albia Mission
became the Albia Circuit, by which name is meant, that
it assumed its own support, and it continued such down
to 1865. During this period it had the
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following preachers: 1855, Chas. Woolsey;
1856-7, F. W. Evans; 1858, I. P. Teter; 1859, Thos.
Audras; 1860, J. W. Latham; 1861, Jas. Haynes; 1862-3,
W. C. Shippen; 1864, Annie H. Schafer. Of these, Johnson
Woolsey, Latham, and Schafer are dead.
During this period the ministerial
work became more and more restricted. In 1851 the appointments
throughput the circuit were as follows: Albia—Rev.
Knight, three miles northwest of Albia; Rev. Woolsey,
still further north; Rev. Davis, northeast of Albia,
down in the "Hair Nation," east of the Allen
school-house, Chillicothe, then on Keokuk Prairie opposite
Ottumwa, Milburn's school-house, Blakesburg, at a grove
southwest of Blakesburg, and at Potts;, eleven miles
southwest of Albia.
In 1852 the appointments
south of the river in Wapello County were placed in
the newly formed Chillicothe Circuit. In 1844 the old
quarterly conference shows the preaching places were:
Albia, Hinton's, Knight's, Hamilton, Sumner's, Bluff
Creek, Noe's, Davis', Shields', Potts', Ingham's, Hayes',
and Newcomers' Point.
In 1854 a circuit was formed
called the South Grove Circuit, with John Jay as preacher,
which took in all the county appointments except Knight's,
Hayes', and Ingham's, and in that year a new appointment
was added—viz., Sutcliff's. The next year this
South Grove Circuit took the name of Hamilton Circuit.
In 1865 Albia was first
designated as a station, although it still retained
one outside appointment—viz., Reitzel's School-house.
Since then, the appointments to the station have been
as follows: 1865-6, F. W. Evans; 1867, Joshua B. Hardy;
1868, Jesse Craig; 1869, R. B. Allender; 1870, John
Harris; 1871, E. H. Winans; 1872-3, Thos. Stephenson;
1874-5, Ira O. Kemball; 1876, John Haynes; 1877, C.
L. Stafford; 1878-9, W. G. Wilson, 1880, B. F. Karns;
1881-2, C. B. Clark; 1883, I. P. Teter again; 1884,
G. H. Power; 1885, W. F. Cowles; 1886-7, J. A. Boatman;
1888-92, D. C. Smith, 1893-4, W. R. Stryker; 1895-6,
E. L. Schreiner.
Of these, Rev. Karns resigned
after 18 months of incumbency, and his place was filled
by Miss Annie Downy. C. B. Clark, on account of family
affliction, filled only six months of the year, and
his place was taken by Rev. Groome. Harris, Haynes,
and Power are dead.
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From authentic sources it
appears that at least 13,000 persons have been connected
with the Methodist Episcopal Church since its beginnings
in 1846.
In 1843 the Des Moines District
was formed, with Rev. Henry Summers, the pioneer presiding
elder. in charge of it. The next year Rev. Milton Jameson
was sent to it, and since then the districts embracing
Albia and vicinity and the presiding elders have been
as follows:
Des Moines District—1844-6,
Milton Jameson; 1847-8, I. I. Stewart; 1849-50, James
Q. Hammond; 1859-62, M. H. Hare; 1862-65, Jas. Haynes.
Ottumwa District—1854,
Joseph Brooks.
Albia District—1855-58,
James Q. Hammond; 1859-62, M. H. Hare; 1862-65, Jas.
Haynes.
Ottumwa District—1866,
W. C. Shippen.
Albia District—1867-69,
John Burgess; 1870-71, R. B. Allender.
Ottumwa District—1872-73,
R. B. Allender; 1874-5, G. N. Power; 1876-9, Banner
Mark; 1880-3, W. G. Wilson; 1884-7, I. P. Teter; 1888-93,
J. W. McDonald; 1893, D. C. Smith.
Haynes took Hare's place
when the latter entered the army, and D. C. Smith was
appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
McDonald in 1893.
Joseph Brooks served for
four years as editor of the Christian Advocate
at St. Louis, and afterwards was an officer in the army,
and later in the reconstruction troubles in Arkansas,
where he acquired national note as one of the principals
in the Brooks-Baxter gubernatorial embroglio at Little
Rock, some years ago. Each party claimed to have been
elected governor under a varying construction of the
State constitution, and as neither would yield, the
contestants each rallied an armed forced, and the affair
assumed a martial aspect. Baxter held the executive
office.
Of these sixteen presiding
elders, nine are dead—viz.: Jameson, Stewart,
Coleman, Hayden, Brooks, Hammond, Hare, Power, and McDonald.
Within the fifty years of
the church organization, 53 ministers have served in
the vicinity, as pastors and presiding elders.
In the early years of the
Church, its financial support was very meager. For instance,
in 1846-7 the amount raised for ministerial support,
outside the regular missionary fund, was very meager.
For instance, in 1846-7 the amount raised for ministerial
support, outside the regular missionary fund, was $57.75.
In 1852-3 the circuit paid the elder $36.00 and
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the pastor $300.00; in 1853-4 the elder
received $37.50 and the pastor $350.50; in 185405 the
elder got $72.50, the preacher in charge $408.13, and
the junior preacher an even $100. In 1858-9 REv. Teter
received $346.08. The station started out with an estimate
for the pastor for $800, but the record credit only
$647.10 collected that year for all purposes. Since
that time, with the increase of numbers and ability,
there has been a marked improvement in this regard.
The Iowa Conference held
its twenty-seventh session with this church, commencing
September 28, 1870, under the presidency of Bishop E.
R. Ames, with Rev. E. H. Waring as secretary. The roll
at the opening session contained just 100 names. Since
then 38 of this number have died, and 37 are still members
of the Conference, but 10 only are in active work.
In 1850 the first church
was completed in Albia. It was a frame structure, about
30 x 45 feet in size, with one door facing the east;
large windows filled with small-sized panes of glass,
and seats and pulpit to correspond with the general
plain style of architecture. It stood one block north
from the northwest corner of the Square, where two lots
were purchased for the edifice at a cost of $18.00.
The first trustees were Oliver P. Rowles, Michael Lower,
John Webb, Jr., D. J. Moore, Jas. Tate, Andrew Elswick,
and John Lower. In 1867 this frame building gave way
to a one-story brick structure, with an addition on
the west, which was added by Rev. Ira O. Kemble, at
his own expense, during his pastorate.
During the war, several
colored parties,then known as "contrabands,"
made their way across the southern border, and, being
Methodists, were assigned to the "amen corner"
in the old frame church. The colored brethren were fond
of running in and out during services, and to prevent
this confusion they were invited to occupy seats in
the rear near the door, when the new church was ready
for services. One old colored brother refused to occupy
the new place in the church, and when invited to do
so, he and his followers arose and filed out and never
returned to the church.
At length, the old brick
church could not accommodate the increasing membership,
and the lots and edifice were sold and the present handsome
edifice erected one block south of the southwest corner
of the Square, at a cost of $13,000. This edifice was
formally dedicated by Dr. J. W. Clinton on February
28, 1892.
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The Presbyterian Church.
On the 23d day of August,
1851, after a sermon by Rev. L. J. Bell, a missionary
of the Assembly Board, the initial steps were taken
in Albia towards the organization of a Presbyterian
church. David Wills and his wife Sarah, Martha Wills
and Eveline Wills, Samuel Noble, Margaret Casey, David
Burnside and his wife Emily, John Young and his wife
Rachel, David H. Scott and his wife Mary were the charter
members of the church. They presented certificates and
other satisfactory evidence of having been members of
the Presbyterian Church elsewhere. An election was then
had, and David Wills and John Young were unanimously
chosen elders. It was resolved that the organization
be called the "First Presbyterian Church of Albia."
December 20, 1851, at a
session of the board, David Wills and John Young were
"moderated" by Rev. W. J. Frazier. At this
session Mrs. Mary Noble, wife of Samuel Noble, was received
to the communion. The ordinance of baptism was then
administered to her and her infant son, Alvis Emmett.
Rev. W. J. Frazier administered the Lord's supper.
At the next session, May
1, 1852, the ordinance of baptism was administered to
Margaret Ann, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. H.
Scott.
On January 2, 1854, the
first annual report from March, 1853, to March, 1854,
was submitted:
| Number communicants received on examination |
5 |
| Number communicants received on certificate |
19 |
| Number adults baptized |
1 |
| Number infants baptized |
7 |
| Funds for Commissioner |
$ 2.00 |
| Funds for church and religious purposes |
37.50 |
| Funds for Bible cause |
5.00 |
This report was approved
by the Des Moines Presbytery at Libertyville, March
16, 1864, by D. V. Smock, moderator.
In a session held April
5, 1856, the name of Rev. J. M. Bachelor first appears
as moderator. Among those received into the church at
this session were Mr. James Collins and his wife Sarah.
Mr. Collins died at his residence, a few miles south
of Albia, early in the spring of 1896.
At a session of the board
of March 13, 1857, Samuel Noble and D. H. Scott, having
been previously elected elders, were
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duly installed in the office. At this
same session Miss Mary Saunders and Mary A. Bachelor,
the latter the infant daughter of Rev. Bachelor and
wife, were taken into the church by baptism. Rev. P.
H. Jacob performed the rite.
The annual report from 1856
to 1857 shows 63 members added, and 1 deceased. Total
in communion, 87; and also shows the minister's salary
to have been $333.33.
On Saturday evening, February
6, 1858, Charles McClain was summoned to appear before
the session to answer the charge of being drunk. Samuel
Noble and David Wills had previously been sent as a
committee to expostulate with the erring brother. The
charges and specifications were as follows:
"Whereas,
It is commonly reported that you, Charles McClain, have
been guilty of unchristian conduct in several instances:
"1st. Of being in the
habit of using intoxicating liquors.
"2d. Of quarreling
with and using profane language while quarreling with
the McMichaels.
"3d. Of a violation
of the Sabbath day, as well as of the civil law, in
going on the Sabbath and taking and driving off a yoke
of oxen that were held under execution.
"4th. Of using scurrilous
and vulgar language on the same Sabbath evening towards
Carlos Kelsey.
"5th. Of using profane
language towards Mr. John Kelly on Saturday, December
30, 1858.
Samuel Noble was appointed
prosecutor of the case, and McClain defended himself.
All the charges except the 4th specification were sustained,
and McClain was suspended.
In 1858 the pastor's salary
was raised to $500. There were in communion 95 members
that year.
During one or two sessions
of July, 1858, Mrs. Esther Boyle prefers charges of
falsehood against Brother W. W. Mathias, also against
Sister Mathias "for talking in a slanderous and
unchristianlike manner about me at different times,
once at Mr. Duncan's, and once at Mr. David Rowles'."
In the case of Mr. Mathias, the session suspended him
until he would repent. Sister Mathias was not suspended,
but the moderator was directed to administer to her
a mild admonition in the presence of the session.
The next year McClain was
permanently suspended, he
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manifesting no feelings of repentance.
Mr. Mathias, however, repented his sin, confessed his
error, and was reinstated.
At a session of December,
1859, Miss Mary Welsh was hauled up before the session
for dancing. She refused to admit that she committed
a sin in dancing, but promised to desist from the amusement
in future, since the church considered it wrong. The
session took no further cognizance of the charge. However,
it seems that the sinful Mary danced again in 1860,
for the records show that she again received a "citation"
to appear before the session of April 3d. She again
acknowledged the charge, again professed deep penitence,
and again escaped with a reproof and admonition.
At the session of August
22, 1860, Mrs. Eliza Shields submits a paper setting
forth that:
"Whereas,
Mrs. Eliza Shields feeling aggrieved at certain charges
which have been extensively circulated against her in
this community by Rev. J. N. Pressley, of the United
Presbyterian Church of Albia, which charges are: 1st,
that about the first Sabbath of September, 1858, she
had applied to him and his session to become a member
of his church, and was received on such application,
and so was a member of that church at the time of her
being received into the Presbyterian Church; 2d, that
in support of this charge he had said her name had been
read out publicly on communion Sabbath, in company with
the names of many others, as having been received; 3d,
that Mrs. Shields, in denying the above statements,
had accused the Rev. Mr. Pressley of lying; she therefore
asks the session to investigate those charges, and requests
that the following witnesses be cited to appear, to
give testimony in the matter—viz., Mrs. Hannah
Robb, Mrs. Jane Robb, Miss Mary Ann Buchanan, and Miss
Mary Lyon."
The following persons were
also summoned as witnesses: Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Noble,
Mr. David Wills, Mr. James Robb, and Mr. David Forcythe.
The latter, who was the clerk of the United Presbyterian
Church session, did not heed the summons to appear,
and was absent, as was also Mrs. Buchanan, another member
of the church. After a fair and impartial judicial church
trial, the session found that Sister Shields had never
applied for membership in the United Presbyterian Church;
that her name had never been publicly read out; that
her name was not even on the record book of the United
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Presbyterian Church. Then the tribunal
concluded its session by professing its high esteem
and cordial fellowship towards the United Presbyterian
Church, and declares that nothing in its decision should
reflect on Brother Pressley. It further states that
there was no evidence that Sister Shields ever called
Brother Pressley a liar.
In 1878 it appears that
John A. Edwards, a member of the church, became in some
measure dissatisfied with Rev. Bachelor, the pastor.
Edwards withheld a portion of his usually liberal pecuniary
support of the church, and even hinted that the pastor
ought to resign. A formal conciliation was finally made,
and Mr. Edwards signed a written statement to the effect
that possibly he might have misapprehended the pastor's
utterances and motives, and professed deep repentance
and desired the forgiveness of the pastor. Rev. Bachelor
also signed a statement exonerating Brother Edwards
from any acts of malice, admitting also that the brother's
actions were justifiable under the construction he had
placed upon the pastor's utterances; he also receives
Mr. Edwards back into the fold. A few days later the
quarrel broke out afresh, and the pastor signs another
statement to the effect that Brother Edwards had already
disavowed his good concessions expressed under his signature.
He censures him for declaring "that he would make
no promise of any pecuniary support; thereby declaring
that the small amount he had given during the last year
(while in his offense) was all he expected to give."
It seems that at about this
time the pastor had tendered his resignation as pastor,
for the sessional record contains this entry:
Report of
Judicial Committee
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