McGregor Methodist
Church 85th Anniversary
McGregor: The Methodist church passed
it's 85th birthday last week, as the first Methodist
sermon was preached in the village of McGregor's Landing,
the second week in January, 1852, in a carpenter shop
belonging to a Mr. Burbridge. Later in that year enough
progress had been made that Rev. J.S. Kelly was appointed
as pastor. This was the first church in McGregor. A
church building was built about five years later, 1857.
Another interesting fact in church history came to light
last week concerning the death of Mrs. Ada McCormac
Olmsted who died at the home of her son, David Olmsted in
Giard. Her father, Rev. W.E. MacCormac, was an early
Methodist preacher in this conference, entering Upper
Iowa Conference of the Methodist church in 1858 from New
York. In looking over the old records it was found that
he was pastor of the McGregor charge in 1858 or 59,
finishing out the year for Rev. J.D. Havens, who retired
on account of illness. The records also show that he was
connected with the charge for a short time in 1855 and
1856 as a co-worker with Rev. John Webb.
~Clayton County Register, Wednesday, January
20th, 1937
~transcribed by S. Ferrall
~*~*~
The McGregor Methodist Church, the first
established in McGregor, was organized in October, 1852,
with J.L. Kelly as pastor.
The first building, a frame structure, was built in 1857
and in 1868 the present brick church was begun. The
basement was dedicated and opened, Dec. 26, 1869. The
building was not completed until the pastorate of the
Rev. Wm. Fawsett, who came in 1871. It was dedicated July
27, 1873.
The church was remodeled in 1902 under the direction of
the Rev. D.C. Dutton and again improved materially in
1918 under the Rev. D.C. Perry. It has been considered a
beautiful building for many years and more so each time
it was remodeled.
After the church was closed in March 1941 following a
disastrous fire that ruined the whole interior of the
building, re-dedication services were held Sunday, June
22, 1941.
~excerpts from a longer article in the Clayton County
Register, June 25, 1941
~transcribed by S. Ferrall
~*~*~
Iowa Churches -- McGregor
Methodist
by Florence L. Clark
This brick structure has served
Methodists for 77 years. When the two-towered McGregor
Methodist church, patterned after the Centenary church of
Chicago, was completed in 1873 after five years of
building effort, it took rank at once as one of the
finest churches of its day in northeast Iowa.
The steeple, particularly attracted notice, as it reached
a height that was visible two and three miles away.
After 77 years the brick structure is outwardly unchanged
except it hasn't a spire any more. A bolt of lightning
splintered the steeple only ten years after the church
was built and it had to be taken down.
The church interior has been remodeled on several
occasions, the last time nine years ago after a fire did
considerable damage. The stained glass windows are the
original windows. One was a gift of Iowa's distinguished
U.S. senator, the late William B. Allison.
The organization of the Methodist church body at McGregor
antedates the present church 21 years.
A service was held as early as the spring of 1852 in the
carpenter shop of John Burbridge near the Mississippi
river landing. A few weeks later a one-roomed school
built by Alexander McGregor, founder of the town, was
requisitioned for Sunday services.
By 1858 the new town had grown so fast that citizens of
Methodist faith were numerous enough to warrant the
building of a church.
A site was blasted out of a hillside and a frame
structure erected. Rev. Alfred Brunson of Prairie du
Chien, Wis., first resident Methodist minister in the
northwest, preached the sermon.
The church was on the same circuit as the Methodist
churches at Garnavillo and Giard. The residential section
that grew beyond the frame church came to be known as
Methodist hollow, as it is still known today.
Records of the years this frame church was the house of
worship for McGregor Methodist show the first minister
was paid as follows:
"Salary allowance, $232 -- table expense $206 ---
house rent $125 -- traveling expense $40.75"
His sucessor fared better. He was paid "$550,
including horse and feed".
The present church was built on the site of the frame
church. In 1942 the 90th anniversary of the founding of
the church was celebrated. The membership is now looking
forward to observance of the church centennial in 1952.
The present pastor is the Rev. E.G. Steinman.
~Cedar Rapids Gazette, March 25, 1950; Iowa Churches
column
~transcribed by S. Ferrall
~*~*~
McGregor Methodist Church 104 Years Old
The first church in McGregor was the
Methodist church. It had its beginning from a sunday
School class organized and taught by John M. Burbridge, a
carpenter, and his wife. The carpenter shop he had on
Main street was used as the meeting place and it was here
that the first sermon was preached on the second Sunday
in January 1852, by Rev. Elisha Warner of Prairie du
Chien.
Later the brick schoolhouse on Ann street, on the site of
Herman Coob's blacksmith shop, was used. The first
regular appointed pastor was Rev. J.L. Kelly.
In 1857 a building committee consisting of G.S.C. Scott,
C.C. Bicknell and Downing Baugh was appointed and a site
for the church was chosen on the corner of Ann and Fourth
streets. A frame building was erected and dedicated in
June 1858 with the Rev. Alfred Brunson of Prairie du
Chien preaching the sermon.
In about ten years, building plans were agin considered
for a larger church. The old church was moved across Ann
street and the new foundations were laid in 1858 and the
walls were erected the following Spring. The basement
room was opened for worship on December 26, 1869.
The church was dedicated in 1973 and the building's
exterior has remained unchanged except for the spire, the
highest in Northeast Iowa at the time, which was
splintered by lightning ten years after it was built and
was never replaced.
The parsonage was built during Rev. L.L. Lockard's
pastorate, 1893-1896.
In 1902 improvements were made on the church which
included the steel ceilings and sloping floor. The front
of the church was changed to accommodate the new pip
organ.
In 1942 there was a fire that caused considerable damage
to the interior. With the fire damage repairs some
improvements were also made and in April 1942, the
ninetieth anniversary was celebrated.
The centennial celebration of the church was held Sunday,
September 21, 1952 when many guests, former members and
pastors returned for the occasion.
The Rev. Leon Wallace is now the minister of the church,
serving for his second year here.
From 1904 to 1907, when Rev. Vernon E. Hall was pastor,
the Pleasant Ridge church was built and was dedicated on
Novemer 21, 1906.
~North Iowa Times, Thursday,
November 29, 1956; pg 42 (Centennial edition)
~transcribed by S.Ferrall
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