Jewell County Churches
"A History of Methodism In Northwest Kansas"
From the above book by William Henry Sweet, published 1920
Jewell.
With the exception of items gleaned from the
"Central" and notes, as to present conditions sent by
the 1916 pastor, J. W. Bates, the historian is indebted
wholly to a conference program prepared and published by J. C. Postlethwait, in 1906, when the Conference
met at Jewell.
The first public gathering held in Jewell County
was a Fourth of July celebration, held under an arbor
of boughs, July 4, 1870. The first load of lumber had
arrived the day previous. Shortly after this another
congregation assembled under an elm tree near the
southeast comer of the town site, and a local preacher
named Rose, conducted a religious service. Services
were conducted at intervals until the coming of the
first pastor H. G. Breed, appointed by the Kansas Conference. He will tell his own story. He says: "At
the session of the Missouri Conference in 1872, I was
transferred to the Kansas Conference, and appointed
to Jewell City, the county seat of Jewell Co. I arrived
here on the first day of April and found the people
busy building business houses and places for their own
habitation.
My first appointment was announced for April 14,
1872. There was no church in which to hold service,
but the unoccupied business houses were open, and a
goodly number of attentive listeners were present. The
first Quarterly meeting was held in a little building
near where the Republican is now printed. James
Lawrence was the presiding elder. I asked him how
far my work extended west. He said, "Go until you
strike another man." I soon found there was no work
in the west, nearer than Denver. It seems however
that Rev. G. S. Dearborn, presiding elder of the Manhattan District, had previously held, what had been
called a quarterly meeting, in the home of R. R. McClung near the close of 1870. This could hardly have
been a quarterly meeting for there had been no organization effected, and could therefore have been no officers. Suppose, since it was held by a presiding elder,
it must have been a quarterly meeting.
E. D. Heinecke tells of the organization of the
society. He says, "The first service for worship which
I attended, was near East Buffalo Creek on Brother
John Hoffer's claim. The services were conducted by
H. G. Breed, the second Sunday in July 1871. There
was no organization as yet in Jewell county. Services
were held in various places, round the town site, in
the open air, when the weather was favorable; sometimes in Brother H. C. Jenning's "red front" building.
The first M. E. Church, of Jewell City, was organized
April 29, 1874. The board of trustees were J. W.
George, president; E. T. Byram, secretary; B. F. Wallace, treasurer; A. H. Mead, P. H. Early and E. D.
Heinecke. The charter was granted June 6 of that
year. A donation of $200 and a loan of $400 was obtained from the Church Extension Society. Two hundred dollars were borrowed from the Marshall County
Bank of Waterville for 90 days, at two and a half per
cent, per month. Later $250 were borrowed from
Mrs. Leland, for six months at twelve per cent, per
annum. H. G. Breed made out the bill for the material.
Native timber for the frame was purchased from
Mr. Mahon, on White Rock. Pine lumber, shingles,
doors and windows were brought from Waterville, a
distance of one hundred twenty miles. This was
hauled by men who volunteered to do the hauling without charge.
The church was built by P. H. Early at $2.50 per
day. A. H. Mead did the plastering and made a liberal
donation. In his report to the Conference of 1874 the
presiding elder had the following to say concerning
Jewell: "A combination of adverse circumstances prevented the brethren from going on with the church,
in Jewell City, which was commenced last year, but,
by revivals, the circuit almost doubled its membership,
reporting 88 members and 71 probationers. The
charge also reports $12 for missions, the only collection taken."
The report for 1875 shows that $1000 were raised
for church building and $520 for pastor's salary. One
of the adverse conditions referred to above, was the
grasshopper raid in July. Breed says of it: "After
we had the house up and nearly enclosed, we were met
by hot winds and clouds of grasshoppers. While I was
helping put on the roof, I had to pull down the rim of
my hat to keep the hoppers out of my eyes, and the
wind was so hot, I had to do the same thing to keep
it from burning my neck." In 1875 the report shows
$1000 raised for church building and $520 for the
pastor's salary.
In the Central of March 18, 1891, A. B. Comwell
reported that A. J. Markley assisted him in a series of
meetings at which the church was quickened and a
number converted. October 1893 H. M. Mayo reported special services in which he was assisted by B. E.
Shawhan, great congregations came from the surrounding country. Noon-day prayer meetings were
well attended. Fifty-three united with our church,
and a number went into the other churches. Two-thirds of these converted were men.
March 1904 F. N. Willis reported that the parsonage had been remodeled at a cost of $1550, and the
Q. C. had requested his return. November of the same
year, special services were held with the assistance of
J. M. Iliff of the E. Ohio Conference. Twenty-three
joined the church. W. H. Neill held a four weeks'
meeting in December 1906, in which more than 20
were converted and backsliders were reclaimed. Other
local pastors assisted in the services. More than
$1000 were raised for church purposes ; a furnace was
installed, a cement walk built and an old debt paid.
In February 1910 during the pastorate of L. O.
Housel, the church, having been remodeled at a cost
of $2700, was rededicated. J. M. Iliff preached in the
morning and L. E. Rockwell at night. The evangelical and Christian congregations attended in the even-
ing, and their pastors extended hearty greetings. The
local paper reported that the day was a great success.
January 14, 1914, J. R. Thomas, pastor, reported
congregations large and growing in interest. The Sunday School well attended. The Graded Lessons are
improving the conditions. Reports of the S. S. Missionary Society is the best in its history. Last month's
collection was $12.00. Condition of the charge in 1916
was as follows:
Membership of church, 235; non resident members, 20; number in all departments of S. S., 213; No.
in Epworth League, 38 ; No. in Junior League, 42 ; No.
in W. F. M. S., 53. Official board : Trustees L. S.
Grumm, W. J. Carpenter, W. A. Matson, A. L. Stanley, C. W. Mecalf, C. F. Glick, W. C. Palmer, A. C.
Ely, W. W. Nixon; S. S. Supt., W. A. Matson;
Stewards: N. Kramer, Pearl Cluster, Irma Nixon, W.
W. Nixon, A. C. Ely; Pres. Epworth League, Katherine Zipse; Pres. W. F. M. S., Mrs. W. C. Calmer; Supt.
Junior League, Mrs. A. C. Ely; Pres. Ladies' Aid,
Mrs. Alice Ruggles ; first officers of W. F. M. S. were :
Pres. Mrs. Baker; Effie Peters, Sec; Mrs. Frank Ruggles, Treas.
The Sunday School uses the Graded Lessons except the Juniors and adult classes.
There are three organized classes. Most interest
is shown by the one called "The Country Club."
Church, $10,000; parsonage, $3500; Exp., $375; full
members, 231 ; Prep., 4 ; salaries, pastor, $1700 ; D. S.,
$113 ; bishop, $25 ; C. C's., $71 ; Benev. F. Ms., $223 ;
H. Ms., $150; Gd. total, $1747; S. S. O's. & T's., 29;
Enrl., 273; Av., 141; Exp., $325; Ep. L. Sr., 52; Jr.,
46; W. F. M. S., $118; W. H. M. S., $12.
Mankato.
The first religious services in Mankato were held
by C. G. Chrysler of White Rock, in the spring of
1873. In the fall of the same year Rev. B. W. Hollen
preached twice and Rev. Peason of Sepo, Kansas
preached three times and organized the first Methodist
class; D. J. Vance, leader.
Rev. Pucket was the next preacher and the services were held in the school house recently finished.
Jewell Center appears in the Conference appointments first in 1877 and G. W. Woodward was named
as the pastor. He was not at that time a member of
Conference but served this charge three years under
the presiding elder, W. J. Mitchell.
In 1880 J. H. Lockwood was appointed to the district and J. R. Shultz to Jewell Center. During his
pastorate a charter was obtained for the church and
W. S. Chapman, N. G. Chilcott, H. B. White, P. B.
Hulse and D. J. Vance were named as trustees.
Mankato Circuit.
This name appears in the Conference appointments
in 1889 and was repeated in 1890 and '91. A Ells, a
local preacher, supplied it the first two years. The
first year he did not report statistics, except that he
received a salary of $260. The second year, he reported a membership of 67 full members and 19 probationers, and a Sunday School with an enrollment of
forty. They paid $6 for missions and the same sum
for the other benevolences; and paid the pastor $262.
Joseph Adams was the pastor in 1891. He was a
worthy promising young man, but the membership reported was fifteen short of the previous year, but
there were nine more probationers. The Sunday
School enrollment was the same as the previous year.
They paid the pastor $294 and gave $26 for missions
and $23 to the other benevolences. A very creditable
showing for so small a charge.
Mankato Circuit now drops from the list of appointments and does not appear again until 1914,
when D. H. Colvin was appointed pastor. Whether
the charge consists of the same points as those which
constituted the circuit in 1889 the writer is unable to
say. They may be the same or they may be entirely
different. Mankato circuit has not been once named
in the reports of circuit charges, in the Conference
Minutes, and although he has made frequent appeals
for information none has come, either from the pastor
or the district superintendent. All he can learn concerning the work must be gathered from the Conference Minutes.
Colvin's first report states there were three Sunday Schools having 24 officers and teachers and an enrollment of 374 and an average attendance of 225.
There were 92 full members and they paid the pastor
$815 and contributed for missions $12. There were
three churches valued at $4000. The report for 1917
is as follows:
Three churches, $5000; no parsonage; expense not
given; full members, 83; support pastor, $455; D. S.,
$28; bishop, $5; C. C's., $17; F. Ms., $15; H. Ms., $12;
Gd. total, $100; 3 S. S. O's. & Vs., 22; Enrl., 164; Av.,
104; Exp. not given; no W. F. M. S. or W. H. M. S. ;
no Ep. L.
Star and Brown's Creek.
This charge appears under this double name for
the first time in the Minutes of this year, 1917.
Whether the two appointments have been so associated previously, is not known. Star is a country
church a few miles from Jewell which, in 1914 was
given as a charge; but two churches were reported;
and in the report gave a very creditable account of
itself. There were 182 full members and 155 senior
members of the League. They paid their pastor
$800, the D. S. $64, the bishops $14 and Conference
claimants $40. Contributed $46 for Foreign Missions and $32 for Home Missions. There were two
Sunday Schools with 36 officers and teachers and enrollment of 295, and average attendance of 120. The
Sunday Schools alone gave $44 for Missions. All
things considered it seems highly probable that these
are the banner schools of the Conference.
There are two churches which are valued at $4,500. There is no parsonage. The pastors who have
served these churches were 1914-15, W. A. Pierce;
'16-17, Thomas Miller.
The statistics for 1917 report 2 churches $4500,
current expenses $60, members 120, supply pastor
$850, D. S. $64, bishop $13, Conference Cls. $40, F.
Ms. $79, H. Ms. $28, Gd. total $408, 2 S. S's, O's. &
T's. 40, Enrl. 290, Av. 170, Exp. $110, Ep. L. Srs. 81,
W. H. Ms. $18.
Return to Jewell Co. KHHP
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This website created Oct. 24, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
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