Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

A
Robert Johnson, T.W. Shapley, John Lull, William
Barker, William Aispaugh, William Thomas.
The Ladies Aid Society provided the impetus for the
building when in 1895, after many years of fund
raising, they presented a deed to the Mrs. Noah
Huchins lots. where the church is now, to the church
trustees for the use ofchurch purposes.
It was apparent in the late 1950s that additional and
more suitable classroom space for the Sunday School
was needed. By action of the official board. a Planning
and Needs Committee was formed consisting of Robert
George. Chm; Rosemary Bailey, Richard Brlckley,
Glenn Thompson, Rosalie Shada. Anna Parham. Dr.
Francis Frank. Everett Neal, William Hamilton.
Dorothy Hall, with Rev. Ellis Webb and Paul Smith as
ex-officio members. They met January 9, 1959.
A Building Committee was formed April 1, 1959.
These members were Wilson Kouba, Chmn., Oris
Randolph, Dorothy Hall, Rosalie Shada, Robert
Livingstone, Howard I-lart, Dr. F.C. Frank. Judge
Warren Rees, John Parham. and Joe Legg.
Groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 15.
1964, for the new $80,000 unit. Construction was
completed and a consecration service was conducted
May 16. 1965.
The unit and a portion of the remodeled church
contains six classrooms. a pastor's office, secretary's
office, a chapel and a vault, which is fire-resistant for
storing records.
Pastors who have served the church are: Revs. Vail
and Harvey Taylor. 1851: A.B. Kendig. 1852; A. Carey
and G.H.Jennison, 1853; Otis Daggett, 1854; George
Larkins, 1855; Isaac Soule, 1856; F.C. Wolfe, 1857; A.
Hill, 1858, A. H. Ames. 1859.
U. Eberhart, 1860; Bishop Isbell. 1861; Asahel
Bronson, 1863: E.D. Rosa, 1864; E.W. Jeffries. 1865:
S.H. Henerson, 1868; William Fawcett, 1869: William
Lease, 1871; J.B. Casebeer. 1873: S.H. Church, 1875:
John Bowman, 1877.
J.M. Leonard, 1878; F.B. Cherrington, 1879; J.G.
VanNess, 1881: Frank E. Brush, 1884; A.C. Manwell.
1887; G.W. Brindeli, 1889; L.U. McKee, 1892; S.W.
Heald, 1895; J.F. Black. 1897: L.L. Lockard, 1901.
Dean C. Dutton, 1905: Harry White, 1908; F.P.
Shaffer, 1911: L.C. Lemon, 1916. E.A. Lang, 1919: S.V.
Williams, 1921; Louis H. Joslin, 1923; F.C. Worcester,
1927; H.D. Green, 1932; J.K. Delahooke, 1938;
M. L.Sunderlin, 1944; E.E. Walker, 1945; E.R. Major,
1951; H.A. James. 1953: J.E. Webb. 1958; M. B. Miller,
1965; B.H. Garlock, 1971; H.L. Sherman, 1979; K.E.
Hamilton, 1982; and Kathryn Bates Bissen, 1987.
The United Methodist Church was incorporated June
1 1, 1969. This incorporation was signed by the officers
of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the North
Iowa Methodist Church, and the South Iowa Methodist
Church.
The Anamosa United Methodist Church was
incorporated Oct. 10, 1974.
The history of the Methodist women dates back to
March 1869 when a group of dedicated women met in
Boston and formed the Women's Foreign Missionary
Society. Nov. 17, 1872, less than four years after the
Boston meeting, an auxiliary was formed in the
Anamosa Methodist Church.
A traveling speaker came for this purpose and the
Anamosa Auxiliary was the first one formed west of the
Mississippi river. They had visiting speakers and their
main work was supporting an orphan in the foreign
mission field. Ten years later the Woman's Home
Missionary society was formed. This, too, was the first
one formed west of the Mississippi River.
The Ladies Aid Society began about 1865. One of the
United Methodist Women
submitted by Charlene George
major projects was a $500 organ for the new church, on
the comer of First and Booth Streets.
In 1962 the women pledged $3,000 to the building
fund for the new educational wing.
The Social Circle was formed by a group of teen-age
girls, who met while their mothers were at the Ladies
Aid Society. In 1918 they divided into smaller groups,
and in 1941, the circles were changed from numbers of
corresponding city wards, to names of women of the
Bible.
In 1940 the Women's Society for Christian Service
was formed, merging the Ladies Aid, the Social Circles.
the Women's Foreign Missionary Society and the
Women's Home Missionary Society.
Forest Chapel Church, an Evangelical United
Brethren Church, was founded in 1845, in a log school
house, directly across the road from its present
location.
Originally, it was a five-church circuit which included
Olin, Antioch, White Oak, and Center. The first
minister was Jacob Miller. who walked to the church
from his home a few miles west ofOlin.
Forest Chapel Church
submitted by Lewis Vernon
216
In 1859, Samual Stover bought the present churchsite
from Moses Bolenbaugh. Pioneers hauled brick
from a brickyard near Anamosa, and walls for the
church were erected. Funds ran out, but in 1861.
enough money had been raised to complete the
building and plaster the walls.
In those days the men sat on one side of the church
and women on the other.