Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-07-17
Semi-Centennial Services.

i
! The Methodist Episcopal church
of this CITY achieved a wonderful
victory in providing for their church
debt last Sunday. Surely no grander
victory under the circumstances was
ever achieved in this part of the
state.
The society have the best church
building in these parts-one that
is complete in its appointments and
permanent in construction. The
only draw back to the prosperity of
the society being the debt cynical
" called "a means of grace Rev.
E. E. Clough at the close of his
presiding eldership was sent here to
lift the incumberance but the general
business depression made money
very close and everything was in the
way until the plans of the Semi
Centennial was hit upon and the
Rev. D. w. Couch invited to assist
in removal of the debt.
Mr.. Couch has hosts of friends
here who foeked to hear him and
having given him so much money
in the past he knew how to
reach their hearts and noble eontri-
buttons were given. Three thous-
and dollars contributed in these
times towards a church debt by a
congregation in little city like this,
speaks well for our city.
As the manner of raising the
debt was novel we will describe it
for the benefit of our readers who
were not present:
A map containing 800 spaces 24x2
inches was made on a blackboard
over it was written: When these
spaces are all filled our debt will be
provided for
The debt was subscribed in shares
of $40 each. As often as ten dol
lars was given an X was made
filling the space, when So only one
mark; when a 81 dot, until enough
was contributed to fill the squares
After $4,000 had been reached
people began to give on condition.
These shares were placed on the
right hand side of the board and the
two taken alternately as given, the
bona fide exceeding in number
until the last space was filled, max
ing the whole number bona fide.
The whole scene was exciting and
the society is grateful to the whole
community.
Next Sunday evening instead of
one week from Sunday, as an
nounced, Mr.. Clough will give an
account of the rise and progress of
the society,
The following letter from Rev.
James Lawson, a former pastor of
the church explains itself:
MADISON, July 9TH, 1885.
| REV. E. E. CLoUGH AND THE NJ. E. CHURCH,
| MINERAL PoINT:-Dear Brethren:-It would have
been q great pleasure for me to be present at
your Semi-Centennial services and join you in
| the exclamation, "What has God wrought" but
1 now find on account of other duties can not
| be present. l therefore do the next best thing
| and send you few historical facts with little
experience and my heartfelt greetings.
| Personally, became acquainted with Metho
dism in Mineral Point in the summer of ls49.
and during temporary sojourn preached sew
| err times.
! lie pastor at that time was Rev. Lawton, who
still lives and is q worthy superannuate of the
Wisconsin Conference. The pillars of the church
| at that time were such men as Bros. Curry, Hew-
| lit. Phillips, Rule and others. When appointed
| to Mineral Point as pastor, in 1853, found all
those at their posts with the addition of others
such the sons of Bro. Curry-William aud
CharleS-and the sons of Bro. Phillips, with
Bro. Hutchinson, who if remember correctly
was in the church in 1s49, when first came to
Mineral Point.
The first Protestant church ever built i'll the
state of Wisconsin believe to have been the log
church in Mineral Point, which l remember
seeing in 1919. Bishop Simpson, in his Cyclope
dia, says: " In 1881 Mr.. Bivian IF l remember
the old people of Mineral Point used to give his
name as Viyianl conducted Methodist services
| in Mineral Point, preaching was regularly es
| tablished by Hooper Clewes and the society
built log building for a church. In 1S41
comfortable stone church was erected, and in
1870 larger edifice."
| Now in this account there is evidently some
In regard to the date of the erection of the
last (presenD church. 1t was during my second
paStorate that the church was erected as far as
the inclosing of the building. The facts are
| that in the spring and summer of 1867 the foun-
dation of the present church was completed, as
the inclosed card (See card shows on the oath of
June, 1867 the corner stone was laid. During
1867 and '6S the building progressed, and in 1869
it was dedic ated during Rev. COUGHS pastorate.
Bro. ]. f. Mitchell preached in Nicholas tay
ern in 1888 and also in the building used as a
place for the deposit of arms during the Black
Hawk war.
= l also learned at the same time the history
of the log church. 1 was told that the church or
log house built in the spring of 1884 and used
| as school and meeting house, also that in 1886
| Richard Haney (who still lives and is superanu-
ate member of the Central Illinois Conference)
was sent preacher and he also taught school in
the log meeting house. The histoy of the log house
after it was taken down and made into fence
posts is doubtless well known.
1t was my pleasure to enjoy two terms as Pastor
al done as presiding elder at Mineral Point some
| of my hardest work of ministry of 81 years was
done at Mineral Point. have been cheered by
the noble perseverance, sacrifice and grit of the
men and women who have been during my ac
quaintance of 81 years with them workers for
| Methodism in Mineral Point. Many-0, how
many-have gone up to their reward. A nobl e
array from Mineral Point already surround the
| throne Tell the brethren and sisters who re-
main that Brother Lawson and his family &C.
peet TO greet them on the other shore. May God
bless you all and give yon Happy Semi Cen
tennial. Yours Very Truly
JAS LAWSON.
In which all the other Lawsons join
The M. E. church people are to be
congratulated upon the fact that the
long standing Indebtedness has been
wiped out. Not little credit is due
to the pastor Rev. Z. +. Clough for
the part which he performed in
uniting his congregation in the pur-
pose to pay the debt, which SO
happily consummated in the Semi
Centennial services of last Sunday
evening.
"a life on the ocean wave and a
home on the rolling Deep" is all
! very we'll tn sine about in poetic