Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-31

Ottumwa on September 81, 1853 and
occupied the time in exploring the
country north and south of the river
and in preaching, until Saturday, De
cember "a. On that day, according
to notice given the persons desiring to
| join in the organization of a Presby-
terrain church assembled at the hour of
| IL O'Clock in the court house and after
sermon by Rev. S. G. McCune and
prayer the committee received the fol-
lowing named persons on certificates
from other churches:
John Hite Mrs. Rebecca Hite,
Miss E. Hite, Mrs. e. Hite,
Mrs. H. Hoover, John M. Taylor,
Mrs. r. Brown, Mrs. Sarah Taylor,
Thomas Brown, Jonathan Heckart,
Mrs. p. Carmen, Mrs H. Heckart,
Mrs. M. Gray, Mrs. Mary Davis,
Mrs. L. A. Sloan, Mrs Sarah Meyer.
DR.. w. L. Orr.
The following named persons were
received on profession Of their faith:
Daniel Hoover. Mrs. Sarah Nudge,
Ann Bilman.
The First Elders.
John M. Taylor. John Eite and DR..
w. L. Orr, were elected, ordained and
and installed as elders after which
the First Presbyterian church Of Of
tumwa was declared to be duly organ
lied. On the following day, Sabbath,
December 25,the first communion serv-
Ice OF the church was held in the court
mouse and at that time two additional
members were received on certificate
Heckart and Mrs. Mary
NJ. Heckart; making total number
of members entering into the organi-
Observation-Disclosures OF this number
tWenty-one resided in the country at
distances ranging from one to eight
miles from Ottumwa and only two re-
sided in town.
In the month of August, 1854. by
appointment of the Presbytery, Rev.
s.. e. McCune returned to Ottumwa
ana conducted communion service at
which time four members were receiv-
ed on certificate and three children
We're baptised and in the month of
August, 1855, he again returned by or
der of the Presbytery and conducted
a communion service in the school
house which stood at the southwest
corner of College and Fourth streets.
AT this meeting three members were
received on certificate and five children
We're baptised.
Rev. McEIroy Begins Pastorate.
During this time with the aid Of
the board Of missions the church had
secured the services of Rev. J. M. Nc
Elroy, young minister, who was to-
become the pastor. His first sermon
was delivered in the court house on
July Is, 1855, and he was ordained and
installed as pastor on December g.,
rrsr fol \
1855 and 1856 the meetings of the
church We're held in the upper room
Of two-story building situated on
the north side of Main street midway
between Market and Green streets. The
hall was entered by an outside stair
way in the rear of the building. The
seats were very plain and had no pro-
vision for leaning back vet the church
was glad to have place where the
people could assemble for worship and
they We're punctual in their attend
ance.
The First Church.
'In the spring Of 1856 the church
resolved to build a house of worship.
A lot was purchased Immediately east
of the church building on the corner of
Fourth and Green streets. About $500
was subscribed toward the building by
members and friends of the church
and in addition to this Michael and
Jonathan Heckart. members of the
church living eight miles south of OF
tumwa prepared the huge timbers for
the framework Of the house on their
town land, hauled them to town and
performed all of the carpenter work
necessary for the erection and comple-
ton of the building and asked and re-
ceived no other compensation than
their board and lodging, which was
fIlrn10had hyy MO 70 v,aiIf 80
church. On a beautiful Sabbath day
In June, 1855, the congregation assem-
bled for the first time in the little
church with thankful hearts to God
for His goodness and blessing their
efforts to provide a place of worship.
With the blessing of God on the labors
OF the young pastor the church con-
tinued to grow until it was apparent
that larger house of worship was
needed.
The New Church.
During the years of the civil war.
while most of the male members of
the church We're serving in the union
army the, ladies purchased and paid
1925 for the lot on the corner of Fourth
and Green street on which the church
was built and also had the rock for
the foundation hauled and placed on
the lot After the close of the war
IN 1855 work was commenced on the
new church and it was finished and
dedicated in the fall of 1866. The cost
of the building and lot was about S.
600. The Ladies' society furnished 81
800, the board of church erection $500
and the balance was contributed by
the members and friends of the
church.
Rev. McEIroy Resigns.
I'm the new and more commodious
house of worship the church continued
to prosper and grow in strength until
the fall of 1868 when the poster who
had labored SO faithfully for fourteen
years, being broken down in health
asked the church to accept his resigna-
ton, but the church declined to act on
his resignation and granted him a six
months vacation, hoping that his
health might be restored. At the end
of that time he again rendered his
resignation and on April 81, 1863, the
pastoral relation was dissolved,
The Five Pastors.
Since that time the pastors serving
the church have been: Rev. ii. b.
Knight. from April 1869, until Decem-
Der. 1880; Rev. b. e. S. Ely from Nav
1881. until July. 1894; Rev f. W. Hin,
lit, from March, 1895. until August.
1900. The present pastor, Rev. F. +.
StoltZ, entered upon his duties the fret