Pleasant
Grove Church
Founded 1873
Where everyone is Welcome!
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Church History: 1874 to 1933
Compiled by Donna Jacobs
It has been told, that at the dedication of the new church, several men
of the community marched up to the altar and laid down twenty-five
silver dollars each. This amount of money in those days represented many
sacrifices for them and was an example of the belief these people had in
their new church.
Records show that the first minister to preach in the new church was
Rev. Artemus Brown and he reported to the Methodist Conference in
December 1874, that the new church has been practically paid for and is
a permanent improvement.
In the Methodist conference minutes of Aug. 19, 1876, the following
report was made: We, the Trustees of the Pleasant Grove Chapel would beg
leave to report to the quarterly conference, as that we had for the use
and benefit of the Methodist Episcopal Church the Pleasant Grove Chapel.
The Property is new and in a good state of repair and free from
indebtedness and is estimated to be worth at this time, $2000.00. The
Trustees: Charles M. Minkler, Thomas R. Hughes, George W. Sowers, J. E.
Hoover and Adam McGloflin.
The minister in November, 1882, was Rev. E. Kendall and in December,
1883, it shows the minister to be Rev. D. Thompson.
According to Methodist records, Pleasant Grove Church severed their
relationship with the Ames Circuit in 1886. At this time Pleasant Grove
was served by Rev. Fegtley.
* See minister list from Methodist Conference Records for years from
1855 through 1890, as prepared by Helen Black, Historian for the Ames
Methodist Church.
In Des Moines Conference records in 1888, it states that for the year
1886-1887, A very excellent revival took place at Pleasant Grove on the
Gilbert work last winter, under the labor of Rev. Ostrander, one of the
most faithful pastors of the District. The whole neighborhood was
stirred for miles around and the society has been greatly built up.
There had been no revival in the community for a great many years.
Brother Ostrander's return to the work is much desired by all the
people. The Pastor during 1889, was Rev. E. E. Raymond and Rev. J. S.
Throckmorton in 1890.*
The elements of mother nature displayed its effects in 1882, as the snow
and rains posed problems for the church. In April, the pastor reported
that we have two Sunday Schools in this charge. The one at Pleasant
Grove, owing to the very bad state of the ponds for months, just is not
in as good condition as would be desirable, yet we hope that with the
returning of spring, a little better interest will awaken. In February,
1883, the pastor reported, At Pleasant Grove, school closed because of
the almost impassable state of the roads. I have not preached to the
children during the quarter.
The Trustees listed for Pleasant Grove for 1874 were: M.O. Minkler, T.
R. Hughes, George W. Sowers, J. E. Hoover and A. McGloflin. The Trustees
for 1877 were: George W. Sowers, C.M. Minkler, and Adam Scott.
In 1886, Pleasant Grove was served by the Gilbert Circuit and after 1888
no further mention was made of Pleasant Grove in the Methodist
Conference
Records for the Gilbert Circuit. Apparently, some of the area meeting
places (classes) shared ministers, as these classes are mentioned in
records we have for this time period. The places mentioned in these
records are: Lone Tree schoolhouse; Oak Grove Church; Bethel
schoolhouse; Presbyterian Church, Gilbert; and Pleasant Grove Church.
Times for services at these different sites are listed as 11:00am.
Pleasant Grove, 4:00 to 4:30 pm. at Oak Grove Church; and 4:30 at Bethel
schoolhouse. This was in years 1895 and 1896.
Ministers listed for 1895 and 1896 were A. W. Harned and William. L.
Cox. Rev. Harned was appointed minister in 1892 and 1893. William L. Cox
was appointed in Sept. 1895. They were followed by M. J. Butterfield.
Rev. Harned and Rev. Butterfield returned later to take part in
homecoming events of the church.*
Pleasant Grove Church since this period has been a community church and
self-supporting and independent of any denominational ties. Pleasant
Grove was referred to in those days as "The Little White Church in the
Oaks." It was also known to be the most modern church in Story County
because it was the only church that had a stable to protect the horses
from the weather during meetings. I understand that the stable was built
on the west side of the church yard, close to the road. Probably in
front of our annex (outhouse). It is interesting to read that we were
such a modern church at one time in our history because one modern
convenience we do not have at the church yet is running water and indoor
plumbing. Because of the proximity to the cemetery the earlier
congregations could not dig a well for the church.
A pump organ was purchased for the church in 1884 and is still in the
church today. The first organist was Miss Libby McClain and beginning in
1883, Mary Kate Bickelhaupt became organist and continued to play for
many years. Wooden pews were hand hewn and these are still used in the
church. These are said to be unique as the backs and seats were cut from
one piece of wood. The old school desk was moved to the church when the
schoolhouse closed. The school clock is still used by the church also.
Somewhere in the back of the church sat a pot-bellied wood stove with a
stove pipe running the length of the church and up over the heads of the
congregation to the front of the church. There it joined into the stove
pipe of another stove, before reaching up to the chimney. I imagine that
in the winter, the choice seats to sit in were not the pews in the
middle. For many years, the church was heated with wood stoves and the
people of the church would gather together for a day or two of chopping
wood and hauling it up to the church for winter use.
The church sits in a wooded area near the Skunk River so they would have
easy access to firewood and in those days. Many wooded areas were
divided into "wood lots" for people to have access to wood to heat their
homes. As usual, this was a family project and we were told that while
the men chopped wood, the ladies used this trip to clean the church.
They brought along their lunches and made a day of it.
Travel in those days was much slower and different than now. A horse and
buggy was the best you could get or maybe a surrey with a fringe on top,
if you were lucky. Some people remembered riding horseback or on a mule,
or if there was ice, you could skate to church on the river. There was
always a lot of people who walked. In winter, Abner Nash used to stop by
each farm house along his way to the church and pick up all the smaller
neighborhood children in his sleigh and take them to Sunday School. He
would put warm bricks in the bottom of the sleigh to keep their feet
warm.
The ministers came from far distances in those days and the good men of
the church took turns meeting the preachers in Ames, on Saturday, with
horse and buggy. Some member families of the church would take turns
boarding them until Sunday evening or Monday morning and then take them
back to Ames to meet the train that would take them home. One lady
remembers hearing her father tell about one minister who always wanted
to stay at the George Sowers' home. The Sowers family lived on the
corner across from the church. He particularly would enjoy Mrs. Sowers'
breakfasts. Her father would recall the minister saying, "More cod fish
gravy and buckwheat cakes, please, Mrs Sowers, mam." It must have been
breakfasts like this that kept them coming back and also kept them warm
in those cold winters and long buggy rides back to Ames.
Families took turns boarding the ministers and a couple of the families
mentioned in our records were the Ed Sanders, the Henry Jacobs and the
Nobel families. One of the ministers who preached at the church was Rev.
Main. He was staying at a hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, while attending a
convention and a man came into his room and tried to rob him. Rev. Main
chased the man out of his room and down some stairs and the man turned,
shot at the minister and Rev. Main was killed. Among the many ministers
who came to Pleasant Grove was a woman from Gilbert, Iowa, named Maude
Robinson. Many liked having her, especially the children, but some felt
at that time, that the pulpit was no place for a woman.
I was also told that they had what they called "protracted" meetings. I
believe, from what I have heard that they are now known as revival
meetings. The minister would come and stay for one to two weeks. There
were meetings every night. People would come in from all over the area
to hear him speak. Many were converted then and it became quite an
emotional time. Their lives were much simpler then and this was an
unusual event for them to attend.
Travelers coming through the prairie by wagon at one time buried their
baby in front of the church, just east of where our sidewalk is now at
the base of the oak tree.
On March 29, 1896, Sunday School Book shows: Sunday School
Superintendent, E. W. Sanders; Assistant, Mrs. M. Smith; Secretary,
Willie Smith; Treasurer, Fred Minkler; and Librarian, Genevive Minkler.
April 5, 1896, teachers for Sunday School were Mr. Kimble, Mr. J. W.
Bateman, Mr. E. W. Kimble, Mr. George Gum and Mrs. M. Smith, collection
for that Sunday was 49 cents. On January 3, 1897, the Sunday School
officers elected were: Supt., E. W. Kimble; Asst., E. W. Sanders;
Secretary, Mamie Warren; Treas., Laura Morgan; Organ, Myrtle Morgan;
Asst., Nellie Kersey and Librarian, Claud Sanders.*
*More information from this book will be added to this site later.
Church services continued uninterrupted from pioneer days until the
first World War. The war changed the church attendance. The young men of
the families were called away to serve overseas and the parents of the
young men were so despondent, they seemed to give up. One of the boys
whose family attended the church was killed in the war and the church
closed, remained closed for a period of seven years.
Church Secretary records from July 12, 1925, stated "Having been without
services of any kind at Pleasant Grove since the epidemic of Flu, in the
year of 1918, and when so many of our boys left for service in the
World's War, it was decided to try and organize a Sunday School.
Everyone in the community seemed interested and a goodly number met at
the church and the following officers and teachers were selected: Supt.
Mr. J. W. Matters; Asst. Supt. and Organist, Casper Thompson; Asst.
Organist, Mrs. C. O. Dotson; Sec. and Treas. Mrs. T. R. Sowers."
Teacher for Men's Bible Class: Ray S. Brown; Women's Bible Class, Mrs.
Mills; Junior girls, Mrs. Ray S. Brown; Junior boys, Mrs. Benjamin Moms;
Primary girls, Mrs. Charles Alfred; Primary boys, Clare R. Sowers; Young
peoples class, Miss Katherine Moms. Amount of collection that day was
$3.30." Signed by Mrs. George R. Sowers, Secretary.
At one time, three sets of twins attended Sunday School at Pleasant
Grove Church. They were the Nobel twins; the Tom Sowers' twins, John and
George; and the James Sowers' twin girls, Sylvia and Sybil. During the
70's, Dale and Dolores Swanson's twin daughters, Jean and Joan attended
here. Both Jean and Joan were married at Pleasant Grove.
The community people opened the church again in 1925 and into the 1930's
the Church and Sunday School again flourished. One listing for Sunday
School during this time was: E. W. Sanders, S.S. Supt.; class teachers
were: Mrs. Chet Davis, Mrs. J. W. Matters, Casper Thompson and Mrs.
Mills. Through 1926 to 1931, once again the community had many young
people. With a student pastor named Harold Bare ,the Sunday School and
Church again flourished.
Evening meetings were held once a month. Everyone took turns taking part
in the program. Sunday School teachers included Mrs. Bessie Alfred, Mrs.
Benjamin Morris, Mrs. William McCoy, Mrs. Lois Arrasmith, Casper
Thompson, and Dorothy Sowers. A local newspaper was edited and read by
Lois Arrasmith.
During 1933 the church dwindled in size and closed again. I can find no
reason for its closing then except for the small attendance and possibly
the hard-times of the depression years. No regular church services were
held again until 1939, although, the church was used occasionally during
these years for other meetings, etc.
