Excerpts from a book by Louis T. Jones tells of
an interesting Pioneer Friend Journey.
In the winter of 1850, a couple of English Friends ministers -
Robert Lindsey and Benjamin Seebohm, after visiting Friends
in the east ---- headed west in a
two-horse
carriage. Their destination was the Salem Friends
Meeting in Southeast Iowa.
On February 1, 1851, with the temperature 10 degrees below zero
the two ministers with two other Friends headed for the settlement
of "Friends of the Three
Rivers".
Lindsey wrote that they had reached the "most
distant and most westerly meeting of Friends on the
Continent, being more than 1,500 miles west of New York
----
we
may indeed be said to be almost arrived at the bounds of
civilized life."
The wind blew cold and the temperature dropped to 20 degrees below
zero but with a group from the Middle River Settlement they
drove 8 miles to Lower River where
they held a meeting in a schoolhouse where it was so cold it was
hard to "sit the meeting". That night, in a new
one-room log cabin 12 individuals were lodged and
were
warm and comfortable. The two English Friends spoke
kindly of the genuine hospitality they received under this
humble roof.
MIDDLE
RIVER MEETING ORGANIZED
The first Middle River Meeting of Friends was organized in 1851 by
the Pleasant Plain Quarterly Meeting which was then under Indiana
Yearly Meeting.
FRIENDS
BUILD MEETING HOUSE
The first Middle River Meeting House was built in 1853 on a plot
of land given by Solomon Wright. The number in the meeting
at this time was about 50.
The meeting house itself was probably a very crude structure
- small with a lean-to porch; seats were rough boards
supported at each end by blocks of wood.
THE UNDERGROUND
RAILROAD
At least two Friends families assisted in concealing runaway
slaves by giving them food and shelter and perhaps
transportation further south. Built against a side hill
the big stone basement of the barn belonging to Jonathan
White was a strategic hiding place in the heart of a Friends
Community; also the Elias Newlin home a
couple
of miles south of the church was a station on the
underground. No actual admission of these stations was made
but it was general knowledge that they were used.
MIDDLE RIVER
PREPARATIVE MEETING
Minutes of this Preparative Meeting are preserved from the 4th
month 25th day, 1866.
Many references are made to the housekeeper, a man from the
meeting who was appointed each year and received from 6 to 12
dollars for caring for the meeting
house
for one year.
The Queries were awarded by each family in writing and were
reported to the South River Monthly Meeting of which Middle River
Preparative Meeting was a part.
Funds for the support of the local meeting and the apportionment
for Quarterly and Yearly Meetings were assigned for certain
members to pay. Other members were
probably able to contribute nothing.
MEETING SUFFERS
SETBACK
As early as 1866, the subject of a new church was discussed but
sufficient funds were not available. In 1876 and until
1880, the meetings were held in the Union
Schoolhouse nearby. At that time, preparative was directed
to hold its meetings in its own meeting house.
One of our late members - Austin Gardner - who has attended church
in the first meeting house, as a boy, reported that the porch was
near to falling down that
members
had difficulty entering the building. Perhaps this
accounted for the lack of attendance and falling away of
membership. During the last months of 1884 and the first
of
1885, only the clerk Samuel James attended the business meetings
and the Preparative was practically laid down.
The faithful clerk writes on 5th month 20th day 1885:
"All alone today, yet not alone for the Lord is with me.
Praise be to His name."
MIDDLE RIVER
BUILDS NEW CHURCH
Minutes of the meeting are not on record from 1885 to 1903, but
the 2nd meeting house was built at the present site possibly
around 1890. This was a larger building
about 20 by 28. By 1890 the Quarterly Meeting was no longer
called South River, but Ackworth and there were 9 meetings in all
in the Quarterly Meeting.
MONTHLY MEETING
ESTABLISHED
After having been a preparative meeting for over 50 years on the
8th month 11 day of 1903 the church extension committee and
the Home Missions Committee of
the
Ackworth Quarterly Meeting met with the people of Middle
River for the purpose of establishing a monthly
meeting. The membership was 45.
FRIENDS
PURCHASE ORGAN
In 1907, an organ was purchased for the Middle River Friends
Church. The Monthly Meeting also agreed to purchase a dozen
hymn books.
Mrs. Lily Hartman, a talented musician and faithful member, was
appointed to play the organ; Miss Lola Prall acted as her
assistant.
MIDDLE RIVER
BUILDS PARSONAGE
Except for traveling evangelists, no pastor had resided in the
community except Grace Elliott and her husband and daughter who
had lived in a home across from
the
Union Schoolhouse which the church rented for $10.00 per
year.
In 1906, she and her family were released from this meeting to
work elsewhere.
In September 1906, a building committee was chosen to make plans
for building a three room parsonage. The cost was not
to exceed $300.00.
The parsonage was built at an actual cost of $404.00. Isaac
and Hannah Cook came a year later as pastors and were the first
family to live in the new parsonage.
E. LOFT NEW
PASTOR
Edwin and Mary Loft and their daughter Miss Anna Loft moved to the
parsonage early in 1910.
Edwin Loft was an Englishman having come to Iowa Yearly
Meeting from Canada - a very devout, dignified and
energetic minister of the gospel. The meeting prospered
under his ministry.
Some improvement in the meeting house were needed.
Consideration had been given to the idea of buying another
building or enlarging the present church. Soon
after
the arrival of Edwin Loft an increase of membership and
enthusiasm made it possible to plan for a new meeting house.
This was built and dedicated the following year
-
October 15, 1911.
FRIENDS
DEDICATE NEW CHURCH BUILDING
"A neat and commodious church has been built at Middle River at a
cost of about 25 hundred dollars".
A morning was not an ideal one for such an occasion as clouds were
hanging low and the sound of thunder was often heard. In
spite of the day, there was a good
congregation. Rev Jasper Hadley from Marshalltown gave the
morning message. The ladies were present with
well-filled baskets to laden the tables which the men
had
prepared.
The afternoon was given over to the raising of the needed funds of
$600.00, most of which was raised. Because of rain,
many were hindered from coming to the
evening
service, but with a deep and impressive prayer by Jasper Hadley,
the church was dedicated to God.
"We fail to find words to express our thankfulness to our Heavenly
Father for the new building. He has pleased to grant to
this place."
FIRE DESTROYS
PARSONAGE
On the night of September 16, 1932, the parsonage burned,
leaving the pastors family of 8 without a home. A new
one was built immediately with the men of the
church
gathering to do the building and the women serving meals in
the church basement.
THROUGH THE
YEARS
In
spite of many changes in our rural community and much progress and
many adversities, more than 150 years have passed our little
meeting.
Just recently, our Sunday School has reached the 100 mark, and
there have been a substantial increase in church
attendance.
MIDDLE
RIVER EXPANDS
In 1989, our historic building was too small to allow us to do
God's work appropriately. A new addition was added to
the building. This new section contained 3
classrooms, pastor's office, a new kitchen, social
hall, bathrooms, and air conditioning.
MIDDLE RIVER BUILDS AGAIN
In 1999, because of our growth and the condition of our facility,
the congregation decided to build a new facility that would
hold approximately 250 people. We
started
by trying to enlarge our current building. However, God
had other plans. All options to enlarge our building
failed.
Then, a member of the congregation donated 2.5 acres on a paved
highway for us to build a new home for God. Therefore,
plans were made to move from our historic
location.
The ground opening was held on October 8, 2000. We
moved in August 4, 2002. In this move, we left
behind our parsonage and historic building.
God has richly blessed us through the years - may we - in the
greater degree honor Him with the first fruits of our time,
talent and money.
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