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HISTORY OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF STUART

On the eighth day of March, 1882, the writer might have been seen entering, for the first time, the little village called Stuart, situated in Holt County, near the head of the Elkhorn River, two hundred miles west of Fremont. This like all other western towns bore the appearance of rough frontier life. Gambling, drinking and profanity were the ruly elements of the day while money was the only God worshipped. Men were heard to say that religion was something that would not keep in this atmosphere. Hence, it was useless to bring it here. But was this the intent of our Heavenly Father, that the religion of Jesus, his beloved son, should not be brought into this fertile valley? Nay! Verily for on or about the 15th day of April, 1882 came one of Gods humble servants by the name of John Sylvanus who on the 16th day of April, 1882, preached the first sermon ever preached in the village of Stuart. Others had preached near Stuart, but never before had the glad tiding of the Gospel ever been told inside the little village. Here then lay a grand opening for the building up of Christ's Kingdom. Rooms in which to worship could scarcely be found. The first sermon ever preached in Stuart was preached at 11 o'clock in a small building then occupied by Skirving and Shank as a lawyers office.

Brother Sylvanus found only six professing Christians on the field at this time. Namely: Charles F. and Clara L. Johnson (Congregational Church), Thomas J. and Annie M. Brown (Congregational Church), Mrs. Miller (Methodist), and Miss A. E. Johnson (United Brethren).

A meeting was held in the school house at Stuart on June 18, 1882 and the Presbyterian Church was duly organized by Rev. John Sylvanus. The church voted to name itself "The First Presbyterian Church of Stuart, Nebraska". It also voted to place itself under the care of the Kearney Presbytery for its Christian watch and care. The following persons associated themselves together in the organization and adopted Articles of Faith Covenant. These were: Charles F. Johnson, Clara L. Johnson, Thomas J. Brown, Annie M. Brown, Mrs. Charles Mulford, and Walter L. Jillson.

The first Sunday School was organized June 4, 1882. It was organized as a Union Sunday School by Rev. Sylvanus and consisted of about 20 members. The officers were: Thomas Brown - Superintendent, C.F. Johnson - Assistant Superintendent, J. A. Shank, Treasurer, M. M. Morill - Secretary, Miss A. E. Johnson - Librarian. As this was the first organization of its kind in Stuart and its members few and working at a great disadvantage, all labored hard and faithfully for the advancement of Christ's Kingdom in Stuart. The religious services were then held in a small building owned by Frank Blodgick, a Bohemian blacksmith and afterward owned by John Carberry and used for a school house. A row of rude, rough board benches served for seats. A sermon was given each Sunday, one week by Rev. Sylvanus and the next week by Rev. Wilson, the Inman Methodist Pastor.

In the middle of August, 1882, the first Sunday School picnic was held. Ash Creek school was present and participated in the program. There was singing, an address by J. R. Jordan, recitations, readings, basket dinner, and a meeting of Session. Sunday School and Church continued to be held in the little school house on the hill near the house of John Carberry. In December 1882 it was moved into the new Presbyterian Church which had just received its enclosure. This Sunday School was just 7 months of age. ----Written by Thomas J. Brown in the late 1880's

The little Carberry schoolhouse continued to serve both as a school and as a place for worship on the Sabbath until the end of the year 1882. Then plans were made to travel into the woods to get native timber to use in building the foundation for the new church. Those who volunteered were: Mr. Linus Jillson and Charles Greenfield with teams of horses; John McGrew with a mule team; Eugene Whitehead, Charley Robinson, and T. J. Brown with an ox team. A seventh man hewed the timber with a broad ax as fast as it was cut. They packed their chuck box with enough 'grub' to last three or four days. They also took a blanket or two in which they rolled up for a good night's sleep on the ground under the stars. Pine Camp was twenty miles away and it took one day to get there, two days to get the lumber ready to take home, and a fourth day for the return trip. Every man who could handle a saw or drive a square nail, did so - including many of the townsmen. A bell was ordered from Sears and Roebuck and placed in the steeple. By December, the building was enclosed but not plastered. Church services were begun immediately. Public school was held in the church the first winter. The building was completed and was dedicated on March 29, 1885. Some of the other families belonging to the church in the late 1800's were: Bowering, Bigelow, Bailey, Clippinger, Churchill, Cassell, Crane, Clark, Corliss, Dibble, Eaton, Eldridge, Evans, Eby, Felkner, Hallock, Harvey, Haskin, Hallock, Hutton, Hangen, Harrington, Hahn, Johnson, Jones, Jillson, James, Laxson, Mattinson, Mulford, Miner, Messimore, Munt, McCuen, McAllister, McGrew, Neiter, Orendurff, Powell, Plant, Planck, Rhodes, Rungon, Ray, Thomas, Thompson, Wilson, Whitehead, and Walker

In 1924, the church was elevated and a basement was constructed. Also, a new furnace was installed. Times were hard in the 1930's. Attempts to combine the Stuart and Cleveland churches were made but not completed. Other suggestions to combine the Methodist and Presbyterian churches in Stuart were made and tabled. On March 17, 1936, the Stuart Protestant Union Association was organized. After several months of meeting and discussions, the Stuart Methodist and First Presbyterian churches were united to become a Federated Church. On November 8, 1936, the first service of the Stuart Federated Church was held. The churches continued as a Federated Church until July 18, 1950, when both congregations met for a joint business meeting and the Stuart Community Church was formed.

HISTORY OF THE STUART METHODIST CHURCH

In 1883, a group of Methodists organized a Methodist Church in Stuart with the aid of the Reverend John Wilson, a traveling minister who lived in Inman, Nebraska, at that time. The church was built in 1884, with the parsonage just east of it, one block east of Flagstaff Square. The first pastor was the Reverend W. W. Mallery. The first Stewards elected on November 12, 1884 were: D. F. Allard, D. J. Clevinger, Mrs. F. Gifford, Mrs. Annie Cleveland, Simeon Parsons, Maggie Ross, and H. A. Wakefield. The first Trustees were: D. J. Clevinger, J. R. Jordan, J. A. Shank, and C. Frost.

The families belonging to the church in the late 1800's were: Allard, Ace, Anderson, Andrus, Atkinson, Brunson, Barnes, Banister, Bertran, Blondin, Beeber, Boggs, Brant, Blackburn, Bailey, Brown, Bassett, Brubaker, Bowen, Clevinger, Cleveland, Cartnell, Clark, Crow, Coats, Currie, Cline, Cowles, Chapman, Carter, Chittick, Doyle, Duncan, Echor, Eldridge, Elwell, Eaton, Fort, Fox, Farner, Failing, Faith, Fisher, Fuller, Furguson, Gifford, Green, Grubb, Greenfield, Goltry, Godfry, Galleher, Gladhill, Gordon, Haight, Humphius, Hahn, Hovey, Hornby, Haight, Hartley, Hunt, Harvey, Haskin, Hoffman, Hutton, Jordan, Jones, Jameson, Johnson, Kellogg, Knowles, Kurrock, King, Kirkland, Kraft, Krotter, Layne, Loy, Lenard, Morrill, Miller, Mathews, Martin, Mason, Miner, Moody, Merril, McAllister, Orendurff, Oppenlander, Orr, Parsons, Pickel, Price, Papka, Percival, Powel, Russell, Ross, Ringer, Rosaberry, Robinson, Root, Riddle, Rice, Spencer, Sweet, Stowel, Sidnam, Sageser, Sybrant, Smith, Schulte, Sturdevant, Spragg, Snyder, Taft, Whitehead, Wakefield, Whitney, Wefso, and Zink.

During the early 1930's the Stuart Methodist Church and the First Presbyterian Church of Stuart were having a difficult time getting ministers and times were hard as the Depression was just beginning. It was becoming a struggle to keep both churches going. Finally on March 17, 1936, a meeting was held and the Stuart Protestant Union was organized. After much discussion over the next several months, plans were completed and the two churches were united to become a Federated Church. The first service of the Stuart Federated Church was held on November 8, 1936.

STUART METHODIST MINISTERS

Rev. W. W. Mallory April 14, 1883 to September 1, 1883
Rev. W. O Glasner September 1, 1883 to September 3, 1884
Rev. A. C. Spencer October 16, 1884 to September 10, 1885
Rev. R. Blackburn October 22, 1885 to September 16, 1886
Rev. J. G. Martin September 17, 1888 to September 8, 1890
Rev. Samuel Hartley September 8, 1890 to October 5, 1891
Rev. R. Blackburn October 5, 1891 to October 1, 1893
Rev. H. H. Austin October 1, 1893 to February 1895
Rev. T. J. Hazelton March 1895 to September 16, 1895
Rev. C. F. Smith September 16, 1895 to September 6, 1897
Rev. Amos Fetzer September 6, 1897 to September 14, 1898
Rev. C. F. Smith September 14, 1898 to September 16, 1902
Rev. A. F. Carpenter September 16, 1902 to September 19, 1903
Rev. L. W. Horton September 19, 1903 to September 10, 1904
Rev. V. C. Daniels September 10, 1904 to March 25, 1905
Rev. Will J. Getty April 1, 1905 to 1906
Rev. J. E. Parsons September 1, 1906 to 1907
Rev. C. E. Cornwell 1907 to 1909
Rev. C. Lewis Phifer January 1, 1910 to
Rev. A. J. Bube June 1, 1910 to March 1911
Rev. Edward Magill September 15, 1911 to September 1913
Rev. Clarence Powell December 15, 1913 to 1914
Rev. G. W. Gregory 1914 to 1916
Rev. L. C. Hicks 1917 to 1919
Rev. E. D. Gidion 1919 to 1920
Rev. H. E. Patterson 1920 to 1921
Rev. Roy S. Whiting 1921 to September 1, 1922
Rev. John E. Lee September 1, 1922 to November 1, 1922
Rev. H. A. Cottrill November 15, 1922 to 1923
Rev. J. W. Illsby September 1923 to September 1924
Rev. V. R. Bell November 1924 to 1929
Rev. M. W. Pickrell 1929 to 1930
Rev. H. C. Marston September1930 to 1934
Rev. T. O. Brownfield 1934 to 1935
Rev. E. H. Tipton 1936

THE TWO CONGREGATIONS OF THE FEDERATED CHURCH
UNITED TO FORM
THE STUART COMMUNITY CHURCH
ON MARCH 2, 1950

PASTORS OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF STUART

 

Rev. John Sylvanus April 1882 - April 1883
Rev. John Houston May 1883 - April 1884
Rev. W. W. Jones May 1884 - September 11, 1887
Rev. Frank S. Rice April 1888
Rev. C. F. Graves October 1888 - April 1889
Rev. C. H. Churchill October 1890 - April 1895
Rev. F. D. Haner June 1897 - 1898
Rev. B. J. Brethouwer June 1899 - April 1903
Rev. Samuel Light October 1903 - August 1909
Rev. Homer H. Gane November 12,1909 - June 1911
Rev. J. B. Burke November 21,1912 - July 1917
Rev. C. L. Hine January 1918
Rev. Clarence E. Morrison January 1919
Rev. H. H. Beers June 20, 1920 - August 31, 1925
Rev. H. P. Grose April 25, 1926
Rev. Robel 1927
Rev. John Caldwell January 1, 1928 - October 17, 1932
Rev. J. I. Elrod May 8, 1933 - September 1934
Rev. Radliff 1935 - 1936

PRESBYTERIAN AND METHODIST CHURCHES UNITED
TO BECOME A FEDERATED CHURCH
0N OCTOBER 29, 1936

Rev. T. Elmer Smith - (Methodist Minister) November 8, 1936 - 1939
Rev. E. A. Gaither - (Methodist Minister) 1939 - 1942
Rev. C. C. Norlin - (Methodist Minister) 1942 - 1944
Rev. Orin Graff - (Presbyterian Minister) December 1944 - 1950

HISTORY OF THE STUART FEDERATED CHURCH

On March 17, 1936, the Stuart Protestant Union Association was organized at the lodge hall. Later on March 30, 1936, Articles of Organization were signed at the second meeting held at the lodge hall. Almost all present at the meeting, which was open to the public, signed the articles. Methodists and Presbyterians were still holding services, and the Methodist Church was preparing a cantata for Easter. The Rev. E.H. Tipton was the Methodist pastor, and Rev. Radliff was the Presbyterian pastor, coming as a supply pastor from Atkinson.

On May 10th the last Presbyterian church service was held. On May 21, the Stuart Protestant Union Association had received favorable letters from the Moderator of the Presbytery and the District Superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church who suggested a meeting with local Methodists to discuss the situation. Meanwhile, Stuart people continued to sign the articles of organization.

Tuesday, June 2, The Rev. Johnson, O'Neill Presbyterian pastor, and the Rev. Radliff, at this time pastor at Belden, spoke to local Presbyterians concerning the merger proposed by the Stuart association. A general meeting of the local Presbyterians was proposed for the near future for further discussion. On June 11 this meeting was announced for June 22, with The Rev. J .L. Pressley, Synod of Nebraska Executive Secretary, in charge. The meeting was scheduled with a worship service and sermon. Sunday school and Christian Endeavor had been discontinued.

July 30, 1936, a joint committee from both congregations met with Rev. Mr. McCaskill, District Superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a committee was appointed to complete the draft of the proposed Articles of Federation.

In September the Methodist Church named T. Elmer Smith as pastor of the Methodist church, succeeding The Rev. E.H. Tipton. The first service with the new minister leading the service was on September 27. On September 28, The Rev. Mr. Johnson of O'Neill, The Rev. Radliff of Belden, and The Rev. T. Elmer Smith officiated at a meeting to further the draft of the articles.

Members of the Stuart Federated Church Board of Control included: Bernard Augustine, Mrs. L.L.Cosner, Norris Coats, J.W. Rhodes, Z.X. Marshall, Philip E. Johnson, Donald Krotter, and Roy Rhodes. Officers of the Methodist Church during this time included: Ora Yarges, Harry Cowles, Walter Ouart, Robert E. Chittick, Noma Hall, Bessie Farner Miller, Bernard Augustine, Mrs. L.L. Cosner, and Norris Coats. Presbyterian officers included: Dr. Dale K. Stuart, Stanley Cobb, Arthur Runnels, Mabel Krotter, Metta Marshall, Davene Gill, Elizabeth Dyer, R. Lute Hanson, Berlin Mitchell, Wilbur Moon, J.W. Rhodes, Z.X. Marshall, Donald Krotter, and Roy Rhodes.

By October 8 approval of the articles had been given by the Synod of Nebraska, the local Presbyterian elders, and the local official board of the Methodist Church. The Methodist Conference had not met to act. On October 18, printed copies of the articles were distributed at a meeting at the Methodist church, and everyone present approved by a "show of hands". The Presbyterian church members officially endorsed the federation on October 29, and both Ladies' Aid Societies made plans for a joint celebration.

November 8, 1936, was set as the date of the first service of the Stuart Federated Church. A good beginning was experienced under the first minister, The Rev. T. Elmer Smith. The immediate years that followed the federation were remembered as years of a full schedule of services, morning and evening services, the Sunday school which was organized as a union of the two former Sunday schools, the mid-week service or prayer meeting, and the large young people's group. Services were held for a set of successive weeks in one building and then in the other church building. The two women's societies continued to meet separately, supporting their respective larger denominational missionary programs. What was especially noteworthy was the large number of young people who attended the prayer meetings.
Many new members were received into the church in the following years.

The Cleveland Bible Camp was established in 1949 in cooperation with the Cleveland Presbyterian Church and the Atkinson Presbyterian Church. The first camp was held during the summer of 1949, and camps have been held continuously since this beginning. Stuart Protestants made a large contribution to this unique project, and many Stuart young people have benefited each year. The camp was started as a natural outgrowth of the Daily Vacation Bible School held in the Stuart Church, Cleveland Church, Atkinson Church, and in rural school districts in the area.
In 1949, the church had an increase of 19 members with 13 adult baptisms. The attendance increased from an average of 65 to 130. This increase in attendance resulted from the introduction of a unified service. (One service of Sunday School and Church, the Sunday School worship being the Church Service.) Through this arrangement many more children were in the church worship service portion.

After informal discussion during the two previous years, in 1950 preparation was made in earnest to prepare a plan for adoption by both denominational groups to form a denominational community church to be known as the Stuart Community Church. The reason for a presentation of a change in the union arrangement, given in the records, is that this would be considered an effective means to attain and maintain a resident minister. (The minister at this time, The Rev. Orin Graff, was living in Atkinson and serving in Atkinson and Cleveland, as well as Stuart.) The Nebraska Council of Churches Committee of Commission cooperated and gave valuable counsel in preparing the plans.

On March 2, 1950, both congregations met in a joint business meeting with the Methodist District Superintendent, E.A. Sabin, in attendance. The community plan was adopted by both congregations. This plan was approved by both of the denominations involved. Both denominational groups transferred their property to the new community church with a trust bond made in favor of the Methodist Church for the former Methodist property in the event that the church in Stuart would cease to function, the Methodist's property would be retained. The meeting to organize the Stuart Community Church was held on July 18, 1950, and the call of the first pastor, The Rev. Orin Graff, was given at this time.