Union Church at Davis City

While we’re in the neighborhood of Pleasanton, Nine Eagles State Park and such, it would be a shame to go directly to Lamoni and not turn right on Highway 69 and go on into Davis City, situated right on the Grand River and the home of a fairly remarkable survival, Union Church.

Davis City now is home to about 250 people and its business district, like those of most small Iowa towns, has fallen on hard times. But also like most small Iowa towns, it once had high aspirations. A native Scotsman named John Clark, who once operated a milling business here that now is hard to conceive of, was responsible for many of those.

I’ll let a biography of Mr. Clark, published on pages 336-341 of the “History of Decatur County and Its People” (Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1915) tell his story and, indirectly, part of Davis City’s. It’s a good read.

Clark’s principal monument today is Union Church, built during 1878 to serve as a home for the village’s three congregations (Methodist, Presbyterian and Christian), none of which had a building. It’s a very plain building, as befits a Scotsman, but gracefully designed and beautifully constructed of brick. Most churches constructed by people of means in 1878 were highly decorated. This building instead looks back to plainer Federal times. It also contained (and still does) the town clock. Clark himself claimed no religious affiliation, but an affection for all --- thus his Union Church.

I do not know what the building is used for today, if anything. It is well maintained and the front seems to have been given a fairly recent sprucing up. And I’m glad it’s still here.

John Clark’s 1915 Biography:

Although more than a quarter of a century has elapsed since the death of John Clark, his memory is still enshrined in the hearts of those who knew him and the influence of his work is still potent. He was one of the earliest manufacturers of woolen goods in Iowa and was also connected with the development of the lumber industry in this state. For many years he resided in Decatur county and was prominently connected with its industrial and financial growth. His integrity and sense of justice were equally as well developed as his business sagacity and power of initiative, and his life was a force for righteousness.

John Clark was born in Paisley, near Glasgow, Scotland, on the 25th of September, 1813, and three years later was brought by his father, John Clark, to America. The family landed at Philadelphia and settled on a small river flowing into the Delaware, about ten miles from that city, where the father conducted a cotton factory. While living in Scotland he had been a silk weaver. In 1818 removal was made to Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and two years later he took his family and went to New Lisbon, Ohio, where both he and his wife spent their remaining days. She was a member of the royal family of Stuarts of Scotland, her father, Charles Edward Stuart, being the prince of Scotland and her grandfather the king of the united kingdom of England and Scotland. Her demise occurred when she was but forty-five years of age and her husband also died when comparatively young, being forty-eight years old at the time of his death. They left four sons and five daughters, all of whom are now deceased.

John Clark of this review resided in Columbiana county, Ohio, until the fall of 1846, when he removed to Jefferson county, Iowa, with his family and engaged in the wool-carding and cloth-dressing business in connection with the manufacture of lumber. This was the pioneer plant of its kind in Iowa and was farther west than any similar establishment. In 1843 Mr. Clark lost the entire mill property by fire but through the assistance of others his machinery was replaced and he was enabled to resume business. His mill cut the first plank for the first plank road in Iowa and its history forms a part of the industrial history of the state. In June, 1856, Mr. Clark removed to Decatur county and settled in Morgan township, purchasing a thousand acres of land from the government, half of which was timbered. He erected a sawmill upon his holdings and added two burrs for the manufacture of flour and also carding machinery, while two years later he installed spinning machinery and looms, manufacturing all kinds of woolen cloth. During the Civil War the demand for woolen goods was so great that twelve looms were kept busy and he handled not less than seventy-five thousand pounds of wool annually. In 1869 the First National Bank of Leon was organized with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars and Mr. Clark was elected the first president of the institution, continuing in that position until it was reorganized as the Farmers & Traders Bank. In 1870 he, in connection with his son William, bought the mill property at Davis City and five years later he and his sons erected the flouring mill which is still in operation at that place. He had the astuteness of mind which enabled him to recognize opportunities where others saw none and he also possessed the energy and aggressiveness to formulate and carry into execution plans for the utilization of such opportunities. These qualities made him a pioneer in the manufacture of cloth and lumber in Iowa and his connection with the industrial and financial development of Decatur county resulted in good to the community as well as in his own material prosperity.

Mr. Clark was married on the 25th of September, 1834, in Columbiana county, Ohio, to Miss Grace Gammill, who died September 21, 1835. To them was born a daughter, Elizabeth, now the widow of James F. Bolon, of Davis City. On the 21st of September, 1836, Mr. Clark married Miss Margaret C. Gammill, an older sister of his first wife, both of whom were daughters of James Gammill, a native of York county, Pennsylvania. To this union were born two sons and four daughters, of whom two survive, namely: Williams, a resident of Omaha; and Mrs. Caroline Biggs, of Leon. Mrs. Clark passed away upon her farm near Davis City in 1902.

Mr. Clark was a republican in his political belief but was never an aspirant for official honors. He never identified himself with any religious organization but realized that the work done by all the churches of a community is of great importance in promoting the moral welfare. He also saw the advantage of church unity and in 1878 erected a good church edifice which he presented to all of the religious societies of Davis City, representing two branches of the Methodist denomination and the Presbyterian and Christian churches. The building is still used by the three congregations and is known as the Union church.

At the time of his death the Decatur County Journal published the following: “Deceased died as he had lived, calm, placid and self-possessed, September 4, 1888, aged seventy-five years. Thus ended the life of John Clark, one of nature’s noblemen, a model man and citizen, a noble and honored father, a loving and true husband, a friend whose friendship was like the light of the sun, true and steadfast in its course. The life of Mr. Clark furnishes an example to the youths of today of what may be accomplished by energy and continued labor, combined with the honest and noble resolution of benefiting his fellowmen with a portion of the material results of a successful life. Mr. Clark was fully aware of the seriousness of his last illness some time prior to his departure and made every arrangement for his burial. Also in talking over the matter with his children he stated: ‘I know that my case is a critical one and that no physician can do me any good. I leave my case entirely in the hands of Providence and feel perfectly resigned, let that be as it may, it’s all right.’ This well balanced and perfect consciousness was with him when he breathed his last, for, leaning back into the arms of his son James, surrounded by those he loved, he said to all: ‘I am going --- I will soon be gone.’ ”

"The old lady won't fall down ..."

Or so said an attendant at the visitor center in Burlington when I stopped there during early September and we got to talking about Burlington First United Methodist Church, a fire-gutted ruin up hill from the riverfront at the corner of Washington and Fifth streets.

This wonderful old church, built during 1889 of jasper granite quarried near Sioux City, S.D., fell victim to an arsonist during the early morning of Sunday, April 29, and has stood there roofless and filled with rubble since as members of the congregation debated what to do. That in itself is a testament to both the building’s importance and the commitment of Burlington residents to it, since both Washington and Fifth streets have been blocked since the fire and the building surrounded by a chain-link fence.

“The old lady won’t fall down” referred to the fact that as and after the church burned fire officials were concerned that the building’s towering northwest steeple would come crashing down and I believe they even attempted to encourage it to do so. But it’s still standing, and looks as if it may continue to do so for many years to come.

Not long after I was in Burlington, according to The Burlington Hawk Eye, the First Church congregation voted by a very narrow margin to spend $380,000 to stabilize the ruin’s walls, take down the wood portion of the steeple and weatherproof what’s left of the building --- giving it the option of rebuilding within the old walls. That work began during late September, The Hawk Eye reported, and is expected to be completed during November.

Rebuilding is far from a done deal, however. The congregation will have about $8 million in insurance if it rebuilds onsite, but the cost of doing that is estimated to be in excess of $11. As might be expected, members have differing views of how First Methodist can best carry its mission forward. Many want to rebuild onsite. Others want to build an entirely new church outside historic downtown Burlington. There are sound reasons for both options.

But I’m pulling for the “old lady.” Iowans have allowed more than their share of the state’s architectural birthright to slip through their fingers as the years have passed.

On another front, The Des Moines Register is reporting this morning that the state’s Vision Iowa Board has committed $545,000 toward restoration of All Saints Church in Stuart, a rare and beautiful 1908 Byzantine-style building destroyed by an arsonist during 1995 --- providing Stuart residents approve a $1.7 million bond issue to help with the project. Total restoration costs are estimated at $2.5 million.

After that church burned, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines and parish leaders decided restoration was impractical and even pushed to have the ruins flattened and taken away so that they would not become a focal point for congregational disputes.

Eventually, however, the ruins came into the hands of The Project Restore Foundation, committed to restoring the exterior of the building and installing within it a modern cultural center. The Foundation already has restored a small chapel and created a meeting room, restrooms and a kitchen in the least damaged portion of the building.

So here’s another grand old lady that declined to fall down; another restoration to hope for.

These two buildings at the opposite end of the grand spectrum from Pleasanton Methodist Chapel date from an era when it was felt praise could be raised heavenward architecturally, too. There’s not much of that sentiment around any more. Just look.

Pleasanton Methodist Chapel

Pleasanton is still a pleasant place, tucked down against the Missouri state line in Decatur County, even though much of it has vanished as the years have passed, the number of farms has diminished and declining population has wiped out its retail business district and schools. As buildings have been taken down, the village has opened up into fields with remnant structures scattered across them.

I guess it’s remote, in a way, but I’ve never thought of it that way because it is at the crossroads of two of my favorite southern Iowa/northern Missouri drives. The first involves driving south from Humeston on Highway 65, turning right onto paved county roads at the north limits of Lineville, then cruising west up and down sweeping hills and through deeply-cut creek valleys parallel to the Missouri line with wonderful views off to the south. (If you follow my trail, make sure to take the left turn at the curve a couple of miles west of Lineville --- if you stay on the Lineville road, you’ll head northwest to Highway 2 east of Leon.)

Once at the “T” intersection on Pleasanton’s north edge, you’ve got a choice. Take a left, and you’re in Missouri before you know it. A mile or two down the road, turn right and follow the Little River bluff tops for a curving picturesque ride down into Canesville, an interesting little town in its own right with some wonderful old buildings.

If you take a right, the road curves northwesterly past the entrance to Nine Eagles State Park, one of Iowa’s best, then down and around the hills into which Nine Eagles is tucked and out across the Grand River valley to Davis City. Hang a left onto Highway 69 and you’ll arrive shortly at Interstate 35 and, just beyond it, Lamoni.

Just across from the Nine Eagles entrance is the Pleasanton Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). Although the congregation’s current building is an innovative and somewhat surprising dome, that dome houses the earliest of Iowa’s Community of Christ/RLDS congregations.

Some will know, and many won’t, that this part of Decatur County was where many Latter-day Saints who chose not to follow Brigham Young to Utah came together around the family of Mormon prophet Joseph Smith Jr., which also was estranged from Young. Lamoni became the focus of this emerging church which eventually moved its headquarters to Independence, Missouri, but left behind the vibrant Graceland University as well as Joseph Smith III’s restored home and other interesting stuff.

Although there is a “Chief Lamoni” motel at Lamoni, don’t be fooled into thinking we’re talking about Sac and Fox here. Lamoni, according to the Book of Mormon, was a Lamanite king converted by the missionary Ammon back to the law of Moses, thus becoming righteous. Community of Christ is a fairly recent change in name undertaken, I suppose for a variety of reasons: Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a bit bulky, its members quite frankly got tired to explaining that, no, they weren’t a branch of the big boys in Utah and, finally, Community of Christ better reflects the denomination’s 21st century mission.

But that’s a side trip for another day, especially since I forgot to photograph the Pleasanton Community of Christ when out roaming around Monday --- something I’ll have to do another day.

What caught my eye Monday, as it has a couple of other times, is the Pleasanton Methodist Chapel which, unlike the Community of Christ, is actually inside Pleasanton’s village limits --- tucked away down a dead-end side street. It’s a wonderful survival, I think, and still used for regular Sunday services according to its neighbor, who I talked with briefly.

Country churches of the Protestant variety are sometimes called, somewhat dismissively by those who want to generalize, “preaching boxes.” Part of the reason for that is that unlike Catholic, Episcopal and even Lutheran churches, where the sacraments are a major focus, Methodists, Baptists and the like focused instead on the sermon. So the pulpit rather than an altar is front and center in many of these buildings. Beyond that, many of them look a little like shoeboxes with pitched roofs.

But if this is a preaching box, look at how wonderfully it was embellished --- the fish-scale shingles centered on diamond-shaped windows in the eaves; a wonderful little apse on the business end of the building, pointed carpenter gothic windows. It’s just wonderful on a very small scale.

The bell mounted near the entrance suggests that there was once a tower to house it, perhaps over the vestibule that is inset into the southwest corner. Firmly locked, there was no way to explore the interior, but I’d guess that there’s a sunny Sunday school room to the right of the vestibule with the nave to the north.

The neighbor said the foundation is a little shaky --- it looks as if it’s the original. But for now at least the Pleasanton Methodist Chapel and its congregation are hanging in there, still balanced on solid rock and defying winds of change and Morton Building aesthetics.



I stopped twice at Nine Eagles Monday, once on the way to Eagleville when it was cloudy and again, headed home, after the sun came out.

The first stop was more productive in the wildlife category. Wild turkeys, lots of them, were emerging from the woods, scooting across the roads and then disappearing again. From the south lake overlook, I watched an immature eagle fishing --- quite a sight, but of course the camera wasn't handy. Sun turned the lake and surrounding woods into postcard material. This shot was taken from a high point on the north side of the late looking southwest toward the dam and beyond.