Belinda Christian Church: Part Two

The Belinda church bell was moved when the church closed to the grounds of First Christian Church in Chariton where it continues to ring out. The stone embedded in the bell structure is from First Christian's earlier building a block north of the square in Chariton.

Picking up the story of the English Creek/Belinda Christian Church from here, the congregation continued to meet in homes, according to Elizabeth Tuttle and others, until its pastor, the Rev. Hiram Moon, built a new house for his family and turned his old log cabin over to the congregation as a house of worship. That log church remained in use until the Civil War broke out.

A total of 109 or 110 baptized members joined the congregation during the 1850s, although it needs to be remembered that not all of these were members at the same time. South central Iowa was among other things at that time a pass-through area for those headed farther west and some early members did move on, some departing with letters confirming their membership and others without. A few members died; a few members were dismissed for “disorder.”

Here are the names of those first enrolled members. There are 110 numbers but only 109 names --- perhaps a name was skipped when the record was transcribed.

1. Hiram Moon, Received by letter, now Deceased; 2. Martha Moon, Received by letter, now Deceased; 3. Larkin Moon, Received by letter, now deceased; 4. Lavisa Moon, Received by Letter, now Deceased: 5. Jesse Atkinson, Received by letter, Dismissed by letter; 6. Elizabeth Atkinson, Received by letter, Granted letter; 7. Tabitha Asher, Received by letter, Dismissed without letter; 8. Elizabeth Asher, Received by letter, Granted a letter; 9. Matilda Asher, Received without letter, Granted a letter; 10. John Asher, Received by Confession and Baptism.

11. Isabel Asher, Received by letter; 12. Leonard B. Feagins, Received without letter, Dismissed for discord; 13. Mary Clare (Clair), Received without letter; 14. Hanner Ballard, Received by Confession and Baptism (Received good letter); 15. John Ballard, Received by Confession and Baptism, Dismissed for disorder; 16. Levi (?) Atkinson, Received by Confession and Baptism, Dismissed by Letter; 17. Sarah J. Atkinson, Received by Confession and Baptism, Dismissed by letter; 18. Joanna Crandal, Received without letter, Dismissed without letter; 19. Jemima Barker, Received without letter, Dismissed no letter; 20. Anna Barker, Received without letter, Dismissed no letter.

21. Nancy Fletcher, Received by letter; 22. Mary E. Stotts, Received by letter; 23. Susan Fletcher, Received by letter; 24. Delila Clare, Received by Confession and Baptism, Granted letter; 25. Aaron Haines, Received by letter, Dismissed no letter; 26. Mary Ann Haines, Received by letter, Dismissed no letter; 27. Esther W. Haines, Received by letter, Dismissed no letter; 28. Jesse Atkinson, Received without letter, Granted letter; 29. Hazel C. Wycuff, Received by letter, Out for disorder; 30. Margaret Wycuff, Received by letter, Out for disorder.

31. Elizabeth Stotts, Received without letter, Granted letter; 32. John Morris, Received without letter, Dismissed no letter; 33. Mary Morris, Received without letter, Deceased; 34. Elisabeth Kinsey, Received withough letter, Dismissed no letter; 35. Samuel W. Fletcher, Received without letter, Deceased; 36. Mary Stotts, Received by Confession and Baptism, Granted letter; 37. Margaret Halferty, Received without letter, Dismissed no letter; 38. Mary M. Richey, Received by Confession and Baptism, Granted letter; 39, Edward Halferty, Received without letter, Dismissed no letter; 40. John Halferty, Received by Confession and Baptism, Dismissed no letter.

41. James Atkinson, Received by Confession and Baptism, Out for disorder; 42. Elizabeth Atkinson, received by letter, Granted letter; 43. Elizabeth Kinsey, Received by Confession and Baptism, Dismissed no letter; 44. Peter N. Barker, Received no letter, Dismissed no letter; 45. Anna Barker, Received without letter, Dismissed no letter; 46. Sarah Atkinson, Received without letter, Dismissed no letter; 47. John Canada, Received without letter, Dismissed no letter; 48. James P. Foster, Received by letter, Dismissed no letter; 49. Almira Foster, Received by letter, Dismissed no letter; 50. Green P. Davis, Received by Confession and Baptism, Dismissed by Letter.

51. Polly A. Davis, Received by Confession and Baptism, Dismissed by letter; 52. Clemency Mcilvoy, Received by Confession and Baptism, Dismissed by letter; 53. Mary J. Asher, Received by Confession and Baptism, Dismissed by letter; 54. Sara C. Asher, Received by Confession and Baptism; Dismissed by letter; 55. Rebecca Harhoole, Received without letter, Dismissed by Letter; 56. Margaret E. Moon, Received by confession and baptism; 57. (blank); 58. Nancy E. Morris, Received by confession and baptism, Dismissed without letter; 59. Amanda M. Johnson, Received by confession and baptism, Dismissed without letter; 60. Permilia Hurt, Received by confession and baptism, Dismissed without letter.

61. Julia Ann Asher, Received by confession and Baptism, dismissed without letter; 62. John G. Colwell, Received by confession and baptism, Out for disorder; 63. Sarah Rowles, Received without letter; 64. Amanda Stone, Received by confession and baptism, dismissed no letter; 65. Jacob Shively, Received by confession and baptism, Letter granted; 66. Barbara Shively, Received by confession and baptism, Letter granted; 67. Sarah O. Elder, Received by letter, Letter granted; 68. William C. Johnson, Received without letter, Letter granted; 69. Eliza Johnson, Received without letter, Dismissed no letter; 70. John Wycoff, Received by confession and baptism, Deceased.

71. Hiram H. Johnson, Received by confession and baptism, Dismissed no letter; 72. Mitchel Stotts, Received by confession and baptism; 73. Elizabeth Fletcher, received by confession and baptism, Dismissed by letter; 74. Nathaniel G. Howard, received by confession and baptism, Dismissed by letter; 75. Edward Halferty, received without letter, Dismissed without letter; 76. Joann Crowly (or Crowley), Received by confession and baptism, Dismissed without letter; 77. John Laugh, Received by letter, Dismissed without letter; 78. Elizabeth Laugh, Received by letter, Dismissed without letter; 79. William Newman, Received by letter, Dismissed without letter; 80. Nancy Newman, Received by letter, Dismissed without letter.

81. David Ballard, Received by confession and baptism, Dismissed without letter; 82. Johanna Crandall, Received without letter, Dismissed without letter; 83. James Vinsonhaler, Received by confession and baptism, Dismissed without letter; 84. Nancy A. Vinsonhaler, Received by letter, Dismissed without letter; 85. Hannah Ballard, Received by letter, Dismissed without letter; 86. Jane Johnson, Received without letter, Dismissed without letter; 87. John P. Nunan, Received by letter, Dismissed without letter; 88. Letty Nunan, Received by letter, Dismissed without letter; 89. Rebecca Vinsonhaler, Received by Letter, Dismissed without letter; 90. Ellen Ballard, Received by confession and baptism, Dismissed no letter.

91. John W. Cawhoun, Received by confession and baptism; 92. Thomas Benton Reed, Received by confession and baptism; Deceased; 93. Sarah Reed, Received by confession and baptism; 94. Margaret Wycoff, Received without letter; 95. Martha E. Cohrane, Received without letter, Deceased (?); 96. Ann L. Crowley, Received without letter, Out for disorder; 97. Elizabeth Heaton, Received without letter; 98. Rachel E. Wycoff, Received by confession and baptism; 99. Eli Moon, Received by confession and baptism; 100. Charlotte Moon, Received by confession and baptism.

101. Tabitha M. Hunt, Received by confession and baptism, Dismissed no letter; 102. James H. Wycoff, Received by confession and baptism, Deceased; 103. Mary J. Caldwell, Received by letter; 104. Cynthia Ann Moon, Received by letter; 105. Hazel C. Wycoff, Received by letter, Out for disorder; 106. Sarah Ann Stuart, Received by Confession and baptism, Dismissed no letter; 107. Amanda Stone, Received no letter, Letter granted; 108. Nathaniel G. Howard, Received by letter; 109. Matilda Howard, Received by letter; 110. Sarah E. Moon, Received by confession and baptism.

Note that Hannah and John Ballard, member nos. 14 and 15, were Lucas County's first permanent settlers. Their home was nearby along English Creek in English Township. Interesting that John was dismissed for "disorder." Although Ballard descendants remain in Lucas County, John and Hannah soon moved farther west.

It’s not clear exactly why the congregation became inactive soon after 1860. The Rev. Mr. Moon died on Jan. 7, 1861, and his wife, Martha, followed on April 10, 1862, so that almost certainly was a factor. Whatever caused it, no regular worship services were held in the old log church during the Civil War years.

The English Creek/Belinda congregation seems never to have had a cemetery associated specifically with it. Hiram and Martha Moon, other members of their family and perhaps other early members were buried in what now is known as Strong Cemetery, not far southwest of the church but inaccessible at least now from it. To reach Strong, it is necessary to drive about three quarters of a mile west of the church on gravel, turn south for perhaps a third of a mile, then find the entrance to the long lane that leads back east to the cemetery out in the middle of farm fields.

This cemetery, a large and generally well-maintained pioneer cemetery, also has been known at times as the Belinda Cemetery, but that most likely is related to the nearby village rather than the church.

When charter member Mary Clair’s husband, William, died in 1853, he was buried on the highest point of land around some distance southeast of the church.

The Columbia Cemetery was begun in the neighborhood of 1853 and thereafter it became the principal burial place for English Creek/Belinda members. The congregation was always considered, more or less, a Columbia church, serving as an alternative worship site to the Methodist Episcopal church located in the town proper.

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Following the Civil War, the English Creek congregation reorganized by new covenant on Dec. 31, 1866, this time as the Church of Christ or Christian Disciples “in Pleasant township, Lucas County, Iowa, South West of Columbia, but near.”

The sixteen charter members who signed the new convenant were A. R. Byers, James A. Foster. Mitchel Stotts, Larkin Moon, Josiah Witt, Job Clevinger, David Crowley, John Sinclair, Julian Asher, Anne E.N. Crawley, Almira Foster, Lavisa Moon, Nancy Cinclair (Sinclair), Charlotte Mary Byers, Elizabeth Witt and Sarah C. Stotts.

A.R. Byers and Josiah Witt were named elders and Larkin Moon and James P. Foster, deacons.

According to Tuttle, services of the revived congregation were held for some years in the Byers home and often involved an entire weekend with worship on Saturday evening, Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon.

In June of 1871,the Belinda trustees purchased for $10 from William and Margaret Irons the land where the church building still stands. The building was commenced immediately and completed during the fall of 1872 at a cost of roughly $1,800.

The Disciples took the name Belinda, from a village that commencing in the late 1850s had developed about a mile and a half the south of it. Belinda the village, occupied by no more than 50 people at any given time, was a post office from 1858 to 1908 and a few traces of it still can be seen --- if you know where to look. Once upon a time, according to stories about it, there was a hotel, a blacksmith shop, two general stores, a mill and perhaps eight houses.

The town was founded on land owned all or in part by Alfred and Sarah Cole and was named for their daughter, Belinda, born just as the new town was being developed. Belinda Cole went on some years later to marry (disastrously) my cousin, Jones S. Clair, son of Zolomon J. and Delilah, whom she quite sensibly divorced in 1895 after he’d done a good deal of damage.

Tuttle provides a few interesting bits and pieces about the early congregation, including the fact its ministers were paid $5 per Sunday. The congregation held communion every Sunday, as the Disciples still do, but at that time insisted that real wine (not the prohibition-era grape juice still served today) was the only appropriate liquid element of the sacrament.

By 1914, the congregation had grown to the point that building improvements were needed, so the 1871 structure was expanded and a bell tower added. The bell was donated by the Frank Edwards family, which reacquired years later when Belinda closed and donated it to First Christian Church in Chariton, where it continues to serve.

Belinda prospered for many years, in nearly all cases benignly. The exception would be involvement early in the 20th century by a few of its members in the Ku Klux Klan, then very active in Lucas County --- even the county sheriff of the time was a member as were as several relatives and near-relatives of mine --- not affiliated with Belinda.

None-the-less, I nearly fell off my chair some years ago while reading the obituary of a Belinda members whose funeral had been conducted at the church “under the auspices of the knights and ladies of the Ku Klux Klan.” A complete Klan costume was found among the belongings of the former member who also had retained the membership book I’ve quoted here.

Despite that dark patch --- and a very dark patch it is --- Belinda’s impact on its members and its neighborhood generally was a positive one --- and many still remember it fondly.

By the time that old book I copied was full, the names of roughly 900 members had been recorded and I find among the names of many cousins, those of Velma and Ernest Miller, received by confession and baptism on May 18, 1941; Ernest’s wife, Leona Pierschbacher, received by confession and baptism on June 11, 1944; and Elizabeth Miller, received by confession and baptism on Aug. 10, 1948.

If I’m counting right we’re down to three country churches now --- Center Community, Goshen Baptist and Norwood United Methodist (the Assembly of God church at Norwood might be counted, too, but it’s “in town” --- sort of). The loss of all those others, including Belinda, certainly has torn the fabric of our collective life.