Church’s rich history recorded in book

(Above) The Congregational Church in Clear Lake was located at the corner of 2nd Avenue North and North 4th Street.  The church, dedicated in February 1895, is shown as it looked in 1912.

by Michelle Watson

First Congregational Church, of Clear Lake, is celebrating its 150th Anniversary. The church intended to honor this milestone last year, but due to Covid-19, the celebration has been delayed.  Special events are now being planned for this winter.

Church member Ernest Reineke wanted to mark the anniversary in a special way.  Reineke, who has a background in writing and publishing various family and school music department histories, felt passionate about putting together a history book for the church.  The book began with 1,000 pages, but Reineke said he condensed it to 267.  The spiral bound book is available to purchase or view in the History Room at the Clear Lake Public Library.

“I knew there needed to be a book and I had an urgency

[wlm_nonmember]To read more of this article, please login or sign up for our E-Edition[/wlm_nonmember][wlm_ismember]

to do it,” said Reineke.  “Once I got into the research I was fascinated with the rich history.”

Reineke, along with some other key players, gathered information from various sources.  

Joanne Watkins, who is the church’s oldest member, joined the church when she was three-years-old and has attended for 87 years.  Watkins shared her scrapbooks dating back to the 1930’s with Reineke.

“I am happy to have been able to help with the book,” said Watkins.  “I’ve seen many changes at the church and I’m glad we are celebrating this anniversary.”

Another longtime member, Jan Lovell, helped with research and proofreading.  

Kendra Walker, the church’s office administrator, also helped gather information and created the cover design.

“Ernie had a lot of passion for the project and he was very organized, which made it fun and exciting to help,” said Kendra.  

“God was certainly moving through Ernie on this project,” said Pastor Harlan Siri.  “I was very impressed with his passion and I learned so much history and what the church has done for the community through the years.”

Through his research, Reineke found information on the history of the town and the church movement in Clear Lake.  He is excited to share some of the interesting historical data he collected.

For those unfamiliar with local history, on May 20, 1851, Joseph Hewitt and James Dickirson, along with their families, and two other young men, started from Strawberry Point, Iowa to find a lake the Native Americans and hunters had been talking about.  They arrived in Clear Lake on July 14, 1851.  The trip took them 56 days to complete.

Rev. Elias Pattee, a Methodist minister, preached the first sermon in Clear Lake at the home of Hewitt.   

Sept. 25, 1870 is considered the beginning of the Congregational Church in Clear Lake.

Reineke also shared how the first church came into existence in Clear Lake.

A young girl named Mary Chestnut, who was dearly loved by all, died.  It was her funeral that made the town realize that a church large enough to accommodate a large group of people was needed.  The funeral was held at The Lake House Hotel and it was estimated that 400 people attended, but there was only seating for a few.

A meeting was held and it was proposed that a house of worship be built by forming an incorporated society.  One trustee from each church was to be chosen.  Shares of $10 each were to be collected and each denomination that raised $400 was to have equal share in occupying it.  Father Allen of the Congregational Church, Elder Crandell of the Baptist Church and James Goodwin of the Methodist Church were appointed to obtain subscriptions.  The Methodist and Congregational Churches raised their portion, but the Baptist Church later decided not to participate.  Dedication of the new church was held on Sunday, July 29, 1877.  The building was crowded to capacity and many were turned away due to lack of space.

After the first shared church, The Methodist and Congregational churches decided to build their own sanctuaries and dedicated their own, new churches in the same year, 1895.

First Congregational Church has had 32 pastors and three interim pastors since it was established in 1870.  There have been three pastors’ residences and two church buildings.

Currently the church is located at 923 Buddy Holly Place. The congregation is active with choirs, Sunday school, Bible studies, the Clear Lake Food Pantry, youth group, confirmation classes and missions.

In conjunction with the 150th Anniversary, a Christmas Cantata has been planned for Sunday, Dec. 12, at 10 a.m.  The Cantata entitled, “Oh Morning Star,” is the story of the birth of Christ told through music and readings.  More events will be planned in the future.

“The First Congregational Church has a very rich history and has been a Christian witness in not only our community, but the state of Iowa, nationally and internationally.  It has been a great honor and joy to write the book, and I personally hope that people who read it will be blessed by it,” said Reineke.

[/wlm_ismember]