Congregational Church (Victor, Iowa) records, 1883-1933

Historical Note:
The First Congregational Church of Victor, Iowa was organized on February 13, 1883. The small, rural church faced many challenges, many related to funding for the parsonage and for a pastor's salary. Some of the early pastors were W.L. Coleman of Grinnell, J.M. Bowers (?), H.L. Marsh, James Rowe, and William B. Payne.

Scope and Content Note:
The records include ledgers and notebooks with financial information and minutes of meetings of the Church and of groups affiliated with the Church: the DK Society, the Women's Home and Foreign Missionary Society, and the Ladies' Social Society. There are files of correspondence and legal and financial records.

Provenance: unknown

Quantity: 2 boxes (7.5 linear in.)

Suggested citation: Congregational Church (Victor, Iowa) records, Grinnell College Libraries, Department of Special Collections, Grinnell, Iowa. Ms.01.42.

Box Listing
Box 1:
Folders:
#1 Checks and receipts (found folded into the account book), 1916-20
#2 Certificate of Association, deeds, mortgages, 1883-97
#3 Correspondence, minutes, insurance information, 1887-1922
Ledgers/Notebooks:
#1 Record of the Congregational Church of Christ in Victor, Iowa, 1883-94.
Includes minutes of meetings; letters from pastors inserted in book. Highlights:
• Nov. 1, 1883: first minister (p. 55)
• Jan. 7, 1884: annual meeting (p. 57)
• Jan. 1884: sexton's duties (p. 59)
• Aug. 11, 1884: discussion regarding the salary for a pastor ("impossible for the Victor members to raise over $200.00 towards the salary") (p. 67)
• May 1885: consideration of engaging Rev. W.L. Coleman of Grinnell as pastor for six months (p. 73)
• Nov. 6, 1885: Rev. J.M. Bowers [Bowens?] accepts offer to preach for six months (p. 75)
• May 28, 1886: Mr. H.L. Marsh accepts call to the pastorate for one year (p. 81)
• Sept. 1, 1888: Rev. James Rowe engaged for one year (p. 91)
• Dec. 2, 1889: annual meeting (p. 95); first parsonage (p. 96)
• Dec. 1892: annual meeting (p. 105)
• Dec. 30, 1893: annual meeting (p. 113)
• Sept. 1894: William B. Payne accepts pastorate (letter between p. 116-117)
• Dec. 1, 1894: annual meeting (p. 118)
• Lists of members, 1883-94 (p. 122-141)
#2 The second record book of the First Congregational Church of Victor, Iowa, 1895-98. Includes minutes from meetings; letters from pastors who received a call from the congregation are inserted in the book. Highlights:
• Dec. 14, 1895: annual meeting ("parsonage full of debt")
• Dec. 19, 1896: annual meeting
• between March and July 1897: pages cut out ("expunged")
• Jan. 3, 1898: annual meeting
• Mar. 30, 1898: addition to parsonage

Box 2:
Ledgers/Notebooks:
#3 Treasurer's book, Congregational Church, 1913-19. (D.K. Ross, Treasurer)
#4 [Secretary's book for DK Society?], 1912-16
#5 Secretary's records for DK Society, 1917-28. Includes minutes of meetings and lists of members. Inserted in the book are programs for: Brotherhood Dramatic Club (Dec. 22, 1916), Ordination and Installation of Rev. W.W. Maxwell (Mar. 12, 1918), Weekly Calendar (Feb. 11, 1917), National "Every Member Drive" (Dec. 28, 1919)
#6 Treasurer's book, DK Society, 1908-20 [Note: When received, book had some sort of grass or grain stems pressed into book.]
#7 Secretary's book, Home Missionary Society, 1894-98
#8 Home and Foreign Missionary Society, 1899-1917
#9 Secretary's book of the Women's Home and Foreign Missionary Society, Congregational Church, Victor, Iowa, 1918-26
#10 Secretary's book of the Ladies' Social Society, Congregational Church, 1893-1929
#11 Treasurer's book of Ladies' [Social?] of Cong. Church, 1909-17
#12 Secretary's book of Women's Missionary Society of Congo. Church, 1928-33
#13 Account book with Victor Savings Bank (J.E. Bach, Treasurer, Congregational Church), 1916-19

Processed by Leslie Czechowski, August 1997.