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Our History
The Estherville United Methodist Church invites each
of you to attend Sunday Services each Sunday morning at 9:30 am. Our
Pastor is Rev. Lynn Elrod, who has just recently moved to our
community. The services are broadcast weekly on Channel 3
on TV and also on KILR Radio at 95.9 fm.
The history of our church is very unique and
interesting. We are the oldest church in Emmet County and 2009 is a
celebration of 150 years of Methodism in Estherville.
It seems the first settlers arrived in this area in
1856. In 1857 the Robert Ridleys came from Maine by train and
covered wagon. They built a log cabin where the Rock Island Round
House was located by the railroad tracks. In 1858 the Ridleys
acquired about one hundred and sixty acres, where the City of
Estherville is now incorporated. When the town was later platted, it
was named Estherville in honor of Esther Ridley, the first white
woman settler and the mother of the first white child, Anna, born
here.
Robert and Esther Ridley, like the other early
settlers, had been touched by ‘the fire of early Methodism’ before
they came to this area. It was in their newly built log home that
the first settlers met and ‘raised an alter of prayer.’
The Upper Iowa Conference had supervision over the
north half of the state. It was rumored that preaching services were
desired here, so the Reverend C.F. McLean was appointed to come. He
came directly to the home of Robert and Esther Ridley and organized
the first Methodist Episcopal Church Class in Emmet County with nine
members. In 1859 they started meeting in Esther Ridley’s kitchen,
which was always ‘spic and span.’
By the end of ten years, as the number of members
grew, the group met in tents, school houses and prairie sod places.
On May 17, 1880, Robert E. Ridley presented a lot to
the church (lot 4, block 56). During the summer of 1881 a church
building was constructed; the first house of worship in the county.
Labor was donated, so the 28’ x 40’ building cost about $1500. This
building, with additions, served the members for several years.
The Ladies Aid of the Estherville Methodist Episcopal
Church was organized in the summer of 1887. The Estherville
Auxiliary of the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society was organized in
June of 1890. The Women’s Home Missionary Society was organized in
the summer 1898.
In 1906 a second lot was purchased. The old church
was sold as a residence and is now at 309 South 10th Street. A new
bid was accepted April 16, 1907 for $16,290 by I.N. Salyers.
Dedication for the new church was held on March 29, 1908. This
church seated 900 people. Many notable happenings occurred during
the lifetime of this church. The first parsonage was added in 1910.
This later moved to be a residence and the new and present parsonage
was built in 1955 at a cost of $52,000.
Our Education Building was added in 1963 at a cost of
$143,000, and was paid upon completion. Our present church was built
in 1972 and was consecrated in 1973 on Palm Sunday.
We are proud of our ‘Church in the Round’; ‘without
steps to enter.’ We have many good and fun happenings for the people
who enter here.
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