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William Toy Bartle Ministry
Henry Bartle Letter to Knox College
Henry Hart Bartle wrote a letter to Thomas McClelland, President of Knox College on Sept 20, 1913. In in he described his father's ministering to multiple congregations across Iowa. Original punctuation and spelling preserved.
Claremont, CA Sept 20, 1913
President Thomas Mc Clelland
Knox College, Galesburg Ill.
Dear Sir. Your favor of Sept. 11 is received, and I will comply with your request to the best of my ability.
My father graduated from Knox College June 27. 1849. Leaving College he went to Carrolton Green County Ill. to teach school. Teaching the first school in that county. He also was doing missionary work during this time. He was licensed to preach by the Alton Presbytery on April 15th 1852. Was ordained by the same Presbytery at the Sept session the same year. By all the records I have, I think his first charge was for two churches. Spring-Cove Church, and String—Prairie Church. He went from these Churches to Knoxville Ill. I think he left Knoxville in the spring of 1856. Then to Wethersfield Ill. for about two years. While living In Wethersfield, he helped organize the first Con'gl Church at Kewanee Ill. Was also President of the board of directors of the “Union Seminary” which was opened on Nov. 12th, 1856. From here he went to Chicago. I meant to say that the Church at Wethersfield, while one of the oldest Churches in Henry County, having been organized nearly twenty years before, my father was the first' pastor they had received by Installation. I think he preached In Chicago about three years, He became a member of the Chicago presbytery April 14, 1859. From Chicago he went to Camp-Point Ill. Then to Decatur Michigan. From there he went to Lapeer Michigan. While at Lapeer he was elected County Supt. of schools. I do not remember how long he held that office. From Lapeer he went back to Wethersfield Ill. for the second call to the same Church. Then back to Decatur Mich. second call to that Church. From there he went to Plattsmouth Nebraska in 1872, preaching there until the spring or 1875, when he went to Cromwell Iowa. He also preached in Creston Ia, Conway Ia, Kent Ia. Greenfield, Guthrie, Fairview, Morning Star, Prairie Star, and Platte center Ia. His preaching in Iowa covered a period of about seventeen years. He filled the pulpit in these smaller places from his home place. He made his home at only two of the places mentioned in Iowa. My mother died in 1892, and father gave up preaching at that time, and from that time on he would spend his winters In California, going east to visit his children in the summer, for about ten years. His last visit east was in 1903. After that he seemed to be timid about going so far as he was not very strong.
I have given you the different Churches in which my father preached, and that is about all I am able to do, for should I go into detail I would fill a book. I knew my father very well, studied him from the view of a boy, and of a man past fifty years. His life was a busy one for a great many years. So many things to attend to in a ministers work. He was a man of extraordinary ability, a man that you do not meet every day. He was a great reader, a faculty to retain what he read, and a faculty to tell what he knew. My one regret is, that he could not leave to what he knew. He was very loyal to “Knox” and in the last few months his life often spoke of his College days. Even last Feb, he thought perhaps he might go to Los Angeles, (forty miles) to attend a banquet given by the “Los Angeles Knox College Club". At that time he was not able to walk across the room. If this account wi11 be of any help or use to you I will be pleased indeed, and if I can give you any further information I will be glad to do go at any time.
Yours sincerely, H. H Bartle.
P.S.
I forgot to mention, my father was an honorary member or the Los Angeles Knox College Club.