Harvey, R. E.

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The Annals of Iowa 
Volume 20 Number 4 (Spring 1936) pps. 297-303 
In Memoriam 
R. E. Harvey 
ISSN 0003-4827 
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Recommended Citation 
Harvey, R. E. "In Memoriam." The Annals of Iowa 20 (1936), 297-303. 
Available at: https://doi.org/10.17077/0003-4827.5837 
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IN MEMORIAM
REV. JOHN H . RUHLE, DIKD APRIL 14, 1836
BY REV. R . E . HARVEY
Religion, murality ami knowledfre are necessary to good government
and the Iiaj))>iness of mankind.—Edgar R. Harlan.
The pioneer jireachers did more than all other forces combined to
shape the character and create the standards of tlie growing eivilization
of the West.—Theodore Roosevelt.
The foregoing quotations render an apology needless for a
centenary tribute to the first resident minister of the gospel in
southern Iowa; who was also the first clergyman to marry, die
and be buried within our borders.
He was not the first preacher to visit the region named, but
his predecessors, in ministering to the incoming settlers of this
part of the Black Hawk Purchase, merely extended fields of
labor in adjoining states to include this newest outpost of eivil-
ization, while his pariah was exclusively on Iowa soil. The story
iif his as.signmcTit portrays the aggressiveness of the frontier
ihurehes in providing the means of grace for the advancing
waves of population, and likewise affords an amusing glimpse
of the holy rivalry amongst the ministry for the foremost posts
on the skirmish line of the armies of the Lord.
The first Methodist services in the south half of Iowa were
held by Barton H. Cartwright, a loral preacher attached to the
Henderson River Mission in Illinois, who in March, 1834, was
commissioned by his famous kinsman, Peter Cartwright, presid-
ing cider of Quincy District, Illinois Conference of the Metho-
di.st Episcopal Church, to preach and organize societies in the
Flint Hills settlements. In pursuance of which mandate there
was formed at Burlington, in the residence of Dr. William R.
Ross on April 18 of that year, a ehureh organization which con-
tests witli two others the honor of being the first to be effected
in Iowa.
Young Cartwright preached on Sundays throughout the region,
supporting himself at breaking prairie and other tasks on week
days. Meantime the Missouri Conference of the same denomina-
298 ANNALS OF IOWA
tion directed J . H. Jamison to extend his vast circuit in the north-
eastern corner of that state by doing missionary work amongst
tlic white and red occupants of the lower Des Moines valley, on
which errand he visited Burlington in July, 1834, co-operated
with Barton Cartwright in his services and, evidently regarding
him as only a voluntary evangelist, reported the Flint Hills work
as part of his own íicíd when his conference held its annual ses-
sion and was reappointed thereto; the circuit including six coun-
ties in Missouri and all of the Black Hawk Purchase south of
Rock Island.
The Missouri Methodists held their conference in Septembe.r,
while the Illinois unit did not meet till October, when Elder
Cartwright ])rotested that the Missouri brethren "have jumped
my Iowa claim." Jumping of land claims was one of the cardinal
offenses on the. frontier, and usually received condign punish-
ment, but the ecclesiastical transgression was dealt with in less
sanguinary fashion, especially as Bishop Roberts, who presided
in both conferences, had already sanctioned the arrangement, so
the Illinois dignitary could only voice his grievance and bide his
time.
Mr. Jamison made only one round of his charge after rcap-
pointmcnt, and then went east to be married; he was succeeded
by L. B. Statelcr under whose zealous ministrations the work
expanded so rapidly that in the September, 1835, session of the
Missouri Conference, Bishop Roberts set off Iowa Methodism
into an independent circuit named "Burlington," and called for
a volunteer to man this newest outpost of the churcb militant.
To this challenge there came the immediate response "Here am
I ! Send me!" from a young preacher of twenty-six years who
had just been ordained deacon and admitted into full member-
ship in the conference.
John H. Ruble was the son of devout parents, and was con-
verted in his early teens, but on coming of age fled from his
Tennessee home to escape a call to the ministry. The voice of
duty, however, followed him to his Illinois refuge and, yielding
to the heavenly vision, lie received local preacher's license from
the presiding elder of Sangamon District, the Rev. Simon Peter ;
wherefore he may be said to liavc been in the regular apostolic
succession !
JOHN H. RUBLE 29S
Removing to Missouri, young Ruble labored first as pastor's
assistant, then was reeeived on trial and after two years on the
White River Mission In tbe wilds of Arkansas, was assigned, as
we bave seen, to the yet wilder prairies of Iowa. The young mis-
sionary brought to bis task a fine mind whieb be assiduously
cultivated, a genteel appearance and alFable manners, all of wbicb
were reinforced by a devout demeanor which canipclled even
skeptics to admit, "Ruble is what be professes to be," and en-
deared bim to his parishioners. Being gifted in song, fervent in
prayer and of ready utterance, his energetic application of Scrip-
ture to the hearts and eonscienees of bis hearers evoked entbusi-
astic response from his impressionable congregations.
Burlington Circuit extended from river to river eovering prac-
tically tbe same territory now comprising tbe Iowa-Des Moines
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church; but at that date
tlie only portion open to white settlement wa.s tbe strip fifty miles
wide along the west bank of the Mississippi, extending from tbe
Missouri state line to the Iowa River, wbere a reserve bad been
assigned tbe Sae chieftain, Keokuk, in consideration for his in-
fluence in keeping most of his tribe at bome during the Blaek
Hawk War. ^\hat was left, however, included tbree modern
counties witb portions of tbree or four more., all forming Des
Moines County of Michigan Territory—auiplc field enougb for
any man to traverse every four weeks.
Mr. Ruble was accompanied on his first round by Jonatban
King of New London, without whose pilotage lie would bave
been as belpless in the waving seas of grass separating tbe sparse
settlements, as would bave been a prairie dweller amidst the
White River forest.s from wbicb be had so recently come. Nor
was tliis the only peril to be faced. According to tbe season of
the year, capricious nature bloekaded the dim trails with miry
swamps and mountainous snow drifts; the bridgeless, fordle.ss
streams were filled witb roaring floods or cboking ice Hoes ; flam-
ing thunder storms and blinding blizzards swept the wide open
spaces, while in spring and autumn prairie fires lurked in ambush
like red Indians. But what of it.^ Otbers braved all these perils
in hope of gain; .should God's messenger dare less to save souls?
In all these wide borders tbere was not .1 single house of wor-
sbip. A few of the more ambitious villages boasted log strue-
800 ANNALS OF IOWA
tures which served alike for educational, religious and judicial
purposes, but most of the serviees were held in private homes,
usually one-rooni cahins, where planks, laid across chairs or
hlocks of wood, functioned for pews. One of the more pretentious
of these, the double log cabin of George Leehrick, in Burlington,
housed the first quarterly meeting held by Presiding Elder Henry
Monroe from St. Louis, November 21-23, in which the sermon
was interrupted by the Imilding catching fire from the huge blaze
kindled in the great chimney. The green house logs, however,
proved such poor heat conductors that the congregation, resolving
itself into a volunteer fire department, soon extinguished the con-
flagration, after which the service resumed its normal course.
The itinerary of Burlington Circuit is of interest, for it desig-
nates the population eenters of a century ago, although some of
the place names may be no longer familiar to the local residents
except from their proximity to towns established long afterward.
Burlington; Tamatown Prairie, six miles north of Burlington;
Casey Prairie, two miles further north; Springfield's, near
Dodgeville; Yellow Spring, near Kossuth ; Hohb's, three miles
east of New London; Samuel C. Read's, on the Des Moines four
miles above Farmington; Clark's Point, four miles north of West
Point; Pitman's, two miles east of West Point on the Fort Madi-
son road; Fort Madison; Augusta; Sand Ridge, on the Fort
Madison-Burlington road; and Mount Pleasant, a hamlet of three
houses, where Mr. Ruble was the pioneer preacher, delivering
the first sermon in the home of Pressley Saunders.
Tfiese were the regular Sunday preaching stations. On week
days, and nights, the circuit rider preached wherever a group of
people eould be assembled, and his labors were supplemented by
the activities of local preachers, exhortera and classleaders, un-
paid lay workers ; a combination of effort which covered the en-
tire region with a network of Methodist societies.
Tiiere was compensation for the hardships encountered in the
cordial hospitality whieh everywhere greeted the traveling minis-
ters, regardless of creed or' denomination, for the hardy frontiers-
men gladly shared food and shelter with those wiio broke to them
the bread of life eternal. The salaries were scantier even than
the entertainment, for silver and gold there was none, and the
few bank notes whieh drifted in from the older states were
JOHN H. RUBLE 801
usually worthless, but such as they had was willingly divided
with the lieralds of the cross. It was by this co-operation of
efEort that religion came to pervade the entire social life of the
primitive commonwealth, so that few portions of the West were
freer of the crime and violence usually prevalent along a raw
frontier.
There were other compensations : youth and beauty were drawn
together by the same mystic chords vibrating everywhere, and
that he might bestow the church's blessing upon the culmination
of love's young <lreams, the young minister obtained the legal
authority required by the code in force from his faithful parish-
ioner, the pioneer physician and merchant of Burlington, who
was also the first clerk of the courts.
Territory of Michigiiii, Des Moines County :^Knt)w all mrn hy these
presents, that John H. Ruble is hereby permitted to solemnize marriages
in the county of Des Moines. This 21st of October, 1835. William R.
Ross, C. C. h. C.1
And being of like fiber with the young life about him, the
roseate splendor of romance fell across the preacher's pathway.
In Mount Plea.sant he met and fell in love with Diana, daughter
of Mr. and Mr.s. Lsaac Bowen, people prominent in botb church
and community. The wedding took place in Burlington, the coun-
ty seat, probably because tbere was no one nearer witb authority
to perform tht: ceremony. It was in January, 18Ü6, that the union
transpired and the newlyweds returned to Mount Pleasant where
they designed making their home, but fate ordered otherwise.
While on his monthly round of the circuit (in which be was
accompanied by his bride, using the two-wheeled sulky, most
suitable vehicle for tbe ill-kept highways of tbe times) Mr. Ruble
was stricken down by influenza and lay ill for two weeks in the
home of Sullivan Ross, brother of the doctor, where be passed
away on April Ik The final summons came unex]iectedly but
found him not unready. Having long prayer that he might "go
up with a shout," it was now granted him to meet the last enemy
with a. triumphant "The Will of God be done! Welcome, Death,
I am prepared to go!"
The funeral discourse on April 15 was delivered by the elo-
quent Peter Borein of Quincy, Illinois, from tlie text, John 5;
iCopy of the certiflcate given hy the clerk of (.ourt of Des Moinea County to
Rev. Jutin H. Ruble.
302 ANNALS OF IOWA
28-20. With a reputation as scholar, gentleman and Christian
coinin.mdrng universal respect, and gifted with a musical voice
and hand.soiuf personality, sueh a preacher on sueh an occasion
could not fail to make a deep impression upon the very large
iiuiiience who listened to his interpretation of the resurrection
and eternal judgment. Tlie interment took place at Burlington,
but some time later the widow removed the remains to Mount
Pleasant where they repose awaiting the great awakening.
Peter Cartwright promptly improved the opportunity to re-
possess his "Iowa claim" by sending two aggressive itinerants
to supply the vacancy on Burlington Circuit; one of them, Daniel
Cartwright, brotlier to B;irton already mentioned, took the region
north of Burlington; wliilc Peter Borein'.s cousin, Wilson Pitner,
a genius more eccentric than Peter Cartwright himself, ranged
from Burlington to the Missouri line. No furtJicr contest over
title seems to have occurred, for Iowa Methodism remained under
the fostering earc of it.s p.trent state, Illinois, until attaining to
conference status in its onn riglit.
Monument to Rev. .John H. lluljle criîtteil in ¡\ cerneti;ry ;it Mount Pleasant. Iowa,
iu 1H58 by the Iowa Conft;rence uf tlie M. E. O l
JOHN H. RUBLE 803
John Ruble's grave remained unmarked until 185S when the
Iowa Conference placed at his head the marble monument shown
in the accompanying cut. Tlie date of dcatii there given was
probably supplied from memory by the purchasing committee,
and is in error. That given in this sketch comes from the minutes
of the Missouri Conference. Time having wrought the ravages
indicated on this memento, the Iowa-Des Moines Conference, at
its 1933 session, on motion of Rev. W. A. Longncckcr, historian
of the old Iowa Conference, voted a more lasting memorial which
was procured, largely through the diligent activity of Dr. Long-
necker. It consists of a granite boulder, bearing a bronze tablet
whereon appears the record of the life and death of the man
who sleeps below. It stands at the foot of the grave, facing
Highway No. 161.
Here on September 18, 1934, most of the mini.sters of the
Iowa-Des Moines Conference, together with many lay members
from Mount Pleasant and elsewhere, assembled for the dedica-
tion exercises, which were the first feature of the annual con-
ference session in which the centenary anniversary of the first
Methodist Episcopal Church in Burlington was duly commem-
orated.
Rev. W. A. T,ongnecker presided in the services at the grave,
using a gavel made of wood from Barrett's Chapel in Delaware
where Bishops Coke and Asbury held their first consultation
relative to the organization of American Methodism. The open-
ing prayer was offered by Rev. Thomas P. Potter of the Upper
Iowa Conference, Rev. R. C. Buchanan read a historical sketch
prepared by the author of this paper. Rev. R. M. Shipman de-
livered an address dealing with the contrasts of a century in the
character and difficulties of the preacher's work. Rev. F. C. Wit-
zigman pronounced the prayer of consecration, and Rev. D. J.
Shenton gave the benediction. The liymns used were "Faith of
Our Fathers," and "A Charge to Keep I Have," the latter un-
doubtedly sung by John H. Ruble and bis log cabin congrega-
tions. May his devotion to duty and spirit of consecration de-
scend upon all, both ministers and laymen, who tread the paths
he marked out a hundred years ago.



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