(click on image for larger size)

Seventy-six

__________________

Religious Institutions Stand Behind Home and Business Life of City

Sioux City has over 75 church congregations, many of which are housed in most modern type of buildings devoted to religious work.

A GREAT traveler once said, "Show me the kind of churches you have and I'll tell you the kind of city you have." In Sioux City the churches have kept pace and grown as the city has grown, backing up the home and business life of the people from the very beginning. Wherever people go and wherever they make their homes they will have some kind of place to worship. The early pioneers held meetings in the open or in the crude log cabins which they called home until enough of them settled in one place to erect a church building. Sioux City's churches of today do credit to the city and reflect the spirit that enabled the pioneers to build a city on the plains.

The year 1855 marked the beginning of churches in the city. This was before the city was incorporated and showed that the people were more interested in spiritual things than in government. The First Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in that year. Thus the Methodists hold the record for being the first on the ground. Closely following this, in 1857, came the Congregational, the Episcopal and the Presbyterian churches. The Catholics held mass here in 1857, but did not establish a church until 1862. The First Baptist Church came in 1860.

From these few pioneer churches have grown numerous denominations and creeds, until today Sioux City has a total of 75 church congregations, including a number of missions. A great variety of nationalities are shown in these churches. The French, German, Danish, Polish, English and others have churches for the use of the people of these nations who have settled in Sioux City. Of the foreign population the Swedes and Norwegians easily lead.

These churches are scattered in every corner of the city and seem to be within reach of everyone. There are several of practically all the known religions in different parts of the city. Of the protestant churches the Lutherans lead in membership with nearly 5,000 members in nine churches. The Methodists claim 4,000 members in their 11 congregations. They have, however, a large number of regular attendants at their missions. The Presbyterians have a membership of approximately 3,000 in eight different churches. The Baptists and the Congregationalists each have over a thousand members. The Christians, Christian Scientists, Episcopalians, Jewish, Latter Day Saints, Orthodox in Greek, Russian and Syrian, and

Seventy-seven

___________________

(click on image for larger size)

Seventy-eight

__________________

the Unitarians each have good, active congregations. The total membership of protestant churches is over 20,000.

While the Catholics had churches here as early as 1862, most of them have been established since 1902. It was that year that the archdiocese of Dubuque was divided and Sioux City was named a cathedral city of a new division embracing 24 counties in northwestern Iowa. Along with the growth of the Catholic churches, which now number 13, have grown a system of schools, hospitals and orphan institutions under the supervision of the various orders of the church. The total membership in the Catholic churches is approximately 10,000, divided between English, Italian, Polish, Russian and Lithuanian congregations.

With such diversity of creed, nationality and language there is a spirit of friendly rivalry with each church striving to do something better for the city and for its members. In spite of this diversity there is never any difficulty in getting close co-operation on matters of mutual interest.

The early church buildings have been rebuilt and rebuilt, until today even the pioneers are housed in most modern buildings. The architects of the city have put their hearts and their souls behind the designing of these houses of worship and the builders have taken up the spirit and carried out the ideas, perhaps in some cases beyond the expectations of the designer. There are some of the older churches still standing in their original locations with business buildings gradually encroaching upon them and with their spires extending upward as if to reach the heights as do the office buildings. Sentiment, perhaps, keeps them from being wrecked to give way to business.

The church buildings that have been erected within the last few years are modern examples of church architecture. Such buildings as the First Congregational, the Trinity Lutheran, the Grace Methodist, the First Church of Christ Science and the First Baptist are among these beautiful structures devoted exclusively to religious work.
Behind the pulpits of most of the churches are ministers of the highest type. They are modern and progressive in their work and their methods. In many instances they have built up wonderful attendances at their meetings and have provided means of using the buildings for other purposes than church meetings. One or two have moving picture shows of the highest quality for the younger people, others have children's meetings of various kinds and others open their doors to boy scout meetings and other organization affairs of this kind. The point is that the modern type of church leader realizes that there is too great a value in these structures to be used only once a week.

But the church building has not stopped. As this is being written workmen are steadily pushing forward work on new structures and architects are busy designing others that are still in the minds of the people or on paper--they soon will be realities.

Seventy-nine

____________________

Sioux City Called the City of Beautiful Homes

Straight streets lined with wide spreading shade trees add charm to the homelike dwellings that border on each side.

NO more beautiful site in America than Sioux City could have been found to combine industry with homes. The land seems to be built for that purpose. While the factories, jobbing houses and other great commercial institutions hover along the fiat banks of the rivers and creeks, the residences sit stately back on the hills and bluffs. There are over 16,000 homes in Sioux City and they are more than mere houses. They are the class of homes one would expect to find in a live, wideawake and progressive city where thrift and industry have built a great city.

The first homes were log cabins and tents that would not be suitable for a garage as figured today. Yet they were homes and housed the people who were to lay the foundation for this city. From a humble beginning has grown this city of beautiful homes, housing over 85,000 people. Today there are mammoth homes on large suburban areas, modest homes where land is cheap, cosy [cozy] little bungalows and cottages sitting snugly against the background of a grass covered hill, and large apartment houses with convenient small apartments for those who want apartment life. But they are homes and for the most part occupied by owners, except of course, in the case of the latter.

Tourists going through Sioux City are impressed above all else with the beautiful streets that extend through the residence section and which are without exception lined for most of the length with trees. The early settlers realized the value of trees and started placing them over half a century ago. Their value today is unestimable [inestimable]. Ever section of the city has these delightful streets along wide parks, schools and churches, all of which add to the home life of the city.

Unlike most cities, Sioux City has no one most beautiful residence section. She has Morningside with he stately mansions sitting back from the long avenue, the North Side with many apartments and many beautiful brick, concrete and stone houses hovering near the wide streets, and the West Side with its great variety of home from the small cottages, owned by the working people, to large and beautiful old family homes. None of these sections are behind in building as a drive through then will show numerous new homes going up.

Eighty-one

__________________

(click on images for larger sizes)

Levitt Heights Homes	Country Club Homes
Homes in Sunset View	D. C. Shull Residence, Council Oak Tree, Nebraska Street, Boy Scout Cabin, Residence Scene, Eighteenth and Summit Streets

__________________

There are no slums or tenement district, even the laboring class, for the most part, are home owners. Many of them have suburban homes with large acreage where they farm and garden on a small scale for recreation. The city covers over 45 square miles. There is no need for crowding since there is room for several times as many people as are here now. Many new additions have been added within recent years, giving new exclusive residence sections where people can build homes away from the noise of the industries and in the open.

"The Heights" is a section on a high hill adjoining Grandview Park. Here some of the most beautiful and modern homes have been built. A wonderful view out over the adjoining states can be had from here and yet it is only a few minutes drive from the very heart of the city. Just to the west of this lays the newly created "Sunset View" addition. It spreads back in both directions from the Broken Kettle road over which thousands of tourists pass every year. Winding paved streets lined with new houses on which the paint is hardly dry, lead back from the road. Although hardly a year old, the addition is well built up.

Perhaps the greatest number of fine homes in one group is in the now famous "Country Club Place." Here, within a short time, have gone up homes that are not excelled in any part of the country for their beauty of design and originality. This addition rests snugly on the side of a valley with the Sioux City Country Club looking down from the other side. It is from this that the name is derived. The Perry Creek paved road traverses the valley and with the pavement within makes a beautiful drive that is taken advantage of by thousands of Sioux City motorists.

"Levitt Heights" tops one of the highest hills in the city. It is now covered with homes around which have been developed well kept lawns and shrubbery. A winding street reaches the summit of the hill without effort. Once there the view over the entire surrounding territory is incomparable. But there are dozens of other beautiful sections such as "Valentine Place," "Kelly Park," "Calls Plateau," "Dupont Park" and others. Many of these have been opened where land is comparably cheap and where working people and salaried clerks can buy and build without going to deeply into debt.

Apartment houses have sprung up in practically every part of the city. Some with two or three apartments and others with several times as many, up to a hundred. The Sioux Apartment Hotel is the largest of these. It was built only a few years ago and represents an investment of approximately a million dollars. Other modern and beautiful apartments are "Carroll," "Bolstein," "Argonaut," "Metz," "Ida," "Swanson," and "Castle." A complete directory of them would be too extensive for this article.

Eighty-six