Prairie Grove Friends

(Hicksite)

The first Hicksite Friends in Iowa, began in the northern part of Henry County, in Wayne Township, in 1855/1856 and was named Prairie Grove. On December 6, 1856 the Prairie Grove Monthly Meeting opened. There was a gift of three acres of land for a building site for a meeting house and for a burying ground. The meeting house's cost was ca $1,300, "including sliding partitions, and seats". At one time there were three Monthly Meetings of Illinois Yearly Meeting in Iowa, comprising Prairie Grove Quarterly Meeting. These included Prairie Grove Monthly Meeting in Henry County, Wapsinonoc Monthly Meeting at West Liberty in Muscatine County, and Marietta Monthly Meeting near Marshalltown in Marshall County.

 The above summarized from The Quakers of Iowa by Louis T. Jones

" The first meeting west of the Mississippi River, of that branch of the Society of Friends (usually know as Hickites in contradistinction to those known as Orthodox) was organized 12th month, 6th, 1856, by the establishment of the monthly meeting known as Prairie Grove Monthly Meeting, situated on Section 14 in Wayne Township.

The Friends originally composing said meeting made application (by petition) to the Quarterly Meeting, of which they were members, held in Loudoun County, Va., which elicited the following action by that meeting, known as Fairfax Quarterly Meeting, to wit:

' At Fairfax Quarterly Meeting of the Society of Friends, held in Alexandria, Va., on the 17th of the 11th month, 1856. The committee appointed at our last meeting to take into consideration the application of Friends in Iowa, produced the following report: That on the 4th of 9th month last, they address to the Iowa Friends a communication, the reply to which having been read, deliberately and weightily considered, it was the united judgment of the committee that it would be right, and proper, to recommend to the Quarterly Meeting to grant their request to establish Prairie Grove Monthly Meeting to be held at Prairie Grove in Wayne Township, Henry Co., Iowa on the 7th day the 6th of the 12th month next, and to be held thereafter on the first 7th day in each month.

" We also recommend that a meeting be established to be held on first day, and a mid-week meeting to be held every fifth day, all to be held at 11 o'clock A. M. They would further recommend to the quarterly Meeting the appointment of a suitable number of Friends to attend the opening of the meetings, to unite with Friends there, in their important undertaking, and render them such aid as circumstances may require, for the establishment and organization of the meetings in conformity with our order.

Signed by direction and on behalf of the Committee by William B Steer and Margaret E Hallowell- clerks.

Alexandria, 11th month, 15th 1856."

"Which report being read, considered and united with , by the Quarterly Meeting, Benjamin E Hallowell and Deborah Stabler, were appointed to attend at the opening of the meeting as therein mentioned. "Taken from the Minutes of Fairfax Quarterly Meeting held at Alexandria, Va., the 17th of the 11th month, 1856 and signed by direction thereof by William Williams and Margaret E Hallowell-clerks"

"Several of the above-named Friends attended in person at the establishment of the aforesaid meeting, which was quite a journey at that early day, a distance of about 1,000 miles. The meeting now has a membership of about one hundred and forty as is held twice every week. At the organization of the above meeting to wit, 12th month 6th, 1856, the meetings on the first days were held in a school house in the neighborhood (now No. 1) and all disciplinary meetings were held at the house of one of the members, until the fall of 1858, when a meeting-house was erected for their accommodation, 24 x 48 feet, on land donated by Eli M Price and Bennet G Walters, each donated 1 1/2 acres for meeting-house and cemetery. The house is a plain frame building, erected more for the comfort of those who weekly assemble there for the purpose of divine worship, that to feed the fancy of those whose pride would create a desire for vain and ostentatious show, and is situated on a beautiful dry knoll, surrounded by a grove of maples, box-elders and evergreens." 

This cemetery is located in section 14. Take Highway 78 east from 218, turn north onto Lexington Avenue. You will go north about one half mile and it will be on your left.

Fenton, Russell, Schooley, Walters, Murphy

E-mail Jean Leeper.