THE DIOCESE OF IOWA The first services of the Episcopal church in Iowa were held in 1836, when occasional ministrations were held in Dubuque by the Rev. Richard F. Cadle, and later by the Rev. E. G. Gear and the Rev. J. Batchelder.  The first services in Scott county were held by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Philander Chase, bishop of Illinois, who officiated in the hotel at Rockingham in the fall of 1837.  Thirty or forty people were present, among them Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Van Tuyl.  In 1841 the domestic committee of the board of missions of the Protestant Episcopal church in the United States appointed the Rev. Zachariah Goldsmith as missionary to Davenport, and on the 14th of October of the same year Trinity church was organized.  The first wardens were Ira Cook and J. W. Parker.  H. S. Finley was the first secretary and Ebenezer Cook the first treasurer.  W. W. Dodge was also a member of the first vestry.  After the organization of the parish, the congregation worshiped in a building on Main street near where the Commercial club now stands.  In 1853 a new church was built upon the corner of Fifth and Rock Island streets.  This was the first church built of stone in the state of Iowa. In the meantime work had been developing in the more important towns, and in July, 1853, the Rt. Rev. Jackson Kemper, D. D., the venerable missionary bishop of the northwest, issued an invitation to the clergy and representatives of all orgainized congregations in the state of Iowa to meet at Muscatine on Wednesday, August 17th, at 6 o'clock.  In accordance with this invitation the clergy and laity met in the chapel of Trinity church, Muscatine.  The bishop being absent, the Rev. Alfred Louderback, rector of Trinity church, Davenport, was elected chairman.  A constitution and canons for the church in Iowa were adopted and the election of a bishop for Iowa determined upon.  On May 31, 1854, the first convention of the diocese of Iowa was held in Trinity church, Davenport, being called to order by Bishop Kemper.  At this convention, the Rev. Henry Washington Lee, D. D., was elected the first bishop of Iowa.  Dr. Lee was at the time the rector of St. Luke's church, Rochester, N. Y.  He was consecratee in his parish church October 18, 1854.  Bishop Lee preached in his diocese for the first time October 29th, in St. John's church, Dubuque.  Bishop Lee was an earnest, large-minded and large-hearted man.  He gave himself to his work with unsparing devotion and with great foresigtedness undertook the creation of a fund which should adequately endow the diocese.  Through the liberality, chiefly, of eastern churchmen, he obtained means for the purchase of some 6,500 acres of land in Iowa, which land was held until, through increase in value, sales were made which paid for the erection of the Episcopal residence, Brady and Eleventh streets, Davenport, at a cost of $21,000, and netted an endowment of $53,000 for the diocese. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L