Chapter 20 cont. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH On a bright Sunday morning, July 28, 1839, a small band of men and women might have been seen wending their way to the home of D. C. Eldridge, a small brick house on the northeast corner of Third and Main streets.  This gathering was the result of many conferences and much thought and prayer, for these earnest Christians purposed in their heart the banding of themselves into a congregation for united religious work.  In this meeting plans for organization were discussed and future work contemplated.  Elder James T. Rumbold was chosen as pastor, and the First Christian church of Davenport was organized with the following charter members:  James Rumbold, Sr., and Mrs. Catherine Rumbold, James Rumbold, Jr., John Owens, Mrs. Eunice Owens, Miss Elizabeth Meeks, Miss Rhoda Owens, George H. Tapley, Richard S. Craig, Mrs. Mahalia Craig, Duncan C. Eldridge, Mrs. Rebecca Eldridge, Thomas Marsh, Mrs. Betsy Marsh, John Carroll, Sr., and Mrs. Elizabeth Carroll, sixteen in all.  That was seventy years ago last July.  In September of the same year there were added to the membership; James Glaspell, Mrs. Jane Glaspell, Silas Glaspell, Gabriel McArthur, Mrs. Elizabeth McArthur, Miss Ruth Glaspell and William Hickson.  So far as is known every charter member of this church is deceased and but few of the members of its first years are here upon earth.  The church grew rapidly and the members felt that as a church they were not properly organized, for they were well-informed Christians.  They had come from Louisville and Covington, Kentucky, and from Cincinnati, Ohio, and the vicinity of these cities, and their conversion had been under the preaching of such men as Alexander Campbell, Walter Scott, James Challen and D. S. Burnett.  So they now proceeded to elect officers according to the plan of the New Testament churches.  James Rumbold and James Glaspell were chosen elders, with George H. Tapley, clerk.  Meetings continued to be held at the home of Mr. Eldridge until the congregation had outgrown this place and it became necessary to arrange for more commodious quarters.  It was then that George Tapley offered his carpenter shop on the corner of Fourth and Brady streets for their use.  All during the week the noise of hammer and saw was heard there.  But on Saturday night the owner prepared for the Sunday audience.  Though the seats were but rough boards, those occupying them made no complaint, and in those days one  heard no expression of grievance against the janitor.  And after all, the carpenter shop was not an unfitting meeting place for the followers of the humble Nazarene.  Its associations could not be otherwise than Christ-like, for His hand once shoved the plane.  About this time a prayer meeting was started at the home of R. S. Craig and from that on prayer meetings were held from house to house.  They held their Sunday meetings in Mr. Tapley's shop for about a year.  Elder Rumbold still occupied the pulpit.  Soon the carpenter shop became too small and D. C. Eldridge and James Rumbold waited on Antoine LeClaire, who owned the land in that part of town, and succeeded in getting the donation of the lot on the east side of Brady street between Fourth and Fifth streets.  There is a tradition to the effect that among his other peculiarities Mr. LeClaire had one of wearing his hat in such a manner as to indicate his temper.  So these two men visited him several times before laying their petition before him, waiting for his hat to assume a favorable position.  The laid-forward position was the inflammable one, the one he used to keep people and petitioners out.  On these occasions Mr. Eldridge and Mr. Rumbold merely talked over general subjects and then bowed themselves from his presence.  But happening in one day when his hat was pushed well back on his head, they instantly made known their desire, which was cheerfully granted.  On the lot donated by Antoine LeClaire a meeting house was erected at a cost of about $300.  Shortly after this the Sanfords, Lesslies, Sanders, Lyters and Grays were added to the congregation, greatly increasing its strength and efficiency; and then followed such pastors as Dr. Horatio Gatchell, Charles Levan, James Gaston and Jonas Hartzell.  It was during the ministry of Rev. Rev. Hartzell that this last church became too small and the congregation met in the courthouse until the second chuch was built on the site of the first one, at a cost of $1,200.  This structure was occupied in 1854 without a dollar's indebtedness.  Many years afterward the second building was sold and became Hibernian Hall.  It was soon after moving into the new church that the little band had a visit from Alexander Campbell.  Their appreciation of him was indicated by the fact that he preached on this occasion for more than two hours, and not only held his audience to the last but the time seemed all too short.  This, however, was no unusual thing with him, and not only was this true of Mr. Campbell, but most sermons in those days were long, ranging from forty-five minutes to twice that length, and the people seldom grew tired listening.  Following the ministry of Elder Hartzell the next three pastors were:  Eli Rigdon, Samuel Law and James Challen.  It is under the ministry of Elder Challen that the church reached its way to prosperity, and it was during this period that the Rock Island congregation, which up to that time had worshiped with the Davenport church, felt strong enough to form themselves into an organization of their own.  Rev. Challen was a great preacher and a facile writer, courtly, dignified and cultured.  Everyone admired and loved him. The Sunday school was large and full of interest and enthusiasm.  There were no "helps" in those days in the way of International lessons.  Each teacher and officer took his turn at leading and the lessons came fresh from the Holy Book itself.  The pupils learned verses from the Bible and the children would often repeat from memory from fifty to one hundred verses that they had learned during the week.  Rev. Challen was followed in the pastorate by Revs. J. B. Johnson, H. H. Black, J. Carroll Stark, Gilbert J. Ellis, J. F. Ghormley, W. H. Martin, J. T. H. Stewart, J. Mad.  Willams, E. W. Johnson, L. lane, C. C. Davis and A. Martin.  In 1874 Isaac Errett came west to attend the commencement of the State University of Iowa.  While in Davenport he talked with Mrs. M. A. Sanders concerning the organizing of the women of the Christian church in the United States into missionary societies.  Mrs. Sanders in turn conferred with the ladies of the church and when the National society of the C. W. B. M. was formed, the Davenport church had a society already organized in this work, and thus this church is the unknown to fame but real mother of the great International Christian Women's Board of Missions.  During Rev. Ellis' ministry the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor was organized, and to his and Mrs. Ellis' interest and zeal the success of this society belongs.  Then the old property on Brady street was sold and druing the ministry of Rev. Ghormley the present church edifice was erected, and the other large churches followed it up the hill.  The present pastor, S. M. Perkins, came to the church in February, 1908.  The members of the church now number over 500, and during Rev. Perkins' work here there have been 275 accessions to the church. 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