The second new Methodist Church

If you are curious as to why I am doing the church stories right now, the museum has moved their church display and I am trying to get a handle on the histories of churches in our area. Need I say, there are a lot of them. Remembering back to when I was a teenager, years ago, the saying we had about McCook was that it was just churches and gas stations….there was nothing to do. That of course was a huge exaggeration but we were teenagers in a small mid-western town. Luckily, many of my generation decided to stick around and more have returned. I guess there is something to do in McCook.

The following excerpts are from the McCook Tribune covering the dedication of the Methodist Episcopal Church on March 5, 1905:

“On last Sunday realized the bright dreams of the Methodist people of McCook and vicinity, when their beautiful and costly new church was formally dedicated to the service of the Master, consummating the work and prayers and sacrifice of many months in a handsome edifice of hydraulic stone and pressed brick calculated to last centuries.” (or 4 years, whichever comes first sic)

“The new church of which the above is a fine picture, can safely lay claim to being the finest church structure in Southwestern Nebraska. It has already cost $ 12000 and when fully completed with sidewalks, lawn, trees, etc., it will represent the expenditure of $13,500, including real estate. (Adding the parsonage to this the investment will total $ 15,000). The church is of concrete block construction (the first of its kind ever built in this part of the state) and is 55 x 61 feet on the ground. The first floor contains the main auditorium, the Epworth and Junior League room, the ladies’ parlor and the pastor’s study. In the basement is located the dining room and kitchen, the furnace and fuel rooms, and a room under the tower which will eventually be converted into a bathroom, etc.”


“The pews are of oak-back and ends-with elm seats-are very comfortable and tasty, and cost $ 500. The ladies’ parlor and leagues’ room will be seated with special folding chairs in single, doubles and trios, 70 in all, soon to arrive.”

“One of the handsomest features of the building are the windows. They are exceptionally artistic and represent a total outlay of $ 525.00. Most of them are memorial or gift windows. The large south window is the splendid gift of the four railroad organizations of the city: the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, Order of Railroad Conductors, and Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. The other south windows are memorials by the Ludwick and McCarl families. The large west windows are the gift of the Epworth and Junior Leagues, and the two smaller windows on the west are gifts of the Grand Army (of the Republic) and Ladies’ Aid Society.”

“On the east are four memorial windows, the Sunday-school another, and the remaining two are memorials to Worthy Coleman and Archie Tyler.”

“One of the most expensive and artistic features of the new church is the tower. Though being one story less in height than at first contemplated at 70 feet high, of light-color pressed brick and Colorado red-stone construction, a thing of beauty and pride. Its effect is heightened by the porch effect below and two large and costly steps leading thereto. The steps alone cost about $ 150.00. The bell weighs 2,000 pounds and cost $ 310.00.”

“The lighting of the church is very complete and at night through the colored windows gives a most charming effect, from basement to tower top. The main-audience room contains four electrolieres of four incandescents each of twenty-four power, besides there are single lights in plenty. Altogether there are forty-three lights in the church controlled by six switches.”

Just to be clear, the Methodists spent money on this building and the estimates for completion didn’t exactly include the basement though the plans were formulated. Looking at the picture I can only wish I had seen this building prior to its destruction because it appears that it was built along the same lines as the first McCook courthouse. When the congregation met to do this dedication, there was some $ 6,000 of outstanding debt. A Mr. Powell secured that debt with a subscription by his stock method which was increased by another $ 1,000 before the end of the day.

SWNGS October Expo is coming up! Watch our Facebook page and the McCook Gazette for details!