The editor called attention to the “dilapidated condition of the sidewalk on the north side of the [M. E.] church property” on April 20, 1903. He added, “The walk has been full of holes and loose boards for months and no attention has been paid to complaints that have been made. It is time for someone to wake up and do something about it.” By early June the church was “circulating a petition to raise funds to put in a cement walk on the south side of the church property. It has a number of liberal signers.” Nothing more was mentioned about the north sidewalk.

The Monroe Evening Times reported on July 6, 1904 that the Trustees sold the lot on the northeast corner of the property to George Bast for $1,500. He planned to remodel the home, presumably the former parsonage. They sold the adjoining lot to Richard Patterson on October 10. That deed specified that there could be no barn or chicken house on the lot; it is unknown when his house was constructed.

The tall steeple was struck by lightning sometime in 1905. The church was insured by Etter & Treat as well as two mutual church insurance companies. The companies paid the society $190, $170 for the damage to the steeple and $20 for the painting.

In June 1906 the property was being improved by the laying of a cement approach from the southeast corner of the block to the church, probably where the current sidewalk exists. The roof of the church was being slated by Carl Wetzler, of Janesville, in October 1907. The new roof was not finished until April because it was hard to obtain sufficient slate. “It is a fine improvement and will add much to the looks of this already beautiful property.”

Dr. Julius Mauerman purchased the lot on the northwest corner of the block for $1,100 in April 1908. Even though the doctor’s house was near the church, a vandal removed three 2 x 6 timbers from the construction site late in July.

The old floor on the main level of the church was being torn out in February 1909. The new floor was to start being laid on February 11. Donations were again being requested.

David Becker purchased the lot just east of Mauerman’s on March 16, 1904 for $950. The lot, like Patterson’s, was 65’ by 90’; Becker’s stipulation was that there could be no barn or outhouse on the property. Becker’s new residence was being constructed in September.

A primary department room was being built in the basement in March 1913 with 20 feet having been taken off the north end. It was separated from the main Sunday school room by rolling curtains.

Prior to church service on February 15, 1914, church members met in the vestry of the church to talk business, taking action on an indebtedness of $1,150. A total of $1,050 was raised in only a few minutes; another $100 was subscribed by members after the church services. This allowed the church to be debt free again.

In an interesting turn, the church board on April 10 decided “to erect two tennis courts on the east side of the church property for the benefit of the young people and children in that section of town.”

There will be more about this endeavor in some future column.

As with all churches, it takes many volunteers to raise money to buy items for the church and help maintain the building. More than $200 was taken in by mid-afternoon at a bazaar held by the ladies in December 1920 through the sale of fancy work, baked goods, and candy. Miss Marjory Jackson and Mrs. J. C. Gillum took charge of a grab bag and notion counter, while the baked goods were in charge of Mrs. A. R. Steele and Mrs. F. M. Wolfe. Mrs. LaRoy Dodge and Mrs. Arthur Stauffacher were in charge of fancy work. Mrs. R. B. Gifford and Mrs. Sam Jackson took charge of domestic articles. The candy sale was conducted by Mrs. Louis Kohli, Mrs. W. G. Bear, and Mrs. Walter Bauman while aprons were being sold by Mrs. Robert Kundert and Mrs. P. J. Moser. A supper was served that evening.

Three years later, the ladies raised about $400 through another bazaar. About 250 attended the meals and exhausted the food supply with some people being turned away.

Volunteers also did some heavy work as evidenced by an article on April 24, 1924. “Casting aside their top coats and rolling their shirt sleeves above the elbow, members of the men’s Bible class . . . cleaned up the beautiful lawn surrounding the church and parsonage.

“All the dead grass and leaves were removed and burned, freeing the green grass from all unsightly objects. Yellow dandelions are now beginning to bloom on the lawn.

“Frank Meythaler as chairman of the ground committee, superintended the work of the following: R. B. Gifford, Edgar Patterson, F. E. Jenswold, S. A. Collins, George Goetz, G. W. Wilkinson, Rev. G. H. R. Kershaw, and E. B. Lewis.”

The members were proud of and celebrated their heritage often. In 1939 they celebrated the hundredth anniversary of the organization of Methodism in Monroe that took place “in a frame school not far from the block that for 96 years has been the center of activities of that denomination.” That old school “stood near the residence of the late Dr. Will Monroe at 1314/16 11th Street, just south of the church block.”

This building served as a church until the new church was opened in 1974. As mentioned in the first of this series, this building has been used as what is now the Monroe Arts Center since then. Many changes have been made to the building since then. We are fortunate that the Methodist Episcopal Society took great care of this building and that the MAC has treasured it as much for the last 50 years.

— Matt Figi is a Monroe resident and a local historian. His column will appear periodically on Saturdays in the Times. He can be reached at mfigi48@tds.net or at 

608-325-6503.