Difference between revisions of "Clayton Gospel Hall, IA"

Revision as of 00:38, 15 December 2018

Clayton history

Clayton, Iowa is in the same county as Garnavillo, where Garnavillo Gospel Hall has operated for many years. It is located in Clayton County, Iowa in northeastern Iowa directly on the Mississippi River, and is only accessible via a very steep road. The population was 43 in the 2010 Census, down from 55 in the 2000 Census, though many others have summer homes there due to its proximity on the Mississippi River. The town was founded in 1849. In 1880, it had its peak population of 383, though shrinking to 170 by 1920, and has continued to shrink.

Oliver Smith's evangelism

Clayton Gospel Hall was the firstfruits of Oliver Smith's evangelistic ministry, which produced an assembly. He writes, "During the Winter of the year 1918 we began a few meetings in a schoolhouse in Clayton, Iowa, and God began to work from the very start of the meetings, and saved five souls before the end of the week. It was a great encouragement to us to see God's willingness and power to save through the Name of His dear Son.

One of these five was a drinking railroad man (Edward Osthoff) who today is living to the praise and honor of God. Another man was a poor fisherman who also has proved that he was made rich through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as he has continued in the things of God to the present day. From time to time I continued to go there until a number had professed... about twenty in all as I remember it. As a result of these meetings held there an Assembly was formed later on."

Clayton Gospel Hall

The assembly in Clayton may have started in 1918 at the conclusion of the initial Gospel meetings that saw five saved, and fifteen later.  It was at least in operation by 1927, as per the assembly address book from that year, and continues to be listed in 1936, and 1943, but is absent by 1965.  The assembly presumably existed thru 1952 when Edward Ostoff died.  

Edward Osthoff

The correspondent in all three editions was Edward Osthoff, Box 27.  In 1930, Edward was working as a section foreman for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.  His son, Edwin, was employed the same year as a foreman in the steam railroad industry.  He and his wife Louisa Franz had two children, Edwin and Lorraine, before Louisa's premature death in 1909.  In 1910, Edward remarried [[Frances Elizabeth Broessel Osthoff]], having one more daughter Vivian Helen Osthoff, who came to Christ later in 1970 in Garnavillo.   See bios of Edward, Frances and Vivian for more detail.

Letters of Interest

A series entitled Pioneer Work in Iowa by W.R. Simpson , in September 1946, credits Oliver Smith for the start of the Clayton assembly, from the time of his conversion in 1913 at Waterloo. The Clayton assembly is on a list of “good-sized assemblies” as a fruit of Oliver’s, along with Manchester, Garnavillo, Stout, Hitesville, Aredale and Cylinder.

Post-Clayton Gospel Hall

In 1956, there was a “School of Missions” series teacher named Frances Osthoff that was honored at St. Luke’s Methodist in Dubuque.

Possible alumni

In 1930, Edward and Frances Osthoff had a boarder, an unmarried schoolteacher named Emma L. Jacobs, who may have been in fellowship with the Clayton Assembly.  In 1940, Emma was lodging with Mary Crefeld (1872-1945), still in Clayton, IA.

Sources

• [www.ancestry.com ancestry.com]

• 1927 Assembly Address Book, Faithful Words Publishing, St. Louis, MO

• 1936 Assembly Address Book, Light and Liberty Publishing, Fort Dodge, IA

• 1943 Assembly Address Book, Walterick Publishers, Fort Dodge, IA

• Letters of Interest, 1946 September

• Oliver Smith's testimony concerning Clayton was originally written in 1929 entitled "Pioneering in Iowa", in a scrapbook entitled "With The Lord", compiled by Pauline Van Mill.