Delphos, Iowa

Our #failedwander2025 wasn’t all a disaster, we did come across some wonderful bits of history sitting there in the midst of almost empty little towns. It was pretty much the church and school tour.

The church was built in the late 1880's. Delphos was at its peak in population at this time. The main carpenter was a very fine carpenter by the name of Mr. WHITELY, who had migrated to the United States from England. He was very particular in his work. The church was built at a time when the best of lumber, White Pine, could be purchased quite cheaply. I started going to Sunday School there in about 1896. Sunday School then would average about forty in attendance. There were good singers and a choir. Ad TENNANT was the leader; my father, Ell HOOVER, Hattie STEDMAN, Ara BAKER, Flora CROPPER, and others were good singers. In many songs, entire audiences would join in singing. Ministers would come from Drake University in Des Moines on Saturday by taking a train to Benton. The church members would take turns meeting them at Benton, keeping them over the weekend, and then taking them back to Benton after Church services Sunday evening. Many of the young ministers were students at Drake University and went on to head some of the largest churches in the United States. They were fine young men… Both Christian and Baptist Churches had good, active audiences. They each had a preacher every other Sunday. The one that did not have Sunday School would go over in very good representative numbers to attend the church services that had preaching. I even remember very vividly in my mind going over to the Baptist Church one evening when Fannie STEDMAN, later to become Mrs. SEATON and who was then a beautiful young lady, sang "O Where is My Wandering Boy Tonight." I recall this so often; it made a strong impression on me. I have been very thankful for that opportunity and for the good influence that it has had on my life. No doubt, many young people of the Delphos community have had good, lasting influences from their association with these churches.

~Stuart Hoover, From Delphos Centennial Book: 1880-1980

There originally was an el of the church. It was removed in 2010 leaving that large scar on the roof.

Later it became a Seventh Day Adventist Church, lasting into the early 1990’s. The population of Delphos was 26 at the 2020 census. In 2017 the community of Delphos voted to disincorporate. And now it sits there, waiting for the end. When will it completely disintigrate?

Onward.

Love,
Cynthia