Snapshot of History
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Redding Methodist Church about 1907.
BY MIKE AVITT
I finally found the information I needed concerning this structure. It was such an ordeal, I want to tell you about it.
The Redding Centennial book suggests this building was erected in the 1880s and that it was remodeled in 1905. After years of research, I became suspicious of the construction date. However, Redding information from 120 years ago is difficult to find. Redding newspapers before 1915 do not exist.
That leaves me with the county correspondent from Redding in the Ringgold Record and Twice-A-Week newspapers (each paper had their own correspondent). So, in May 1884, there was a report of a church under construction in Redding. The denomination is not given. The Ringgold Record of July 29, 1886 says a church in Redding was dedicated last Sunday. Again, the denomination is not given. If there was only one church, then the denomination is common knowledge.
Now we jump to 1905 where I have access to two newspapers. The Record of March 30, 1905 says work is ready to begin on the new Methodist Church. In mid-June, both the Record and the Twice-A-Week News say the Methodist Church in Redding was heavily damaged by a storm. On August 10, 1905, we are told work had started on the new Methodist Episcopal Church.
I still wanted more info and one night I awoke to the revelation that I hadn’t looked in the Mount Ayr Journal newspaper. There, on December 28, 1905, was what I needed. The current Methodist Church in Redding was indeed built in 1905 using about $600 worth of material from the old church. Dedication services were held December 24, 1905.
I was able to find this info because the newspapers are digitized and online free. There is a search feature that expedites my searches.
Something else I found was the establishment of “old” Redding in the Ringgold Record of May 20, 1875. The town of Redding does appear on an 1875 map, but the Redding Post Office, established August 31, 1855, is located two or three miles north of the town.
I do believe the current town of Redding was platted in 1880 when the railroad came through and the 1875 Redding was located about one-fourth of a mile to the northeast. The Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Railroad placed their passenger station between the two towns as we see on old plat maps.
Now, while digitized newspapers make research much easier, I’m finding a tremendous lack of detail in the articles. The correspondents from 1886 were not writing for Mike Avitt in 2022, they were writing for the people of 1886 who had common knowledge of happenings and the vernacular. The correspondents were not consistent with their weekly columns and not all newspapers survived to be digitized, so I still labor to get information. But, labor I must.
Next week, I’ll be in the 1880s where I have access to only the Ringgold Record and the Ringgold Republican.
