In 1851, the first Catholic Church was constructed in the Wapello County seat of Ottumwa, in the downtown district north of the Des Moines River. A second church was constructed on the south side of the river 1883, with the pictured Sacred Heart Catholic Church constructed at the eastern end of the city in 1897. The parish operated for a century before closing in 1997.
The first Methodist church was organized in the Page County town of Shambaugh in 1885, following a successful revival meeting held in the community. Work completed on the first church building in 1891, a frame structure measuring 30 x 44 feet constructed at a cost of $1,000. The present church was moved to its present location in 1917, which featured a new basement containing a furnace room, kitchen and fellowship hall. The church was dedicated at its new site in 1918.
The First Presbyterian Church in the Emmet County town of Ringsted can trace its history to 1903, when a modest church building was moved into the community. The unused church was moved on three bobsleds, pulled through frozen fields by a team of 24 horses over a two-week period. By spring, the stone foundation was complete and front steps added; the church was formally dedicated in June 1903.
In February 1958, a committee was formed to plan the financing and building of a new church. The congregation quickly voted to construct the new $65,000 facility, with ground broken by June and the cornerstone laid on September 14, 1958. The first service was held in the new building in February 1959, with the church dedicated two months later. In 1985, the congregation voted to share a pastor with the Presbyterian Church in nearby Armstrong.
Sixteen Lutheran families in the Cerro Gordo County seat of Mason City established a congregation in July 1, 1871. A permanent facility was constructed in 1824, with the Trinity name adopted in 1908. Over the next 35 years, membership grew exponentially and the church became too small for the congregation. As money was raised for a new facility, church services were held in the now-demolished Palace Theater.
The first services were held in the present facility on May 14, 1950. An adjacent three-story education building was constructed in 1960.
The first Catholic Church in the Benton County town of Watkins was constructed in 1880 as a place of worship for the area’s Irish settlers. The church served the community for 26 years before it was destroyed by fire in 1906. The next year, a new facility was built; an adjacent residence was built in 1912 when a full-time pastor was appointed. As membership grew, the church size was doubled in 1918, while additional improvements were made in 1949 and 1962.