C.C. Walworth helped start Congregational Church

To the Editor,

     I wish to share information about three former residents of Monticello, Iowa, that have helped to make our town what it is today.

     This is the third former resident Corbin researched.

     Mr. C.C. Walworth seems to have arrived in Monticello, Iowa in 1870. He bought a farm on the south edge of Monticello. Farm people were surprised when Mr. C.C. Walworth received some hybrid cattle on the railroad. Holstein cattle were a special breed of cattle that came from Holland. These cattle gave more milk, which contained more cream. The cream was then churned into butter. There was a big demand for good butter.

     Mr. C.C. Walworth was a registered breeder of Holstein cattle.

     The first male calf bred and born in Monticello, Iowa was on Dec. 25, 1871. It was named “Monticello Duke” and is registered in the Holstein Record book of the Holstein Association in Brattleboro, Vt.

     Mr. C.C. Walworth had three more bulls registered there from Monticello, Iowa. He also had five cows registered, two of which were born and bred in Monticello, Iowa.

     Mr. C.C. Walworth is not listed in any Monticello official organizations, but did play an important part in establishing the Monticello Congregational Church.

     Mr. C.C. Walworth attended a meeting of Monticello residents wanting to establish that church in Monticello. He told them that the first thing they should do was make sketches of what and where they wanted to locate doors, windows, seating arrangements, and the pulpit. He would then send these sketches to a company in Boston where a drawing would be made of the proposed church. They would then send back drawings of the inside and outside of the church. Mr. C.C. Walworth said he was donating $500 to help pay for the drawings of the new building.

     The drawings and measurements of everything to build their church arrived back in Monticello and the local congregation said it was just what they had hoped for but the total cost was much higher than they had expected.

     Mr. C.C. Walworth attended the meeting and said if they would mark out items they didn’t really need, he would resubmit the plans. He would also donate $500 toward having this done, which he did.

     The second drawing and lower estimate was sent back to Monticello. The congregation examined them and agreed on the changes and accepted the second estimate.

     The church was built on the corner of Grand and S. Cedar Street. The church would face north. This was a great help for the Monticello Fire Department, because if the bell was rung and it wasn’t Sunday, the firemen knew something in town was on fire. This church bell saved a lot of homes and businesses in Monticello, Iowa.

     NOTE: “Monticello Duke” is listed as number 28 in the Holstein Herd Record book under the heading of “Bulls.” The description states: “Black and white; calved, Dec. 25, 1871; bred by and the property of C.C. Walworth, Monticello, Iowa. Sire, 2d Duke of Belmont (36); grand sire, Van Tromp (50), imported from North Holland by Winthrop W. Chenery, 1861. Dam, Duchess of Holstein (8), by Duke of Holstein (6); grand dam, Zuider Zee 3d (63), by Hollander (19); great grand dam, Zuider Zee (62), imported from North Holland by Winthrop W. Chenery, 1861.

William E. Corbin

Monticello, Iowa