Just as it is today, dissension and division caused a church divide in the Presbyterian Church of Iowa, and by 1842, there were two Presbyterian churches in Iowa City – one that had a traditional reformed theology, and the other – a more modern, less formal belief system. With the financial support of the American Home Missionary Society, Rev. William W. Woods was one of the first evangelists to bring the gospel message to Iowa City in order to care for souls. As pastor of the New School Stone Church – part of the new Des Moines Presbytery – Woods helped build a state-wide network of churches that expanded steadily with Iowa’s westward expansion. Over the remainder of the 19th century, there were many godly men and women who came here, influencing, in a positive way, the fabric of our society.

CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE BLOG SERIES – Iowa City’s Top 50 Influencers – Part I

Back in 1979 – The Iowa City Press Citizen ran a special seven-page section called Chronology 1841/1979 and it featured Iowa City’s famed historian – Irving Weber – and his look at 25 People Who Left Their Stamp On Iowa City. So, here we are – forty-four years later – and now, I’m offering these two posts – dedicated to those who have greatly influenced our city over the first 100 years or so. This page features the First 25, and as you can see, each of the 25 names has a brief overview with a link(s) to read more, if you like. Enjoy!

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