1858 there were classes at Nevada, McCartney's, Applegate's, Mullen's, Bloomington, Smith's and Cambridge, and Rev. R. Swearingen was pastor.
The Nevada Methodist Episcopal Church was organized at the house of J. W. Cesna in the latter part of May, 1856, with Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Day, Mrs. W. G. Allen, Mrs. Hannah Kellogg, M. Pettibone, and Mrs. J. W. Cesna, as members, and J. L. Hestwood, as preacher. Of these, Mesdames Kellogg and Cesna are the only ones left. Among pastors that followed Rev. Hestwood are, Revs. Ashbaugh, R. Swearingen, Frank Thompson, Kelley, Hankins, Neigh, John Hestwood, Slusser, Samuel Jones, B. Shinn, T. M. Williams, D. Thompson, Jacob Fegtley, F. W. Vinson, E. W. Sage, A. Thornbrue, A. M. Wright, A. T. Jeffrey, and W. W. Danner, the present pastor. It was a circuit until 1866, and included Iowa Center, Bloomington, Johnson's Grove and Nevada, with F. M. Slusser as its last pastor. Services were at first held in private houses, school-houses, and the old court-house, until 1869, when the present large frame building was erected at a cost of about $5,000. There were as high as ninety conversions during the pastorate of Rev. Slusser, and this, with others following, placed the society on a vigorous basis. The membership is now about 190, and the church and its various auxiliary societies are in a prosperous condition.
The Ames Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1859, with Rev. S. F. Gossard in charge, and the following trustees: Isaac Black, W. F. Wakefield, Thomas Greyson, S. O. Osborn, S. H. Miller; Ira Bixby and Thomas Gossard were appointed April 7, 1866. A church was built during the latter year on Main Street, at a cost of $2,000. This was used until 1887, when a brick structure was completed, at a cost of $10,500, and dedicated in February, 1888. This is no doubt the finest church building in Story County. The present board of trustees are H. Westerman, Dr. C. E. Hunt, Dr. E. B. Plumb, Prof. H. Knapp, and C. W. McElyia. The Epworth League and Woman's Foreign Missionary Society are their auxiliaries; the membership, including a class five miles southwest of Ames, reaches the number 220. The successive pastors have been, Revs. S. G. Gossard, beginning in 1859; W. O. Glasner, 1861; W. S. Dorwin, 1865; T. P. Newland, 1867; E. Kendall, 1868; J. G. Eckels, 1870; A. Wilson, 1871; A. Brown, 1873; I. T. Miller, 1875; E. W. Brady, 1877; B. F. Durfee, 1878; W. Abraham, 1880; E. Kendall, 1881; D. Thompson, 1883; H. J. Everly, 1881; A. H. Hunt, 1887; and William Stevenson, 1888.
The Colo Methodist Episcopal Church began its career in 1865, and on September 9, 1867, the following trustees were elected: Peter Martin, W. W. Utterback, Joshua Cooper, G. H. Richardson, J. H. Vorhees, M. J. Hanks and Abel Hankins. Church services were held in the town hall, school-house, the building of the "Church of God " and that of the Protestant Methodists until 1886, when they bought the building of the first-mentioned society and refitted it, so that it is now valued at about $1,500. The present trustees are: G. H. Richardson, H. Cummings, J. W. Kinsell, J. H. Shammo and Charles Nickren. The entire charge numbers 123, of which sixty are in the Colo class. Among the successive pastors are: Revs. John Dorwin, J. S. Coit, S. Snyder, A. A. Vanscoy, J. A. Jefferson, J. S. Morrow, C. H. Burleigh, J. A. Stephens, C. A. Croney, A. B. Shipman, F. D. Funk, A. W. Armstrong, S. S. Todd, W. A. Welker, I. M. O'Flyng and J. S. Throckmorton.
The Cambridge Methodist Episcopal Church was a part of the Fort Dodge District at first, under Presiding Elder Daniel Lamont. The