WEST HILL CHAPEL

Photo courtesy: Telegraph Herald

WEST HILL CHAPEL. In 1877 Mr. and Mrs. Richard BONSON sold "the north 40 feet of Lot 122 in Union Addition" for forty dollars to the Union Addition Chapel Association. Association trustees included William J. Woods, L. B. Tuttle, S. Hickok, Norman Clark and Jerome Lobdell. These men constructed the chapel at night after completing their daytime jobs. (1)

In 1913 the property was deeded to the West Hill Union Chapel Association. Trustees of this group included Charles J. Forward, Charles J. Peterson, Wesley W. Ireland, John Rumple, Benjamin Heidemann, Edward M. Jeffers, and Wilfred J. Brunskill. Charles Forward preached at the chapel, but was not an ordained minister. He, however, remained the leader of the group until his death in 1925. (2)

Construction in 1918 resulted in the building being enlarged to twice its size with a seating capacity of 200. (3)

In 1920 the deed was transferred to the West Hill Chapel Association. In 1927 all the trustees resigned and the keys to the building were given to the Sunday School Association that showed an interest in using the building. No record remains of how long the group used the building, but it was locked and unused until Walter Keck and his wife moved there in 1939. (4)

Articles for incorporation of a "West Hill Chapel" were filed that year by the Kecks. The organization's goal was the spread of Christianity. The group was reported as active for four or five years with a membership of seventy-five. Early members remember that the congregation was associated with the Church of the Nazarene with members attending from Galena, Illinois; Platteville, Wisconsin; and Cuba City, Wisconsin. No regular meetings were held and no books were kept. (5)

The 1942 Dubuque Classified Business Directory through 1945 Dubuque City Directory listed 255 Pear.

In 1950 the property remained on the city's tax rolls because no application for an exemption had ever been filed. Mr. Keck had left the premises. (6)

Judge John George Chalmers issued a search warrant for January 4, 1950 to four city officials who visited the site. (7) It was alleged that Rev. Keck was in illegal possession of the building, that undesirable people were harbored there, and that the use and occupancy of the building was a menace to the community. The action was taken after fifty neighborhood residents presented a petition to the city council asking that the people residing in the building be removed. (8)

On January 9, 1950 Mrs. Lenice J. Keck announced that she would be moving to the west coast. At the time, she was also involved in a divorce from her husband and had obtained an injunction against him to prevent "physical harm." Mrs. Keck said she would be reporting to the Calvary Evangelistic Association headquarters at San Pedro, California. (9)

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Source:

1. Kreger, Bill. "Snarl of Deeds Snarl Ownership of Chapel," Telegraph Herald, January 8, 1950, p. 4

2. Ibid.

3. "West Hill Chapel Built by Neighbor's Donation, Telegraph-Herald, June 22, 1919, p. 15

4. Kreger

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Fisher, Joseph, "Occupant Defends West Hill Chapel," Telegraph-Herald, January 5, 1950, p. 1

8. Fisher, Joseph. "W. Hill Chapel to Fight Back," Telegraph Herald, January 6, 1950, p. 1. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19500106&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

9. Fisher, Joseph. "Pastor Keck Moving, Going to West Coast," Telegraph Herald, January 10, 1950, p. 10