Pella in Marion County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
A Nod to the Baptists
November 5, 2023
1. A Nod to the Baptists Marker
The Baptist Church has had a presence in Iowa since the territory was opened for settlement. Moses J. Post was an ordained Baptist missionary/itinerant preacher who traversed southeastern Iowa starting in 1841. Marion County, in which Pella is located, was formally organized in 1845. That year Post was commissioned to Eddyville, Iowa, where he labored in the religious field of Marion County and other parts of the New Purchase. During this time Post would preach once a month at the Nossaman family cabin, which was located just a few miles south of the future site of Pella.
In 1846, Post was reassigned to Fairfield, Iowa, where he served as a traveling pastor at four churches in the surrounding countryside. He also began carrying mail once a week between Fairfield and Fort Des Moines. This mail route followed what was known as the State Highway a grand name for a primitive dirt road that followed the ridge that connected the two towns and ran between the Des Moines and Skunk Rivers. By coincidence, the state highway ran right past the Tuttle farm in northeastern Marion County. Post's travels gave him a unique knowledge
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In the summer of 1847, Dominie Henry Peter Scholte, leading a search committee of five Dutchmen, arrived at the land office in Fairfield looking for a location to settle his Dutch band. A chance meeting between the two reverends resulted in Post telling Scholte of a possible location. Post guided the committee to the future site of Pella, where he introduced them to the Tuttles and some of their neighbors. Within a few days, Scholte had purchased the claims of several of the settlers in the region and the future location of Pella was thus secured. Eventually 18,000 acres were acquired for the Dutch settlement.
In 1852, the Baptist Church was looking for a site on which to locate a university to serve the state. Knowing the benefits that an institution of higher learning would give Pella, Scholte and several other prominent citizens successfully offered land and other incentives to locate the institution in Pella. As a result, in 1853 the Central University of Iowa was founded in Pella. Today it is known as Central College. In 1916, the Baptists transferred control of the university to the Reformed
November 5, 2023
2. A Nod to the Baptists Marker, from the south
Although neither Scholte nor the Dutch immigrants were Baptists themselves, Pella likely would not exist in this location, or be the successful town that it is, without the invaluable assistance of the Baptists.
Erected 2021 by Historic Pella Trust.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1841.
Location. 41° 24.668′ N, 92° 54.949′ W. Marker is in Pella, Iowa, in Marion County. It can be reached from Lincoln Street west of Houston Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Located along the Tuttle Learning Walk, between Tuttle Cabin and Sunken Garden Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 608 Lincoln St, Pella IA 50219, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Iowa. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Why the Dutch Left Their Homeland (a few steps from this marker); The Early Years (a few steps from this marker); Pella and the Civil War (a few steps from this marker); The Land Before the Dutch (within shouting distance of this marker); Tulip Time and Sunken Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Dutch Influence on Today's Pella (within shouting distance of this marker); Tuttle Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker); Pella Civil War Monument (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pella.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2023. This page has been viewed 150 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 18, 2023.
