Valton Friends Meeting or Church was established on June 18, 1873. From 1873 to 1880 their worship services were held in a dwelling house known as the Ben Burdick house. Then Friends worshipped for a time with the United Brethren in their new building built in the village of Valton in 1880. In 1886 this practice was discontinued and services were held in different places available to them. The present church building was erected in 1890. Nathan Harvey, James Jackson, Samuel Frazier, James and William Hutchens, Francis Jones and others were the ones directly interested in having the church built.
The United Brethren referred to above in Valton in 1880 became the Wesleyan Methodists about 1905. In 1873 the Wesleyans started worshipping in the Bethel Church in Section 6 in the town of Ironton. They discontinued using that church about 1918 and from then on went to Valton to attend services.
Dr. Philip Slack, a medical doctor and minister, came to Valton Friends in 1888 as their first paid pastor.
The Society of Friends arose amid the political and religious turmoil of mid-seventeenth century England. From the statement of Jesus to His disciples, "Ye are My Friends, if ye so whatsoever I command you (John 15:14)," came both the name and the spirit of the Friends Church. The term "Quaker" was a nickname given to early Friends because people trembled with conviction under the power of God in their midst.
Friends believed the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, and are distinguished in their simplicity of worship, with few forms of rituals. Friends believe that all men everywhere both need and may experience an inward, personal relationship with God, and that Christ is the one Mediator between God and man, reconciling man to God through his death on the cross.
The Valton Church and the church in Sturgeon Bay are the only Wisconsin Friends' Churches that belong to the Winneshiek Quarterly Meeting. Wisconsin and Iowa Friends belong to the Iowa Yearly meeting. (The terms "Quarterly Meeting" and "Yearly Meeting" refer to a meeting and a district.)
Valton Cemetery served the area for over 120 years as known burials date back to February, 1862. More complete dates are added in parenthesis if available from burial permits or other records.
Location : SW 1/4 NW 1/4 of Section 28 and SE 1/4 NE 1/4 of Section 29, T28 and 29N, R2E, Town of Woodland, County of Sauk, State of Wisconsin; northeast of village of Valton.
Copied by : Bernadette Bitter, Ena C. Moll, Mary Schuette
Date Copied : August 30, 1977 and September 14, 1977
From Sauk County Cemetery Inscription, Volume #5, Pages 116-126.
HARVEY : Rev. N. C. 1837 - 1909 Co. H 12th Wis. Inf.
Mary M. 1838 - 1897, wife
COX : Josiah Dec. 5, 1842 - Nov. 5, 188_(?) (Stone broken off; no record at County Seat)
Mary F. Apr. 18, 1863 - Apr. 1, 1874; child of J. & J., Picture
Albert E. Jan. 4, 1865 - Nov. 21, 1871, Picture
Page 127
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