We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The Whitlash Presbyterian Church building was completed in 1951. The steeple, visible in this photo, was added in 1973. The steeple was built by the late Edgar Woods. The addition was in honor of William and Mary Schafer, longtime ranchers in the Sweet Grass Hills and active members of the church. The Schafer's adult daughters, at the time of the steeple addition, both lived in the Seattle area and acquired a ship's bell for the church's steeple.
Toni and Bob Dafoe, longtime members of the Whitlash church, work on metal siding to protect the steeple of the church. The new siding was added in 2016. The original building had only a cross on a flat-roofed tower. The steeple was built locally and added in 1973.
This is a closeup of a front window on the Whitlash church that still bears the marks where the present steeple fell and hit the church in 1973. During the first attempt to install the new steeple it began to sway and fell to the ground. After repairs, the steeple was set atop the tower where it still stands.
Dale Mailand, from Harlem, asked me for a digital photo of the Whitlash church's steeple and belfry. I sent the photo and shortly received a poem Dale wrote about the building and installing of the steeple, an event that happened in 1973.
Dale Mailand is an original member of the Montana Country Poets and Pickers, a group that has gathered for 25 years, meeting in Chinook for the last several winters. Dale's also a retired teacher, a former postal employee, a gunsmith and a self-described "Mr. Fixit." Here's the poem he sent
The Whitlash Church steeple,
by Dale Mailand
The Church was in need of a steeple,
At least, that's what lots of folks said.
From the whole congregation of people
The job fell to "Dynamite Ed",
It was never exactly appointed;
It was work someone needed to do.
Work and Ed were quite closely acquainted ...
He would help if you needed him to.
So he built it right there on the churchyard
And it ended up looking right fine.
Some folks feared it would still be too tricky
To hoist it and set it in line.
But one morning Ed came to the job site
And announced he would raise it today.
He had plans, almost ready, but not quite,
But, no doubt, he could figure a way.
So he improvised some kind of hook-up ...
(Steeple lifting was not his main job ...)
And he knew of no expert to look up;
Ed was not a construction boss snob.
Halfway up, it fell, smashed all-to-pieces!
Things had not gone according to plan.
Next time, maybe, he'd work out the "creases"
But for now, this was where he began.
So he rebuilt his country church steeple
Using all the remains that he could.
There were just a few smart-aleck people ...
For the most part, they behaved pretty good.
And the second attempt went much better;
One does learn from mistakes that were made.
No one ever said Ed was a "fretter" ...
He was cautious, but seldom afraid.
Well, Ed's gone to his Maker at long last;
Now and then he's remembered today
For his second-try steeple, perched steadfast
On the church roof, still pointing the way.
The rest of the story
The church building was completed in 1951 with no steeple or bell atop the original tower. William and Mary Schafer were local ranchers and active in the Whitlash church. Edgar Woods (the Ed in the poem) was a hired man for the Schafers. Edgar's son, Pete Woods, believes the adult daughters of William and Mary Schafer decided to add the steeple and bell to honor the memory of their parents. The daughters, Margie and Lois, lived in the Seattle area at the time. Edgar would build the steeple and the daughters would find a bell.
Pete explained, "My dad studied for some time how to build the steeple." The internal frame was constructed from 'oil field pipe' with a plywood skin attached. The new cross atop the steeple was made from square tubular steel. Edgar built the steeple in a shop on the Schafer's ranch. The daughters provided a ship's bell that most locals agree came from the Puget Sound. The name of the manufacturer is inscribed on the bell but Pete admitted, "I can't recall it."
Locals have many stories about Edgar Woods and his drive to complete a job. Terms like "impetuous," "headstrong" and "very task oriented" were regularly used. One story may explain the poet's use of "Dynamite Ed" to identify Edgar in the poem. Pete Woods said, "I never heard my dad called by that nickname, but I can tell you the story the name came from."
Pete explained, "My dad routinely used dynamite to make jobs easier." While hand digging an expansion for the basement under the house where he and his family lived, Edgar decided to use dynamite to loosen the dirt. He forgot to tell his wife who was cooking upstairs. Pete said, "The blast shook the house. Homemade noodles were all over the floor. My mother was not happy."
Locals asked, "When are you going to install the steeple on the tower?" Edgar replied, "Next Monday." Pete said his dad didn't say how he was going to get the steeple on the church tower but, "I think he'd already called Willie Hodges, from Rudyard, who had a truck with a homemade lifting setup. Several locals verified a decent crowd showed up to watch the installation of the steeple.
Most every observer recalls "something happened and the steeple came crashing to the ground." Earl Thompson, a local rancher now retired to Lewistown, said, "The steeple bounced off the front of the church and 'sprung out of shape' when it hit the ground." Pete Woods explained, "The steeple started swaying and that's what caused it to fall." Edgar loaded up the broken pieces and hauled them back to the ranch for repairs. Pete said, "For the second installation dad had some people holding ropes to steady the steeple and he got it set in place with no problems." After the "second raising," the steeple has set securely atop the tower continuing to "point the way."
Dale Mailand has a book of poems for sale titled "Dead Mouse and Other Misteaks (sic)." Reach Dale at 353-2383 or email him: mailand@itstrangle.com. The poem about the steeple will be in an upcoming book of poetry.
