213.1211.3

The Christian Church, located in the town of Ontario. The town of New Philadelphia was laid out in 1855 by John Vest. Ely French and L. Reagan of Boonsboro, Iowa, who were the surveyors. The town maintained only a feeble existence up until the railroad laid track through Story County in the 1860s. When the railroad constructed a depot in the town, it laid out a new town and Hiram Scott renamed it Ontario, after Ontario, Ohio, his hometown. Ontario, which was never incorporated, was annexed by the city of Ames in 1962. Ontario had two churches, one Methodist; the other, Christian. This is the building of the Christian Church which was built some time after the Methodist Church. It stood north of what is now [2004] Abbie Sawyer Elementary School. In June of 1957, the church, which was then called Ontario Bethel Chapel, was totally destroyed by fire. (See also: ID 213.1216.2)