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Show Our Heritage BOX ELDER JOURNAL, Brigham City, Utah Thursday, July 8, 1976 IE&fH jjj BfH glum taaE by Sarah Yto a Although Brigbain City Mormoh eommjmlty, there were early resldtott,who were not of the LDS faiths Some were relative of contort famllie, 'some were apostate from the church, and eom were settlers who came west on their own. Arrival of the railroad In ISM had brought both Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries to that community, and both denominations erected churches National Missions sent qualified teachers for the school from 1881 until it closed in 1909. Teachers who came to the school included Miss Anna Browning Clark (Snow), Miss K. P. Williamson. Mrs. J. E. Shaiffer, Mrs. C. E. Sullivan, Miss Carrie SulllVan, Miss, Edith Hughes, Miss Edith Johnson, Miss Ethelyn Hess. Miss Fredrika Thompson and her sister Miss Donnalda Thompson. . , Reverend Gillespie reports: "The First Presbyterian Church of Box Elder was organised October 18, 1890, with six member. The Rev. Samuel E. Wishard, D. D., of Salt Lake iCity was present as a representative of the Presbytery for the official organization of the church. The churchs first elder was Dr. F. A. Williamson. Other early elders who faithfully served the little church include John M. Coombs, L. W. Meed, Julius Hunter, John R. Charles Wm. Johnson, John Johanson, Joseph L. James, Charles K. Olson and Joseph Langdon. By this time, Gillespie and his family and die little church were accepted in the community. The church building was sometimes used for public meetings and functions by the community. In 1888 a convention of over (0 ministers, missionaries and teachers was met at the train stadon with a rousing welcome by the city band. The church hosted Presbytery in 1893, with complimentary reports publishing in the Brigham Bugler. In 1895, Reverend Gillespie left the city in good will, having laid the foundation for the only Protestant church which remained in the community for a century of service. u there, Eld-ridg- e, Rev. Samuel Gillespie pioneer pastor Early Methodists By 1888, the Methodist Episcopal Church of Utah had established thq Scandinavian Methodist Church of Brigham City. By the time that the Rev. Samuel Lovejoy.' Gillespie arrived to serve the Presbyterian church in Corinne in 1874, that ,clty was already .fading in bus-- , iness and populated. At the urging pf Some Brig- ham City residentii'he delivered a sermon at the oourthouse on April 3, 1878. The stards had not yet been divided, and the courthouse was also Used for the Mormon meeting house time. . , at this . Reverend Gillespie began searching for property on which to locate a church and met(with much opposition from the community. Finally he was able to purchase the lots at 71 and 77 North Main for the sum of 7S0 paid to John M. Bridges on Oct. 2, 1877. Although he began holding services in Brigham City in February, 1878, local opposition coupled with scarlet fever and diphtheria in the family kept him from moving his family from Corinne until June. They lived in an adobe house which was located on the property at its time of purchase, and it continued to be the manse until replaced in 1914. Meets Opeeltlaa A Civil War veteran. . Rev. Gillespie had attended Princeton Theological seminary after the war and was ordained in 1871 just before leaving for West Africa as a missionary. There he was married to another missionary, Miss Mattie B. White, on June 18, 1873. Corinne was the young couple's first stateside assignment as missionaries. This experience helped them to cope with the opposition they faced from the Mormon community. Friends from Corinne .brought them food since the local merchants refused to trade with them, stones were thrown at the manse and the church, property was destroyed, and life made generally miserable for the family. However, a sm.all and loyal congregation stood'by him and a church building was erected during that summet With funds' from the Presbyterian Home .Missions board. Watkins and Carson were hired as the build- ers. Reverend Gillespie evidently had a particular appeal for young people, holding two or three services a week with good attendance. He reported 27 in Sunday School, 20 young members of the Christian Endeavor society, and ten members of a ladles missionary society in 1898. The church remained small for reasons cited in Gillespie's own words: Work In an exclusive Mormon town Is necessarily very slow. Apostates from the Mormons are cut off from business and society as well as from their church; and so have to seek homes elsewhere; and the few Gentiles attempting to live among the Mormons rarely ., stay more than one year." Opens Alcheel Since there were no public schools in the city (each LDS ward was Just beginning a school building), Rev. Gillespie 'opened a free school In September,. 1878. The next year he was assisted by his sister Miss B. F. Gillespie, and the Board of. ; Services were presented both in Danish and in English whenever a Danish speaker could be obtained. A church was built at 120 , ,South First East in 1894, with a manse located on the lot directchurch. It was ly south of thedebt-free in 1903 reported to be with good attendance at Sunday school and worship services.' .. There was a rapid decline in attendance during the next few years, with Rev. C. J. Mekkel-se- n (who also served Corinne) registering only one regular member in 1909. Meetings were still being held, as reported in the Bex Elder News of Jan. 9, 1908: There will be services at the Methodist Church on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 8 p.m. in the Danish language, conducted by the Rev. H. I. Hansen of Salt Lake City. The pastor, C. J. Mekkelsen, will also speak at the same hour. In 1918 the buildings were sold since only occasional meetings had pen held for the previous ten years. The church was converted to a home by a local family, with its cornerstone still bearing the building date and the two lots still sharing the 'common driveway that served the church and manse, (1978) Other Protestant churches , did not try to locate within the city, although the Box Elder News of May 2, 1907, does report that the Adventists have rented Box's store and fixed it for a meeting hall. . . but It dently did not attract enough of a local following to continue activities. of the, Josepbites, a break-of- f Mormon church, also preached In front of the courthouse and downtown on occasion, but they were definitely not welcome in the community. Through the Years The Presbyterian church continued with a small but steady membership. Rev. Arthur T.. Rankin, another Civil War veteran and early underground rescuer of escaped slaves, arrived to take Gillespies place and remained in the city until 1907. in the comHe was well-like- d munity and was active in the citys military band, although )ver 70 years of age. His wife of many years died in ' 1904, and he suffered lU health in his final year of service to the Brigham City church. A student pastor, George Day, served briefly to finish out 1907. During that time the church was renamed Brigham Mission to fit the new post office address, and the local women joined the Ladies Aid society which was formed statewide in 1895 In Ogden. The church evidently prospered during this period, for the Bex Elder News on Aug. 8, 1907, reports that the Presbyterian church was being repaired, walls and ceilinxs were being retinted in attractive colors, a new floor laid, and the woodwork and furniture stained and varnished In mahogany and walnut. Activities included Sunday School at 10 a.m. and church at f p.m.' on Sundays, prayer meetings on Wednesdays at 8 p.m., Christian Endeavor for 1971. The churchs , 1978 is the Rev. L Richard Lawson. thu o9 mn)ini-MOFinniaira-- . . . ministry in pastor in A New Chapter In 1968 the Community Presbyterian church, Aldersgate Methodist church and Holy Cross Lutheran church entered ia new chapter in local church history by forming a shared ministry called the Cooperative Ministry council, This council provides team teaching for weekday religious education of children up to sixth grade, combined youth activities, adult study programs, joint worship services, k and publishes a news- young people. and the Ladies. Aid society. Rev. Joseph Hanks continued with the church's programs in 1908-0Papular Minister One of the most popular ministers arrived in the person of the young Rev. Adam G. Frank, who served from 1909 to 1919. Serving as pastor in Mt. Pleasant, he had met and married a young teacher at Wasatch Academy in 1907. The young couple d was and very active in the community as well as in the church. He left for a study leave in 1912, during which time Dr. R. G. McNiece of Salt Lake City filled in until his return. In 1914, during Reverend Franks service to the church, the old adobe manse was replaced with a new one erected at a cost of $3,000, with over $800 of that amount donated as a' gesture of friendship by members of the local business community and another portion, paid as rental by the pastor. Stained glass windows were also installed in tlie church as a result of Reverend Franks en- -' thusiasm, plus the work and generosity of the congregation. A leading family in the church, as well as the community, at that time was that of local druggist Wynn Eddy. Other ministers who served the church in the first half of the Twentieth century include Rev. Clarence E. Fowler, Rev. S. A. Parker, Rev. Grant Merchant, Rev. William F. Koenig, Rev.. Edward G. Atkinson, Rev. Ernest C. Parrish, student ministers Lincoln Anderson and Arthur C. Johnson, pastors Rev. William Crosby Ross, D.D., and Rev. John Edward Carver, D.D., and Rev. Arthur M. Gillispi up to 1982. Ups and Downs The church faced many ups and downs in membership through the years. The non- - IS NOT ENOUGH IF YOU'RE NOT ARKIN6 ON THE mid-wee- letter. Since its founding the CMC has been joined by the Treraon-to- n well-like- n doing your eesr Methodist Community church,' St. Michaels Episcopal church, and the Christian Reformed church in many of these activities. Gillespie Hall serves as the center for the church school and many other pro- grams. , Gillespie Hall is also used by many community organizations for their meetings and special events, carrying out the tradition begun by Rev. Gillespie that the church should be a vital part of the community. South Pacific Every Friday 8 Saturday Night July t to Aug. 14 Ticfcits.M) Two can ride cheaper PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH located tinued in use until 1954, when at 77 North Main Street was erected in 1878 and conthe congregation purchased the old First Ward. and sold the building to the Masonic Lodge. It was moved to the corner of Third South and First East and is now used for masonic activities. than one. Cutraln Time t p.m. ma niiBousi Public Service ol Tbit Newepeptr S The Advertising Council A Mormon population of the com-- , m unity rose during the war years with personnel from Bushnell Veterans hospital, then dwindled as the facility Closed. Lean years with student service pastors and followed, with stalwarts of the church during this time including local businessman Ed Ryan and newspaper publisher Charles W. Claybaugh. ers and workers, which in turn brought a new membership gain to the church. The Rev. Walden D. Toevs served the church from 1952 to 1958, a time, of growth and rapid change for the little mission church. sue to'V remodeling it for use as a Masonic meeting place. Period of Growth Another period of growth occured during the time served by Rev. Hershey Julien from 1988 to 1960, when Thiokol Chemical corporation brought an influx of residents that almost doubled the size of the city. SQQB In 1954 the church purchased the old LDS First Ward building on the corner of Second East and Third South and its adjoinmost of its history, ing property which included the theThrough Conversion of the old hospital Community Presbyterian Indian historic Old Rock School around church had served all the ProIntermountain into the corner on The First East. in teach school brought outside manse building was moved to a testant people of the city. The growth of the city and position just south of the rapid influx of changed church, and the congregation this status, with other .denominset to remodeling the sanctuary for rededication as a Presby- - ations forming congregations A Cathterian church with the interior ..and erecting churches. in the olic church was begun woodworking lovingly done by 1950salso. Richard A. Flint, head of another family active in the church. Still, the church was crowded with young families and childThe Old Rock School was used ren when the Rev. Earl S. Fox ,t .for. Sunday, school, . social arrived in 1960. He encouraged eevent, and filled its old fun- the building of an, educatkmai i i ction as a school again when the unit at the west side of the church sponsored a kindergar- church, researching the history ten during a period when no of the local church and urging . public kindergarten was avail- - that the building be named able in the community. . Gillespie Hall in honor of the churchs pioneer founder. HE , Members of the Masonic. Lodge bought the old church and moved it to. the corner of First East and Third South, Ohe CHURCH in Brigham C.ity was built in 894 on First East between First and Second South, then sold in 191 8 and converted into a family home. photo by Compton's Studio FIRST METHODIST 1 . sVA t. flggEEB After serving the local church for 11 years, Dr. Fox honorably retired from many years of &x tder - & $xurna( feu5 Covered every Centennial and Bicentennial event going on in the local area but we did not have enough time to cover the latest congressional . ARE YOU STUMPED? Don't know what to do about pruning tall troos removing old stumps - clearing ex r candal out old orchards. mi in He has Subscribe now and when we do get the time and space! you'll be the first to know. the large equipment. Los Splitter Stump Dicker Limb Chipper Heavy Duty Winch Truck estimate 24 hr. insweria! service Free 723-54- 45 Aerlol lift (Cherry picker) Ccunty Residents - 9 per year 104 issues Outside BE County -- 11 BOX ELDER fjeui ourna ( Call 723-34- 71 per year |