Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-22
MARCH OF IMPROVEMENT.
1t is Lined With Demolished Struc-
lures of Early Omaha,
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Where the Bee Was Born, and Where
the Youths of Many Years Ago
Assembled to Develop
Muscle.
An Early Sanctuary.

| Sixteenth and Farnam streets has re-
| suited in the demolition of the old
Redick rookery and the first Congre-
| gational church erected in this city.
The last brick OF the latter has hardly
been removed from its place, but the
| little structure, with all its associations,
will now live but in the memories of
those who love the past. Yesterday,
| there stood upon the curb an
aged lady, clad in mourning robes.
Despite the clouds of dust from the
disintegrated mortar and the danger
from passing teams, she watched the
work of demolition with an interest
which was displayed in every feature.
| Once, when section OF the wall fell
with dull sound upon the debris, the
lady's eyes flashed as if she considered
the destruction an act of vandalism.
She was alone in the world. 1t was that
little church in which, as n girl, she
had first worshipped in Omaha. 1t was
in that little sanctuary that she had
first seen the gentleman to whom
she was afterwards married.
1t was within those walls the matrimo-
nial alliance was cOnsummated, through
| thO uSOuSs vi u WIN ndS oluCC
been called beyond the tomb. There
were her children baptized, and there,
| too, bereaved and heart-broken, she
| first appeared in widows weeds. Burn
| ing tears arose in the old lady's eyes, ,as,
with tottering steps she left the affect
ing scene. But she had viewed for the
last time the little house of prayer
which was so intimately connected with
everything she held dear in life.
The church was organized by the Rev.
| Reuben Gaylord, whose widow and son
tive of Norfolk, Conn, and graduate
of Yale college. He arrived here in
September, 1856, and on the following
| Christmas day was joined by his wife
| and daughter. He commenced to preach
| in the council chamber of the old terri
torial house on the last of December.
His services were held in the afternoon
and his salary was 5000 per year. On
the 4th of May of the following year
Mr.. Gaylord organized the First Con-
| gregational society, the membership
consisting of but nine people comprising,
as the reverend gentleman mentions in
some OF his recollectlons, nine people,
| namely, Mr.. and Mrs. o. d. Richard
son, Mr.. and Mrs. B. H. Chapman,
James w. Seymour, a Mrs. Allen aud
! the clergyman himself with his wife and
daughter. The year 1856 arrived be-
fore steps were taken to erect a church
when L. G.. Goodspeed, E. Estabrook,
still in Omaha, and Lorin Miller, de-
ceased, were appointed as a committee
on construction. In those days the
population Of the city did not exceed
| 800. The site of the church had been
donated by the ferry company. In his
| notes, Mr.. Gaylord says that the work
| OF making contracts and getting ma
terial devolved upon him and
that it was no easy task. t'The saw
mill on the bank of the river, owned by
Mr.. Salisbury, was continually besieged,
and to get the timber as fast as it was
needed, it was necessary to have team
cut. The work was done during
illness in the clergyman's, except
when his family physician, DR.. Miller
volunteered to aid him.
| While the church was in course of
| erection, services were at intervals held
in the dining room of the Douglas
house. on Harney street, near Thir-
| teenth. On the 26th of October, 1856,
the structure had been so far completed
that the congregation was enabled to
| hold services in the basement. a Sun
day school was organized, under the
direction OF Mr.. Kellom, and the mem-
Dership OF the association was increased
| by six worshippers. The building was
completed in 1857, the carpenter work
| being done by James E. Boyd and his
brother John Boyd, the former of whom
is too well-known in this city to be
further referred to. The painting was
done by Mr.. Robb and the trimming
by MIR. McAusland. Completed, the
try church, with its sugar-loaf
| spire resting upon a white square base,
| such as may even now be found in ten
thousand cities and hamlets in the land.
| The dedicatory exercises did not take
place until the 9th of August, 1857,
when there was gathered II very large
audience to do honor to the occasion.
In 1858 and 1860 the church enjoyed
! successful revivals, the last continuing
for several weeks.
Rev. Mr.. Gaylord continued as pas
tor until 1864, when he retired to ac-
cept the agency in this state of the
| America Home Missionary association,
leaving the church with ninety-six
members. The cost OF the church was
$4,500. and was supplied by the proceeds
of a fair, the first of the kind held in
| Nebraska. 1t took place in the St.
Charles hotel, then on Harney street
between Thirteenth and Twelfth
streets. After many years of success
full labor, Rev. Mr.. Gaylord died in
Omaha, January 10, 1880, leaving the inn
press of his character upon the minds
of many people now in this city who
still fondly cherish recollections of the
sanity divine.
In this connection many OF those
early worshippers will be pleased to
know that, about the end of June, the
widow and son of Rev. Mr.. Gaylord
will publish history OF that gentle
mans life, which will necessarily be
largely "A history of Omaha during the
period between 1855 and 1880.
A briet paragraph in these columns,
several days ago, told of the demolition
OF the house in which THE BEE was
born. The structure was of frame, was
old aud dry and although it went down
in the midst of rain storm, the clouds
OF dust which filed the air reminded
one OF the breezy days not long ago,
when a zephyr could and did fill in the
atmosphere witn dust so thick as to
make il almost unbearable.
The house in question stood on the
southeast corner of Dodge and Twelfth
streets, and was long known as the Red
field house. Like many another ancient
structure. it had history which is
| .zll II