Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-12

(-A an ministers who came TO
tsAiy ~ this wild section OF
-A~zA country in early days
TO carry the gospel TO the rough frontiers.
mau are deserving of a prominent place.
These pioneer preachers were q race of
men eminently fitted for the work they had
chosen. Many of them lacked the polish of
the schools, but they possessed that vigorous
manly Christianity that braved hardships
ard privation and gloried in the struggle
against the encroachments of Satan and sin.
The magnificent church structures of
Omaha today were built upon the founda-
tions Of their efforts and are splendid monu-
meuts to their devotion and consecrated en-
ergy.
The sketches of their service naturally
comprehcnds the history of the churches.
! ne organization of Trinity parish may be
said 10 date from the earliest settlement of
this country by white people, following
shortly upon the extinguishment of the In
dian title and the organization Of the terri
tory of Nebraska.
Sunday did not cross the river until the
year 1855, when the Rev. Reuben Gaylord, n
congregations minister from Iowa came over
the river and broug ht Sunday with him.
H. was in May 1856 that the missionary re-
ferred to organized the First Congregational
church with nine members. In the summer
OF the same year Bishop Kenper of Wiscon-
sin, missionary bishop of the northwest, WIS.,
tied Omaha in company with Bishop Lee
OF Iowa, and these Two held
n missionary service IN the old
territorial capitol building, on Ninth street,
on Sunday, July ID. Bishop Lee preached
IN the morning and Bishop Kcmper in the
afternoon. The congregations attending
these services were very large, considering
the population, and the result of these
services was the organization of Trinity
parish.
; From th,a rerm gro,y m, ,rao ,yho5o
branches, under the Influence of Bishops
Talbot, Clarkson and W~ortnington, are now
casting strong shades over a great state.
Rev. George w. Watson became the first
rector. The parish had many trials, and its
condition at times became desperate, which
Is shown in n circular issued in 1859, being
an appeal for assistance to churchmeu in the
east.
factory, as the parish In the summer of the
same year succeeded in erecting its first
church, which still stands at the corner of
Iarnam and Ninth streets. 1t was built upon
, leased ground, which, with the brick for the
building. was donated by the hon. Jesse
Lowe, the first mayor of the city.
Rev. G. w. Watson had charge OF the
church until July, 1860. He had also had
-cnnrge OF the church in Council Bluffs ana
held services in each place on alternate Sun
days. He was succeeded by the Rev. John
West. The Rev. o. G.. Duke had charge of
the parish from June, 1862, until January,
loof, uituouRn HOb regularly Culleu as rector,
81 but acting for Bishop Talbot in n missionary
capacity. s In February, 1864, the vestry
voted to relieve the bishop of its charge upon
the mission fund and to make the parish
self-supporting by calling as the first regular
rector the Rev. w. H. VanAntwerp of
Oneida, N. Y, who accepted the call and ar
rived in Omaha April lG, 1864, and held his
hrst service the following Sunday, April Ia,
1854. at the time Of the arrival OF MIR. Van
Antwerp the parish owned no property, aud
a building was rented for the residence of
the rector. In April, 1865, a house and lot
GU Dodge street, between Thirteenth and
Fourteenth, was purchased and became the
first rectory. 1t contained Two rooms and a
shed Kitchen. In 1866 the rectory building
was sold and the lots purchased upon which
the cathedral now stands; a small residence
upon the eastern portion OF the lots being
made to answer as u rectory, which it so con-
tinued until the building of tine present
cathedral necessiiated its removal. The
termination of the lease OF the grounds upon
which the chapel stood being near
mented for the erection of q church
upon the newly acquired grounds. This
building was erected ut q cost of about
$4,000 and was occupied in the fall or winter
OF lS6I. Shortly after its occupancy Mr..
Van Antwerp resigned. IL was during this
Gentlemnn's time that Bishop Clarkson made
MS hrst appearance in the parish and diocese.
His predecessor, the Rev. Joseph q. Talbot,
DID, was consecrateu bishop of the north
western missionary jurisdiction February
IL, 1850, which term then included with Ne
braska all the territories west and north.
But only n small portion of Nebraska and
Dakota reached by steamers upon the Mis-
souri, was easily accessible: other portions of
tne jurisdiction could Only be reached by
long and often pcrilous stage and wagon
journeys OF many miles over what was then
known as the great plains" Bishop Tai
bot established his residence ut Nebraska
CITY, which was a thriving rival of Omaha,
with some points for superiority for trade
purposes and with a population equally as
large.
; In 1865 Bishop Talbot resigned to accept
the assistant bishopric of Indiana and the
Rev, Robert Harper Clarkson, DID,, of st.
James church, Chicago, was elected to sue
coed him and was Consecrated bishop No
vember 10, 1865.
He made his first visit TO Omaha and Ne
braska and preached his first sermon in the
Tenth Street chapel on Advent Sunday, De-
cember 3, 1865.
the bishop seemed at once to settle do wn
to the church as his own and the attraction
was mutual. lie anchored himself at once
in the hearts of tho congregation with a
fervor which time did not destroy.
into with the vestry after Mr..
Van Antwerp's resignation in which he
constituted the church as his cathedral, and
under this ARRANGEMENT, the bishop had the
nominating or a rector, subject to the adop-
ton OF the vestry.
In September, 1872. the diocesan council
by formal enactment, constituted Trinity
church, the cathedral of the diocese, prac-
tically upon the terms and conditions con-
tained in the agreement with Bishop Clark
son.
The Rev. George G. Belts was nominated
rector by the bishop and elected by the
vestry, but served only a short time, being
succeeded by the Rev. John G. Gasmann
who continued until 1872.
On November 10, 1869, the beautiful new
church was destroyed by fire alter an occu-
pancy OF less than two years. A temporary
building was at once erected which served
the congregation until the completion OF the
present splendid ediiice.
MIR. Gasmann resigned in 1872 and the
Rev. Alexander q. Garrett was nominated
and elected in his place. This talented man
was not allowed 10 remainslong in this field
IN which he served with wonderful success.
In 1874 he was elected Missionary bishop of
northern Texas and was consecrated in the
temporary cathedral December 20, 1874.
Tn Rev. John ID. Easter was next elected,
but served only about one year.
The Rev. h. II. Millspaugh was elected
after him and duly installed dean Of the
cathedral with impressive services on Octo-
Der o, 1870. He served until February, 1856,
by far the longest period Of any rector in the
parish and his work and services are still