The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-03-14


| wood, about the only available lumber
| IN this locality at that time, and after
| two years use, being somewhat cut Of
/ the way from the center of population
as well as very rickety if not altogeth-
er unsafe, our predecessors, with an eye
| to business, sold il to our Catholic
! brethren who removed it to the north
east corner of Fourth avenue and Sec
| ond street, and used ii for their ser
| vices until the building of their brick
edifice now standing upon the opposite
| corner. The old building was sold by
the Catholics TO some colored people
| and removed. Anyone deSiTious OF
seeing this interesting relic viii find it
| standing on the west side of Main
street just north of Elm bearing the
! pretntious name OF the Hotel Centric
| polls, Il somewhat popular hosiery for
| colored folks. After selling this build
! ing services were held for about four
years in Eagle hall which was at that
/ time large room occupying the second
| story of the brick building on Douglas
| avenue where now is located the Bos-
! ton store. In the winter of 1871 by
! agreement with the First Baptist
! church services We're held alternately
/ with them in their brick church on the
! corner of Market and First. where
/ they continued until the completion OF
! the eastern portion Of our present
church building. The corner stone of
this was laid on July 4, 1876. and il was
completed and dedicated on Sept. l6,
| 1877, the ded;catory sermon having
! been preached by DR.. +. s. McCabe of
! Topeka, and the membership then
! numbering les
In 1873 the new transcept or main
/ body Of the present structure was COM
pleted and the church dedicate Rev.
I Z. NJ. Overstreet of Emporia preaching
] the dedicatory sermon.
( The organizer of the First Presby-
terrain church was the Rev. Wherefore
/ X. BoSSs. He acted as pastor and
stated supply from March Is 1870 10
! Dec. Dec. 8, 1871. OF the thirteen char
! ter members, owing TO the loss of our
first volume of session records, l have
been able to preserve the names of but
/ seven, and these imperfectly to-wit:
( Mrs. Rev. Boggs, q MIR. Peck, his wife
and two daughters, J. II. Steele, and
! Mrs. Amy Sayles. OF these none are
certainly known TO be living except j.
Sayles, now sojourning in Reno, coun-
ty, Kansas. But one person present at
that first meeting of the First PreSby-
terrain church of Wichita now lives in
& Wichita and she was spared to be with
us this afternoon-Mrs. DR.. L. +. Al
/ len, for many years a member of this
/ church After being relieved Of this
charge the Rev, Boggs continued in
missionary work in this locality up To
the time of his death a few years later
in Sumner county, Kansas. The pres
bytery of Emporia at its session at
Wellington in April, 1892. raised the
necessary funds and through "a COM
n1ittee by them appointed caused a
memorial stone 10 be placed over his
grave.
In December, 1871, Rev. John p. Har
sen became pastor and served until
April 81. 1879. When he took this
charge the church mum bered thirty
members. At the close of his postorate
seven years and five months later it
had reached 900. Rev. Harsen went
from here to Nanticoke, Pa. where he
became pastor of the Presbyterian
church of that place. serving until
March. 1885, at which time he accepted
a call 10 the pastorate of the PreSby-
terrain church at Kingston, Pa. Here
in September 1886 after a lingering
and painful illness, borne with a fOrti-
( tude and courage and resignation only
possible to Christ's chosen ones he fell
asleep and crossed the dark river to
the shining shore beyond. One of the
most modest ad unasSuming of men,
with n heart full of sympathy and love
for every human being; guilelesS as
child, tender as q woman, yet brave
and indefatiga BILE, Rev. John =. Har-
sen, as d faithful husbandman for his
beloved master sowed deep and wide
and watered well the seed that since
his day has borne such an abundant
harvest in the First Presbyterian
church of Wichita.
In June. 1879, Rev. John D. Hewitt
began his pastOrate of the church, con-
tinuing until his resignation. Dec. -.
1889. The nine and one-half years of
Rev. HeWitt'S charge We're replete with
the most wonderful spiritual growth
and widening influence of the church.
From d membership of 30 ii grew to
507. During these the West Side church
the Oak Street and the Lincoln Street
churches were organized, ALI of them be-
ing offshoots, drawing largely from
the membership Of. and receiving very
large financial aid from the First
church. Added to this wide spreading
and efficient work was the organization.
under the leadership of Mr.. Hewitt,
seconded by Jealous and faithful mem
bers of the church of Christian institu-
ton now so rapidly gaining a national
reputation. the Lewis academy
On April J., 1889. Rev. David Win
tiers began his pastorate of the church.
which still continues. If the spiritual
growth and influence of the church
during the nine preceding years were
wonderful, they have, in the last six
years. indeed been marvellous. From
now grown 10 1,072, with large acces-
sions coming in every month
During this period a helping hand
has been extended to the Perkins
cuhrch and the academy has been as
sisted to a considerable extent. \
number of societies of the church have
been organized and all of them quick
ened into new life and energy, and to-
day. with banners aloft, they are
marching on in the grand army under
the leadership of of our Great Captain,
sending the gospel 10 heather lands.
rescuing the periShinS at home and
abroad. aiding the destitute, and pro-
claiming 10 the world the gospel Of
salvation, OF peace. purity, and good
citizenship.
Such, in briefest possible outline. is
the history of Presbyterianis1n in Wich-
ita. To make an adequate record would
require volumes. To tell the story of a
single life redeemed from sin, the joys
and sorrows, the trials and the tri-
umphS of but one alone of the hundreds
OF souls who have entered this fold and
abode for time with Us would take
longer than is allotted for the entire
exercises.
In this quarter century children
have been born. grown up 10 manhood
and womanhood. and their own chill
dren are now occupying their parents
places in the sabbath school. Young
men and women while they have wait
ed upon the Lord in this temple have
seen their dark and glossy locks OF
youth slowly turn TO silver, their fore
heads crease with wrinkles and their
eyes grow dim.
But the cuhrch itself moves on with