The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-18
FORTY YEARS GOOD WORK
PLYMOUTH CHURCH VIEWS IT
IN RETROSPECT

Anniversary of the Organization
Was Duly Observed Last Night
Early Members of the COngreGa-
ton Recitcd Some "Reminiscences
of It's Early accomplishment
One Charter Member Talked.
An audience of 300 persons assembled
at Plymouth Congregational church last
evening to participate in exercises cele-
brating the fortieth anniversary Of the
organization Of the church.
The features Of the exercises were
papers read by Deacon ]. D. Humphrey
and Miss Catherine w. Nichols, the for
mer tracing the history of the church
from its organization to the present
date, and Miss Nichols presenting an
interesting paper entitled ''Recollections
OF Charter Member
Deacon Humphry prefaced his paper
by announcing that while he had been
a member of the Congregational church
for forty years, his membership with
Plymouth church was limited to sixteen
years, and he had necessarily been
obliged to go to the church records for
his information. He only regretted that
he was obliged to compress into forty
done by the church in~the same num-
Der of years. The paper was made up
largely of dates and statistics and was
attentively listened to by the members
of the congregation, and especially the
older ones.
When the organization Of Plymouth
church was determined on ST. Paul had
population of 10000 and six churches.
There were twenty-three Congregation
q in or 10 hl1t
in st. Paul. Now there were 210
churches in the state, eighteen churches
and missions in the city and total
membership of the several churches In
st. Paul of 1878.
June 10, 1858, a meeting was held at
Concert hall on West Third street, ar
ticles of faith and covenant adopted,
and fifteen persons, nine men and six
women, the evening of June H. organ
lied the Plymouth church. The charter
members were P. P. Furber, p. w.
Nichols, L. B. Hawkes., w. L. Phinney,
j. H. c. Wilson, o. A. Barker, j. r.
Amidon, Luther H. Hunt, S. w. Fur
Der, Mrs. Elizabeth Dickerson, Mrs.
Harriet Nichols, Mrs. o. A. Bankers.
Eliza R. Furber, Mrs. S. c. Wilson and
Miss Catherine w. Nichols.
Since the organization of the church
1,16O members had joined and there had
been nine pastors. The names of the
pastors in the order of their service
were Rev. Burdette Hart, Rev. A. S.
Fiske, Rev. Silas Hawley, Rev. j. F.
Dudley, Rev. L. ]. White, Rev. c. M
Terry, Rev. Malcolm McDana, Rev.
Albert H. Heath, Rev. Watson B. MIL
lard and Rev. George e. Soper
At the end of the first ten years 1874
members had Joined, forty-nine had re-
moved and the total membership was
eighty-five, while the scholars in the
Sunday school numbered 100. Eighteen
Of those who were members of the
church in 1868 still remained as active
members.
In 1873 the present church was erect
ed at a cost Of $4,000, Peter Berl1ey
and w. H. Wright each contributing
$4,000 toward the building fund Dur
ing the forty years the church has
been in existence the Park Congrega-
tional, Atlantic, Pacific and Merriam
Park churches had been organized from
the Plymouth, and each of these
branches was now in flourishing con-
dition.
Miss Catherine Nichols was intro
duced as one of two surviving charter
members of the church, the other.
Luther H. Hunt, now living ait Boston,
being unable to attend the anniversary
exercises
The paper presented by Miss Nichols
"reminiscences
ed with the organization and building
up of the church. Miss Nichols relat-
ed how her father had contributed the
lot on what is now known as Tenn
perance street ON which the first
chapel was built. At the time the
Plymouth church was organized there
were three Presbyterian churches, and
a fourth one was proposed. Many Con-
gregatiOnal families were attending
Presbyterian churches. The first ser
mon was preached by Rev. j. J. Hill,
of Glencoe, and D. W. Ingersoll was
the first superintendent of the Sunday
school. The chapel was built by Dea-
con Wilson, one of the charter mem
bers. and was wooden structure, for
ty by sixty feet, painted white and
with square spire. Shortly after the
chapel was built sidewalk was need
ed In front of the edifice, and Deacon
Nichols SOLD forty acres of Land, pur-
chased the lumber and built the side
walk
Following the reading of the papers
the congregation sang a hymn written
by John G. Whittier for and sung at
the dedication of the church in 1879
Among those who participated In the
exercises last evening were Rev. VIII
liam Moore, of Clinton, Wis; Rev.
Alexander McGregor of the Park Con-
gregational church Of this city. and
Rev. George p. Soper, the present pas
tor Of the church.
"A number of letters from former pas
tors OF the church were announced as
being received, and these will be read
today at the outing, which will be held
at Bald Eagle lake.
At the picnic a poem written for the
occasion by Elaine Goodale Eastman.
entitled 1.-THE Modern Church." will
be read
Sunday morning Rev. j. F. Dudley.
of Fargo, who was pastor of the church
from 1853 to 1866, will preach the ami
yersary sermon. In the evening DR..
Lyman Abbott and Rev. William
Moore will speak.
Gets Damages for n Dead Dog.
Illdpa