The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-04-09

as 1885 the Rev. Alfred Brunson had
been sent by the M. E. church to take
charge of a mission among the Indians
on the upper Mississippi, which work
is being carried on to this day.
The first session of the Minnesota
Conference was held August 7-12, 1856
at Red Wing, Bishop Matthew Simp-
son presided. In the following year
the Monticello district was formed.
Rev. S. T. Sterrit was the presiding
elder. This district had for it's bounda-
ries, Minneapolis on the south, Belle
Prairie on the north, Princeton on the
east and as far as the elder could do
any work on the west.
This year we have the first record of
an official visit of presiding elder to
Princeton. 1t is quite probable that
Rev. B. Christ visited and preached at
| Princeton before this as he travelled
much over this section Of Minnesota,
| though [ have found no record of this
fact The presiding elder writes: Sat
| Princeton, Brother William Durham
and Brother Thomas Goulding consti-
tuted the official board. Brother Dun
ham was class-leader, steward and ex-
horter.'
4 letter that I received from Rev.
John Hooper who was the first preacher
in charge here and who now lives at
Minneapolis, fits in just here and is of
interest. Under date of November
18th, 1902, he says: my own records of
that time have been lost: hence what [
write will have to be mostly from men,
DRY. My appointment to Princeton
was in the spring of 1853 and l think
this was the first time it stood on the
list OF appointments. If so I was the
first to the appointment-not the first
to preach there for others had been
there and organized a class, (who I can
not say) as we'll as can remember of
about twenty members. The appoint
ment was called Princeton Mission
with fifty dollars apportionment.
There was neither church nor parson-
age when I went there. Our services
were held in the school house on the
east side: but before winter closed in,
we had both church and parsonage and
that winter assisted by Brother S. O
Adams, we had a glorious revival. In
connection with Princeton I had four
other preaching places, West Branch
at Mr.. Perkins house: Battle Brook,
Spencer Brook and Trot BROOK. But
in Princeton was the only organized
society," l was at Princeton two con,
ference years. My presiding elder was
S. T. Sterrit the first year and D.
Brooks the second year. My successor
was c.. w. Stevenson"
The church which was then built
stood northwest Of US about one quar-
ter of a mile. In 1866 as the records at
the court house show, lots 4, 5 and in
block ! were bought by Rev. Alfred
Cressy. And a little later the church
was moved over onto these lots and the
parsonage was moved over and con-
verified into barn and new parsonage
was built. (This is the house and barn
now owned by Mr.. William Geckler.
The old church is now used by Mr.. N.
+. Jesmer as a ware-house.) The re-
cords from this time on until Rev. F.
H.. Tubbs came in 1873 are little I'M
certain. Rev. \. H. Abbott and Rev.
j. ). Stanton served the charge during
this period. Rev. F. H. Tubbs, who
lives in Los Angeles, Cal. came in the
year 1873, j. NJ. Akers, 1874, S. S. Bow
dish was pastor 1876. C. F. Kings
land, 1878. Under Brother Kings
land the country about Princeton was
blessed by splendid revival. Rev. A.
}. Brock had charge Of the field in 1879
1880, Obadiah Burnett, 1SS1-18S2, Will
liam Brown, lSS3-lSS4 In 1885 Rev. j.
5. Bouck was sent to this charge. 1t
was under his leadership that the
church in which we have been wor-
shipping up to the present was built.
1t cost the people of that day much
sacrifice. Brother Bouck himself carry
ing much of the lumber for the work
upon his back. He was noblv assisted
by a strong building committee of which
Brother Robert NJ. Nicely was treas
urer, and Brothers Benjamin Soule and
A. W. Woodcock were members. This
was a frame church costing about
$1,000. 2Sx4S in size and seating about
$50 people.
In 1857 Rev. Lee L. Tower was sent
to Princeton to succeed Brother Bouck.
He did not stay his year out, but was
followed by Brother John Sargent who
came from England and remained until
the fall of 1890. Under the ministry of
Brother Sargent the church was blessed
by glorious revival, and the present
parsonage was built. He was followed
in 80, '91, '92 by W. H. Skemp. Rev.