The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-04-12

way for the success Of Sunday. The
total amount subscribed at his solici-
tation was $500.
History Of the Church.
Following is a history of the society
as briefly told by Mr.. Goddard in his
paper, read at the evening service:
"The history of the Method 81
church of Billings is cctatemporaneous
with the history of the town itself,
and, presume, that is the character
istic feature of the history OF the
Methodist church in every town Oh
the frontier; for the Methodists are
always in evidence at the founding OF
all western towns.
TT is a familiar saying in the United
States that the constitution follows
the flag and some one has recently
amended the phrase by saying the
flag follows the saloon
Il think it is not inappropriate to
say the Methodist church follows the
saloon, and the flag follows the Meth
odist church, for invariably the first
man on the ground at the founding OF
a new town is the saloon man, and
the next fellow to follow is the Metho-
dist preacher.
I'm the summer of 1882, no sooner
had the inhabitants of old Coulson,
the little village ON the Yellowstone,
about a mile from here, evacuated that
place and pitched their tents on the
townsite of Billings, and no sooner
had the enterprising saloon man
erected his rude bar and opened up
his stock of liquors, than the Rever-
end W. w. Van Orsdel, one of the
pioneers of Methodism in the territory
of Montana, arrived on the stage from
Bozeman and opened up for business
in a little log cabin in lower Montana
avenue, just this side of the brewery.
The first regular pastor of the church
was George G. Stull, who was assign
ed to a charge extending from the
Little Missouri on the east to Living
ston on the west, embracing circuit
10 times as large as the largest cir
cult ever occupied by Peter Cart
wright in his palmiest days.
"Mr. Stull made his first trip to
Billings in the spring of 1883 and held
services in the old court house, which
was a frame structure situate in Twen-
| ty-sixth street, north, where the cor
raj of P. H. Smith now stands. Mr..
Stull visited Billings only occasion
ally during the year 1888.
I'm 1884 the Reverend S. e. Snyder
was appointed pastor of the church
and held the little flock together until
1885, when the Reverend J. L. Cutler
was appointed pastor, and it was I'M
der his pastorate and the supervision
of the Reverend George Comfort, the
presiding elder of the district, that
the edifice we now occupy was built.
The class at this time numbered about
10 members, and there was no end to
the difficulties in the way of building
the church and supporting the minis
ter
In 1887 the Reverend Jacob Mills
succeeded the Reverend Comfort as
presiding elder, and the Reverend W.
A. Shannon was appointed pastor,
who remained one year and was fol-
lowed by the Reverend George Com
fort, who continued to be the pastor
of the church until April, 1891. Dur
ing the pastorate OF the reverend
Comfort the present parsonage was
built and the shade trees surrounding
the lots were planted.
"The Reverend Comfort was follow
ed by the Reverend Sproule, who was
sent here from Dakota as a supply
until August, 1892, when the Reverend
G. c. Stull took charge and remained
till November, 1893, when he was ap-
pointed by Bishop Fowler presiding
elder of the Helena district. The
Reverend f. A. kiggin was at this
time presiding elder of this district,
and he secured the services of the
Reverend ]. W. Jennings of Nebraska,
who remained until August, 1894 The
Reverend j. w. Bennet was elected