The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-08-12

best skill in the construction of tn
building, which has stood so well tn
storms of over forty years. The build
ing was not fully completed inside ant
out until the end of 1862 The tota
cost in money, including the cost of Thu
inside furnishings was about 800.
"The exact date of the dedication
service 1 have been unable to ascertain
but the old settlers claim it was held il
June, 1862, and that it was {
joyful occasion. Rev. jenkins was as
sisted in the ceremony by Rev. JohI
Davis of Spring Green, Wis. Rev. Jen
kin Jenkins continued to shepherd thi!
flock until 1869, when he retired from
active ministerial work. These were the
palmy days of both church and village
With Rev. Jenkins in the pulpit, with
such masters as w. w. Davis, DR.. Thorn
as and Ed Thomas, Jr. to lead the music
with such sanity souls as Deacons
Thomas w. Evans and Griffith Roberts
to lead in the service of prayer and with
such an energetic spirit as John A
Jones, Rev. Jenkins outside dea
con, to look after the financial
and external matters, the church was
bound to prosper. During these days
the late James P Thomas united with
the church and for years was one of its
efficient supporters.
Mr. Hughes stated that scarcely two
months had passed since the organiza-
ton of the church when the Indian mas
sacre occurred, and the house, just dedi-
Gated to the service of the Prince of
Peace. became a soldiers barracks. Dur
ing that ''reign of terror" men sat there
through the Sabbath services with guns
in their hands, while hanging all around on
the walls and stacked in every corner
were the accoutrements of war.
'In March, 1870, Rev. Griffith Samuel
began his pastorate with the church,
which continued for some four OF five
years. During this period William R.
Davis came to the neighborhood and cast
his lot with church, where he and his
worthy family were destined to render
much service. Mr.. and Mrs. David P
Davis and Evan j. Lewis and family
from other denominations were with our
church and were of much help to it for
years.
"In the fall of 1876, the South Bend
church was united with the Salem and
Goshen churches of Cambria into a
preaching circuit and Rev. T. G. Jones,
an able preacher, took pastoral charge
This condition was continued under the
pastorates of Rev. William Powell,
1875, and Rev. Humphrey Jones,
1889 '93.
SIN the meantime the village of
South Bend had dwindled away until it
had practically ceased to be and the
church necessarily suffered almost
fatal decline. The fathers and mothers
in Israel had mostly gone to their re-
ward, while their children were scatter
ed abroad since our deserted village Of
fered them no special promise.
Gin 1892 John A. Jones and his faith
f,,I ,r;fa ro,,o,,oJ Cor q n,,,obor of x,o,rs
to California, and in 1895, w. w. Davis
and wife also departed, and in the loss of
these two families, who from the start
had been its mainstay, the church seem
ed to suffer its final death blow
"But, not only had the population
but the character of what
was left had changed. The old Welsh
families, who in the earlier days had
been so prominent, had disappeared and
given place in part to other nationali-
ties. Hence with the close of Rev.
Jones' ministry the noble
Welsh tongue ceased, probably forever,
though men and communities change and
pass away, God still remains, and he will
not suffer his holy name to perish entire
ly from South Bend
''In August, 1895, w. A. Whitcomb,
young theological student, had gather
ed the people and their children again to
preaching and Sabbath school, and on
August "a of that year, an English
church was organized with sixteen mem
bers, with the aid of Rev. F. M. Wash
burn of Mankato, and before Mr.. Whit
combs departure in September, the
membership had increased to twenty six.
Rev. William Griffith and others con-
tinued the work with the aid of the pas
tors of the Mankato Congregational
church Last year another attempt was
made by Rev. E. L. Heermance, the Man
kato pastor, who secured the services of
Mr.. Roerback, a Yale student, to start
the work during the summer of that
year, and of Mr.. Baldwin, from the same
school, for the present summer. In this
new movement the families of Burnett,
Hultengren, w. r. Davis, Evans, Her
bert, Lewis, Williams, Steele, and Ham
mer, were actively engaged.
Parker smokes cheroots. Well, that's
not quite as bad as cigarettes.