River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-02-23

this new movement first placed it
self on record Saturday, October IS,
1881, when a special meeting was
held to consider the question of
whether the old church should be
repaired or a new one built. The
matter was placed in the hands of
the following committee %. S.
Powell, P. c. Flint, John Elliott.
George Merrick, Mrs. Ellsworth
Burnett, J. A. Tozer, Nathaniel
Wales, Miss Hattie Levings, and
Mrs. George Pratt.
After a careful consideration of
the question the committee report
ed at meeting called November IS,
1881, recommending the building of
new house of worship and that
the church proceed to raise there
for the sum of $4,000, inclusive of
the funds already on hand. This
report was adopted and commit
tee of five appointed to suggest
plans for the new building, while
the trustees were requested to sug-
gest at the next meeting methods
for raising the required sum.
The matter of plans seems to
have been left in the hands of Mr..
Blake slice, our pastor at the time,
and Mr.. Weld. Their aim was 10
use as largely as possible the foun-
dations already up. Each prepared
a plan according to his own ideas
and then they together agreed upon
a plan embodying the best details
of each. This joint plan was pre-
sented at a meeting of the church
on April 10, 1882. The plan was
evidently satisfactory in the main
for a committee was appointed to
confer with the architects as to the
ACCESSIBILITY of building according
to these plans on the 81 900 which
the ladies reported had been sub
scribed al this time. There now
seems to have been a delay Of some
months, and not until September
%, 1882, were Mr.. Blakeslee and Mr..
Weld authorized to place their draft
in the hands of Plant & Son, Mime
apolis architects, who shaped it
ready for use.
The whole matter was again de-
1ayed until after the resignation of
Mr.. Blakeslee in February of the
succeeding year. After the selec-
ton of Mr.. Rogers as our pastor in
the following May, progress was re-
sumed and in June, 1883, the trus-
tees were authorized to commence
operations and were allowed to
select their own treasurer, Mrs. 0.
S. Powell being called upon to fill
that office. Pursuant to instruc-
tions the contract was accordingly
let to Louis Rhoads who immediate
ly commenced work upon the build
ing.
The funds available at this time
were as follows: Pledged, $4,000,
with prospects favorable for raising
81 900 more; value of old building
and lots, 81 200; estimated cost of
complete structure, $4,000. Opera
tons were carried forward SO rapid
ly that the building was completed
with furniture and furnace by Feb
ruary, 1884, the first service being
held February 3rd with an attend
ance CT 72O--21 years ago to-day.
The lapse of time has necessarily
obscured many of the incidents
connected with the building of the
church. That which has been given
is merely what appears on the rec
ords. Inquiry among those active
in the work has elected some fur
Their facts of interest: The windows
were paid for from a separate fund.
The money for the large west and
east windows was subscribed by
the Sunday school children. The
Stevens window was purchased by
members of his old congregation.
The window bearing Prof. Wilcox
name was presented by former stu
dents in his school. The memorial
windows bearing the names of
Nichols, Weld and Powell were pre-
scented by members of those fan1i-
lies. The pulpit furniture was pre-
sented by Mr.. Haven.
Much of the work of soliciting
was done by the women, the fund
being started with a subscription of
$500 from the Ladies Aid society,
followed later by enough to make
the total contribution from this
source $1,OO1. Pres. w. D. Parker
was one of our staunch friends and
in addition to much encouragement
in other ways presented to the
church one of its furnaces.
At the time contributions were
r L. 4