River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-02-16
FIE'YIETH ANNIVERSARY
GongregationalChurch
PAPERS READ.
The Founding and Early Days of
the Church.
PAPERS READ.
MRS. ELMIRA POWELL.

families, those of ASaph Pratt, Mrs.
Flint and Joseph Nichols, came to
take up their abode in the beautiful
Kinnickinnic valley. There was no
school house or church and only one
dwelling, the home of N. N. and O.
S. Powell, that stood on the ground
now occupied by the store recently
vacated by F. Muckenhausen.
The few families scattered along
the Kinnickinnic were mostly young
married people. Horace Wadsworth
was living on his farm up the val
ley, and hearing of the three new
families, walked over the mound
one Sunday to see what sort of peo-
pie they were. He came to Mrs.
Flint's shanty, where she and Mr..
Pratt's people were living. My
aunt, Mrs. Pratt, who was bitterly
opposed to Sunday visiting, said,
There comes another Sunday Wis
itor." But when she found that
his errand was to talk of starting a
Sunday school she was very glad to
welcome him. From that small be-
ginning a Sunday school was or
gained, the first one being held IN
widow PENIS home, a house stand
ing on the north side of the farm so
long owned by Mr.. Weld. The old
pines stand there yet as sentinels to
mark the spot. We also met at VIM.
Tozer's log house which stood where
Luther Spa1ding's home is now.
These were most central, as the
SCOTS, Days, Chinnocks and VALID
rons came from the northwest, the
Mapes, Parks, Wadsworths, Perrins,
and Lorings from Kinnickinnic, and
Powel1s, Pomeroys, Pratts, Flints,
and Nichols, from the south and
east.
The first sermon was preached IN
July, 1854, by Rev. Richard Hall OF
St. Paul in the home of N, N, and
O. S. Powell, which was then the
Pioneer store. Services were also
held in the Prairie mill, and the
Pomeroys' and Mapes' barns. Peo-
pie rode six miles to attend these
services, then sat on p1anks laid on
nail kegs with no backs to rest
against.
But New England people could
not live without a school and church
and before winter eight men gave
the money, $500, to build the first
school house. Some who could not
give money helped 10 haul the lum-
Der. The school house stood where
Prof. Clark's house stands. At
that time there was no public school
tax and our first school was sup
ported by private subscription. The
first teacher was Miss Helen Flint.
The next teacher was Miss Laura
Pratt, now Mrs. Butler Parker.
Then we had Abner Morse and Mrs.
Winchester. In 1859 came Prof.
Wilcox, our beloved principal of the
historic Old Academy.
On the 3rd of February, 1855, a
meeting was called for the purpose
of organizing a church. No coun-
Gil was called for there was none to
call. The towns were far apart,
with no railroads for hundreds of
miles.
Prof. G. w. Pratt was asked TO
write preamble which was adopted
and read as follows:
For the promotion of true re-
1igion and the advancement of the
kingdom of Christ, we form our
selves into church, and adopt the
following constitution, Confession
of Faith and Covenant. y
This Confession of Faith and
Covenant" was nearly the same as
that we now have.
No one has ever questioned the
right of this church to live, and its
influence has been far-reaching
There were seventeen charter mem.
bers. There would have been eigh-
teen but we were dependent on
stages for mail and O. S. Powell $
letter came too late for the frs
meeting. AT present there are but
three of these members living: Mrs.
Nathaniel Wales of this city, Mrs.
Raymond and DIR. Pratt of Kansas
During the winter of 81 and SIS
Rev. James Stirratt was hired to
preach for sixImonths. He was 1iv.
ing on farm near Prescott. Occa
sionally good old Elder Lewis of
Pleasant Valley would come down
and hold services. 1t was a long
drive and sometimes when we came
to the school house we found him
lying on a bench singing his favorite
hymn, The Road to Ruin" Elder
Catlin of Hudson came few times,
also Mr. Boutwell, from Saltwater,
| who waS missionary o,,oror 4be