The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-11-17
n teresting Recital of Founding
of the Society.
Second Day Of the Jubilee
Very Successful.
Services Were Quite impress
sive; Large Attendances.

The program was carried out as it was
published. The meetings were all
largely attended and the services were
of an impressive character.
The following brief history of the
founding of the church was read by
Henry Hughes of Mankato:
On the l4th day of October, 1855, this
church was organized by Rev. Jenkin
Jenkins then of Big Rock, ILL.,, who was
here on visit to the new Welsh settle
ment. The organization took place at
the log cabin of John Watkins which
stood on the edge of the timber near
the northwest corner of the town of
Judson.
There were thirteen charter members,
namely: John E. Davis and wife, David
L. Davis and wife, David Williams
(Bradford) and wife, and their daugh-
ter, Hannah, William C. Williams and
Owen Roberts.
l think this church was the fifth Con-
gregational church organized in Mime
sofa; certainly it was the first Welsh
Congregational church organized in the
state.
Among the English churches of the
denomination the First Congregational
church of Minneapolis and the churches
at Excelsior, Winona and Anoka, if ]
remember rightly, were the only
churches whose organization antedates
that of this church.
About two weeks after its nrganiza
tion several more settlers arrived, and
eight of them united with this church
They were Henry Hughes and wife
Evan j. Davis and his mother, Elizabeth
Davis, Catherine, wife of Owen Roberts
and Jane, wife of Evan Bowen, and
William Jenkins and wife.
Early in the year 1856 the church
moved it's services from Mr. Watkins
cabin to the neat cabin of William G.
Williams, who had married Miss Han
nah Williams, and there they were held
the balance of that winter and during
the following summer. In June, 1856
Rev. Jenkin Jenkins arrived with his
family in company with two other fam
lies, namely those of David Morris and
Thomas Evans.
Rev. Jenkins and wife and Mrs. David
Morris united with the church and Mr.
Jenkins took charge as pastor. The
number of members at this time was
twenty four.
The first sixteen years (lS55- 1871
were years of great struggle with this
church. Its very existence often being
in the balance; as it's path was beset
with many difficulties and disappoint-
| ments.
The first rock on which the newly
| launched church struck was that of in
| ternal dissension, due to that sin com
| mon in new communities of claim Jump
ing. This came near making a complete
wreck of the hopeful little church. An
other difficulty was the scattered con-
dition of it's members The territory ii
covered extending for distance of six
to seven miles, and very few people in
those early days had any conveyances
| whatever, except ox-teams, and there
were no roads. A portion of the church
were located on the north side. of the
Minnesota river in Nicollet county, and
they could only cross in canoes. Anoth-
err difficulty was the want of suitable
clothing which greatly interferred with
the services during the long, cold win
tiers of those pioneer days. The thin
| clothing which the settlers had brought
| with them from southern Ohio, Illinois
and Pennsylvania We're not at all adapt
ed to the rigors of Minnesota winter
The men without overcoats had to
muffle themselves in an Indian blanket
or in a wife's shawl, and Indian moe
casins did service instead of the thin
| low cut shoes.
A third difficulty, was to find a suit
able place to hold the services which
would be central enough to suit all the
constituency of the church, and during
the early years of its history the meet
ing place of the church was moved from
place to place, until it finally settled in
it's present home in 1871.
For the reasons stated, religious ser
vices of the church were much neglected
and late in the fall of 1857 they were
suspended altogether for several months.
When they were renewed in the summer
of 1858 the membership had somewhat
decreased as some of those residing at
the extreme ends of the parish had join
ed other churches which had been organ
lied in the meantime.
During 1858 the services were held at
| the home of Deacon John E. Davis and
continued there until the log school
house of District No. 10 was built on
his field near the house. Here the ser.