Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-11-12

iCStCu duOul thirty dollars Dy SUD-
scription to buy an acre of land to
build church at the head of Church
street-thus naming the street.
Women moved first in good works
in those days. Later a few women
again made a new start to raise
money to build a church. We
planned fair and put in several
months of hard work soliciting and
sewing and otherwise preparing-a
house of worship being our hearts
aim.
We succeeded in time and used
the new woolen mills, before the ma
chinery was placed. 1t proved to be
the largest affair ever given in our
village. Our good men gave time and
money to help make it a success.
We had a variety of booths, one
millinery booth. filled with goods
sent us from Roseburg. We had
ready-made clothing, a grab bag,
fish ponds, and innocent-or ignor-
ant-gambling. / myself was guilty
of baking a huge cake with hidden
five-dollar ring in it. l felt SO glad
to know it brought in twelve dollars
and a half. One friend bought
share, then sold it, to add another
fifty cents. l boastingly spoke of
it to Father Williams He remarked,
i would not like to preach in a
church built with gambling money
That ended my gambling for ever.
About 5000 was cleared and put on
interest for a time, then was used
in building the foundation of this
Methodist church. However, a por-
ton of the work was gratuitous. 1
recall how two boys, with teams,
We'd with each other in hauling the
most loads of stone per day without
any expectation of pay or reward
the pioneer spirit"
Illustrating the conditions with
excerpts from records of the day,
Mrs. Russell told how the church
foundation had begun to crumble to
decay and had become inadequate for
a church big enough to accommodate
the growing church population of
the village. She told how the ladies
again became astir-planning a fes-
tival and enlisting Father Williams
to help interest his people over the
valley in contributing and attending.
So. another great day in the little
village brought scores to enjoy the
occasion and leave the workers
riches.
From a record of events in March
1877 Mrs. Russell showed how an
earnest effort was being made to
complete the church building on the
foundation near the Academy. The
old record stated that there was not
a ht.i1din0 in, 90 H.
the congregations which assembled
weekly to hear church services. Thus
again the work of building on the
foundation was started-but the
money was soon exhausted and an
other standstill of several years fol-
lowed. Continuing statistical history
Mrs. Russell said: "In 1877 Rev.
]. B. Donaldson of the Presbyterian
church came from the east. He
made arrangements to build a Pres
byterian church. The acre of land
on Church street was sold and the
present site bought of the Odd Fell
lows Lodge. The cornerstone of the
church was laid June twenty-fourth
1878 and the edifice was dedicated
December twenty-fifth 1881. On
August twenty-fourth 1879 the first
church bell rang in Ashland.
"The first Sunday school in Ash
land was held at the home of Mrs.
]. r. Hayworth-now the w. C.
Myer farm. This Sunday school soon
outgrew the capacity of Mrs. Hay
worth's parlor. Then it moved to
the school house. Mrs. Hayworth
insisted that man ought to superin-
~ DAalyraIIn.y ~
Russell were elected Joint superin-
tendents-which meant cleaning
house, building fires, etc. This
union Sunday school moved to the
Presbyterian church after it was
completed. Then its hive swarmed
and swarmed, as congregation after
congregation built their church
homes.
"The pioneers of sixty years ago
underwent all the vicissitudes of
frontier life. The very necessities
could not, at times, be obtained.
They were surrounded by savage
tribes that let no opportunity pass
for murder and robbery. In fact
there was no part of this coast that
suffered so severely as Rogue River
Valley. Many of our most noble citi-
zens were victims of the savage ar
row, cut off in the day of usefulness.
'If you of today feel inclined to
criticise the slow pioneers picture
a wilderness. then a rude log cabin.
Next a small garden, then the un-
plowed and unfenced wheat field
Flour twenty-five cents per pound
and other things in proportion. No
postoffice or store nearer than
Jacksonville-sixteen miles-and re.
quiring six months to get our mail
from the states. Then you can, i'm
agine how we hungered for churches
and schools-willing to sacrifice
/ other comfnrta To obtain them -