Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1958-04-25

plOyWent 70 sbppcft t3~ sisN hS1A-
Ing Negro population. W a large
number " families moved and set
tied IN me more thriving part q
afat u nov downtown Mime
apoils
When Mr. king assumed the pas
torats ~ the church new ioca
tion war considered Under his
Ieadershlp, ST James crossed the
rtger and moved into store front
AZ 4Il 5th Ave. . Also during
this tine 81. Peters AME Church
was organized
In 1899 the Reverend y f
Butler came 10 the church win
the financial assistance Of ths
congregation ana some white
friends Mr. Butler spearneaded
the buying u a Iot on the corner
Of am street ard SIN Avenue s..
where handsome red brick church
was erected and proHpcred fbr =
decade under the paatorates Of
the Reyorends Wade. Wharton and
Edwards
Just 49, the future % the
church seemed assured wrote
Neil Russell contributing editor
of the MINNEAPOLfs srOkEs-
Man. ia May i9is. ~ths Rock Ia
land Railroad when owned the
property behind the church de-
cidsd 20 iay tracks 10 switch
freight cars 70 loading platforms
u several large factories 10 the
vicinity The railroad company of,
Tered 20 buy the church al a good
price. The congregation was diyid.
ed on the merits % the offer.
When tie railroad company, tired
OF waiting. went ahead and built
the tracks. tho church property
deprecated When the sale tinany
went through II was at price Ear
below the original offer
once again the congregation
returned to the store front at al
| 5th Avenue $ In one years time
a.. James moved 10 four different
locations. ~ one Of these ioca
/ lions on the corner Of Bloom
Ilngion and 70 2gth Street. where
they had rented a church building
tho Officers locked the doors
against pastor Peterson and the
church lost all 81 the furniture and
property they had saved from the
! old church Mr. Peterson and the
members remaining with the
church moved their place Of wort
ship 10 1905 eth Avenue n, and
| from there 90 another rented
church on 5th Avenue N and Cir,
ard
| After the year OF mira church
dtasentlou and faotlanal difficulty
Mr. IN Best came 90 pastor 81
james The small rented ehurrI
on the narthaidc could have beer
purchased AZ nominal fee hui
the members decided 20 move bach
| a. the southmde For the thir,
time the congregation returned I,
the store front ~ al Bth Avenue
South
The Reverend Lewis pastornt'
brought more dissention and spin
ter groups left 70 Join 81 Pete
or other churches IN septembeI
Of 1918, r Merritt came from
Chicago 10 assume charge Of wha
few faithful members remained
n was under Mcrritts Leadership
that . Jewish synagogue st 81
18th Ave $ waa purchased To-
81 500 Merritt and A Withrr
werr also able 20 interest a prom
inent citizen, I. y Jcpaon In ~,
ehurch'a struggle 10 survive Iep
son enabled the church 90 securt
loan from the Northaide Stat
Bank % witch he was trustee
for the purchase OF tho Property
When the young and tircles
Carlyle Stewart succeeded Mr.
Merritt, 50 James made thousand
% dollars worth % Improvement
and was ence again on rs way
Hut again. after three years IN,
Reverend stewart was appointr,
% new charge and the churcl
went into gradual decline
Tho next ministers that Col
lowed were Messera Waters, Dan
tells Henderson Reidick j. W
, tcoups M Mccormack. Spear
and Patrick In 1871. only a fcy
! members remained The churcl
had only stcwsfiess. Mrs Ia
Alv,a and one deaconeSs, Mrs
/, Grace berry both ~ whom wcr
among the early settlers, the Cd
, eat living members, snd are actiy
, members to-day
IN september of 1871, Nj
lThomas eane a. 81. James rher
was large mortgage on N
, builiing Pastor Thomas and N
i nfnccfs were sble 70 extend On
! mortgage 8 years and make NEAT
: eriai property improvements o
June ~. teas. me mortgage wn
thprned ~ James again oune
! a church bgudsng
After the death ot me Rsysran
I Thomas, Megsers Brown Gr,ssle,
ard Reidick followed Ia Fcbruar