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About The Coquille Valley sentinel. (Coquille, Coos County, Or.) 1921-2003 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1985)
B-16-Wednesday, Feb. 20,1985-Sentinel/Herald Churches important to early residents toy Marilee Miller Special Writer Methodist Methodist circuit riders came to this part of the country as early as 1853. The first services were held at Empire in 1857 led by the Rev. Christopher Alderson of Corvallis, circuit rider for the Methodist Episcopal Church. Coquille became a part of this circuit in 1872 and services were held in private homes. However, leaders from the Methodist Episcopal Church South (a different church) came into the area and in 1875 the membership numbered four: J.J. Lamb, Mary Ann Lamb, Delia Roy and Silvina Lindley. Traveling presiding Elder was the Rev. J.B. Perkins. Grant of Portland, Kenneth Simonds, who have become Lutherans through Supt. of Eugene District, and Hillis B. adult instruction. Catholic Slaymaker, local minister, helped with In the first decade and a half of this the service. century, when population of the Coquille Faith Lutheran Valley was small and scattered, there Nearly 40 years ago, a handful of were few Catholic families. The largest families from Coquille approached lead ers of the American Lutheran Church in number was probably in Powers, where the Pacific Northwest about the possibil a church was built in 1915. Before this time, the area was served by a Chapel ity of beginning a congregation here. Car, which went by rail to the logging The first pastor to serve the area communities to bring the priest and the was Rev. A.K. Bethmann, assigned by Catholic Mass to the people. district officials to begin work in 1947. Walking just about everywhere he went, During this early period, priests would Pastor Bethmann worked with interested travel from Roseburg and offer Mass families to assemble the beginning of the in the homes of Catholics. The Leoj Cary home on First street in Coquille congregation. The first church structure in Coquille built by subscription ws known as the Universalist Church used by all denom inations and now owned by the Church of Christ, Scientist. Episcopal History is more than a mere chronicling of dates. History is people, events, tragedy and humor. The realization or shattering of dreams is part of the tapestry, also. The following paragraphs are quoted verbatim from an address of Bishop Benjamin Wistar Morris to the 1897 Episcopal Church convention. “I began with the mission on the ex treme southern coast, in charge of the Rev. Mr. Horsfall, commonly called the Coos Bay Mission, lying mainly between the Umpqua River on the north and the Windchuck on the south, a distance of 200miles.” A year later Bishop Morris addressed the 1898 Episcopal Convention: ‘The most important gain and progress is to be noticed in the Southern Coast is the building of the new church at Coquille City, of the prospect of which I spoke in my address to the last Convention. I laid the cornerstone of this church on the 17th of September last 1897, and it was so far finished and furnished as to be quite suitable for the opening service oh the fourth of January of this year, 1898.” The Methodists formed an official or ganization in 1878. The pastor was the Rev. B.T. Sharp. A lot was purchased May 24, 1888. A sum of $75 was paid to James H. and Elmira Lamb by the Coquille Metho dist Episcopal Church South, Columbia Conference. Work was started on the new building in 1888. During early 1889, the organ was moved from the Universalist Church and the first service was held. The congregation then was the Rev. W.B. Smith. The simple comer stone with the in cised 1897 date can be seen at the present structure. The building of 1898 has been added to three times. The church proper was lengthened at the time George R. Tumey served here, and under the leadership of the Rev. Robert Les sing, a guild hall, enlarged kitchen and parish hall were added. In 1952, the Rev. B. Jean Clark officiated at a cere mony blessing the present altar. By September, 1928, a new church building was erected on the site of the former church at E. Second and Elliott with the Rev. S. D. Walters pastor at that time. This church was built by CarlEnseie. During the 1920s and 1930s members of the M.E. Church (dating back to 1872) began to unite with the M.E. Church South (pioneer). These two bodies were officially united by the gen eral bodies of 1939. In 1928 the Presbyterian church of Coquille closed and most of its members united with the Pioneer Methodist Church. The first steps on the new educational unit were taken in January, 1963 when the option was taken on the lot south of the church. With this purchase, the building committee was formed and plan ning commenced. daily the need for classroom facilities, required a new church building. The pre sent church at the end of Dean Street • was built and used by the people for the first time on Easter Sunday 1967. Christian In 1888, C.H. Alley, a missionary preacher from Portland, organized a reg ular missionary point. The small con gregation met in the building which housed the Universalist Church at what is now 306 N. Adams. By 1889, S.B. Hollenbeck of Fairview was doing the preaching for what was to become the Christian Church. In 1949 the sixteen families assembled called Rev. Norman Orth to be their first full time pastor. It was under Pastor Orth’s leadership that the con gregation was officially organized, adopt ing a constitution, built a parsonage and made plans for a new church.. Willard Morgan was asked to draw preliminary building sketches. During the building, it became apparent that for proper growth on this site, additional The church building was dedicated Dec. land should be purchased. 16, 1951. In the six years of Pastor Drake Construction Company com Orth’s ministry the congregation exper pleted the major portion of the building ienced its fastest and largest growth. in June 1966. The Consecration Ser When he resigned to accept a call to vice for the new Education Unit of the another mission congregation in Seattle, United Pioneer Methodist Church was the baptized membership here was over held Oct. 2,1966. Bishop A. Raymond . 370, most of the members being people was often used for this purpose before the first church was built on third street in 1915. Until 1921, the Coquille Parish was a mission served by the priests from Coos Bay. In 1921, it became a mission of Bandon and continued as such until the Bandon fire of 1936. In 1937, Father Daniel Kelly became pastor of the area and took up residence in Myrtle Point. He served the seven churches from Brookings to Powers. The first church in Coquille served the parishoners well for over 50 years. Then the expanded congregation, and espe- On Sept. 27, 1890, the church was incorporated as the Christian Church Association of Coquille City, Coos County, Oregon. Trustees were J.J. Wilson, J. A. Seed and Elizabeth Fouths. The following month on Oct. 14, proper ty at 260 E. Fourth was purchased for $40 and the first church building which is now the Coquille Grange hall was begun. In earlier days the church was know as the Church of Christ. Older members report that the con gregational lifestyle was quite conser vative, and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and playing cards as well as dancing were severely frowned upon.