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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2016)
History Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, September 28, 2016 C3 CHURCHES OF GRANT COUNTY Contributed photo/Grant County Historical Museum Long Creek church, circa 1972. Contributed photo/Grant County Historical Museum St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Canyon City, 1905. Eagle file photo From Aug. 1, 1985: Prairie City’s United Methodist Church is one hundred years old. In honor of the centennial there was a special celebration. The church building is now the Prairie City Community Center. Contributed photo/Grant County Historical Museum Fox church, circa 1972. Prairie City Community Center began as Methodist Church Blue Mountain Eagle Circuit riders from The Dalles provid- ed the fi rst Methodist ministry in Prairie City during the 1870s, and the Methodist Church at the south end of the commu- nity park was constructed in 1885. The building is now the Prairie City Commu- nity Center. Alice Goodrum, who helped plan a centennial celebration for the church in 1985, said in looking over the history of Methodist services in Prairie City, W.H. Goddard, a traveling Methodist preacher, held the fi rst services and made it possi- ble for circuit riders to come from The Dalles. The Hall family in 1879 was in- strumental in starting Sunday School ser- vices in Prairie City. Goodrum said G.W. Grannis, identi- fi ed as a district builder, was responsible for construction of the original Prairie City Methodist Church in 1885. That original structure still makes up part of the present Methodist Church, but it was moved to its present location in the 1920s, and the west wing was added to the building. Some of the ministers who have served the Prairie City congregation in- cluded Mark White in 1929, who “left a lot of newspaper articles to prove it.” W.D. and Josie Bach served the church starting in 1937. He left in 1941, but she stayed on and was responsible for bring- ing church pews in from Island City, near La Grande. Fred Waller came to serve as minis- ter in 1953, Glen Walthum in 1963 and Dwight Wilcher in 1965. It was also in 1965 that the John Day and Prairie City churches were merged into one parish with one minister serving both churches. Darwin Secord was minister of the combined parish starting in 1967, fol- lowed in 1973 by Carl Evand, in 1977 by John Page and in 1982 by Robert New- berg. One story from the old days of the church, Goodrum said, concerned a cleaning project to get the church ready for Easter service. The fl oor at that time was made of rough lumber. To clean the fl oor of tracked in dirt, Gladys McKro- la and Opal Willey opened the door and fl ooded the church with water. AN INSIDE LOOK Contributed photo/Grant County Historical Museum E.L. Knox store interior, date unknown. OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER Q UALITY VETERINARY HEALTH CARE , We’re investing in Salem coverage when other news organizations are cutting back. old fashioned hospitality. Get the inside scoop on state government and politics! Serving Grant County Since 1984 Subs cribe NOW ! Blue Mountain Eagle JOHN DAY RIVER (541) 575-0710 3 3336 Colleen Robertson, DVM Laura Meadows, DVM VETERINARY CENTER Christopher Kelly, DVM 59989 Hwy. 26, John Day • 541-932-4428
