Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/885

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The Baptists were a numerous people in the western states when the emigration tide set in towards Oregon. And as a consequence we find this branch of Protestantism strongly represented among the pioneers. A stern, honest, sincere, headstrong people they held to their religion as well as their politics with the same vigor and determination as sent the Puritans to the block and inhospitable coasts of New England. As early as 1848, a society was organized and a church building erected at Oregon City; although the first Baptist congregation was organized on Tualatin plains on May 25, 1844, by Deacon David T. Lenox, in his own dwelling—a log cabin—and known as the West Union church. The charter members of this church were as follows: David T. Lenox, Mrs. Louisa Lenox, William Beagle, Luciuda Beagle, Alexander Blevins, Lavina Blevine and Henry Sewell—all coming to Oregon with the immigration of 1843. The second Baptist church was organized in Polk county, near Crowley, by Rev. Vincent Snelling on July 18, 1846. This was known as the Rickreall Church.

The first Baptist minister in Oregon, Rev. Vincent Snelling, came with the immigration of 1844, and he preached for the first time at the West Union church in February, 1845, and became pastor of that church for awhile. In the fall of 1845 Revs. Ezra Fisher and Hezekiah Johnson, duly commissioned by the American Baptist Home Missionary Society, arrived with their families, coming across the plains and soon after began their missionary work.

In June, 1860, Samuel Cornelius was sent out by the American Baptist Home Mission from Indianapolis as a missionary to labor in the Portland field. He preached, first in the Methodist church, then in a public hall, and organized the first Baptist church in Portland on August 12, 1860, with twelve members, of which were Josiah Failing and wife, Joshua Shaw and wife, R. Weston and wife, and George Shriver and wife. These few members elected Mr. Cornelius their pastor. Stephen Coffin donated the little church a half of a city block on which to erect a church building, and it is a singular commentary on the inconsistencies of this world's affairs, that while the donor of this land died without property this half block was sold by this church for money enough to purchase nearly as much land at another point and erect thereon the boasted "White Temple" costing two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The Lord does serve his liberal givers with strange recompenses—some times.

The first attempt to establish a Baptist school in Oregon was what was called in 1856—the "Corvallis Institute." Institutes were the favored institutions in the early days, but this one never got beyond the act of incorporation. In the same year the legislature chartered the "West Union Institute" to be located at the north end of the north Plain in Washington county, about fourteen miles from Portland. David T. Lenox, Ed. H. Lenox, Henry Sewell, Wm. Mauzey, John S. White and George C. Chandler were named as trustees for the institution, and they built a school house and the church known all over the Willamette valley as "The Lenox Church." At the same session of the legislature a charter was granted for the Baptist college at McMinnville. At that time (1857) there was already at McMinnville a school founded by the Disciples or Christian church (frequently called the Campbellites, after Alexander Campbell the founder of the sect) and this beginning of a school with all its property was turned over to the Baptists as a free gift on the condition that they should