Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/529

 EISTOKY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 149 Christ Church, of Red Wing, had its beginning November 17, IS.")."), when services were conducted by a missionary, Rev. Timothy Wilcoxson, an associate of James Lloyd Breck. who started the famous Associate Mission movement at the General Theological Seminary, of New York. This first service was held in a build- ing occupied as a law office by I lolonel William Colvill, at the foot of Broadway, near the present site of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad station. Rev. AYilcoxson was accompanied on one of his trips, April 28, 1858, by Bishop Kemper. The record Bishop Kemper made of his visit here was that he found "a few- zealous members of the church preparing to organize a parish and build a church." The preparatory work to which the bishop referred in that record was the meeting of some citizens held in Judge E. T. Wilder 's office on Christmas day, 1857. The notice of this meeting was circulated by Judge Wilder and Dr. Hawley, and besides them there were present W. C. AYilliston, Dr. AY. AY. Sweney, AYarren Bristol, George Wilkinson, H. C. Hoffman, AY. AY. DeKay, Judge Welch, Colonel AVilliam Colvill, James Ham- ilton, Ira McClenthen. AVilliam Freeborn, P. M. Wright, N. B. Bennett and Isaac Green. At the instance of Dr. Hawley a call was extended to the Rev. Edward R. AYelles, then a deacon of the diocese of western New York. In the following June (1858) Dr. AYelles made his first visit to the parish and held his first service in the Presbyterian church, permission having been granted by the Rev. J. AY. Hancock. At that time arrangements were made for perfecting the organization of the parish and for the return of Dr. AYelles in the early autumn, to be its pastor. On Sunday, October 3, 1858, the first service of Dr. AYelles' rectorship was held in Philleo Hall, he having in the meantime been ordained a priest by Bishop DeLancey. All the early serv- ices were held in the hall. The salary of the pastor the first year was fixed at $700 a year. No missionary aid of any kind was ever given to this parish. During the winter the matter of building a church was thoroughly canvassed, plans were examined and a church lot secured at the head of Broadway, one-half of the lot being given by Dr. AY. W. Sweney. On June 1. 1859, the vestry entered into a contract with the Messrs. Whit- ney and McClenthen to build a church edifice for the parish. The first Episcopal visitation of the parish was on June 26, 1859, at which, in the morning, Bishop Kemper preached, and con- firmed ten persons. At 6 o'clock evening prayer was read, and directly after, the bishop, rector, wardens and vestrymen pro- ceeded with the congregation from the hall to the church lot, an event which is always referred to as the "laying of the corner- stone," although no cornerstone, as such, was ever laid. On November 29. 1859. Bishop Whipple made his first visitation