Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/582

 iiucid y

gregation. In 1874, a Baptist mission school was founded in Stephen's addition, East Portland. This was the first attempt at home mission work by the congre- gation. Four years later twenty-two members from the First church were dis- missed to form the First Baptist church of East Portland, and about the same time a chapel in Stephen's addition was dedicated.

The Emanuel Baptist church is the outgrowth of the Meade street mission, established early in 1884. In May, 1886, a chapel was erected on the corner of Second and Meade streets, where services are now regularly held by the pastor, Rev. B. F. Rattray, who, in 1888, succeeded Rev. Frederick Eason.

The First Scandinavian Baptist church was organized in 1884, through the efforts of Rev. Gustavus Liljoroth. Rev. O. O'Kerson became pastor in 1885, and was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. Nicholas Nayland, in 1886. Re- cently a new church building has been erected by this congregation at 109 North Eleventh street, North Portland. Besides the churches named, the Baptists of Portland maintain missions at North Portland and Albina.

THE PRESBYTERIANS.

The first minister of the Presbyterian denomination in Oregon was Lewis Thompson, a native of Kentucky, and an alumnus of Princeton Theological Seminary, who came to the Pacific slope in 1846. He was soon after joined by a minister from Ohio, Robert Robe, who, with E. R. Geary of La Fayette, formed the presbytery of Oregon, on the 19th of November, 185 1.

In 1853, there were five Presbyterian ministers in Oregon, the three already mentioned, and J. L. Yantis and J. A. Hanna. At a meeting of the Presbytery held at Portland in October of this year, a petition from a number of persons for the organization of a church in Portland was received and considered. The request was granted, and Rev. J. L. Yantis, D. D.. who had preached here for some months, was appointed to organize the proposed church.

Under Dr. Yantis' efforts, the First Presbyterian church of Portland was constituted and organized January i, 1854, with twelve members and the elec- tion of Wm. P. Abrams and James McKeon as elders. Dr. Yantis was assisted in the work by Rev. George F. Whitworth, who had recently arrived in Oregon, and who supplied the Portland church for two months.

On May i, 1854, Dr. Yantis reported the organization, and the church was taken under the care of the presbytery. When the church was organized, it was expected that Dr. Yantis would be its permanent pastor, but he divided his time between the Portland church and the church at Calipooia, his previous charge, in Linn county, eighty miles from Portland, whither he journeyed on horseback twice each month, until an affliction of the eyes compelled him to give up the Portland work. After this the church was only occasionally supplied, until June 4, i860, when Philip S. Caffrey continued his ministerial work in Portland until January i, 1867, when failing health caused him to resign. Dur- ing this period, in the summer of 1862, the lots on the corner of Third and Washington streets were purchased for $1,500, upon which a church building was erected at a cost of about $20,000, being dedicated on May 22, 1864, the dedica- tion sermon being preached by Rev. George H. Atkinson.

On October 2^), 1865, ^^^ society was duly incorporated as "The First Pres- byterian Church and Society of the City of Portland," by Messrs. W. S. Ladd, J. C. Ainsworth, O. P. S. Plummer, J. D. Holman and M. B. Millard, all of whom have passed on but Dr. Plummer. The value of the property then owned by the society was $25,000.

At the close of Mr. Cafifrey's labors, the church remained for nearly two years without a pastor. Rev. A. L. Lindsley, D. D., was extended a call in August, 1867, which he finally accepted, and was installed April 25, 1869, as the first regular pastor of the church. At this time there were only eighty-seven members, but under Dr. Lindsley's ministry, the church rapidly grew in influence