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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPioneer History Churches 1800'sPioneer Churches in Jackson County, Oregon Page 1 of ~" Q U C K JACKSON COUNTY, OREGON Expanded Feb. 2, 2001 by Charles Dalletr College Index Applegate ~ Antloch ~ As land I Central Point ~ C3old Hill I AA®dPord I PL ~ Next Chaoter ... Pions Menu ... rch U Appl@g1t@ Yahoo map his village was probably named in honor of Lindsay Applegate, one of the three Applegate brothers that explored the valley. In 1871 a group of believers was meeting here because they reported having 17 members to the Christian Messenger. If the church was still active 25 years later, Ephriam Badger and his family would have been a part of it. Ephriam preached in Oregon, Washington and California many years before settling a nearby Provolt. Ephraim and other members of the family are buried at the Missouri Flats Cemetery. There is a grofi~e of hraim f3adoer. AntiOCh Yahoo map Atthe red star. This community faded away many years ago, but in 1871 a congregation of 11 people reported their presence to the Christian Messenger, published in Monmouth, Oregon. Elder Martin Peterson had a farm in the area and may have been responsible for establishing this congregation. Sae Oregon, A Short History of the Churches of Christ by John G. McKeel, page 14. There is a roof Martin Peterson. There were two-other Antioch congregations in the state. One was an older name for the Sheridan Church in Yamhill County and one was in Marion County. The Antioch Cemetery is on Antioch Road, just north of Highway 234. It is about"10 miles north of the Medford Airport. The community ittpa/ncb>.ble.org/nwh/UrJackson.html 7/l7/U1 i r Pioneer Churches in Jackson County, Oregon would have been very close to the cemetery. ASS IfC~11d Yahoo map Ashland was named, either after Ashland County, Ohio or Ashland, Virginia, birthplace of Henry Clay. IVlartin Peterson established a work in 1871, but it did not continue long. In fact, two unsuccessful attempts were made to organize a Christian Church here prior to 1898. Circuit-riding preacher E. W. Barnes reported from Ashland in 1877. There was a church meeting that year. Preacher F. E. Jones reported to the Christian Standard of January 3, 1891, that he had a few families meeting. He wrote, "We have no church here, but a few brethren." -~ In 1898 five men met with E. D. Washburn and it was agreed to ... meet in the Chautauqua Building to hold a series of Gospel Meetings. Seventy-five people were present in the Chautauqua building with Evangelist John B. Lister preaching. Between eighty-eight and one hundred continued to meet through the week. The church was then organized with the Elders doing the preaching through the summer. By September, the services moved temporarily to City Hall. In 1899, they moved to the Opera House. Sixteen members were added to the original thirty-two that first year. The first building was constructed early in 1900. The property where the church built can be seen on a panorama. Page 2 ofk Among the charter members were Mr. 8 Mrs. F. M. Blevins, Arthur Blevlns, Mrs. Dolph) Bryant, Leah M. Caldwell, Beulah Caldwell, Mrs. A. 3. Cloyd, Bert Davis, Mrs. Davis, Mlss Clara Davis, Mrs. A. Emery, Mr. E. E. Faulconer, Alfred Faulconer, Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Wards, Mrs. Irene Herrin, James Kelly, Mrs. Kelly, Mlsa Anabel Kelly, Mrs. E. Mlles, E. Miller, Mrs. M. Morgan, Mlss Bessie Peed, Mrs. M. E. Riley, Mrs. A. J. Roach, F. D. Robbins, Ella Stone, Cora Stone, Mrs. R. C. Stone, L. R. Ulen, Elmer D. Washburn, and Miss Iva Washburn. A statement from the church released at it 100 ~ birthday celebration states: .~r,~,~ The purpose of the church remains what it has always been: to lead others to Christ and to `r>~ provide nurture for those already dedicated to Him http://ncbi ble. org/nwh/UrJ ackson. html 7%l7/U 1 Martin Peterson Pioneer Churches in Jackson County, Oregon as Lord. We are part of a movement to restore the New Testament Church by reproducing in these modem times the same Name, Creed, Memorials, Organization and Sacrificial Life and Love as was manifested in the Church of the first century. We are dedicated to nondenominational Christianity, believing that when we stand on universal ground we stand on original ground. We strive to be Christians only, although we are not the only Christians. D. K. Berry According to an unpublished paper by Keith Kimball, J. F. Trout was the minister selected in 1898. Among the early ministers was G. K. Berry who became very active as a Christian journalists in Portland. (:@r1$I'd~ POII'11t Yenoo meP Named Central Point because two important wagon roads crossed here, a post office was established about 1870. C. F. Swander reports the origin of the congregation was in 1893, but preaching was going' on much earlier. Ruth Wood, in an unpublished paper in 1967, describes the summer SerVICeS: During the early days of old Central Point the only church services that were held would be during the summer months at the old Camp Ground on Rogue River just below the Bybes Bridge. There were about two acres of ground being in an oblong shape. The ground was covered with oak and cottonwood tress provicJing shade all day long. The west end of the grounds was for wagons and horses while the meetings were held near the center of the grounds. Arriving about 10:00 o'clock A.M., the horses would be unhitched and tied to the trees. Church services would. commense at 11:00 A. M. and last about one hour. After services closed, a dinner would be spread on long tables kept for that purpose. At 3:00 P. M. preaching services would be held again. This was a beautiful place for meetings but in the winter of 1890 a snowfall of 2 feet deep melted rapidly causing the streams to go out of their banks. Acres of good river soil were washed away including this camp ground. The first preacher here was circuit-riding Martin Peterson. Another ,vras C.: M. Jones who left Central Point for Gridley, CA in 1895. A church building that was shared by the Baptists, Methodists and . Christian Church was built between 5th and 6th on Manzanita Street. http: //ncbible: org/nwh/UrJ ackson. html Page 3 ofd . ; 7%l7/U 1 ..,~ Pioneer Churches in Jackson County, Oregon The shared building idea may not have lasted very long because the T~1 Christian Church was reorganized in 1903. The next year the people built their own building on the corner of Oak Street and Third. The name was later changed to The Church of Christ. The first minister of the new group was Mattey (T. M.) Jones. Ali@Ciforc! First Christian <- link Yehoo map Bedford was once-known as Chaparral City. Martin Peterson, a pioneer of 1864, with his wife Elizabeth, organized this congregation in 1884 (about the time the name was changed) and remained as its leader until his death in 1889. Teaching began as a Union Sunday School, meeting in a school building and adult services combined with the Presbyterians in a hall over Charley Walter's Grocery Store. In 1884 Edith Webb and her five grown children wanted a Christian Church and on November 24, 1884 services were launched in the home of E. D. Elwood at 135 S. Central. This was the first church started in Medford. Page 4 of ~% Charter members were Margaret Darwell (she later mauled Eli Flsher), Mr. Hlgginbottom, Mrs. Anna B. Hlgginbottom, D. H. Millar, D. H. Taylor, Mrs. Taylor, Mr. & Mrs. Q. S. Walton, Benjamin Webb, Edith Webb, George Webb, Hattie Webb, Isaac Webb and Laura Webb. Over the next several years, the church met in several places and finally the Oregon- Califomia Railroad donated a -lot for each church in town. The Christian Church was given property at W. 6th and N. Ivy, directly behind the Medford Hotel. A two-story building was erected in 1889. Martin Peterson lived to see it. While preaching a sermon on June 30, 1889,. he was stricken and died the next day. J. H. Deboy of Gold Hill led the congregation ~,;~.,' immediately following the death of Mr. Peterson. In 1895, E. Bachman advertised that he was preaching 112 time at http://ncbT<ble.org/nwh/UrJ ackson. htmj 7%l7/U 1 Medford 1st Christian Church Pioneer Churches in Jackson County, Oregon Medford and had time to help another congregation. He said: We have a nice little congregation at Medford, but are poor in this world's goods, but we hope for more prosperous times. .~ ~: `` Y ~~~ Anne Fisher College. Among the early ministers of the congregation was Eli Fisher. Mr. Fisher was born in Tazewell Co. IL. He was a graduate of EtJrarka College and also attended Bethany College in West Virginia. He married Anna Bradbury, a student from Abingdon Mr. Fisher had preached in Missoula, MT and Dallas, Oregon before moving to Medford in 1895. After the passing of Anna, he married Mrs. Margaret Darwell of Medford in 1930. He may have lived out his remaining years in Medford. This Disciples congregation has moved to a more spacious location since these pioneer days. G®id HIII Yahoo mep While historian Clarence Swander lists the beginning of this congregation in Southern Oregon as 1891, we find references to it even earlier. N. B. Alley reported to the Christian Standard late in 1889: Elder Geo. M. Whitney, whose home is here in Eugene, spends his summers in Southern Oregon, developing a gold mine, but aii the while preaching at points near his mountain home. Last Lord's day he held services at Gold Hill, with 13 accessions. The 13 were added to an existing congregation. By the following August, more than 30 others had been added. Oral history has it that preacher Ephraim Badger used to walk over the hill from Provolt to Gold Hill to preach for the Church of Christ there. There is a prot~!e of Echraim Becher. Next Chapter: Jefferson County or back to Pioneer Menu http://ncbible. org/nwh/(1rJ ackson, html Page S of.5", ` r~ 7/l7/U 1 EII Fisher