Lane County Historian
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Lane County Historian THE CIRCUIT RIDERCommemorating the labors and achievements of the ministers of the gospel who as circuit riders became the friends, counselors, and evongels to the pioneers on every American frontier. Lomox photo LANE COUNTY PIONEER - HISTORICAL SOCIETY Vol. Xl - No. 3 Eugene, Oregon Fall 1966 PRICE 50 CENTS PER COPY LANE COUNTY PIONEER-HISTORICAL SOCIETY Alfred L. Lomax, Editor 740 West 13th Avenue, Eugene, Oregon97402 Dr. E. E. Gray, Membership Secretary 1 937 Orchard St., Eugene, Oregon 97403 CONTENTS EUGENE'S EARLY CHURCHES 43 EARLY PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN THE SIUSLAW VALLEY 47 JOHN STRAUB 49 THE EUGENE JUNIOR SYMPHONY 52 THE CRESCENT LAKE MONSTER 57 ILLUSTRATIONS COVER - THE CIRCUIT RIDER CAPITAL GROUNDS, SALEM 41 EUGENE'S EARLY CHURCHES 43 EVANGELICAL CHURCH AT FLORENCE 46 POINT TERRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 48 JOHN STRAUB 49 EUGENE JUNIOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 54-55 42 ettene'i ea,4 Churchei £BCDPL CJ1ICH - 51 CIIflCI ETQDST CHUFC4 F5E5YE. oEicEE GTYsr Eugene's Early ChurchesAll were builtin the1 850s andI 860s except the Presbyterian Church, 1883. Wallings History of Lane County During the time that the pioneers The group continued to meet in were getting homes built and crops the Harlow home until 1857 when cultivated, religious worship was they decided to move their meeting not neglected. Small groups met in homes and worshipped God accord- place across the river to Eugene, a ing to their beliefs. One such group populous place of 500 souls. The to formally organize a church met first meeting was at the Red Top in the home of Mahion Harlow in Tavern, a hotel owned by Mr. Har- 1852 and formed the Willamette low 10 c a t e d at 8th and Pearl Forks Baptist Church of J e s u s Streets. Later, when the Cumber- Christ. There were seven charter land Presbyterian Church was built members. Here, as in other parts they were offered the use of that of pioneer Oregon, the influence of structure. In 1867 the Baptists com- the Circuit Rider was felt. Elder pleted their first building on the William Sperry agreed to come to northeast corner of 8th and Pearl Eugene to hold services o n c e a Streets. In 1889 the building was month. sold and moved off the lot in prep- 43 aration for a new and larger struc- 11th and Willamette Streets. Dur- ture. ing the following eight months of Reverend Jacob Gillespie arrived construction the Methodist congre- by wagon train from Tennessee in gation met in the Rhinehart Opera 1852 and by the spring of 1853 had House. organized the Cumberland Presby- The same year that the Metho- terian church. T h e congregation dists had their first meeting, Epis- met in homes at first followed by copalians met in the new County meetings in the Bogart school in Clerk's Office building* to organize what is now the Willakenzie Dis- their membership. But the records trict. Four years later a lot was are rather obscure and not much is purchased on the northeast corner known about the early days of this of 6th and Pearl Streets from Eu- denomination except that it suf- gene S k i n n e r for $50.00 and a fered through many problems. It is church building was begun. The known that Mary Skinner in 1859 building costs and the bell were the gave a lot on the southwest corner giftsof the Reverend Gillespie, of 7th and Olive Streets to this whereas members of the congrega- group for a church site and con- tion contributed their labor. struction began immediately. When In 1856 the church sponsored an the building was outgrown a new ambitious educational venture by one was made possible by the gen- building the ill-fated Columbia Col- erosity of Mrs. Hanchett, wife of lege whose site was on the corner Eugene's first physician. The cor- of 19th A v e n u e East and Olive ner-stone for the new building was Street. It opened with some 50 stu- laid in 1889. dents, among whom was Joaquin In these early days when formal Miller, the Oregon poet. Between pulpit-filling for each of the denom- incendiaryfires and q u a r r e 15 inations was extremely difficult, the among the brethren the institution Circuit Rider was a welcome visitor failed to survive, but a stone mark- to isolated communities. Word soon er from the old building still stands spread throughout the area when on the corner site. he arrived and groups gathered for The Methodists organized their preaching services. He was a lonely, congregation in 1854 around Solo- awesome figure dressed in black, mon and Nancy Zumwalt, whose with a flowing cape and a w i d e- log-cabin home was near the pres- brimmed hat. He was not only a ent intersection of Highway 99 and messenger bringing spiritual com- Elmira Road. Twenty charter mem- fort to ofttimes lonely people, but bers started Methodism on its way also was family counselor and con- in Eugene, augmented by 10 more fidant in adjusting their personal shortly thereafter. Until the first problems. church building was erected in 1857 A Mrs. Belknap, writing in her on t h e southwest corner of 10th diary says of the Circuit Rider: "It and Willamette meetings were held is like a ray of bright sunshine on in homes. When the first building a dark, cloudy day to meet him. was outgrown by 1886 the struc- Whole families go by ox-cart or ture was sold to the Catholics, who even on horseback. We have a Sun- moved it to the northeast corner of day-school and prayer-meeting and Constructed in 1853 and is the oldest building in Eugene. It may be seen at the Lane County Pioneer Historical Museum. 44 '1 then handshaking and visiting for formally organizing, but in 1889, an hour and we go to our distant under the leadership of Dr. Thomas homes greatly refreshed. We have Condon, a group of 34 people gath- little space in our one-room cabin, ered in the Rhinehart Opera House but there is always a cozy corner to effect an organization. Reverend for the minister and his books." P. 5. Knight from the Salem Con- In May, 1855, five people met un- gregational Church agreed to come der an oak tree on the southwest every two weeks for a service. c o r n e r of 10th and Willamette Prior to this time, most of the Streets and organized the Eugene Congregationalists h a d attended Presbyterian Church. By 1858, the the Presbyterian Church. The fol- membership had increased to eight, lowing spring the Congregationalist including the pastor's wife. The group was offered free use of the minutes of the Session give the im- second floor of the Hovey Building pression that the Reverend Robert at 8th and Olive Streets for their Robe was the pastor from 1855 to Sunday services. Old timers recall 1865, but there was no formal call that the entrance was by way of and that he should be called a Stat- an uncovered stairway which re- ed Sup p 1 y. A building was con- sulted in wet s k i r t s and ankles. structed in 1859 on the corner of Later, Mrs. Wesley Shannon donat- 8th and Lincoln streets. When fire ed a lot at the corner of 7th and destroyed this structure a second Charnelton Streets for a building one was built in 1883. In 1906 the which was dedicated in June 1891. church building was sold to t he The Catholics did not h ave a W.O.W. lodge, whereupon the two church site until 1873 when prop- Presbyterian groups merged to call erty was purchased on 11th a n d themselves the Central Presbyter- Willamette and the old Methodist ian Church. A building with stone church building was moved there. facing was constructed in 1908 on Mass had previously been held in the southwest corner of 10th and private homes or in the old Court Pearl Streets. House. In 1866, members of the Chris- The following years brought new tian Church, who had been meeting buildings as the population of Eu- irregularly in h o m e s during the gene expanded. In 1910, the Chris- past five years, decided to formally tian Church moved into its present organize a church group and hold building, to be followed in 1913 by services in the Court House. Two the Methodists in the edifice they years later a small brick building now occupy. In 1925, the Congre- was erected with a seating capacity gational Church moved to 13th and of 350, located on the northwest Ferry and two years later the Bap- corner of 9th a n d Pearl Streets tists were worshiping in their new (now Broadway). By 1893, the con- quarters at 868 High Street. The gregation had outgrown the orig- Episcopalians b u ii t at 13th and inal building and moved into a new Pearl Streets in 1938. Both the one on the northwest corner of 11th Presbyterians and the Congrega- and Willamette. tionalists have met the needs of ex- The Congregationalists were lat- panding membership in their new er than the other denominations in church buildings, the former at 'Moore, MeCornack, McCready, The Story of Eugene, Stratford Press, New York, 1949, page 27. 45 1475 Ferry Street, since 1956, and to Heaven. The story is told that the latter at 1050 23rd A v e n u e the road was not always a matter East in 1957.