Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Congregational Church Collection, 1848-1986
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Congregational Church Collection
- Dates
- 1848-1986 (inclusive)18481986
1880-1920 (bulk)18801920 - Quantity
- 1.5 cubic feet (4 document cases, 1 reel microfilm)
- Collection Number
- Mss 1018
- Summary
- Ranging in date from 1848 to 1986, the Congregational Church Collection is an artificial collection of records from Congregational churches and related associations in Oregon. The bulk of the collection consists of printed material from various churches, notably the First Congregational Church of Portland and Oregon City's Atkinson Memorial Church. The collection also includes microfilmed records from the First Congregational Church of The Dalles. A limited amount of correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, and assorted church records forms the remainder of the collection.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Sponsored by the American Board for Foreign Missions, Congregational missionaries arrived in what would become the Oregon Territory during the 1830s. The denomination quickly formed many new churches in the region; Reverend J.S. Griffin established the first Congregational Church near Hillsboro in 1842, and by 1852, churches were established in Oregon City, Milwaukie, Portland, and Salem. In addition to ministering to settlers, the church proved important in the development of the educational system in Oregon; Dr. George Atkinson, the long-time minister of the First Congregational Church in Oregon City, helped establish the public school system and Tualatin Academy (later Pacific University). Oregon's Congregational churches had a combined denomination of over 1,000 by 1880 and grew steadily during the 20th century. The Congregational Church merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Churches to form the United Church of Christ in 1957.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The records of the Congregational Church Collection were gathered by the Oregon Historical Society from various sources. Ranging in date from 1848 until 1986, the collection consists of the print output, correspondence, meeting minutes, and financial records of individual churches and Congregational associations and conferences in Oregon. Additionally, the collection contains one reel of microfilmed records from the First Congregational Church in The Dalles that features early meeting minutes, church histories, church programs, correspondence, and other church records. A final series of assorted church records includes the marriage record book of pastor P.S. Knight, church certifications, and handwritten notes.
Printed material produced by individual churches from 1880 until 1920 constitutes the bulk of the collection and includes pamphlets, annual reports, booklets, church programs, sermons, and member directories, among other materials. The First Congregational Church of Portland and the First Congregational Church of Oregon City (later Atkinson Memorial Church) created the majority of this portion of the collection. Other noteworthy items are handwritten meeting minutes of early meetings of Congregational associations and churches and correspondence penned by Dr. George Atkinson, known as "the father of Oregon public schools," regarding Plymouth Congregational Church.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any publication use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
The Congregational Church Collection, Mss 1018, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Folders containing the records of various Oregon Congregational churches and affiliated associations are arranged alphabetically within six series:
- Series A: Printed materials, 1854-1986
- Series B: Correspondence, 1856-1945
- Series C: Meeting minutes, 1848-1921
- Series D: Financial records, 1879-1901
- Series E: Microfilm, 1867-1961
- Series F: Assorted materials, 1850-1914
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series A: Printed materials, 1854-1986Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Atkinson Memorial Church (First
Congregational Church, Oregon City)
Church bulletins, clippings, pamphlet with building plans,
pastoral record for Reverend George Rockwood, programs, souvenir booklet, and
speech
|
1884-1930; undated |
| 1/2 | Congregational Association of
Oregon--programs |
1889-1908 |
| 1/3 | Congregational Club of
Oregon--invitation |
1895 |
| 1/4 | Congregational Conference of
Oregon--proceedings, programs, and a report |
1910-1900 |
| 1/5 | Congregational Council--souvenir
booklet |
1898 |
| 1/6 | East Willamette Association of
Congregational Churches--programs |
1898-1912 |
| 1/7 | First Congregational Church,
Albany--church bulletin and programs |
1901-1910 |
| 1/8 | First Congregational Church,
Corvallis
Annual report, absence letter for members, business card,
catalog with member list and clippings, church notice, invitations, letter of
dismissal, list of church members, and programs
|
1886-1889 |
| 1/9 | First Congregational Church,
Eugene--event program |
1911 |
| 1/10 | First Congregational Church,
Forest Grove--newsletter and programs |
1898-1934 |
| 1/11 | First Congregational Church,
[Lake] Oswego--constitution and bylaws |
1890 |
| Box | ||
| 1 | First Congregational Church,
Portland |
1854-1983; undated |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/12 | Program and ticket |
1850-1879 |
| 1/13 | Assorted printed
materials
Annual report and directories, church manual, constitution and
bylaws, proceedings, program, and published sermon
|
1880-1889 |
| 1/14 | Assorted printed
materials
Church directory and annual report, calendars, invitation,
manual, newsletter, pamphlets, pastoral letter, and programs
|
1890-1900 |
| 1/15 | Assorted printed
materials
Annual report and directories, calendar with directory, church
membership booklet, event calendars, history of church music, invitation,
programs, and bound volume with printed calendars and programs
|
1900-1905 |
| 1/16 | Church manual, calendar,
directory, invitation, and programs |
1906-1909 |
| 2/1 | Calendar, directory, programs,
and quarterly reports |
1910-1913 |
| 2/2 | Budget, newsletters, and
programs |
1914-1918 |
| 2/3 | Flyer, manual and directory,
membership roll, pamphlet, and programs |
1920-1983 |
| 2/4 | Event calendars, invitation,
pamphlets, programs, and published sermon |
undated |
| 2/5 | First Congregational Church,
Salem--church history, programs, and a resolution |
1883-1944 |
| 2/6 | First Congregational Church, The
Dalles--pamphlet with building plans and program [1867?] |
1936 |
| 2/7 | First Congregational Church,
Walla Walla--program |
1986 |
| 2/8 | Fort Street Church--pastoral
letter |
1886 |
| 2/9 | General Association of
Congregational Churches and Ministers--programs |
1896-1907 |
| 2/10 | Hassalo Street Congregational
Church--annual report, directories, invitation, and program |
1893-1910 |
| 2/11 | Highland Congregational
Church--programs |
undated |
| 2/12 | Mid-Columbia Association of
Congregational Churches--programs |
1888-1904 |
| 2/13 | Mississippi Avenue Congregational
Church--collection card |
undated |
| 2/14 | Oregon State Association of
Congregational Churches and Ministers--program |
1900 |
| 2/15 | Pacific Coast Congress of
Congregational Churches--essay, flyer, history, and programs |
1888-1911 |
| 2/16 | Pendleton Congregational
Church--invitation and information card |
1889 |
| 2/17 | Pilgrim Congregational
Church
Cast list, invitation, petition, and programs, undated
|
1909-1937 |
| 2/18 | Portland Association of
Congregational Churches--programs |
1897-1915 |
| 2/19 | Portland Association of
Congregational Churches and Ministers--programs |
1898-1908 |
| 2/20 | Riverside Congregational
Church--program |
1912 |
| 2/21 | Sunnyside Congregational
Church--invitation to event and program |
1914; 1932 |
| 2/22 | West Willamette Association of
Congregational Churches and Ministers--constitution and programs |
1897-1910 |
| 2/23 | Willamette Association of
Congregational Ministers and Churches--constitution, essay, and
programs |
1886-1895 |
| 2/24 | Willsburg Congregational
Church--invitation to event |
undated |
| 2/25 | Women's Board of the Pacific,
1893-1909--programs |
undated |
| 2/26 | Unidentified churches,
1869-1919--clippings, flyer, and programs |
undated |
| 2/27 | Unidentified church
organizations--church bulletins |
1916 |
Series B: Correspondence, 1856-1945Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/28 | Congregational Association of
Oregon |
1894 |
| 2/29 | Congregational Conference of
Oregon |
1945 |
| 2/30 | Congregational Home Missionary
Society |
undated |
| 2/31 | First Congregational Church,
Portland |
1856 |
| 2/32 | Plymouth Congregational
Church |
1887 |
| 2/33 | Portland Association of
Congregational Churches |
1899 |
| 2/34 | Portland Association of
Congregational Churches and Ministers |
1897-1898 |
| 2/35 | Unidentified churches |
1887-1901 |
Series C: Meeting minutes, 1848-1921Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/1 | Congregational Conference of
Oregon |
1921 |
| 3/2 | Congregational Missionary Society
of Portland and Vicinity--bound volume; includes handwritten history of Oregon
and the Congregational Church |
1894 |
| 3/3-4 | First Congregational Church,
Portland--two bound volumes |
1851-1888 |
| 3/5 | Oregon Association of the
Congregational and Presbyterian Brethren--bound volume |
1848-1857 |
| 3/6 | Oregon Home Missionary
Society |
1872 |
| 3/7 | Pilgrim Congregational
Church |
1911 |
| 4/1 | Portland Local Association of
Congregational Churches and Ministers--bound volume; includes
Constitution |
1897-1899 |
Series D: Financial records, 1879-1901Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/2 | Congregational Home Missionary
Society--cancelled checks |
1893-1894 |
| 4/3 | First Congregational Church,
Corvallis--train fare receipt |
1885 |
| 4/4 | General Association of
Congregational Churches and Ministers--receipt |
1879 |
| 4/5 | Oregon Home Missionary
Society--receipts |
1893-1895 |
| 4/6 | Portland Association of
Congregational Churches and Ministers--receipt |
1901 |
| 4/7 | Plymouth Congregational
Church--receipts |
1894; undated |
Series E: Microfilm, 1867-1961Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Reel | ||
| 1 | First Congregational Church, The
Dalles
Pastor list, programs, church histories, baptismal covenant,
biographies of William Tenney and E.S. Joslyn, essays by William Tenney and
E.S. Joslyn, articles of governance, clippings, meeting minutes, leaflets,
annual reports, member and officer lists, and correspondence
|
1867-1961 |
Series F: Assorted materials, 1850-1914Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/8 | First Congregational Church,
Portland--subscription pledge record and bound volume of church
records |
1850-1884 |
| 4/9 | First Congregational Church,
Salem--bound volume with marriage records of P.S. Knight |
1865-1914 |
| 4/10 | Oregon State Association of
Congregational Churches and Ministers--Congregational College
resolutions |
undated |
| 4/11 | Portland Association of
Congregational Churches and Ministers-- certifications |
1897-1899 |
| 4/12 | Tualatin Academy (Pacific
University)--handwritten notes |
undated |
| 4/13 | Unidentified churches--library
catalog |
undated |
| 4/14 | Unidentified church
organizations--certification, resolution, and handwritten notes |
1896; undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Church history--Oregon
- Congregational Church--Oregon
- Congregational Church--Oregon--Portland
- Congregational Church--Oregon--Salem
- Congregational churches--Education--Oregon
- Congregational churches--Oregon--Biography
- Congregationalists--Oregon
Personal Names
- Atkinson, G.H. (George Henry), 1819-1889
- Himes, George H., 1844-1940
- Joslyn, Erastus S.
- Knight, Plutarch Stewart
- Tenney, William Alfred, 1827-1914
Corporate Names
- Atkinson Memorial Church (Oregon City, Or.)
- Congregational Missionary Society of Portland and Vicinity (Or.)
- First Congregational Church of Portland (Or.) (creator)
- First Congregational Church (Corvallis, Or.)
- First Congregational Church (Oregon City, Or.)
- First Congregational Church (Salem, Or.)
- First Congregational Church (The Dalles, Or.)
- Hassalo Street Congregational Church (Portland, Or.)
- Oregon Association of the Congregational and Presbyterian Brethren (Or.)
- Oregon Home Missionary Society (Or.)
- Pacific University
- Pacific Coast Congress of Congregational Churches
- Plymouth Congregational Church (Portland, Or.)
- Portland Local Association of Congregational Churches and Ministers (Portland, Or.)
- Tualatin Academy
- Willamette Association of Congregational Ministers and Churches (Or.)
Geographical Names
- Corvallis (Or.)--History
- Dalles (Or.)--History
- Eugene (Or.)--History
- Forest Grove (Or.)--History
- Lake Oswego (Or.)--History
- Oregon City (Or.)--History
- Portland (Or.)--History
- Salem (Or.)--History
Form or Genre Terms
Collection processed by Amy Bowman,
April 2006
2006
