Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/571

CHAPTER XXI.

1834—1910.

The First Churches—The Development of the Churches—The Groups of Great Preachers—The Founding of Sectarian Schools—The Steady Growth of Religious Work—Notable Characters, Roberts, Wilbur, Blanchet, Scott, Atkinson, Fierens, Lindsley, Morris, Christie and Stephen Wise.

THE FIRST CHURCH.

The first church in North America, built for white people west of the Rocky mountains, was erected at Willamette Falls (now called Oregon City) in the year 1843—sixty-seven years ago. Jason Lee had established a Methodist mission up in the Willamette valley before that date, but had not built a church. It was erected by a committee acting for the subscribers to the building fund, composed of Governor George Abernethy, Robert Shortess, David Carter, Rev. A. Waller, and C. Rogers. The subscribers to the building fund were as follows:

George Abernethy $100
John Force, 100
Jason Lee, 50
A. F. Waller 50
L. H. Judson, 50
Elijah White, 50
J. L. Parish, 50
David Leslie, 50
W. H. Wilson, 50
A. E. Wilson 30
Robert Shortess, 30
James R. Robb, 30
S. Smith 25
W. H. Gray, 25
W. H. Pheiffer, 25
John McCord, 20
L. J. Hubbard, 20
Wm. C. Sutton, 20
G. W. Le Breton, 20
S. C. Pomeroy, 12
James O'Neill 10
Wm. Perry 10
J. E. Long, 10
A. Beers, 10
John Dabenbis 3 days' work
Joseph Yatter, 2 days' work

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