the autumn of 1851 a church was begun in Portland, which was dedicated in February 1852 by Archbishop Blanchet. In 1854 this building was removed to Stark Street, near Third, and ten years later had wings added for library and other uses, being reconsecrated in 1864. In 1871 the building was again enlarged, and used until 1878, when it was removed to make room for St Mary's cathedral, a fine brick structure costing $60.000, the corner-stone of which was laid in August of that year. Portland Daily Bee, May 16, 1878; Portland Oregonian, Aug. 24, 1878; Portland Herald, Feb. 9, 1873.
There is also in Portland the chapel of St Mary attached to the convent of the sisters of the most holy names of Jesus and Mary, between Mill and Market streets. The sisters have a day and boarding school, ordinarily attended by 150 pupils. St Joseph's day-school for boys, near the church, had an aver age attendance in 1868 of 75. St Michael's college, for the higher education of young men, is a later institution, and well supported. The church of St John the Evangelist, at the corner of Chamekata and College streets, Salem, was dedicated April 10, 1864. Forty or fifty families attend services here, and a large number of children receive instruction in the Sunday-school. The academy of the Sacred Heart, under the care of the sisters, a substantial brick structure, is a boarding and day school where eighty girls are taught the useful and ornamental branches. This institution was dedicated in 1863, but the present edifice was not occupied till 1873. There is also a catholic church, and the academy of Mary Immaculate at The Dalles, located on Third Street; St Mary's academy at Jacksonville, Notre Dame academy at Baker City, Mater Dolorosa mission at Grande Ronde reservation, and St Joseph's hall, a female orphan asylum, at Portland.
The oldest Congregational Church in Oregon is that of Oregon City, organized in 1844 by Harvey Clark, independent missionary, who also set on foot educational matters, and organized a church at Forest Grove. See Atkinson's Cong. Church, 1-3, a centennial review of Congregationalism in Oregon. The American home missionary society about this time projected a mission to Oregon, and in 1847 sent George H. Atkinson and wife to labor in this field. They settled in Oregon City in June 1848, at the time the discovery of gold in California nearly depopulated that place. Atkinson, Eells, and Clark proceeded to form, with other congregationalists, the Oregon Association, which held its first meeting at Oregon City September 20th, and appointed, together with the presbyterian ministers, trustees for the Tualatin academy. Home Missionary, xxii. 43, 63. In November 1849 arrived Horace Lyman and wife, also sent out by the home missionary society in 1847, but who had lingered and taught for one year in San Jose, California. Lyman settled at Portland, where he began to build up a church. There were at Oregon City in 1840 but eight members, but they undertook to build a plain meeting-house, 24 by 40 feet, ceiled, and without belfry or steeple, the cost of which was $3,550.
Atkinson preached at Portland first in June 1849, in a log-house used as a shingle-factory. The congregation was attentive, and the citizens subscribed 2,000 to erect a school-house, which was to be at the service of all denominations for religious services. It was arranged that the congregational ministers should preach there once in two weeks. At the second meeting, in July, Captain Wood of the U. S. steamer Massachusetts was present, to the delight of the minister as well as the people. When Lyman arrived he began teaching and preaching in the school-house. Portland Oregonian, May 24, 1864; Lyman, in Pac. Christian Advocate, 1865. As there was then no church to organize in Portland, and as his salary was only $500--the rent of a dwelling being quite all of that--he was compelled to solicit aid. The town proprietors offered a lot. In the forest, on the rising ground at the south end of Second Street, Lyman made his selection, and $5,000 were subscribed, and the building, 32 by 48 feet, was begun. Lyman worked with his own hands in clearing the ground for his house and the church, and making shingles for the former, falling ill from his unwonted exertions and the malaria of the newly exposed earth. But the citizens of Portland came kindly to his assistance; he was nursed back to health; the house and church were completed,
