Pullman Community Congregational Church Records,

Transcription

1 Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, Overview of the Collection Creator Title Dates Pullman Community Congregational Church Pullman Community Congregational Church Records (inclusive) Quantity 7 containers., (36 volumes.), (6 linear feet of shelf space.), (1280 items.) Collection Number Cage 314 Summary Repository Access Restrictions Correspondence, membership lists, organizational documents, minutes, financial records, printed materials, reports, records of the acts of the church, records of auxiliary women and young peoples societies, and photographs of buildings of the Community Congregational Church of Pullman, , and the Federated Church of Pullman, Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Terrell Library Suite 12 Pullman WA Telephone: mascref@wsu.edu This collection is open for research use. Languages Sponsor English Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Biographical Note The Pullman Community Congregational Church was originally incorporated in 1886 as the First Congregational Church of Pullman. It was the first church formally organized in Pullman, although a loosely-organized Methodist congregation preceded it by four years. The Congregationalists located their church building at the corner of High and Paradise Streets on Pullman's Pioneer Hill, rebuilding at the same location when their structure burned in the fire which destroyed much of the town in The church entered into a federation with a Pullman Baptist congregation in 1913, after which a new building was constructed on the outskirts of the Washington State University campus. The federation, however, tended to be heavily dominated by the Congregationalist element; consequently the Baptist congregation lost the recognition of the Baptist conventions. This resulted in the creation of a new and separate Baptist congregation and virtual nullification of the federation. Recognizing that the Federated 1

2 Church was in reality but another manifestation of the First Congregational Church, the pastor and officers reincorporated the organization as the Community Congregational Church in The Community Congregational Church continued to use the Federated Church buildings and facilities after In 1954, the old Federated Church building was converted to meeting rooms and a new church building was constructed in an adjacent location. In 1961, the church entered into the United Church of Christ, a national denomination encompassing Congregational and Reformed churches. Content Description The Community Congregational Church records consist of thirty-six volumes in which have been entered membership rolls, minutes of meetings, financial records, and the acts of the church; and approximately 1280 items of correspondence, membership lists, financial records, minutes, resolutions, printed materials and photographs. Although the earliest records date from 1886, these appear to have been transcribed in 1891, possibly because of the loss of the earlier records in a fire which destroyed the church edifice in The earlier records--those in bound form--are principally concerned with recording formal acts of the church, such as minutes of meetings and lists of officers and members. Later records include some correspondence, memoranda and fuller documentation of activities of the church and of the persons who served as pastors and officers. Significant correspondents, other than pastors, include Edward F. Gaines, Carl Milton Brewster and Otho West. Use of the Collection Preferred Citation [Item Description]. Cage 314, Pullman Community Congregational Church Records. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA. Administrative Information Arrangement The arrangement of the records is based on the different practices of record keeping used by the church. These practices result in the records being ordered in two series, one series of record books and a second series of other. Generally, the church's early records are found in the bound volumes, while foldered items record later events. A considerable chronological overlap exists, nevertheless. Within each series are found several subseries, the most important of which consists of membership records, minutes, correspondence, financial records and church publications. Material within the various subseries is generally arranged in a chronological sequence. Acquisition Information The records of the Community Congregational Church of Pullman were donated to the Washington State University Library in April and May 1975 through the office of the church historian, Mr. Leonard Young. Additional records were received in Sept Bibliography 2

3 For a history of the Community Congregational Church see Otho West, I Remember, and The Congregationalists (Pullman: Community Congregational Church, Related Materials Further church records have been received and processed as Cage 448. Related records are also located in Cage 480. Detailed Description of the Collection The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection. Series 1: Record Books Container(s) Description Dates SubSeries 1.1: General Records 1 Pastors Deacons Finance Board Trustees Clerks Treasurers Sunday School Superintendents Organists Choir Leaders Ushers Infant Baptisms Members received

4 1 Members removed Marriages Charities and expenses Annual Church Statistics Annual Sunday School Statistics Minutes 1886; Principals of Organization. 2 Pastors Deacons Deaconesses Trustees Finance Board Clerks Treasurers Sunday School Superintendents Organists Church Board Ushers Delegates Baptisms Members received

5 2 Marriages 1905 SubSeries 1.2: Minutes 3 General meeting General meeting and committees ; ca General meeting Minutes, documents and "history", relative to Federation Executive Board, Federated Church Executive Board, Federated Church Board of Trustees Executive Board Executive Board Executive Board Board of Trustees Oct 1955-Sept Board of Trustees Oct 1956-Sept b Board of Trustees Oct 1957 Sept c Board of Trustees Oct 1958 Sept d Board of Trustees Oct 1959 Oct 1960 SubSeries 1.3: Financial Records 5

6 15 Pledges and payments Pledges and receipts Pledges and receipts Treasurer's accounts Pledges and receipts Receipts and expenses Reciepts and expenses Receipts and expenses SubSeries 1.4: Sunday School 23 Attendence and financial records SubSeries 1.5: Women's Society 24 Minutes Minutes Minutes Minutes Treasurer's records SubSeries 1.6: Young People's Society 6

7 29 Membership, minutes ; Minutes Pilgrim Club, membership b Pilgrim Club, minutes SubSeries 1.7: Scrapbook 32 Summer camp at Lake Coeur d'alene ca 1955 Series 2: Records Container(s) Description Dates SubSeries 2.1: Articles of incorporation 1 1 Articles of incorporation, by-laws, articles of federation and other constitutional documents SubSeries 2.2: Reports 1 2 Reports to the Congregational Year Book Annual report to congregation SubSeries 2.3: Correspondence

8 SubSeries 2.4: Resolutions, minutes, ballots, committee reports undated SubSeries 2.5: Membership Lists 3 15 Lists and rosters Applications for memberships, transfers ca SubSeries 2.6: Financial Records

9 undated SubSeries 2.7: Printed Materials and Photographs 6 44 Weekly service bulletins Newsletters Congregational Way Communicator Offering envelopes Publicity materials Brochures relative to union with United Church of Christ Photographs, descriptive materials ca ca SubSeries 2.8: Additional Records 9

10 7 50 Correspondence, minutes and resolutions, financial records Names and Subjects Subject Terms : Congregational churches--washington (State)--Pullman--Records and correspondence Corporate Names : Pullman Community Congregational Church--Archives (creator) Finding aid prepared by Lawrence Stark 2012 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License: Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West: