Wright County, Minnesota - Chapter 22: Protestant Episcopal Church, 1915

History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Wright County, Prepared by the Rev. George C. Tanner, D. D., Historian of the Diocese of Minnesota - Saint Anthony Falls Mission - Rev. J. 8. Chamberlain - Clearwater - Monticello - Buffalo - Rockford - Delano - Howard Lake - The Longworth Chapel - Annandale - The Work of the Episcopal Church Among the Scandinavians - The Parish at Cokato.

The Saint Anthony Falls, Mission, 1852-1864. This extensive mission field included the present county of Wright, then just beginning to have its scattered settlements. Within its borders were the prospective towns of Monticello, Clearwater and Buffalo, with others where services were held at a later day, as Rockford, Delano, Howard Lake and Cokato, berlain, of Saint Anthony Falls, in 1857. His services were held at regular intervals, and among those interested we find the names of W. D. Davis, Thomas Tollington and Orange Hyatt. In 1857 Clearwater is named as a station of Mr. Chamberlain, and Grace Church, Clearwater, was incorporated October 17, 1859, by James Stevenson, S. N. Nixon and W, D. Davis. The officers were James Stevenson, warden; S. N, Nixon, treasurer, and W. D. Davis, secretary.

In 1859, Mr. Chamberlain reports a ''church on foot"' at Clearwater and five communicants. In 1860 he reports two baptisms at Clearwater and six at Buffalo Lake; seven confirmations and seven communicants at Monticello; eight at Clearwater and two at Buffalo Lake, also seven confirmations at the latter place.

Mr. Chamberlain reports a corner-stone laid at Clearwater, '"'ohnrehes on foot at Monticello and Buffalo Lake.'' He says, 'A parish has been organized at Monticello since last report.' It appears that he refers to St. George's Church, which was organized at the store of Thomas Chambers, April 18, 1860, by the Rev. J. S. Chamberlain, Thomas Murry, T. G. Mealey, James Chambers, Samuel E, Adams and Henry B. Hill. The following were the officers: Thomas Murry, warden; Thomas Chambers, treasurer; Samuel E. Adams, secretary.

Mr. Chamberlain adds: ''The bishop's consent to the organization of a parish at Buffalo Lake [Editorial Note - Buffalo, the county seat of Wright county, was formerly known as Buffalo Lake, from the beautiful body of water on which it is situated. | has been given, and the parish will be organized at once.'' G. A. J. Overton is reported as delegate of St. Paul's Church, Buffalo Lake, in 1861.

No further report of Mr. Chamberlain appears in our council journals, yet it is certain he continued his ministrations in Wright county regularly or as oceasion required.

In 1860, Bishop Whipple speaks of the stations of the Rev. Mr, Chamberlain and reports visitations at Monticello, Clearwater and Buffalo Lake, gives consent to the organization of a parish at the latter place, and the same year, July 13, lays the cornerstone of Grace Church,

Fifty Years of Progress, 1865-1915. On the removal of Mr. Chamberlain, the missionary work of the region north of Minneapolis, including Wright county, became a part of the labors of the Rev. D. B. Knickerbacker, of Gethsemane Church, Minueapolis, December 31, 1865, Mr, Knickerbacker, accompanied by Dr. Ames, Sr.. held a service at Watertown, and either that day or the day before at Rockford. He continued to hold monthly seryices at these places, assisted occasionally by the Rev. Samuel Wardlaw and other clergymen. April 20, 1868, Bishop Whipple made a visitation and baptized two children at each place. The

The first mention of a service of the Episcopal Church at Delano, so far as appears, is the baptism of a child by Mr. Knickerbacker, in a report made to the council of his rural services in 1869-70.

Tn 1870 the Rev. Thomas G. Crump, of Litehfield, added to his work there the care of the towns along the line of the Pacific Railroad, including Rockford, Buffalo and Watertown, In 1876, Mr. Knickerbacker reports regular, or occasional, services at Rockford, Buffalo and Watertown by himself or Mr. Crump. The latter continued to minister at Rockford until 1887.

Delano is reported formally as a mission as early as 1885, and along with Rockford was cared for by the clergy of Minneapolis. February 9, 1870, the Rev. D. B. Knickerbacker and the Rev. C. D. Plummer made a notable trip through the north, at that time new, holding a series of services, including Delano. This service was held in a public hall, at which the sacrament of baptism was administered. The same year the Rev. Mr. Crump, of Litchfield, began holding a monthly, and then an occasional service, until 1879. An occasional service was also held until the Rev. Charles Rollit, Sr., came in 1883. Mr, Rollit continued in charge until his death in 1885, which oceurred at a visit here. For a time Mr. Rollit's son read the service. In 1887, the Rev. F. R. Millspaugh, of St. Paul's Church, Minneapolis, took charge until 1894. During Mr. Millspaugh's pastorate, and by his efforts, the work prospered, He was followed by the Rev. F. T. Webb, also of St. Paul's, in conjunction with the Rev. E. J. Purdy, of Minneapolis. From this date Delano has followed the changes of the Breck Memorial Church of Rockford. ''The Holy Spirit Church'' at Delano was consecrated by the Rt. Rev, Samuel Cook Edsall, November 22, 1908. The Rev. ©. E. Hixon, of Minneapolis, took charge in 1899 and is still the pastor (1915). 'Delano is a preaching station (1915) supplied by a lay reader, or with an occasional service by some clergyman in connection with his regular work."'

In 1887, by the efforts of the Rev. Mr. Millspangh (1887-1894), a church was built and consecrated at Rockford, September 17, 1889, by the Rt. Rev. Henry Benjamin Whipple, D.D. With the consent of the people the mission, hitherto known as Trinity Mission, was changed, and the church was consecrated as ''The Breek Memorial Chureh,'' Rockford, in honor of the Rev. Doctor James Lloyd Breck, a pioneer missionary of Minnesota. The property is held by The Diocese of Minnesota. Messrs. Willspaugh and Webb were assisted by Mr. Adams of Minneapolis as lay reader. Other elergy in charge of Breck Memorial Chapel are Rev, M. N. Ray, 1895-1899, Rev. Charles E, Nixon, 1899, still in charge, The mission is regularly organized and is entitled to representation and vote in council. Bishop's Committee (1914), George Frederick, warden; Charles Crandall, Albert Frederick, Mrs. Ida Frederick, clerk and treasurer; Edward Thielkie.

Tn his report to the council for 1875-76, the Rev. Mr. Knickerbacker says, "'I have held ten services at Howard Lake.'' His first service must have been held about August, 1875. A monthly week-day service was held in Johnson's Hall, January 2, 1876, a Sunday School was organized, of which Joseph Warren was superintendent, with sixty-five scholars and ten teachers, May 2, 1876, Bishop Whipple confirmed seven persons here. The same year a mission was organized by the name of '' All Saints,'' of which J. A. Johnson was appointed warden; Joseph E. Warren, secretary; Joseph Robinson, treasurer. Land was promised for the site of a chapel, regular services by a clergyman were held on a week-day, and the Sunday School conducted by Prof. Warren supplied the Sunday service. In 1881 the ecorner-stone of All Saints Church was laid and the edifice was consecrated by Bishop Whipple on the eighth of August. The entire cost of the church was $1,500. Calvin Movers was appointed lay reader and began holding a Sunday service in Advent. In 1883 the mission was placed in charge of the Rev. Charles Rollit, Sen., along with Rockford, Buffalo and Delano. He remained in charge until his death in 1885. Mr. Rollit was followed by the Rev. A. R. Graves, of Gethsemane Church, Minneapolis, assisted by the Brotherhood. From 1889 to 1892 the Rev. A. G. Pinkham, of Litehfield, was in charge. \From this time no report appears in the Diocesan Journal for several years, though it is very likely that an oceasional service was held, either by the arch-deacon, or other clergyman on oceasion. In 1901 the Rey. Carl Reed Taylor, of Litchfield, is reported in charge. The Rey. Mr. Taylor resigned charge of Litchfield early in 1905 and no report of Buffalo Lake appears for that year, and in 1906 the name is dropped from the list of preaching stations.

In 1859 Octavius Longworth located on the banks of Clear Lake in the town of Corinna, Wright county. Mr. Longworth, who had been warden of St. Mark's Church, Williamsburg, N. Y., soon began reading the prayer-book service in his own house. The Rev. Mr. Chamberlain soon became aware of the settlement, and considered it as a part of his missionary cure. Meanwhile the Rev. Mr. Knickerbacker, having known Mr. Longworth often visited him, and after the retirement of Mr, Chamberlain added this mission, known as Hassan, to his other missionary labors. As the log house of Mr. Longworth became too small to hold those who attended the services, Mr, Knickerbacker decided to build a church. The Rev. Dr. Haskins, of Williamsburg, N. Y., a friend of Mr. Knieckerbacker, contributed a liberal sum for this purpose, and with the aid of others a church was consecrated by Bishop Whipple, September 4, 1872, as St. Mark's Chapel, Longworth, from the name of the parish in Williamsburg, of which Mr. Longworth had been warden for many years. Mr. Knickerbacker continued to minister at Longworth's and at Monticello, Clearwater and Big Lake. The project of building a church at Clearwater, eight miles distant, was given up when it was decided to build a chureh at Longworth's. Other clergy who officiated are Rev. John Scott, of Anoka; Rev. W. R. Powell, of Park Rapids, and the Rev. S. B. Cowdry, of Minneapolis. Other eminent clergymen, attracted by the beauty of the lake, have ministered to the people in the little church. After the election of Mr. Knickerbacker as Bishop of Indiana, the Rev. A. R. Graves, of Gethsemane, ministered to the people, and the Brotherhood of Gethsemane included St. Mark's, Longworth, in the annual report of their work. The death of Octavius Longworth occurred in 1889 in the eighty-fifth year of his age.

Since the death of Mr. Longworth services have been held by ©. F. Drake, M. D., here, and at Clearwater; C. F. Kite, who began a lay service at Annandale; H. F. Parshall, when a student at Seabury. In 1891 Bishop Gilbert visited Annandale, and the other places. In 1893 Mr. Rimer took charge of the services at Longworth's and Annandale. In 1894 the Rev. Russell Todd condueted the services at Longworth's, Annandale being given up, the people attending at Longworth's. Upton N. Gibbs, of Seabury Divinity School, spent the summer at Longworth and the Rev. H. F. Parshall of St. Clond and the Rev. Mr, Todd gave oceasional services to the people. In 1899 the Rev. Theo. C. Hudson of Paynesville is reported and is still in charge (1915), Bishop's Committee: O. Longworth, warden, 1915. The title of the church property is in the Bishop Seabury Mission,

In short, the history of the Episcopal Church in Wright county is identified with the labors of the Rev. J. 8S. Chamberlain of the St. Anthony Falls Mission, and with the Rectors of Gethsemane and St. Paul's Parishes, Minneapolis, and of Trinity Church, Litchfield.

The work of the Episcopal Church among the Scandinavians in Minnesota. It is beyond the scope of this article to speak of the ministrations of the Episcopal Church at an early day in Minnesota by the Rev. James Lloyd Breck among our Seandinavian population. For this, the reader is referred to "'The History of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota,'' by the Rev. George ©, Tanner, D. D., and to the Journals of the Diocese of Minnesota, and to the council addresses of Bishops Whipple, Hilbert and Edsall.

church for the Seandinavians of that vicinity. He was assisted by Mr. J, Johnson, a native of Sweden, and a student in Seabury Divinity School. At this service the Order of Evening Prayer of the Prayer Book, translated into Swedish and printed, was used for the first time. This resulted in a movement, at Litchfield and Cokato and Atwater, for the whole congregation of the Swedish Lutheran Church to come over to the Episcopal Church, and to organize as Swedish parishes. A committee had already been appointed at Cokato to confer with Bishop Gilbert on the subject. As a result, a congregation was gathered and a church built and the independent Swedish congregation, organized two years before by the Rev. Mr. Topteen at Litchfield, applied for admission and was received into the Episcopal Church by Bishop Gilbert, April 19, 1903. This Independent Lutheran Church had seceded from the Augustana Synod some time before. This was known as '"*Emanuel Church, Litechfield.''

Meanwhile, the Swedish congregation at Cokato had also seceded from the Augustana and was received by Bishop Gilbert, April 23, 1893. Both congregations have permission to use the liturgy and vestments of the Church of Sweden, with the recognition of their confirmation.

The following clergymen have been in charge of St. Sigfrid's Church, Cokato: Rev. August Andreen, 1893-94; Rev. Israel Bergstrom, 1894-95; Rev. Carl A. Nyblath, 1895-97; Rev. John HE. Almfeldt, 1896-1901; Rev. Schurer Werner, 1901-03; Rev. Erik Forsberg, 1904-05; Rev. Louis Gullander, 1905-08; Erie G. Ericson student at Seabury, lay reader, 1908-11; Rev. Erie G. Ericson, 1911, from his ordination and still in charge- - (By Rev. Geo. C. Tanner, D. D., historian of the diocese.)