Volume 009-1 - March 1955 (2 pages)

there. He had been employed by the Caseys, and had been killed in a horse race on the Casey Ranch. The land on which the chapel stood was later sold to the Dikeman family. It would not be complete to close this without a few words about the John Vineyard mentioned earlier. He preached funeral sermons, married couples and baptized children over the entire territory from Rough and Ready to Marysville and the Bear River on the South and the Yuba River on the North for a period of some forty years. (John Vineyard was a nephew of Peter Cartright, the most widely known circuit rider in the United States. John felt he was destined to help in this circuit, which was considered one of the most difficult to cover in the entire West.) After there was no minister stationed at Indian Springs, my mother and I kept the Church Record Book in our home at the Nile Ranch. Several of the children of the men who founded religion in the Penn Valley area became very prominent in their own right. Harold Kirkbride, mentioned earlier, became president of a large railroad. Raymond Jones, cousin of Dorothy Waggoner of Nevada City, became Southern Pacific agent at Marysville, and later became a state senator from Yuba County. His sister, Mary Jones, married Fred Horton, who operated the Penn Valley Creamery for many years. Their son, E. Horton, is a prominent businessman in Sacramento. William Murrish became a construction engineer of some fame. The son of Reverend Lawrence, with his father, formed the Lawrence Construction Company in Sacramento, where they now live. —Herbert J. Nile. MOUNT ST. MARY’S ACADEMY (Sisters of Mercy) By EMMA J. RAMM It was in the year 1862 that Father Thomas Dalton, pastor of St. Patrick’s Church at that time, saw the need of an orpranage in Grass Valley. He asked permission of Bishop O’Connell to build the orphanage and applied to Sister M. Baptista Russell, Mother Superior of the Mercy Sisters in San Francisco, for assistance. In 1863 five Sisters arrived, and there was much rejoicing among the people. Father Dalton gave up his residence to them as there was no other place for them to stay. A day-school was opened almost immediately in the old frame Church in the Cemetery lot. On the first day, 66 girls and 44 boys were enrolled. This school continued until March, 1866, when the Sisters moved into their new school and convent. The girls classes were held in the new building, the boys in the old building. In order to enhance their work, two pianos were purchased and music was taught and latter needlework was added. The school was free, put many thought a tuition should be charged, so this was done. By this time, Father Dalton had returned from Ireland where he had gone to get more help. He was able to secure three additional Sisters and these eight became the nucleus of the present community. Soon a boarding school was opened, which aided the work. Additional room was still needed, so St. Patrick’s School for boys was built and St. Vincent’s for girls. The boys’ school was built on an acre of land a short distance south of the Convent, and was known as St. Patrick’s Park, bounded on the West by Butler Road and on the East by Brighton Street. These buildings were always crowded. Thus the work progressed. The children were well taken care of and their training enabled them to go out into the world and support themselves, many filling responsible positions in this country and in foreign lands. In the year 1932, the orphans were moved to Sacramento, and the buildings were torn down. The Sisters still take girl boarders, and for some years now they have added a Commercial Course for both boys and girls. Last year, 1954, the Mercy Sisters celebrated their 100th Anniversary in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. It was in 1854 that they first came there. Their Motherhouse and Novitiate is located in Burlingame, California, and they conduct schools, hospitals and homes for the aged in Arizona as well as California. Treasurer, Mrs. Helen Sawyer, 123 Nevada St., Nevada City, California Nevada County Historical Society March, 1955 Vol. 9, No. 1 EARLY CHURCHES OF GRASG VALLEY AREA TODAY’S METHODIST CHURCH The beautiful Methodist Church and parsonage are of semi-Spanish design, and together with Wesley hall, were erected at a cost of over $4,000 cash and thousands of dollars of contributed labor, All the stained glass windows, both exterior and interior are memorials. The carved solid oak pews and the heavy velvet cushions were purchased from Temple Methodist Church of San Francisco when they consolidated for a time with the Congregational Church of that city. The most magnificent gift of all was made by the late Alexander Bunney, who donated all the walnut used in the construction of the altar, pulpits, choir seats, baptismal font, including the walls of the entire chancel, all his handiwork. The walnut was cut from trees originally grown on the property of the late Cyrus Hill on South Auburn Street, now the site of the Hennessy School buildings and field. The large walnut slabs were made into lumber by Mr. Bunney and had been seasoned for many years by him. A memory plate has been placed on the face of the altar in his memory. The kitchen of Wesley Hall is one of the best equipped in the city. When the church edifice was finished it was turned over to the California Methodist Church Conference free from debt and now ranks in the upper 10% of the Nevada California Methodist Conference District churches. The corner stone of 1872 was relaid July 4, 1937. Dr. H K. Hamilton, the District Superintendent, was in charge of the ceremonies Dedication of the completed Church was an event on Palm Sunday, 1939, with the pastor, Rev. Henry Mills and Bishop Jas. C. Baker officiating. —Miss Genevieve Kent. CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH In March, 1853, Rev. J. G. Hale from Vermont held services in Masonic Hall and the Congregational Church was organized October 16, 1853, with Rev. Hale as pastor with a membership of 15. The church edifice was erected and dedi-

there. He had been employed by the Caseys, and had been killed in a horse race on the Casey Ranch. The land on which the chapel stood was later sold to the Dikeman family. It would not be complete to close this without a few words about the John Vineyard mentioned earlier. He preached funeral sermons, married couples and baptized children over the entire territory from Rough and Ready to Marysville and the Bear River on the South and the Yuba River on the North for a period of some forty years. (John Vineyard was a nephew of Peter Cartright, the most widely known circuit rider in the United States. John felt he was destined to help in this circuit, which was considered one of the most difficult to cover in the entire West.) After there was no minister stationed at Indian Springs, my mother and I kept the Church Record Book in our home at the Nile Ranch. Several of the children of the men who founded religion in the Penn Valley area became very prominent in their own right. Harold Kirkbride, mentioned earlier, became president of a large railroad. Raymond Jones, cousin of Dorothy Waggoner of Nevada City, became Southern Pacific agent at Marysville, and later became a state senator from Yuba County. His sister, Mary Jones, married Fred Horton, who operated the Penn Valley Creamery for many years. Their son, E. Horton, is a prominent businessman in Sacramento. William Murrish became a construction engineer of some fame. The son of Reverend Lawrence, with his father, formed the Lawrence Construction Company in Sacramento, where they now live. —Herbert J. Nile. MOUNT ST. MARY’S ACADEMY (Sisters of Mercy) By EMMA J. RAMM It was in the year 1862 that Father Thomas Dalton, pastor of St. Patrick’s Church at that time, saw the need of an orpranage in Grass Valley. He asked permission of Bishop O’Connell to build the orphanage and applied to Sister M. Baptista Russell, Mother Superior of the Mercy Sisters in San Francisco, for assistance. In 1863 five Sisters arrived, and there was much rejoicing among the people. Father Dalton gave up his residence to them as there was no other place for them to stay. A day-school was opened almost immediately in the old frame Church in the Cemetery lot. On the first day, 66 girls and 44 boys were enrolled. This school continued until March, 1866, when the Sisters moved into their new school and convent. The girls classes were held in the new building, the boys in the old building. In order to enhance their work, two pianos were purchased and music was taught and latter needlework was added. The school was free, put many thought a tuition should be charged, so this was done. By this time, Father Dalton had returned from Ireland where he had gone to get more help. He was able to secure three additional Sisters and these eight became the nucleus of the present community. Soon a boarding school was opened, which aided the work. Additional room was still needed, so St. Patrick’s School for boys was built and St. Vincent’s for girls. The boys’ school was built on an acre of land a short distance south of the Convent, and was known as St. Patrick’s Park, bounded on the West by Butler Road

and on the East by Brighton Street. These buildings were always crowded. Thus the work progressed. The children were well taken care of and their training enabled them to go out into the world and support themselves, many filling responsible positions in this country and in foreign lands. In the year 1932, the orphans were moved to Sacramento, and the buildings were torn down. The Sisters still take girl boarders, and for some years now they have added a Commercial Course for both boys and girls. Last year, 1954, the Mercy Sisters celebrated their 100th Anniversary in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. It was in 1854 that they first came there. Their Motherhouse and Novitiate is located in Burlingame, California, and they conduct schools, hospitals and homes for the aged in Arizona as well as California. Treasurer, Mrs. Helen Sawyer, 123 Nevada St., Nevada City, California Nevada County Historical Society March, 1955 Vol. 9, No. 1 EARLY CHURCHES OF GRASG VALLEY AREA TODAY’S METHODIST CHURCH The beautiful Methodist Church and parsonage are of semi-Spanish design, and together with Wesley hall, were erected at a cost of over $4,000 cash and thousands of dollars of contributed labor, All the stained glass windows, both exterior and interior are memorials. The carved solid oak pews and the heavy velvet cushions were purchased from Temple Methodist Church of San Francisco when they consolidated for a time with the Congregational Church of that city. The most magnificent gift of all was made by the late Alexander Bunney, who donated all the walnut used in the construction of the altar, pulpits, choir seats, baptismal font, including the walls of the entire chancel, all his handiwork. The walnut was cut from trees originally grown on the property of the late Cyrus Hill on South Auburn Street, now the site of the Hennessy School buildings and field. The large walnut slabs were made into lumber by Mr. Bunney and had been seasoned for many years by him. A memory plate has been placed on the face of the altar in his memory. The kitchen of Wesley Hall is one of the best equipped in the city. When the church edifice was finished it was turned over to the California Methodist Church Conference free from debt and now ranks in the upper 10% of the Nevada California Methodist Conference District churches. The corner stone of 1872 was relaid July 4, 1937. Dr. H K. Hamilton, the District Superintendent, was in charge of the ceremonies Dedication of the completed Church was an event on Palm Sunday, 1939, with the pastor, Rev. Henry Mills and Bishop Jas. C. Baker officiating. —Miss Genevieve Kent. CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH In March, 1853, Rev. J. G. Hale from Vermont held services in Masonic Hall and the Congregational Church was organized October 16, 1853, with Rev. Hale as pastor with a membership of 15. The church edifice was erected and dedi-