Volume 009-1 - March 1955 (2 pages)

cated December, 1853, at a cost of $1500, on the corner of Church and Neal Streets. Later the present parsonage was built. An early photograph shows the property surrounded by a white picket fence with a gas light on the outer corner of the sidewalk. The membership increased to 65 in 1866, and the average attendance was 180; in 1881 the membership was 81, and the attendance was 214. When the African Church disbanded, the Congregational Church invited their members to attend; the Chinese were invited to come to the church and Sunday School at a later date. A Woman’s Temperance Union was organized in this church March 25, 1874, with Mrs. A. B. Debble, president; Mrs. D. J. Spencer, secretary; Mrs. E. Coleman, treasurer, adopting as their motto, “In God We Trust” and instituting the same methods of work still used. After the organization of the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, its name and constitution were amended to conform to the National Union. This is believed to be the oldest W.C.T.U. in existence and its birthplace was the First Congregational Church. For nearly forty years the old church stood on the site of the present edifice, but during the brief ministry of Rev. S. G. Emerson, who saw the great possibility in store for the young people if a larger and more convenient building were at their disposal, it was sold and moved to the Methodist Church‘ where it was built onto the rear of their church as Epworth Chapel and vestry. It was destroyed by the fire of 1936. The present church was erected by subscriptions, collections and a gift by John and Edward Coleman of the Idaho Mine, who were faithful and active members and officers of the church for a long period of years. In December, 1892, the church was dedicated with Prof. Foster of Theological Seminary preaching the sermon. Rev. J. H. Warren, who was present at the dedication of the first church, was also present at this dedication. An extensive remodeling program was accomplished in 1924 and 1925 during the ministry of Rev. Elmer 0. Chapel, whose pastorate of 16 years was the longest to date and was terminated by his death. The auditorium walls and ceiling received a covering of pressed steel with a unique panel scheme. Two memorial windows, a Garden of Gethsemane scene, and The Good Shepherd in art, were placed in the east and west sides of the auditorium. Other details were included in remodeling. The fine Wicks cathedral pipe organ was installed early in 1925 at a cost of $3800. Of more recent years, the heating and ventilating system were improved, some fluorescent lights installed and the exterior recovered and redecorated. In 1947, under the ministry of Rev. Willard Turner, the members paid their indebtedness of $1250 to the Congregational Conference, burned their mortgage, withdrew from the Conference and established themselves as Independent Fundamentalists, an independent Bible Believing Fellowship. As such the church is entirely self-supporting by 35 families whose members fully maintain the church and its organizations by their tithes and contributions, and receive no directives from any higher organization nor pay assessments levied by any such organization. Nor do they engage in any moneymaking projects following the principle that Christ turned out the moneychangers in the Temple. The present pastor, Rev. Rhys A. Miner, is president of Northern California Conference of Independent Fundamental Churches of America. Active within the church are: Christian Endeaver—Senior, Intermediate, and Junior; Ladies Circle, meeting twice a month, consistently supporting home and foreign missions and planning and earing for the various work and programs of the church; the Men’s Fellowship; a Gospel Team visiting the County Hospital every Monday night to bring singing and comfort to patients; a Home Department which sends out weekly papers, etc., each week to shut-ins and those who are ill. Besides the Sunday School with an average of 130, a Mission project is under the direction of Elinor Beck at Cedar Ridge since the Sunday School there was offered to and accepted by the Official Board here. Six Missionaries are partially supported by the church with contributions to others. Bean’s Directory, 1867 Thompson and West, 1880 Congregational Church publications Information from members. —Miss Genevieve Kent. Vol. 7we) PENN VALLEY CHURCH The Methodist-Episcopal Church had what was known as the Indian Springs Charge or Circruit, which was the headquarters for a circuit rider. The minister stationed there preached at Indian Springs, Rough and Ready, Pleasant Valley, Smartsville, Earl District, Lone Tree, Spenceville and Sheridan. All church services were held in the school houses in the respective localities. At Indian Springs, there was a parsonage, barn, and seven acres of good pasture land. I remember the names of the preachers by the names of theirchildren. Reverend Kirkbride and his son, Harold, were the first I remember. Next I recall Reverend Jones, and his children, Raymond and Mary, all cousins of James Terrill. A Reverend Smith and his children, Ted and Hattie, succeeded the Jones family. They in turn were succeeded by a Reverend Vineyard, who preferred to live on his farm at Lone Tree instead of residing at the parsonage. The Reverend Thomas Murrish followed John Vineyard, and was succeeded by the Reverends Withrow, Seigler, Haddix, Verity, Richardson, Hocking, Vineyard (John), C. H. Lawrence, Beatty and Becock. Services were held every other Sunday. The preacher conducted services at 11:00 in the morning, at 3:00 in the afternoon, and in the evening. Sunday School was held every week directly following the morning service. On the Sundays that no church service was held, Sunday School classes were conducted at 11:00. It must have been in the early eighties that several families from the Southern States started a Methodist Church South Circuit. I believe their headquarters were at Wheatland. This new group wanted to hold services at the same place used by the present group, on the alternate Sundays. There were many differences of opinion when this was proposed. An opinion sampling was made, and it was decided to allow the original users of the church to retain the 11:00 hour and to let the new group have the use of the building at any other time they wished. During this period there was an interesting incident that occurred concerning the Montgomery brothers, John and Ferd. Called Uncle John and Uncle Ferd by the younger generation, the two brothers had come to Penn Valley in 1849, bringing with them a large number of Negro slaves. They settled in Section 33, Township 16 North, Range 7 East, this having been considered then, and by many to this day, as the best farming section in Nevada County. At that time the Southerners were trying to get as many of the southern and western states admitted to the Union as Slave States as was possible. California was admitted as a Free State in September, 1850, and the Montgomerys set their slaves free in compliance with the decision. One slave, whom everyone knew as Uncle Ned, helped raise the Montgomery boys, and he refused to leave, deciding to stay with them as long as he lived. In the early years of the settlement of the Montgomerys, John, who had a reputation of having a quick temper, had a heated argument with James Hughes. Hughes lived on the ranch presently called the Huggins Ranch. Hughes was the grandfather of Carl Tobiassen, sheriff of Nevada County (1934-1946) and former county supervisor, and A. N. Tobiassen and Ida Magonigal. John Montgomery thrust at Hughes with his cane. Hughes grabbed the cane, and the end came off, baring a sword, which Montgomery thrust into Hughes’ abdomen. He died presumably from the wound a few weeks later. I have heard old timers say that John was never the carefree man following this tragic event. Possibly in an attempt to seek heavenly pardon for his part in the tragedy, John gave the land on which the Penn Valley Chapel stood for many years, and the graveyard to the church, He furnished a parsonage in which the minister could live, also. There were three ministers assigned to that church, but the only one I remember was a young preacher named Compton. For a number of years the chapel was used only occasionally for social oceasons. Some of the younger residents thought of buying the building for a social hall. However, Reverend Golden and the presiding elder of the district contacted the South Church Elders, and they bought the chapel for $150.00, At the time the church was built, John Casey gave the ground for the cemetery. A young man named Jim Greer was the first person to be buried

cated December, 1853, at a cost of $1500, on the corner of Church and Neal Streets. Later the present parsonage was built. An early photograph shows the property surrounded by a white picket fence with a gas light on the outer corner of the sidewalk. The membership increased to 65 in 1866, and the average attendance was 180; in 1881 the membership was 81, and the attendance was 214. When the African Church disbanded, the Congregational Church invited their members to attend; the Chinese were invited to come to the church and Sunday School at a later date. A Woman’s Temperance Union was organized in this church March 25, 1874, with Mrs. A. B. Debble, president; Mrs. D. J. Spencer, secretary; Mrs. E. Coleman, treasurer, adopting as their motto, “In God We Trust” and instituting the same methods of work still used. After the organization of the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, its name and constitution were amended to conform to the National Union. This is believed to be the oldest W.C.T.U. in existence and its birthplace was the First Congregational Church. For nearly forty years the old church stood on the site of the present edifice, but during the brief ministry of Rev. S. G. Emerson, who saw the great possibility in store for the young people if a larger and more convenient building were at their disposal, it was sold and moved to the Methodist Church‘ where it was built onto the rear of their church as Epworth Chapel and vestry. It was destroyed by the fire of 1936. The present church was erected by subscriptions, collections and a gift by John and Edward Coleman of the Idaho Mine, who were faithful and active members and officers of the church for a long period of years. In December, 1892, the church was dedicated with Prof. Foster of Theological Seminary preaching the sermon. Rev. J. H. Warren, who was present at the dedication of the first church, was also present at this dedication. An extensive remodeling program was accomplished in 1924 and 1925 during the ministry of Rev. Elmer 0. Chapel, whose pastorate of 16 years was the longest to date and was terminated by his death. The auditorium walls and ceiling received a covering of pressed steel with a unique panel scheme. Two memorial windows, a Garden of Gethsemane scene, and The Good Shepherd in art, were placed in the east and west sides of the auditorium. Other details were included in remodeling. The fine Wicks cathedral pipe organ was installed early in 1925 at a cost of $3800. Of more recent years, the heating and ventilating system were improved, some fluorescent lights installed and the exterior recovered and redecorated. In 1947, under the ministry of Rev. Willard Turner, the members paid their indebtedness of $1250 to the Congregational Conference, burned their mortgage, withdrew from the Conference and established themselves as Independent Fundamentalists, an independent Bible Believing Fellowship. As such the church is entirely self-supporting by 35 families whose members fully maintain the church and its organizations by their tithes and contributions, and receive no directives from any higher organization nor pay assessments levied by any such organization. Nor do they engage in any moneymaking projects following the principle that Christ turned out the moneychangers in the Temple. The present pastor, Rev. Rhys A. Miner, is president of Northern California Conference of Independent Fundamental Churches of America. Active within the church are: Christian Endeaver—Senior, Intermediate, and Junior; Ladies Circle, meeting twice a month, consistently supporting home and foreign missions and planning and earing for the various work and programs of the church; the Men’s Fellowship; a Gospel Team visiting the County Hospital every Monday night to bring singing and comfort to patients; a Home Department which sends out weekly papers, etc., each week to shut-ins and those who are ill. Besides the Sunday School with an average of 130, a Mission project is under the direction of Elinor Beck at Cedar Ridge since the Sunday School there was offered to and accepted by the Official Board here. Six Missionaries are partially supported by the church with contributions to others. Bean’s Directory, 1867 Thompson and West, 1880 Congregational Church publications Information from members. —Miss Genevieve Kent. Vol. 7we) PENN VALLEY CHURCH The Methodist-Episcopal Church had what was known as the Indian Springs

Charge or Circruit, which was the headquarters for a circuit rider. The minister stationed there preached at Indian Springs, Rough and Ready, Pleasant Valley, Smartsville, Earl District, Lone Tree, Spenceville and Sheridan. All church services were held in the school houses in the respective localities. At Indian Springs, there was a parsonage, barn, and seven acres of good pasture land. I remember the names of the preachers by the names of theirchildren. Reverend Kirkbride and his son, Harold, were the first I remember. Next I recall Reverend Jones, and his children, Raymond and Mary, all cousins of James Terrill. A Reverend Smith and his children, Ted and Hattie, succeeded the Jones family. They in turn were succeeded by a Reverend Vineyard, who preferred to live on his farm at Lone Tree instead of residing at the parsonage. The Reverend Thomas Murrish followed John Vineyard, and was succeeded by the Reverends Withrow, Seigler, Haddix, Verity, Richardson, Hocking, Vineyard (John), C. H. Lawrence, Beatty and Becock. Services were held every other Sunday. The preacher conducted services at 11:00 in the morning, at 3:00 in the afternoon, and in the evening. Sunday School was held every week directly following the morning service. On the Sundays that no church service was held, Sunday School classes were conducted at 11:00. It must have been in the early eighties that several families from the Southern States started a Methodist Church South Circuit. I believe their headquarters were at Wheatland. This new group wanted to hold services at the same place used by the present group, on the alternate Sundays. There were many differences of opinion when this was proposed. An opinion sampling was made, and it was decided to allow the original users of the church to retain the 11:00 hour and to let the new group have the use of the building at any other time they wished. During this period there was an interesting incident that occurred concerning the Montgomery brothers, John and Ferd. Called Uncle John and Uncle Ferd by the younger generation, the two brothers had come to Penn Valley in 1849, bringing with them a large number of Negro slaves. They settled in Section 33, Township 16 North, Range 7 East, this having been considered then, and by many to this day, as the best farming section in Nevada County. At that time the Southerners were trying to get as many of the southern and western states admitted to the Union as Slave States as was possible. California was admitted as a Free State in September, 1850, and the Montgomerys set their slaves free in compliance with the decision. One slave, whom everyone knew as Uncle Ned, helped raise the Montgomery boys, and he refused to leave, deciding to stay with them as long as he lived. In the early years of the settlement of the Montgomerys, John, who had a reputation of having a quick temper, had a heated argument with James Hughes. Hughes lived on the ranch presently called the Huggins Ranch. Hughes was the grandfather of Carl Tobiassen, sheriff of Nevada County (1934-1946) and former county supervisor, and A. N. Tobiassen and Ida Magonigal. John Montgomery thrust at Hughes with his cane. Hughes grabbed the cane, and the end came off, baring a sword, which Montgomery thrust into Hughes’ abdomen. He died presumably from the wound a few weeks later. I have heard old timers say that John was never the carefree man following this tragic event. Possibly in an attempt to seek heavenly pardon for his part in the tragedy, John gave the land on which the Penn Valley Chapel stood for many years, and the graveyard to the church, He furnished a parsonage in which the minister could live, also. There were three ministers assigned to that church, but the only one I remember was a young preacher named Compton. For a number of years the chapel was used only occasionally for social oceasons. Some of the younger residents thought of buying the building for a social hall. However, Reverend Golden and the presiding elder of the district contacted the South Church Elders, and they bought the chapel for $150.00, At the time the church was built, John Casey gave the ground for the cemetery. A young man named Jim Greer was the first person to be buried