Methodist Church collection

Methodist Church collection, 1848-1979

Overview of the Collection

Title: Methodist Church collection
Dates: 1848-1979 (inclusive)
18481979
Quantity: 4 cubic feet, (5 document cases, 2 flat boxes, 2 custom boxes, 28 reels microfilm)
Collection Number: Mss 63
Summary: Artificial collection of materials relating to various Methodist churches in the Pacific Northwest, primarily in Oregon and the Portland area. Includes records of the First Norwegian-Danish Methodist Episcopal Church, Portland (also known as the Hoyt Street Church); the Epworth League; Grace Methodist Episcopal Church of Portland; the Methodist Episcopal Church of Oregon City; and records of regional Methodist conferences held in Oregon City, circa 1853-1885. Most of the materials are minutes of meetings, with some financial records, ephemera, and publications. Also includes microfilm of records not held by the Oregon Historical Society, from various Oregon churches.
Repository: Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions: The collection is open to the public.
Languages: English, Norwegian
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Methodist Church began missionary work in Oregon as early as 1834. Missions were established throughout the area, most notably by Rev. Jason Lee, 1834-1844, and George Gary, 1844-1847. In 1844 the Methodists built the first Protestant church on the Pacific coast at Oregon City. The first Methodist conference on the Pacific coast was held in Salem in 1849 and called the Oregon and California Mission Conference. In 1853 the Oregon Annual Conference was established. By 1858 there were 19 Methodist organizations in the state, one of the largest religious denominations in the region.

In Portland, the First Norwegian-Danish Methodist Episcopal Church was incorporated in 1883. Its leaders were John C. Peterson, A. Johnson, Ole Williams, John W. Lawrence, and J. P. Rasmussen. The church eventually located to the corner of NW 18th Avenue and Hoyt Street and was often referred to as "The Hoyt Street Methodist Episcopal Church" or "The Hoyt Street Church." The church's youth group was called the Wesley League or, later, the Epworth League.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection was created by the Oregon Historical Society from a variety of sources. It contains materials relating to various Methodist churches in the Pacific Northwest, primarily in Oregon and the Portland area. Included are records of the First Norwegian-Danish Methodist Episcopal Church, Portland (also known as the Hoyt Street Church); the Epworth League (primarily associated with the Hoyt Street Church); Grace Methodist Episcopal Church of Portland; the Methodist Episcopal Church of Oregon City; and records of regional Methodist conferences held in Oregon City, circa 1853-1885.

Records include: minutes of board meetings, financial reports, membership lists, Sunday school statistics of Hoyt Street (1934-1956) and Oregon City (1863-1891) churches; minutes of Epworth League (1909-1942), Ladies' Aid Society (1924-1926), Young Peoples' Society (1923-1924), and Wesley League (1933-1942); district conference meeting notes (1886-1897); quarterly conference journal (1871-1885); Rose City Park Church programs (1924-1950); and two bound volumes containing board records and minutes (1900-1951) of First Norwegian-Danish Methodist Episcopal Church. Also included are programs from services at Portland churches, most notably the First Methodist Episcopal Church on Taylor Street. Some of the records are written in Norwegian.

Microfilm includes: minutes, directories, Sunday school records, registers, trustees' reports, conference records and journals of several historic Methodist churches and organizations. Location of Methodist circuits and churches in Oregon include Roseburg, Medford, Ashland, Dalles, Dayton, Milwaukie-Sandy, St. Paul, Brownsville, Corvallis, Monroe, Oregon City, Eugene, Weston, and Portland. Church organizational records include Epworth League, Wesley Foundation, and Women's Missionary Society.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Methodist Church Collection, Mss 63, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

Series A: Regional Church Records, 1853-1946
Series B: Records of Individual Churches, 1860-1957
Series C: Ephemera, 1895-1950
Series D: General Materials, 1848-1979
Series E: Microfilmed Records, 1850-1952

Acquisition Information

The collection was assembled by the Oregon Historical Society from a variety of sources, including Shirley Brown, 1988 Sept. 16, Library Accession 19003.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series A: Regional Church Records, 1853-1946Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1/1	Oregon City Circuit--Minutes of quarterly conferences, Oregon City On fly leaf: "Records of the Oregon City circuit April 30th 1853." Bound volume.	1853-1856
1/2	Record of the proceedings of quarterly conferences, Methodist Episcopal Church, Oregon City Circuit (and others) Bound volume with pages printed with headings "Register of Baptisms" and "Register of Marriages." Contains: minutes of quarterly conferences; some marriage records; members of the North Casteel P.C.; Building Committee minutes for parsonage at Marvin Chapel, Methodist Episcopal Church South, 1879-1881; and minutes of the Board of Trustees of Marvin Chapel, 1874.	1859-1880
1/3	District conference notes, Oregon District Bound volume containing printed forms, published 1883. Cover title: "District Conference / Record / M.E. Church, South." On fly leaf: "Oregon District / Record Book." Title page: "The / District Conference / Record. / of / Oregon District, / Columbia Conference, / Methodist Episcopal Church South." Each page printed with heading "Record of District Conference."	1886-1897
1/4	Quarterly Conference journal, Oregon City Circuit Bound volume containing printed forms, published 1877, partially damaged. On fly leaf in handscript: "Quarterly Conference Journal / Oregon City / Circuit." On title page, printed, "The / Quarterly Conference Journ[al] / of the / [in handscript] Oregon City circuit / M.E. Church, South...."	1871-1885
1/5	Oregon-Washington Epworth League conventions record Bound volume. Cover title "Record." On fly leaf: "Protakal for Pacific Kystens District Lega." Some entries in Norwegian. Volume probably kept by members of the First Danish-Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church of Portland.	1909-1946
1/6	Oregon-Washington Epworth League--Loose papers laid in above volume.	1938-1944

Series B: Records of Individual Churches, 1860-1957Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
2/1	Grace Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland, Or.)--Financial records (bound volume)	1884-1921
	Methodist Episcopal Church, Oregon City
Box/Folder
2/2	Minutes of Board of Trustees (typescript copies)	1876
2/3	Stewards' meeting minutes (bound volume)	1870-1871
2/4	Social Circle records (bound volume, formerly vol. 3)	1860-1861
6/1	General record Bound volume containing printed forms. Includes: Record of baptisms Record of marriages Record of probationers List of members Record of the classes	1863-1881
6/2	Church record Bound volume containing printed forms, published 1864. Includes record of members, class records, marriages and baptisms.	1883-1891
	First Danish-Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland, Or.)
Box/Folder
2/5	"Kaserbog - 1st Kierke" Bound volume containing lists of names and financial information.	1898-1902
2/6	"Protokol over Kvartalskonferences forhandlingen" Bound volume containing printed forms, in Norwegian.	1894
2/7	Minutes of the board of trustees and related papers Bound volume. On fly leaf: "Record of the / transactions of / the Board of Trustees / of the First Norw-Danish / M. E. Church of / Portland Or. / 1909." Includes some financial information.	1909-1914
3/1	Minutes and membership lists Bound volume. Possibly for Epworth League. Mostly in Norwegian.	1909-1914
Box
8	Board of trustees minutes Bound volume, some entries in Norwegian.	1900-1930
9	Board of trustees minutes Bound volume. Spine title: "General Journal."	1931-1950
Box/Folder
3/2	Board of trustees minutes--Papers laid in above volume May contain continuation of board minutes from above volume.	circa 1947-1951
3/3	Board of trustees minutes Bound volume, badly damaged by rodents. Inludes loose papers. On fly leaf: "1950- / Board of Trustees / of / Hoyt St. Methodist Church / 18th & N.W. Hoyt Sts."	1950-1957
3/4	Official board minutes Printed blank book with papers taped in. Cover title: "Church roll / and / record." Printed title page: "Church Roll / Alphabetically Arranged / and / Record Book."	1951-1956
3/5	Official board minutes--papers laid in above volume	1951-1956
4/1	Account book	1939-1944
4/2	Donations for janitor's salary Entered in pages of telephone and address book.	circa 1955
4/3	Ladies Aid Society minutes Bound volume, part in Norwegian.	1924-1926
4/4	Ladies Aid Luncheons--Secretary-treasurer book Bound volume. Inlcudes annual report of the Wesley League, 1936-1937.	1933-1937
4/5	Offering book Includes records for Hoyt Street and Highland churches.	1939-1944
4/6	Sunday School statistics (bound volume)	1934-1942
4/7	Young People's Society--Minutes and financial records	1923-1926
4/8	Wesley League minutes	1938-1942
4/9	Wesley and Epworth League minutes	1933-1935
7/1	Weekly income ledger	1926-1927
7/2	Young People's League and Epworth League minutes	1926-1930
4/10	General papers Some materials relate to Bernard Johnson, the Epworth League, minutes of some meetings, financial records, calling card for T. N. Ford.	1874; 1939-1955

Series C: Ephemera, 1895-1950Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
5/1	Centenary-Wilbur Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland, Or.)--Programs for services	1920-1922
5/2	First Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland Or.) (Taylor St.)--General ephemera	1900-1909
5/3	First Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland Or.) (Taylor St.)--Programs for services	1895-1913
5/4	First Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland Or.) (Taylor St.). Ladies Aid Society--Booklet "Sunshine for every day of the week"	circa 1906
5/5	Grace Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland, Or.) Includes booklet "The Centenary Album of the First Methodist Church, Portland, Orgegon" (1948).	1893-1911; 1948
5/6	Rose City Park Methodist Episcopal Church	1924-1950
5/7	Various Methodist churches	1893-1950
5/8	Wilbur Church (Portland, Or.)	1919-1920

Series D: General Materials, 1848-1979Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
5/9	Books: Wesley and early Methodism and Evangeliske Toner (1922)	1922; undated
5/10	Celebrating 200 years of Methodism in America, 1784-1984; and 130 years of Methodism in the Dalles (photocopy)	circa 1984
5/11	Class record book, Thomas Bradley, Pillar of Ames Chapel, Progress, Or.	1871-1891
5/12	Collection of articles, pamphlets and clippings Papers removed from three-ring binder. Probably collected by Bernard Johnson of the First Danish-Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church of Portland.	circa 1928-1950
5/13	General materials Certificate appointing Harvey K. Hines as deacon in Le Roy, N.Y., 1851 "Report of Committee for Sabbatt [sic] School," 1849 (manuscript, 3 leaves) Records of quarterly conference, Astoria and Clatsop Circuits, 1852-1857 (manuscript, 12 pages, unbound) Fourth quarterly meeting conference for Clatsop and Astoria for the years 1857-8 (manuscript, 1 leaf) "M. E. Church. Report of Committee on 'State of the Country," 1861 (manuscript, 4 leaves) Certificate of meeting of members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Union School House, Washington County, Or. (manuscript, 1 leaf) Lease between trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Oregon City and Leon Achille Delouey, 1872 (manuscript, 2 leaves) Renewal of local preacher's license to Thomas Bradley, 1894 Resolution of sympathy for R. Oglesby by District Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Brownsville, 1897 May 29 (manuscript, 1 leaf) Subscription list for McFarland Sunday School building, 1925 (5 leaves) "Battles and victories of the faith" by Claude A. Brown, 1949 Dec. 4 (typescript mimeograph, 4 leaves) Record of pastors and history, First Methodist Church, Ontario, Or., circa 1958 (typescript, 7 leaves) Poem "Harp" by Paul E. Libby, 1979 Mar. (printed, 1 leaf) Flyer for farewell tribute to Harper Richardson, Centenary Wilbur Methodist Church, undated Sunday school teachers class book, J. W. Bell, undated (printed forms with handscript) List of names and dollar amounts, undated (manuscript, 1 leaf) Constitution of the Church Extension and City Evangelization Union of the Methodist Church, Portland, Oregon (photostatic copy of manuscript, 2 pages)	1849-1979

Series E: Microfilmed Records, 1850-1952Return to Top

Records for churches throughout Oregon. Location of originals is not specified on film.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Reel
1	Roseburg church records Quarterly conference records, 1861-1892 Church records, 1890-1920 Directory, 1915 Class book, 1890 Epworth League record book, 1913-1914 Trustees' minutes, 1913-1915	1861-1920
2	Roseburg and Medford church records Roseburg, church register, 1878-1939 Roseburg, record of church confernce, 1926-1931 Roseburg, quarterly conference records, 1934-1939 Roseburg, official board minutes, 1924-1932 Roseburg, record book, section of stewards, 1932-1939 Roseburg, miscellaneous record book, 1928-1939 Medford, church conference records, 1909-1918 Medford, quarterly conference records, 1912-1919	1878-1939
3	Medford church records Official board minutes, 1914-1919 Women's Missionary Society Records, 1923-1925 Women's Missionary Society sec. book, 1922-1933 Quarterly conference record, several volumes	1914-1933
4	Medford church records Quarterly conference records, 1896-1918; 1922-1928 Church records, 1861-1908	1861-1928
5	Medford [?] and Ashland church records Medford [?] church register, several volumes, 1890-1937 Ashland church records, 1879-1922	1879-1937
6	Church records Vancouver (Wash.), Cascade, Dalles Circuit, 1853-1855 Mt. Tabor (Milwaukie, later East Portland Circuit), quarlerly conference records, 1855-1882	1853-1882
7	Church records Taylor Street Church, Portland, record book, 1856-1871 Calapoaia-Linn--Plainview Circuit, quarterly conference records, 1858-1907 Calapooya-Brownsville Circuit, record books, 1862-1875 Calapooya-Brownsville Circuit, quarterly conference records, 1875-1881	1856-1907
8	Church records Dayton-Lafayette Circuit, membership book, 1858-1884 Millcreek-Jefferson Circuit, quarterly conference records, 1854-1873 Milwaukie-Sandy Circuit, membership book, 1857-1876 Spencer-Butte-Cresswell-Springfield Circuit, membership book, 1854-1889; quarterly conference records, 1855-1888 Yamhill Circuit, membership records, 1855-1901	1854-1901
9	Yamhill and Prineville church records Yamhill Circuit, membership records, 1855-1901, conference records, 1861-1884 Prineville, miscellaneous papers, 1889-1928; membership records, 1881-1917	1861-1928
10	Salem and St. Paul's church records Salem, membership records, 1886-1924 St. Paul's, membership records, 1879-1897	1886-1924
11	St. Paul's and Taylor Street church records St. Paul's, quarterly conference records, 1874-1884 St. Paul's, official board minutes, 1887-1891 St. Paul's, Sunday school reports, 1888 St. Paul's, notes on "prophecy", minutes of the official board, 1891-1897 St. Paul's, quarterly conference minutes, 1884-1892 St. Paul's, Sunday School records, 1890-1896 St. Paul's, Ladies Aid Society, 1890-1895 Taylor Street, Portland, miscellaneous records, 1868-1894	1868-1897
12	Taylor Street, Portland, church records Miscellaneous records, 1894-1912 Quarterly conference records, 1888-1912	1888-1912
13	Taylor Street, Portland, church records Quarterly conference minutes, 1888-1912 Official board minutes, 1870-1912 Cash book, 1904-1905	1870-1912
14	Portland church records Taylor Street, Sunday school records, 1880-1906 Grace Church, record books, 1884-1912	1880-1912
15	Grace Church, Portland Record books, 1884-1912 Quarterly conference records, 1884-1912 Official board minutes, 1902-1912 Trustees record books, 1884-1914 Financial records, 1894-1899	1884-1914
16	Grace Church, Portland Financial records, 1894-1899 Sunday school records, 1884-1901	1884-1901
17	Grace Church, Portland Sunday school records, 1893-1912 Stewards' records, 1889-1894 Y.P. S. of C.E., 1891-1892 Ladies Aid Society, 1889-1892 Brotherhood of St. Paul, 1903-1907 Circuit Court proceedings, 1915 March	1889-1915
18	Circuit Court proceedings with transcript of testimony in merger of Taylor Street and Grace Church (Portland)	1915 Mar.
19	First Church of Portland Circuit court proceedings (cont.) Miscellaneous records, 1912-1919 Quarterly conference minutes, 1912-1916 Minutes of the official board, 1912-1917 Trustee minutes, 1912-1939	1912-1939
20	First Church of Portland Trustees' records, 1912-1939 Sunday school records, 1912-1913 Treasurer's book, 1913-1917 Epworth League records, 1912-1917 Ladies Aid Society, 1912-1920 Women's Association accounts, 1939-1937 Women's Society of Christian Service, 1940-1942 Portland Primary School Union records, 1903-1908 Portland Methodist Preachers Association minutes, 1905-1912	1903-1940
21	Church records First Church of Portland, Portland Methodist Preachers Association minutes, 1905-1912 First Church of Portland, W. S. Fletcher journal and Estate Portland Circuit, annual quarterly conference minutes, 1859-1863 Oregon City Circuit, quarterly conference minutes, 1863-1877 Corvallis Circuit, conference minutes, 1850-1887 Corvallis Circuit, trustees' minutes, 1880-1894 Corvallis Circuit, Epworth League records, 1887-1900 Corvallis Circuit, class book, 1887-1889 Corvallis Circuit, Sunday school minutes, 1888-1892 Corvallis Circuit, Sunday school records, 1911-1915	1850-1915
22	Corvallis and Monroe Circuits records Corvallis, Sunday school records, 1911-1915 Corvallis, official board minutes, 1920-1933 Corvallis, treasurer's book, 1920-1930 Corvallis, Building Committee minutes, 1922-1927 Corvallis, Wesley Foundation records, 1925-1952 Corvallis Ministerial Association, 1889-1896 Monroe Circuit, quarterly conference minutes Monroe Circuit, Stewards' records, 1865-1889 Monroe Circuit, miscellaneous records, 1856-1928	1856-1952
23	Monroe and Eugene records Monroe, miscellaneous records, 1856-1926 Eugene, miscellaneous records, 1857-1883 Eugene, church record book, 1875-1904	1857-1904
24	Church records Eugene, record books, 1875-1892 Walla Walla (Wash.) Circuit, quarterly conference record, 1870-1883 Little Rock Camp Meeting Association constitution, by-laws, and minutes, 1894-1899	1870-1922
25	Weston, Sunday school register	1883-1884; 1897; 1916-1919
26	Weston church records Sunday school register, 1919-1926 Shiloh Class quarterly conference record, 1883-1886 Quarterly conference record, 1888-1904 Board of Stewards, minutes, 1912-1937	1883-1937
27	Weston, quarterly conference record	1904-1911; 1919-1930
28	Centenary Subscription list Yearbook, 1889-1890 Cornerstone laying, 1890	1889-1890

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Danes--Oregon--Portland
Methodist Church--Oregon
Methodist conference--Oregon
Methodist women--Oregon
Methodists--Oregon
Norwegians--Oregon--Portland
Wesley foundations

Corporate Names

Epworth League (Or.)
First Norwegian-Danish Methodist Episcopal Church (Portland, Or.)--Archives
First United Methodist Church (Portland, Or.)--Archives
Grace M.E. Church (Portland, Or.)--Archives
United Methodist Church (U.S.)--Pacific Northwest Conference--Archives

Geographical Names

Portland (Or.)--History

Form or Genre Terms

Church records
Microfilm
Minutes
Registers

Titles within the Collection

Evangeliske toner : salmer og sange

Archives West Finding Aid

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