Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1886-1974

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Community Congregational Church (Pullman, Wash.)
Title
Pullman Community Congregational Church Records
Dates
1886-1974 (inclusive)
Quantity
6 Linear feet of shelf space, (36 Volumes + 7 Boxes)
Collection Number
Cage 314 (collection)
Summary
The Pullman Community Congregational Church records consist of 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 church buildings.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open and available for research use.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

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 1890. 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 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 1937. The Community Congregational Church continued to use the Federated Church buildings and facilities after 1937. 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. In 1990, the church drafted a constitution and in 1999 the church underwent renovation. As early as 1954, the church's Women's Fellowship opened The Thrift Shop, which is still in business as of 2017. It is Pullman's oldest second hand clothing store.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

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 1890. 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 CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item description]

Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1886-1974 (Cage 314)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

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. 1975.

Related Materials

Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1891-1978 (Cage 448)

Blackburn Collection of Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1961-1977 (Cage 480)

Preliminary Guide to the Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1914-2013 (MSSM.038)

West, Otho. I Remember and the Congregationalists. Pullman, Wash.: Community Congregational Church, 1970

Community Congregational United Church of Christ. Centennial History, 1886-1986 : Community Congregational United Church of Christ, Pullman, Washington. [Community Congregational United Church]; 1986.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: Record BooksReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
SubSeries 1.1: General Records
Volume
1
Pastors
1886-1918
1
Deacons
1886-1908
1
Finance Board
1901-1904
1
Trustees
1886-1907
1
Clerks
1886-1903
1
Treasurers
1886-1903
1
Sunday School Superintendents
1886-1903
1
Organists
1891-1898
1
Choir Leaders
1891
1
Ushers
1892-1904
1
Infant Baptisms
1892-1903
1
Members received
1886-1903
1
Members removed
1887-1902
1
Marriages
1891-1906
1
Charities and expenses
1891-1894
1
Annual Church Statistics
1891-1897
1
Annual Sunday School Statistics
1891-1903
1
Minutes
1886; 1891-1903
1
Principals of Organization.
2
Pastors
1886-1971
2
Deacons
1910-1919
2
Deaconesses
1910-1919
2
Trustees
1910-1919
2
Finance Board
1902-1905
2
Clerks
1903-1917
2
Treasurers
1903-1913
2
Sunday School Superintendents
1895-1913
2
Organists
1897-1913
2
Church Board
1903-1913
2
Ushers
1903-1914
2
Delegates
1905-1911
2
Baptisms
1903-1915
2
Members received
1886-1928
2
Marriages
1905
SubSeries 1.2: Minutes
Volume
3
General meeting
1903-1926
4
General meeting and committees
1917-1921, circa 1950
5
General meeting
1922-1926
6
Minutes, documents and "history", relative to Federation
1913-1914
7
Executive Board, Federated Church
1913-1917
8
Executive Board, Federated Church
1923-1933
9
Board of Trustees
1936-1941
10
Executive Board
1941-1952
11
Executive Board
1945-1952
12
Executive Board
1953-1955
13
Board of Trustees
Oct 1955-Sept 1956
14
Board of Trustees
Oct 1956-Sept 1957
14b
Board of Trustees
Oct 1957 – Sept 1958
14c
Board of Trustees
Oct 1958 – Sept 1959
14d
Board of Trustees
Oct 1959 – Oct 1960
SubSeries 1.3: Financial Records
Volume
15
Pledges and payments
1899-1904
16
Pledges and receipts
1907-1908
17
Pledges and receipts
1909
18
Treasurer's accounts
1903-1912
19
Pledges and receipts
1944-1948
20
Receipts and expenses
1947-1954
21
Reciepts and expenses
1954-1961
22
Receipts and expenses
1959-1964
SubSeries 1.4: Sunday School
Volume
23
Attendence and financial records
1939-1940
SubSeries 1.5: Women's Society
Volume
24
Minutes
1902-1913
25
Minutes
1917-1923
26
Minutes
1923-1931
27
Minutes
1936-1942
28
Treasurer's records
1919-1924
SubSeries 1.6: Young People's Society
Volume
29
Membership, minutes
1900-1907, 1915
30
Minutes
1913-1914
31
Pilgrim Club, membership
1958
31b
Pilgrim Club, minutes
1959-1970
SubSeries 1.7: Scrapbook
Volume
32
Summer camp at Lake Coeur d'Alene
circa 1955

Series 2: RecordsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
SubSeries 2.1: Articles of incorporation
Box Folder
1 1
Articles of incorporation, by-laws, articles of federation and other constitutional documents
15 items
1886-1970
SubSeries 2.2: Reports
Box Folder
1 2
Reports to the Congregational Year Book
15 items
1918-1963
1 3
Annual report to congregation
25 items
1949-1974
SubSeries 2.3: Correspondence
Box Folder
2 4
1894-1919
2 5
1920-1936
2 6
1937-1948
2 7
1949-1961
2 8
1962-1963
2 9
1964-1973
SubSeries 2.4: Resolutions, minutes, ballots, committee reports
Box Folder
3 10
1921-1952
20 items
3 11
1952-1954
30 items
3 12
1960-1962
30 items
3 13
1962-1973
30 items
3 14
undated
20 items
SubSeries 2.5: Membership Lists
Box Folder
3 15
Lists and rosters
50 items
1920-circa 1970
3 16
Applications for memberships, transfers
65 items
1949-1965
SubSeries 2.6: Financial Records
Box Folder
4 17
1907-1939
50 items
4 18
1940-1949
50 items
4 19
1950
10 items
4 20-28
1951-1959
80 items
5 29-42
1960-1973
140 items
5 43
undated
10 items
SubSeries 2.7: Printed Materials and Photographs
Box Folder
6 44
Weekly service bulletins
50 items
1891-1964
Newsletters
Box Folder
6 45
Congregational Way
1944-1945
6 45
Communicator
1956-1969
Box Folder
6 46
Offering envelopes
20 items
1891-1894
6 47
Publicity materials
10 items
circa 1940-1960
7 48
Brochures relative to union with United Church of Christ
50 items
1961
7 49
Photographs, descriptive materials
15 items
circa 1950-1970.
SubSeries 2.8: Additional Records
Box Folder
7 50
Correspondence, minutes and resolutions, financial records
125 items
1961-1965

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Church records and registers -- Washington (State) -- Pullman
  • Congregational churches -- Washington (State) -- Pullman -- Records and correspondence

Corporate Names

  • Community Congregational Church (Pullman, Wash.) -- Records and correspondence
  • Community Congregational United Church of Christ (Pullman, Wash.) -- Records and correspondence

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • Community Congregational United Church of Christ (Pullman, Wash.) (creator)