Guide to the Pullman Community Congregational Church Records 1886-1974
Cage 314

Summary Information

Repository
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries
Creator
Pullman Community Congregational Church
Title
Pullman Community Congregational Church Records
ID
Cage 314
Date [inclusive]
1886-1974
Extent
1280.0 items.
General Physical Description note
6 linear feet of shelf space.
Language
English
Abstract
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 buildings of the Community Congregational Church of Pullman, 1886-1913, and the Federated Church of Pullman, 1913-1937.

Preferred Citation note

[Item Description]. Cage 314, Pullman Community Congregational Church Records . Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Biographical/Historical note

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.

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Scope and Contents note

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.

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Arrangement note

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.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries © 1975

http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc
Terrell Library
P.O. Box 645610
Pullman, WA, 99164-5610
509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu

Conditions Governing Access note

This collection is open for research use.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

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.

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Related Materials

Related Archival Materials note

Further church records have been received and processed as Cage 448. Related records are also located in Cage 480.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • Pullman Community Congregational Church--Archives

Subject(s)

  • Congregational churches--Washington (State)--Pullman--Records and correspondence
  • Religion
  • Washington (State)

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Bibliography

For a history of the Community Congregational Church see Otho West, I Remember, and The Congregationalists (Pullman: Community Congregational Church, 1970.

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Collection Inventory

Series 1: Record Books 

SubSeries 1.1: General Records 
Volume

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.   

 1

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 

 2

SubSeries 1.2: Minutes 
Volume

General meeting 1903-1926 

 3

General meeting and committees 1917-1921 ca 1950 

 4

General meeting 1922-1926 

 5

Minutes, documents and "history", relative to Federation 1913-1914 

 6

Executive Board, Federated Church 1913-1917 

 7

Executive Board, Federated Church 1923-1933 

 8

Board of Trustees 1936-1941 

 9

Executive Board 1941-1952 

 10

Executive Board 1945-1952 

 11

Executive Board 1953-1955 

 12

Board of Trustees Oct 1955-Sept 1956 

 13

Board of Trustees Oct 1956-Sept 1957 

 14

Board of Trustees Oct 1957 – Sept 1958 

 14b

Board of Trustees Oct 1958 – Sept 1959 

 14c

Board of Trustees Oct 1959 – Oct 1960 

 14

SubSeries 1.3: Financial Records 
Volume

Pledges and payments 1899-1904 

 15

Pledges and receipts 1907-1908 

 16

Pledges and receipts 1909 

 17

Treasurer's accounts 1903-1912 

 18

Pledges and receipts 1944-1948 

 19

Receipts and expenses 1947-1954 

 20

Reciepts and expenses 1954-1961 

 21

Receipts and expenses 1959-1964 

 22

SubSeries 1.4: Sunday School 
Volume

Attendence and financial records 1939-1940 

 23

SubSeries 1.5: Women's Society 
Volume

Minutes 1902-1913 

 24

Minutes 1917-1923 

 25

Minutes 1923-1931 

 26

Minutes 1936-1942 

 27

Treasurer's records 1919-1924 

 28

SubSeries 1.6: Young People's Society 
Volume

Membership, minutes 1900-1907 1915 

 29

Minutes 1913-1914 

 30

Pilgrim Club, membership 1958 

 31

Pilgrim Club, minutes 1959-1970 

 31b

SubSeries 1.7: Scrapbook 
Volume

Summer camp at Lake Coeur d'Alene ca 1955 

 32

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Series 2: Records 

SubSeries 2.1: Articles of incorporation 
Box Folder

Articles of incorporation, by-laws, articles of federation and other constitutional documents 1886-1970   15

 1 1

SubSeries 2.2: Reports 
Box Folder

Reports to the Congregational Year Book 1918-1963   15

 1 2

Annual report to congregation 1949-1974   25

 1 3

SubSeries 2.3: Correspondence   300

 Box
 Folder
Box Folder

 1894-1919 

 2 4

 1920-1936 

 2 5

 1937-1948 

 2 6

 1949-1961 

 2 7

 1962-1963 

 2 8

 1964-1973 

 2 9

SubSeries 2.4: Resolutions, minutes, ballots, committee reports 
Box Folder

 1921-1952   20

 3 10

 1952-1954   30

 3 11

 1960-1962   30

 3 12

 1962-1973   30

 3 13

 undated   20

 3 14

SubSeries 2.5: Membership Lists 
Box Folder

Lists and rosters 1920-ca.1970   50

 3 15

Applications for memberships, transfers 1949-1965   65

 3 16

SubSeries 2.6: Financial Records 
Box Folder

 1907-1939   50

 4 17

 1940-1949   50

 4 18

 1950   10

 4 19

 1951-1959   80

 4 20-28

 1960-1973   140

 5 29-42

 undated   10

 5 43

SubSeries 2.7: Printed Materials and Photographs 
Box Folder

Weekly service bulletins 1891-1964   50

 6 44

Newsletters   50

 Box
 Folder
Box Folder

Congregational Way 1944-1945 

 6 45

Communicator 1956-1969 

 6 45

Offering envelopes 1891-1894   20

 6 46

Publicity materials ca 1940-1960   10

 6 47

Brochures relative to union with United Church of Christ 1961   50

 7 48

Photographs, descriptive materials ca 1950-1970.   15

 7 49

SubSeries 2.8: Additional Records 
Box Folder

Correspondence, minutes and resolutions, financial records 1961-1965   125

 7 50

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