United Methodist Church
7th Ave & 13th St
Thompson, Grand Forks County, North Dakota, 58278
7th Ave & 13th St
Thompson, Grand Forks County, North Dakota, 58278
The Church Was Demolished ?
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Mr. Preserved Fish Austin might well be called the father of Methodism in Thompson.
Due to his efforts, the first Methodist sermon was preached. That first sermon was preached at his home, and there the first Sunday School was organized. His influence helped establish house to house services and then build a place to worship. He served on the Official Board and was superintendent of the Sunday School until he became too deaf to take an active part.
His name appears in the large stained-glass window of the present church.
That name, Preserved Fish, was unusual to his neighbors but it was not at all uncommon among the Puritans. It is hardly necessary to say that it was often the cause of hilarity, especially to the young people who promptly gave him the nickname of Pickle Fish.
Mr. and Mrs. Austin arrived in Grand Forks on the steamboat, Selkirk, on June 6, 1878. They filed on land in Walle Township, just one mile north of the town site of Thompson and built a sod shanty.
At once they joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in Grand Forks. They had only an ox team to drive so were not able to make the trip as often as they would have liked; but, even so, the zeal of these early pioneers never ceases to amaze the present generation.
When more settlers came and expressed a desire for a church, Mr. Austin made trips to Grand Forks to interview ministers, trying to find one who would come out and preach to this group of Gospel hungry newcomers.
After several refusals, he finally found Rev. Iddings from the Presbyterian Church in Grand Forks. One or two Sundays later Rev. Iddings came, driving in the rain from Grand Forks. He lost his way but found a trail which he followed that led him to the Austin home.
In this sod shanty, 12' by 16', a room full of people were waiting for him. They were not all Methodists - there were also Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Baptists. To this group, Rev. Iddings delivered the first sermon ever preached in the English language in Walle Township, although services in Norwegian were held earlier than this in the Walle churches farther east.
The exact date of the actual organization of the M. E. Church is not recorded but pioneers living in 1933, when the 50th Anniversary was celebrated, agreed that 1883 should be considered the correct date even though services in the homes preceded this by several years.
Rev. Monroe was the first regular pastor, preaching at Thompson, Reynolds, and Hillsboro.
The first minister's name inscribed in the church record is Rev. D. G. Bruce who served from 1888-1889. He performed the first marriage recorded in the church register, that of Chas. B. Cornwall and Birdie Allen, but this was not the first Methodist marriage in the community, for Elsie Austin and Richard Fadden had been married earlier than this by Rev. Iddings in a ceremony held in the Austin home.
The early discipline decreed that a minister could stay on one charge for a period of only three years, then must move as the bishop dictated. Happily, this rule has been changed - now the length of a pastorate is unlimited by disciplinary rule, but in the beginning of the church in Thompson, pastors came and went in rapid succession.
These were fine Christian men, each proclaiming the Gospel in his own way, each making his contribution to the spiritual life of the church and exerting his influence on the lives of those touched by his ministry. Some were outstanding as they served their Lord, but only a few are mentioned, for the Thompson church has had forty-two ministers in its long history.
As more settlers came and attended the worship services, the congregation felt strong enough to build a church. The building was finished in 1883.
Strangely enough, the tornado of 1902 that destroyed both the Catholic and the Baptist churches left the Methodist Church untouched. It has never been moved. The original building is still part of the church in use today.
A few years later, during the pastorate of Rev. MacNamara, a parsonage was constructed beside the church.
About the turn of the century, the Thompson and Reynolds churches were joined to form one charge. Rev. Wm. Morrison was the first minister to live in Reynolds. These churches remained united for many years. Pastors were alternated - Rev. Morrison lived at Reynolds; his successor, Rev. Newlove, lived at Thompson, etc.
A few years later, Rev. Ray Hicks came to live at Thompson. Fresh out of Theological School, he was young and enthusiastic. The young men and boys were especially attracted to him and his work among them is the best in the history of the church. He was the organizer and the leader of the first Boy Scout Troop in the Thompson community. Floyd Forsythe, still active in the church at 85, was one of his scouts.
An amusing anecdote - Rev. Hicks came from the South and had heard many tales of the violent and destructive wind and hailstorms in North Dakota. Every time the clouds appeared threatening, he rushed upstairs and turned the plate glass mirror in the dresser to the wall to save it from the elements. People wondered if he was secretly a bit disappointed when no hailstorms came during his residence in Thompson.
His successor, Rev. S. S. Wyand, was a builder. 1912 he persuaded the congregation to remodel and enlarge the church. He originated the plan of financing that made this possible. The project and the finance plan were completely successful.
About this time the Thompson and Reynolds churches became strong enough to support their own ministers, so the charge was again divided.
Rev. G. E. Martin was the first man to come to Thompson after this separation. He decided there was need for improvement in the main part of the church. The large platform was further improved when a carpet was laid, then the pulpit and 3 chairs were purchased. These are still in use.
A bell was hung in the belfry. About the same time the Catholics also added a bell to their church. Both bells were rung every Sunday, sometimes simultaneously, calling the faithful to worship. They peeled out their music for weddings and other gala occasions. They were told at funerals as if to say to the bereaved family and friends that the whole congregation mourned with them. Now both bells are silent. The Methodist bell still hangs in its tower but is no longer being rung. To the few people who remember, something lovely has passed into history.
During the pastorate of Rev. Hugh Hay, the Ladies Aid, which had not been too active, took a new lease on life and reorganized under a new plan. The women of the church were divided into 3 groups or circles. Each was an independent organization with a General Aid controlling all three groups. This continued for several years, then for many reasons, it was terminated.
The Women's Home Missionary Society was active in studying and contributing to the support of Missionary work in the United States. The young women of the church formed their own Society, calling themselves simple the "Young Women's Home Missionary Society." At one time this Society had the distinction of being the only one of its kind in the State.
The congregation became reckless and plunged deeply into debt to remodel the parsonage. There was no definite plan for financing the project. This debt hung over the church for a number of years and was finally paid off by the efficient planning of Rev. E. A. Houldridge.
The church then entered what might be called their Golden Age of preaching. Feeling they could no longer afford a resident pastor; the pulpit was filled by men from Wesley College. The first to come was Dr. Isaac Solomon Corn who served for nine years, the longest pastorate since the church began. In his first sermon he said, "In the words of St. Paul, 'Let me not be Lord of your faith, but a helper in your joy'." This was the keynote of his years of service. The day he preached his last sermon in Thompson there wasn't a dry eye in the
house.
He was followed by Dr. E. P. Robertson, Dr. C. F. Nesbitt, Dr. Russell Compton, and Dr. T. Ross Hicks. These were friendly, genial, sincere men, all highly educated and the congregation listened to preaching that was far above average; sermons that would have been acceptable to any church anywhere, regardless of the size of the congregation.
About this time, pioneer members were being laid to rest, one by one, in too rapid succession. Many others left to spend their last years in a milder climate and the membership dwindled. The congregation became so small that Thompson was added to the Hillsboro charge. The pastor, Rev. C. F. Miller, lived at Hillsboro. At the same time, he served a church at Finley. He preached at all three places every Sunday, traveling a distance of 146 miles to complete his circuit.
The association with Hillsboro was a happy one. The Hillsboro church was always thoughtful and considerate and willing to share with its small partner, never taking advantage because they paid the lion's share of the salary. This continued for about ten years and ended when the Hillsboro Methodists and Congregationalists united and the minister no longer could serve at out points.
Then the Evangelical United Brethern denomination in its entirety joined with the Methodist denomination. The name of the larger group was no longer the Methodist Episcopal Church but became United Methodist.
The Thompson church was added to the Holmes charge where it is at present. Rev. Ralph Cushing, living at Holmes, is now the pastor.
Thompson Sunday School had to be discontinued in 1968, for there were no children in the congregation.
Very few of the new inhabitants of Thompson are Methodist. The membership is at an all-time low number. But Methodists do not surrender easily. With God's help, they hope to continue the church begun almost 100 years ago when a Presbyterian Missionary preached the first sermon, and the church began in the little sod shanty of Mr. Preserved Fish Austin.
Info from - Memories of Yesterday Thompson Centennial 1881-1981 (pages 55, 56 & 57)
Due to his efforts, the first Methodist sermon was preached. That first sermon was preached at his home, and there the first Sunday School was organized. His influence helped establish house to house services and then build a place to worship. He served on the Official Board and was superintendent of the Sunday School until he became too deaf to take an active part.
His name appears in the large stained-glass window of the present church.
That name, Preserved Fish, was unusual to his neighbors but it was not at all uncommon among the Puritans. It is hardly necessary to say that it was often the cause of hilarity, especially to the young people who promptly gave him the nickname of Pickle Fish.
Mr. and Mrs. Austin arrived in Grand Forks on the steamboat, Selkirk, on June 6, 1878. They filed on land in Walle Township, just one mile north of the town site of Thompson and built a sod shanty.
At once they joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in Grand Forks. They had only an ox team to drive so were not able to make the trip as often as they would have liked; but, even so, the zeal of these early pioneers never ceases to amaze the present generation.
When more settlers came and expressed a desire for a church, Mr. Austin made trips to Grand Forks to interview ministers, trying to find one who would come out and preach to this group of Gospel hungry newcomers.
After several refusals, he finally found Rev. Iddings from the Presbyterian Church in Grand Forks. One or two Sundays later Rev. Iddings came, driving in the rain from Grand Forks. He lost his way but found a trail which he followed that led him to the Austin home.
In this sod shanty, 12' by 16', a room full of people were waiting for him. They were not all Methodists - there were also Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Baptists. To this group, Rev. Iddings delivered the first sermon ever preached in the English language in Walle Township, although services in Norwegian were held earlier than this in the Walle churches farther east.
The exact date of the actual organization of the M. E. Church is not recorded but pioneers living in 1933, when the 50th Anniversary was celebrated, agreed that 1883 should be considered the correct date even though services in the homes preceded this by several years.
Rev. Monroe was the first regular pastor, preaching at Thompson, Reynolds, and Hillsboro.
The first minister's name inscribed in the church record is Rev. D. G. Bruce who served from 1888-1889. He performed the first marriage recorded in the church register, that of Chas. B. Cornwall and Birdie Allen, but this was not the first Methodist marriage in the community, for Elsie Austin and Richard Fadden had been married earlier than this by Rev. Iddings in a ceremony held in the Austin home.
The early discipline decreed that a minister could stay on one charge for a period of only three years, then must move as the bishop dictated. Happily, this rule has been changed - now the length of a pastorate is unlimited by disciplinary rule, but in the beginning of the church in Thompson, pastors came and went in rapid succession.
These were fine Christian men, each proclaiming the Gospel in his own way, each making his contribution to the spiritual life of the church and exerting his influence on the lives of those touched by his ministry. Some were outstanding as they served their Lord, but only a few are mentioned, for the Thompson church has had forty-two ministers in its long history.
As more settlers came and attended the worship services, the congregation felt strong enough to build a church. The building was finished in 1883.
Strangely enough, the tornado of 1902 that destroyed both the Catholic and the Baptist churches left the Methodist Church untouched. It has never been moved. The original building is still part of the church in use today.
A few years later, during the pastorate of Rev. MacNamara, a parsonage was constructed beside the church.
About the turn of the century, the Thompson and Reynolds churches were joined to form one charge. Rev. Wm. Morrison was the first minister to live in Reynolds. These churches remained united for many years. Pastors were alternated - Rev. Morrison lived at Reynolds; his successor, Rev. Newlove, lived at Thompson, etc.
A few years later, Rev. Ray Hicks came to live at Thompson. Fresh out of Theological School, he was young and enthusiastic. The young men and boys were especially attracted to him and his work among them is the best in the history of the church. He was the organizer and the leader of the first Boy Scout Troop in the Thompson community. Floyd Forsythe, still active in the church at 85, was one of his scouts.
An amusing anecdote - Rev. Hicks came from the South and had heard many tales of the violent and destructive wind and hailstorms in North Dakota. Every time the clouds appeared threatening, he rushed upstairs and turned the plate glass mirror in the dresser to the wall to save it from the elements. People wondered if he was secretly a bit disappointed when no hailstorms came during his residence in Thompson.
His successor, Rev. S. S. Wyand, was a builder. 1912 he persuaded the congregation to remodel and enlarge the church. He originated the plan of financing that made this possible. The project and the finance plan were completely successful.
About this time the Thompson and Reynolds churches became strong enough to support their own ministers, so the charge was again divided.
Rev. G. E. Martin was the first man to come to Thompson after this separation. He decided there was need for improvement in the main part of the church. The large platform was further improved when a carpet was laid, then the pulpit and 3 chairs were purchased. These are still in use.
A bell was hung in the belfry. About the same time the Catholics also added a bell to their church. Both bells were rung every Sunday, sometimes simultaneously, calling the faithful to worship. They peeled out their music for weddings and other gala occasions. They were told at funerals as if to say to the bereaved family and friends that the whole congregation mourned with them. Now both bells are silent. The Methodist bell still hangs in its tower but is no longer being rung. To the few people who remember, something lovely has passed into history.
During the pastorate of Rev. Hugh Hay, the Ladies Aid, which had not been too active, took a new lease on life and reorganized under a new plan. The women of the church were divided into 3 groups or circles. Each was an independent organization with a General Aid controlling all three groups. This continued for several years, then for many reasons, it was terminated.
The Women's Home Missionary Society was active in studying and contributing to the support of Missionary work in the United States. The young women of the church formed their own Society, calling themselves simple the "Young Women's Home Missionary Society." At one time this Society had the distinction of being the only one of its kind in the State.
The congregation became reckless and plunged deeply into debt to remodel the parsonage. There was no definite plan for financing the project. This debt hung over the church for a number of years and was finally paid off by the efficient planning of Rev. E. A. Houldridge.
The church then entered what might be called their Golden Age of preaching. Feeling they could no longer afford a resident pastor; the pulpit was filled by men from Wesley College. The first to come was Dr. Isaac Solomon Corn who served for nine years, the longest pastorate since the church began. In his first sermon he said, "In the words of St. Paul, 'Let me not be Lord of your faith, but a helper in your joy'." This was the keynote of his years of service. The day he preached his last sermon in Thompson there wasn't a dry eye in the
house.
He was followed by Dr. E. P. Robertson, Dr. C. F. Nesbitt, Dr. Russell Compton, and Dr. T. Ross Hicks. These were friendly, genial, sincere men, all highly educated and the congregation listened to preaching that was far above average; sermons that would have been acceptable to any church anywhere, regardless of the size of the congregation.
About this time, pioneer members were being laid to rest, one by one, in too rapid succession. Many others left to spend their last years in a milder climate and the membership dwindled. The congregation became so small that Thompson was added to the Hillsboro charge. The pastor, Rev. C. F. Miller, lived at Hillsboro. At the same time, he served a church at Finley. He preached at all three places every Sunday, traveling a distance of 146 miles to complete his circuit.
The association with Hillsboro was a happy one. The Hillsboro church was always thoughtful and considerate and willing to share with its small partner, never taking advantage because they paid the lion's share of the salary. This continued for about ten years and ended when the Hillsboro Methodists and Congregationalists united and the minister no longer could serve at out points.
Then the Evangelical United Brethern denomination in its entirety joined with the Methodist denomination. The name of the larger group was no longer the Methodist Episcopal Church but became United Methodist.
The Thompson church was added to the Holmes charge where it is at present. Rev. Ralph Cushing, living at Holmes, is now the pastor.
Thompson Sunday School had to be discontinued in 1968, for there were no children in the congregation.
Very few of the new inhabitants of Thompson are Methodist. The membership is at an all-time low number. But Methodists do not surrender easily. With God's help, they hope to continue the church begun almost 100 years ago when a Presbyterian Missionary preached the first sermon, and the church began in the little sod shanty of Mr. Preserved Fish Austin.
Info from - Memories of Yesterday Thompson Centennial 1881-1981 (pages 55, 56 & 57)