Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Guide to the Pullman Community Congregational Church Records
1886-1974
Cage 314
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
- Creator
- Community Congregational Church (Pullman, Wash.)
- Title
- Pullman Community Congregational Church Records
- ID
- Cage 314
- Date [inclusive]
- 1886-1974
- Extent
- 6 Linear feet of shelf space, 36 Volumes + 7 Boxes
- Language
- Collection materials are in English.
- Abstract
- 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.
Preferred Citation
[Item description]
Pullman Community Congregational Church Records, 1886-1974 (Cage 314)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Biography/History
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.
Scope and Content
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.
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.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2022
https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc/
Terrell Library
P.O. Box 645610
Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA
509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Restrictions on Access
This collection is open and available for research use.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions may apply.
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
Related Material
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.
Names and Subjects
Corporate Name(s)
Subject(s) :
- Community Congregational Church (Pullman, Wash.) -- Records and correspondence
- Community Congregational United Church of Christ (Pullman, Wash.) -- Records and correspondence
Creator(s) :
- Community Congregational United Church of Christ (Pullman, Wash.)
Subject(s)
- Congregational churches -- Washington (State) -- Pullman -- Records and correspondence
- Church records and registers -- Washington (State) -- Pullman
- Religion
- Washington (State)
Detailed Description of Collection
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, circa 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 |
14d | |||
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 circa 1955 |
32 | |||
|
|
||||
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 items |
1 | 1 | ||
SubSeries 2.2: Reports |
||||
| box | folder | |||
|
Reports to the Congregational Year Book 1918-1963 15 items |
1 | 2 | ||
|
Annual report to congregation 1949-1974 25 items |
1 | 3 | ||
SubSeries 2.3: Correspondence |
||||
| 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 items |
3 | 10 | ||
|
1952-1954 30 items |
3 | 11 | ||
|
1960-1962 30 items |
3 | 12 | ||
|
1962-1973 30 items |
3 | 13 | ||
|
undated 20 items |
3 | 14 | ||
SubSeries 2.5: Membership Lists |
||||
| box | folder | |||
|
Lists and rosters 1920-circa 1970 50 items |
3 | 15 | ||
|
Applications for memberships, transfers 1949-1965 65 items |
3 | 16 | ||
SubSeries 2.6: Financial Records |
||||
| box | folder | |||
|
1907-1939 50 items |
4 | 17 | ||
|
1940-1949 50 items |
4 | 18 | ||
|
1950 10 items |
4 | 19 | ||
|
1951-1959 80 items |
4 | 20-28 | ||
|
1960-1973 140 items |
5 | 29-42 | ||
|
undated 10 items |
5 | 43 | ||
SubSeries 2.7: Printed Materials and Photographs |
||||
| box | folder | |||
|
Weekly service bulletins 1891-1964 50 items |
6 | 44 | ||
Newsletters |
||||
| box | folder | |||
|
Congregational Way 1944-1945 |
6 | 45 | ||
|
Communicator 1956-1969 |
6 | 45 | ||
| box | folder | |||
|
Offering envelopes 1891-1894 20 items |
6 | 46 | ||
|
Publicity materials circa 1940-1960 10 items |
6 | 47 | ||
|
Brochures relative to union with United Church of Christ 1961 50 items |
7 | 48 | ||
|
Photographs, descriptive materials circa 1950-1970. 15 items |
7 | 49 | ||
SubSeries 2.8: Additional Records |
||||
| box | folder | |||
|
Correspondence, minutes and resolutions, financial records 1961-1965 125 items |
7 | 50 | ||
|
|
||||