The Great Snohomish Church Fight: Who Owns the Soul of the County?

Frustrated in this manner, he [the previous minister] left months later; for three weeks no preaching was done, of any character, and people began to feel that something must be done to build up the church in some direction. There are several wealthy men in the community who, though not professing Christians themselves, wanted a minister of brains and energy from any particular denomination, not essential— to start and carry on a religious movement and take up his home duties in Snohomish City. These things coming to my ears, and being invited by leading men of the county to help them in the matter, I went down the Sound and up the river, to the beautiful 'hill-top village' called Snohomish City—the county seat and intellectual centre of the whole region thereabout.

I held public worship on Sunday and Monday evenings, and on Tuesday afternoon, and I told the people that the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions was on the lookout for just such openings on these— that it had the right kind of funds at hand occasionally to take hold of the work, and if they 'called on' a peculiar kind of Christianity, it could be furnished. The result was the organization of a congregation of thirty-nine members having the Probate Judge and the County Legislature on the [board] of Trustees— also the organization of a church of fifteen members, with the Probate Judge and another of the trustees of the congregation, as clerk, on the same service plan. Also the organization of a Sunday School, with the Secretary of the Trustees as President.

I promised them preaching once a month, and Brother Dunning, of Seattle, will also give a monthly supply, which will keep them pretty well ministered unto until the Board can be able to send out on the field. Two most eligible lots have been donated for a church site, and we are in hopes of getting aid from the Board of Church Extension. This is a most promising field.