First Baptist Church of Newcastle Founded
A council of Seattle-area Baptists gathers to establish a new congregation in Newcastle.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A colored Baptist church was organized at Newcastle on Wednesday evening by a council composed of delegates from different Baptist churches in Seattle and other places. It is called the First Baptist Church of Newcastle and has twelve members. G. Johnson was elected clerk and Frank Bonner deacon. The church voted that H. C. Rice be licensed to preach.
“The church voted that H. C. Rice be licensed to preach.”
This short notice marks the founding of a community anchor for Black residents in Newcastle during an era of significant racial exclusion in the region. It highlights the agency of Black pioneers in building their own religious and social institutions despite the challenges of the late 19th-century Northwest.
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