BEGINNINGS OF CHRISTIANITY IN OREGON

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Board. All of these united with the mission church already referred to on Sept. 2d, making a membership of sixteen. At a

meeting held soon after Mr. Gray was selected to assist Mr. Spalding, Mr. Smith to aid Dr. Whitman, Messrs. Walker and Eells were to select a new location among the Spokanes, and the In the place chosen was six miles north of Spokane river. summer of 1839 Mr. Smith located at his own request at Kamiah, sixty miles from Lapwai, and remained until 1842, when he dissolved his connection with the mission and went to Sandwich Islands. In the fall of 1839 Mr. Gray removed from the mission and located in the Willamette, and for a time was a teacher at the Oregon Institute at Salem. With these exceptions the missionary force among the Indians remained the same until it was broken up by the massacre of Dr. Whitman, his wife, and twelve others on November 29-30, 1847.

In 1840 Rev. Harvey Clark and Rev. John S. Griffin came to

as independent Congregational missionaries. The location the a Indians of the Snake River among sought

Oregon

latter

abandoned it and came to the Willamette in the vicinity of what is now Hillsboro. and settled valley Mr. Clark also came to the valley and settled at West Tualatin, now Forest Grove. The first Congregational church to be organized was that of "The First Church of Tualatin Plains," as it was originally, called, in 1842, of which Rev. Mr. Griffin was the acting pastor. In 1845 the location was changed to Forest Grove, when Rev. Harvey Clark became the pastor. Early in his ministry a log house was built which answered for school use on week days and church purposes on Sunday. In this building what is now Pacific University had its origin. The second Congregational church organized was that at region, but finally

Oregon City, in 1844, with three members. This was really a Presbyterian church, and was first known as "The First Presbyterian Church of Willamette Falls." Rev. Mr. Clark served the church until 1847, walking thither from Forest Grove, at every preaching service, a distance of more than twenty miles. He was followed by Rev. Lewis Thompson, a Presbyterian minister,

who preached

a few times.

A

Mr.