Page 194 - Cornelius Hedges Story

181 The Cornelius Hedges Story

I find also noted that on Sunday, September 20, 1872; I attended
services conducted by Rev. W. C. Rommel in Odd Fellows' Hall in
Donaghey and Bentley's Block on Main Street. Mr. Rommel had
come to take Mr. Russel's place, who was called to minister to the
church at Deer Lodge.

Sunday, November 7, 1872, Rev. W. S. Frackleton, whose field
was Bozeman and the whole of Gallatin and Madison Valleys,
preached for us. Pyle was one of the three young graduates from
theological seminaries that Mr. Jackson had induced to come to
Montana. Prayer meetings were held at the residences of members
and on November 10, 1872, I find that I attended prayer meeting at
the house of Mr. Walker, the first for several years, and the attendance
was quite large. These meetings continued to be held weekly at the
houses of the members.

During the year 1873 and 1874 any historical facts are very scarce.
Mr. Rommel continued to preach and grew in favor and influence
steadily. He did not confine his labors exclusively to Helena, but
frequently went to Unionville and other places. Meetings continued
to be held in Odd Fellows' Hall, the use of which was generously
tendered on condition that the carpet should be protected by a
covering, which was done by the good ladies. We think a church
organ must have been secured, for Mr. Koenigsberger was organist.
The Sunday School was not organized till services began to be
held in the old court house, nor were there evening services at Odd
Fellows' Hall.

The record book of the trustees is unfortunately very incomplete,
but it furnishes a memorandum of a meeting of the church members
in December, 1873, at which Col. Sanders, B. H. Tatem, Joseph
C. Walker, T. H. Kleinschmidt, E. W. Knight, D. H. Cuthbert, and
myself were chosen trustees. Also a meeting held March 31, 1874,
when Messrs. Samuel Neel, R. E. Fisk and Elder Pyle, with Mr.
Koenigsberger subsequently added, were chosen as a committee to
select a location for a church edifice. And on April 21, 1874, at a
joint meeting of the trustees and building committee, after much
discussion it was voted to buy the lot at the corner of Fifth Avenue
and Ewing street of I. W. Stoner for $500 on which to build the
church. I was not present at the time, having gone to the states and
did not return till the middle of the summer, and after that was busy
with a congressional canvass.