Plumas County CA Archives History - Books .....Churches Of Plumas County 1882 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 15, 2006, 4:34 pm Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties CHURCHES OF PLUMAS COUNTY. BY REV. L. EWING. The first church organization effected in Plumas county was at Nelson Point, as early as 1854. The names of these first religious pioneers have been lost to history, except that of J. C. Gentry, the leader in that organization. Brother Gentry now lives at Taylorville, a sturdy, pious, local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church. Since that organization the Methodists have held the field, with now and then some assistance from other denominations, who have all long since abandoned the work, and given it up to their more persistent co-workers. The first regularly appointed pastor to Plumas county came from the California conference, the Rev. Philetus Grove. He received his appointment in 1858. He resided at Quincy, and had charge of nearly the whole county. His faithful wife still resides in Quincy. Rev. P. Grove has long since gone to rest, but the influence of his faithful labors and life still live to bless the world. He was a hardy specimen of the Methodist itinerants, who in those days truly sacrificed "their all" for the cause. He organized a church at Quincy, with but four members, all of whom have long since died or moved away. In 1860 Rev. W. Willmot was pastor for the work in Plumas. In 1861 all of Plumas county north of Nelson creek was, by order of the general conference, included in the Nevada conference just then organized. La Porte, Quincy, and Indian valley have been regularly supplied with earnest preachers of the gospel. The names of the pastors, down to the year 1875, being Revs. P. Grove, W. Willmot, J. B. Fisher, E. L. Dickinson, E. Padison, Collin Anderson, G. B. Hinkle, W. J. White, and John H. Spes. Since 1875, La Porte has depended for religious services upon the pastors of various churches in adjoining counties, it not being deemed wise to settle a pastor there. Rev. F. M. Willis was sent to Indian valley in 1875, and Rev. A. P. White to Quincy as pastor in charge, and presiding elder of the district. In this year Rev. F. M. Willis built a church at Taylorville, and Rev. A. P. White one at Quincy; the first in the county having been built at La Porte, by, a preacher whose name is lost to history. W. J. White built the second church at Greenville. These brethren were aided by the citizens of their respective charges with true California liberality. The names of J. C. Gentry, Edwin Taylor John Weldon, John Cadle, and others, were, as lay members, connected with these churches. Rev. Willis was followed at Indian valley by Rev. T. S. Uren, and Rev. White by Rev. N. G. Luke, the present presiding elder of the district. Rev. L. Ewing succeeded Rev. T. S. Uren at Indian valley in 1878, remaining in charge for three years, and then receiving the appointment at Quincy, where he is now in charge. Rev. O. L. Barstow is in charge at Indian valley. This church has, true to its earliest zeal, pushed its ministers to the front in the county. And since 1854 it has steadily grown in strength; but the ever-shifting, changing character of the California miner is not to be depended upon for permanent membership in churches. Hence, no church has at any one time numbered over 75 members. There are now about 175 members in the three circuits or stations in the county, with some living on the outskirts who are seldom permitted to hear the gospel. There are in the county, at present, seven Sunday-schools, in which about 400 scholars are taught the word of God. The singing by these children and the church choirs is of a very high order, and would be only expected of older and more thoroughly cultivated fields. The church property consists of church buildings and parsonages; of churches there are three, with a seating capacity of 700; parsonages, three; probable value of churches and parsonages, $10,000. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties San Francisco: Fariss & Smith (1882) File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ca/plumas/history/1882/illustra/churches118gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.6 Kb