History of Wright County Minnesota, CHAPTER XXII PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH--Pages 671-675 ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Rebecca B Frank ========================================================================= Clearwater, Silver Creek and Corinna Excerpts from : Curtiss-Wedge, Franklin. History of Wright County Minnesota. Volume II. Chicago: H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co. 1915. Call Number:977.6C94h CHAPTER XXII PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH Page 671- 673 The Saint Anthony Falls, Mission 1852-1864. This extensive mission field included the present county of Wright, then just beginning to have its scattered settlements. Within its borders were the prospective towns of Monticello, Clearwater, and Buffalo, with others where services were held at a later day, as Rockford, Delano, Howard Lake and Cokato. The earliest recorded services of the Episcopal Church in Wright county appear to have been held by the Rev. J. S. Chamberlain, of Saint Anthony Falls, in 1857. His services were held at regular intervals, and among those interested we find the names of W. D. Davis, Thomas Tollington and Orange Hyatt. In 1857 Clearwater is named as a station of Mr. Chamberlain, and Grace Church, Clearwater, was incorporated October 17, 1859, by James Stevenson, S. N. Nixon and W. D. Davis. The officers were James Stevenson, warden; S. N. Nixon, treasurer, and W. D. Davis Secretary. In 1859, Mr. Chamberlain reports a " church on foot: at Clearwater and five communicants. In 1860 he reports two baptisms at Clearwater and six at Buffalo Lake; seven confirmations and seven communicants at Monticello; eight at Clearwater and two at Buffalo Lake, also seven confirmations at the latter place. Mr. Chamberlain reports a corner-stone laid at Clearwater, "churches on the foot at Monticello and Buffalo Lake." He says, "A parish has been organized at Monticello since last report." It appears that he refers to St. George's Church, which as organized at the store of Thomas Chambers, April 18, 1860, by the Rev. J. S. Chamberlain, Thomas Murry, T. G. Mealey, James Chambers, Samuel E. Adams and Henry B. Hill. The following were the officers: Thomas Murry, warden; Thomas Chambers, treasurer; Samuel E. Adams, secretary. Mr. Chamberlain adds: "The bishop's consent to the organization of a parish at Buffalo Lake [Editorial Note-Buffalo, the county seat of Wright County, was formerly known as Buffalo Lake, from the beautiful body of water on which it is situated.] has been given, and the parish will be organized at once." G. A. J. Overton is reported as a delegate of St. Paul's Church, Buffalo Lake, in 1861. No further report of Mr. Chamberlain appears in our council journals, yet it is certain he continued his ministrations in Wright county regularly or as occasion required. In 1860, Bishop Whipple speaks of the stations of the Rev. Mr. Chamberlain and reports visitations at Monticello, Clearwater, and Buffalo Lake, gives consent to the organization of a parish at the latter place, and the same year, July 13, lays the cornerstone of Grace Church. Fifty Years of Progress, 1865-1915. On the removal of Mr. Chamberlain, the missionary work of the region north of Minneapolis, including Wright county, became part of the labors of the Rev. D. B. Knickerbacker, of Gethsemane Church, Minneapolis. December 21, 1864, Mr. Knickerbacker, accompanied by D. Ames, Sr., held a service at Watertown, and either that day or the day before at Rockford. He continued to hold monthly services at these places, assisted occasionally by the Rev. Samuel Wardlaw and other clergymen. April 20, 1868, Bishop Whipple made a visitation and baptized two children at each place. The next day he preached in the court house at Buffalo Lake and confirmed one person. Page 674 - 675 In 1859 Octavius Longworth located on the banks of Clear Lake (Clearwater Lake) in the town of Corinna, Wright county. Mr. Longworth, who had been warden of St. Mark's Church, Williamsburg, N. Y., soon began reading the prayer-book service in his own house. The Rev. Mr. Chamberlain soon became aware of the settlement and considered it as a part of his missionary cure. Meanwhile the Rev. Mr. Knickerbacker, having known Mr. Longworth often visited him, and after the retirement of Mr. Chamberlain added this mission known as Hassan, to his other missionary labors. As the log house of Mr. Longworth became too small to hold those who attended the services, Mr. Knickerbacker decided to build a church. The Rev. Dr. Haskins, of Williamsburg, N. Y., a friend of Mr. Knickerbacker, contributed a liberal sum for this purpose, and with the aid of others a church was consecrated by Bishop Whipple, September 4, 1872, as St. Mark's Chapel, Longworth, from the name of the parish in Williamsburg, of which Mr. Longworth had been warden for many years. Mr. Knickerbacker continued to minister at Longworth's and at Monticello, Clearwater and Big Lake. The project of building a church at Clearwater eight miles distant, was given up when it was decided to build a church at Longworth's. Other clergy who officiated are Rev. John Scott, of Anoka; Rev. W. R. Powell of Park Rapids, and the Rev. S. B. Cowdry, of Minneapolis. Other eminent clergymen, attracted by the beauty of the lake, have ministered to the people in the little church. After the election of Mr. Knickerbacker as Bishop of Indiana, the Rev. A. R. graves, of Gethsemane, ministered to the people, and the Brotherhood of Gethsemane included St. Mark's, Longworth, in the annual report of their work. The death of Ocatvius Longworth occurred in 1889 in the eighty-fifth year of his age.