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Wilmettes 75th Anniversary 1872-1947September 18, 1947Congregationalville Browns home oppositeEleventh street and adjoining Churchwhat is now the church play-the church property on the southground.was purchased to be used as a* * *playground and kept for futureHasWithinexpansion. The first Christmas 10 years, because of the Ministered 72 Yearsgrowthafter this purchase a huge ever- of the village, the churchbuildinggreen tree was placed there and was found too small forGrewilluminated with hundreds of Out of Evangelicalboth the congregation and the Sun-electric lights. The children ofUnionday school.; Began Worship inoi Congregational Churches a fewthe church school gathered aboutOldays later.The enlargement of the old build-dii and sang carols Christmas School BuildingThe first pastor, the Rev. Edwarding or erection of a new one wereeve. That was the beginning ofP. Wheeler of Beloit, was called theunder consideration when, in Febru-the custom of having a commu-Theary, 1895, Mrs. Mary E. Gates pre- First Congregational churchfollowing year.nity tree on the village green andosented to the church the lot at thef Wilmette was 72 years old on* * *of singing carols on Christmascorner of Lake and Wilmette ave-June 3 of this year and has been aFor eight years services wereeve.parnues and Eleventh street, upont of village life for all but theheld in the one-story framewhich* * * the present church stands.first three years of its incorpora- Ischool. The first church building*The manse, at the southeast cor- * *tion.site of the present Centralner of Lake avenue and EleventhThe material in this article was [school. The first church buildingGround for the new edificestreet was purchased in 1922.taken in part from a history of thewas erected in 1883 on Eleventhwas broken in 1904 and on theIn 1923, arrangements were madechurch prepared in 1925 by Mrs. |street near the big elm whichfollowing January 1, the firstwith the American board to sendEdward Scheidenhelm.still stands on the lawn of Mel-services were held in the newBIn 1871 (the year before the vil-church in Pilgrim hall. The mainWrhyialn Stoffer to the foreign field.e a graduate student at Chi-lage was incorporated), an Evangeli-auditorium and basement roomscago Theological seminary, Mr. Stof-cal Union had been formed in Wil-underneath were finished in thefer served for a year as assistant tomette. It was a union of variousfall of 1909.the pastor.Protestant denominations. A frame* + *The Sunday school as at first or-church was built by Henry DingeeIn September, 1910, a Boy Scoutganized, meeting all in one roomand rented to the Union. The build-troop, the first one west of the Alle-sitting at double desks, studying oneing stood on the site of the presentMethodisghanies, was founded by A. L. Ricelesson regardless of whether it fittedt church.and A. J. Coburn.the needs of all ages from the "in- * *For a number of years the churchfant class" to the hoary heads, wasThehelped Courtland Street mission onquite different, in outward appear- first church had no pas-ance, from the present thoroughly-tor. Its services were con-the northwest side of Chicago. Notductedgraded, well-equipped up-to-date or- by professors from theonly was financial aid given butGarrettganization. Biblical institute, and oc-also many of the young people of thecasionally by Dr. E. N. Packard,parish taught in the Sunday school* * *then pastor of the Evanston Con-and in the vacation Bible school.But the consecration of thegregational church.Finally this mission church and twoworkers and the earnestness of *others were consolidated by the Citythe pupils is the constant factor.AMissionary society and became self-As a matter of fact, some pupilst Dr. Packards suggestion, aCongregationasupporting.were so eager to attend Sundayl church was or-ganized* * *school in the early days that in 1875. The meeting washeldthey went twice each Sunday: in June of that year at theThe (Wilmette) Sunday Eve-homto the Congregational Sundaye of Andrew Taylor Sherman,ning club, originating in 1916,who had just retired as village pres-held its meetings in the churchMschetohool diisn the morning and tiet in the afternoon.ident. Mr. Sherman was electedand for three years was oper-clerk of the congregation.ated* * * by the men of the congre-The church was recognized as agation. It is now a communityDuring the 10 years of the ministrymember of the Chicago Association |movement and, under the nameof Dr. Stephen A. Lloyd the mem-of the North Shore Sunday Eve-bership increased to 700 and thening club, meets at New Trierministry to all ages was greatly im-High school.plemented by the addition to the* * #staff of a director of religious edu-Shortlcation and assistant minister. A jun-y after the First World war,Drior choir was also started in Dr.. Emma Tucker came severalLloyds pastorate. A few years later,times to tell of the work she andDr| when the Rev. Vere V. Loper was. William Tucker were doing atTehchowpastor, the first of the successful, China, where, under theAmericacouples clubs of the church wasn board, they established ahospital. The women of the churchstarted.raised a fund of $1,000 to be known* * *as "The Wilmette Memorial." TheThe church celebrated its 70thincome from this fund is used eachanniversary in 1945. The highyear in training a native nurse in thepoint was the Sunday service ofHospital Training school.worship with Dr. Loper offering* * *the prayer and Dr. Roy E.Bowers preaching. At a greatIn 1920, a strip of land havingachurch dinner veteran members frontage of 75 feet on Wilmetteavenuof the church were recognized.e and a like frontage onA 60-year member was J. Mel-ville Brown; 50-year membersMweinren iMrs. L. A. Bower, Misse Hughes, Mrs. C. L. Hos-kMerns, Miss Agnes Watson, and. Frank Watson.* * *OURA year later the first stages of NEW HOMEremodeling were accomplished withFromnew administrative offices and a our new business home just completed, we con-church library and board room. Agratulate Wilmette on its Seventy Fifth Anniversary."Fireside Forum" was organized forFoolder young people. The churchr the past 15 years we have helped Wilmette main-school began a detailed program oftain its high standards as a leading community byleadership training and development.bringing a notable group of civic minded citizens toMinisters of the church have been:buy homes here.Edward P. Wheeler1876-1880Our vocation is to serve the North Shore with integ-Samuel Kidder1880-1882John Parr1882-1884rity maturity and good will as Realtors. Our avocation.Supply pastors 1884-1886is to take part in many community projects. Come seeWillis A. Hadley1886-1887us in our new home.Josiah Beardsley 1887-1892Edwin B. Dean1892-1898NORTHWalliam H. Walker 1899-1902 SHORE REALTYSpencer C. Haskin1902-1908Roy E. Bowers 1908-1918604 Green Bay Road, KenilworthKen. 323Stephen A. Lloyd1919-1928Vere V. Loper1928-1930Edna L. Drayer Rulh Drayer LeisnerClarence E. DrayerJohn George Hindley 1930-1942Old ViewRoss R. Cannon1942-