Leavenworth County Churches
First Congregational Church, Leavenworth
Early History
During the year A. D. 1855, Rev. J. H. Byrd settled near
Leavenworth City, and labored as a missionary as he had opportunity; but the political troubles of that period crippled his
efforts, and prevented the formation of a church, even his life
being threatened because he was an opposer of the institution
of slavery. He left the field in the spring of 1857. In November, 1857, Rev. R. D. Parker, commissioned by the American
Home Missionary Society to labor in Kansas, began his labors
in Leavenworth. On the 6th day of March, 1858, in pursuance
of a previous notice, a meeting of those desirous of organizing
a Congregational church was held, at which the necessary steps
were taken to accomplish the object, At adjourned meetings
held on the 13th and 14th days of March, articles of faith and
a church covenant were adopted by twenty-seven persons who
presented certificates of church membership. On the 31st of
March the right hand of fellowship was given to the. church by
a council, in which the Plymouth church of Lawrence, the
church of Topeka, the church of Quindaro, and the church of
Grasshopper Falls were represented by their pastors. On the
first day of August James Taylor, J. E. Gould, Dr. S. Norton
and M. S. Adams were elected deacons. Mr. Parker continued
to labor as pastor of the church until the 26th of June, 1859,
when he resigned. At a meeting held in September, 1859, Rev.
J. D. Liggett was called as pastor. He commenced his labors
on the first Sabbath of November following, and continued as
pastor until June 5, 1870, when he resigned. August 24, 1870,
Rev. Wm, Kincaid, of Rushville, N. Y., was called as pastor.
He commenced his work on the first of October, 1870, was installed November 16, 1870. and remained in charge until January 5, 1876, when he resigned, to accept a call to the 2d Congregational Church at Oberlin, Ohio. For some months thereafter
the church remained without a pastor, though services were
regularly maintained. During the fall Rev. H. L. Hubbell,
who had previously been out of active service for some time,
by reason of ill health, was invited to take charge, and accepting, continued to act as pastor, though without any formal installation, until the summer of 1877. On August 15, 1877, Rev.
J. C. Bodwell, of Stockbridge, Mass., was elected pastor. He
commenced his labors in October following, and remained until
April 9, 1879, when he resigned, to return to the east. In the
fall of 1879 Rev. John Baldwin, of Iowa, who had previously
been connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, accepted
an invitation to act as pastor. He declined a formal installation on
account of a hesitation in severing his relations with that denomination, but remained in charge of the church until his death,
on May 9th, 1880. On November 21, 1880, a call was extended
to Rev. W. H. Thomas, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, which was
accepted. Mr. Thomas continued in charge until July, 1885,
when he removed to Brooklyn, N. Y. On August 12, 1885,
Rev. J. H. Jenkins was called as pastor. He accepted the invitation, and remained with the church until July 1, 1887. On
March 1st, 1888, Rev. Thomas M. Boss, of La Crosse, Wis., became the pastor, was installed April 17th, and is now in charge.
In the fall of 1860 it was resolved to build a house of worship. Two lots on the corner of Fifth and Delaware streets
were purchased, the building was commenced in September of
that year, and dedicated on the 27th of January, 1861. It was
a brick edifice 42x60, and cost, exclusive of the ground, $5,000.
In 1863 an organ was purchased and placed in the church. In
the fall of 1868 an addition was made to the building. By this
the audience room was enlarged to the dimension of 40x70. It
was at the same time frescoed and elegantly furnished. A
prayer and lecture room was also secured. The new room was
dedicated in February, 1869, with appropriate services by Dr.
Post, of St. Louis. In the summer of 1883 the building was
further extended so as to enlarge the prayer and lecture room,
and at the same time secure a kitchen and pastor's study. In
the spring of 1887 the property was sold for $30,000, and lots 9
and 10, block 23, Clark & Rees' Addition, corner 5th and Walnut streets, were purchased, upon which it is proposed to erect
a new and handsome church.
Such, in brief, is the history of this church. It has numbered on its rolls about 600 members. The exact number can
not be given, as by reason of the fire in June, 1887, which destroyed the store of its secretary, all the books and papers of
the church were burned. Its present membership is 194. It is
at present (1888) worshiping in the auditorium of the high school.
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