Congregational Association of Oregon Records
Scope and Contents
The collection includes a record book, which contains the Association's constitution, by-laws and minutes from 1857-1869. The record book is accompanied by a set of folded pages listing the individual members, associated churches, and a table of all meetings held between 1848-1886. It lists ministers of the Congregationalist Churches in Oregon and Washington Territory, with the date when they were received as ministers in the region, along with the date and reason for leaving the Association. The names, locations and active dates of associated churches are also listed. A table listing all past meetings of the association going back to 1848 is also included.
Dates
- Creation: 1848-1886
Creator
- Congregational Association of Oregon (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Pacific University owns the copyright to some, but not all, of the materials housed in its archives. Copyright for materials authored or otherwise produced as official business of Pacific University is retained by Pacific University and requires its permission for publication. Copyright status for other collection materials varies. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Historical Note
The Congregational Association of Oregon was an organization representing the Congregationalist churches within Oregon and Washington Territory. Its first meetings, which appear to have been relatively informal gatherings of ministers, were held in Forest Grove and Oregon City in 1848. According its Constitution, its aims were to "promote all objects of Christian benevolence" and "encourage evangelical education." In practice, the Association addressed issues such as:
- Funding church projects and ministers' salaries
- Defining the church's position on social issues, including slavery
- Hiring and assignment of ministers
- Communications with other Congregationalist associations in the eastern United States
- Supporting the activities of other associations including the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the American Tract Society, the American Bible Society and Pacific University.
Most of the Association's members were ministers of Congregationalist churches in Oregon and Washington Territory. A few were from other denominations, includings Presbyterians and Methodist Episcopalians. Some of the most prominent members included: Harvey Clark, Elkanah Walker, Henry H. Spalding, George Atkinson, Cushing Eells, Myron Eells, Horace Lyman, Sidney Harper Marsh, Obed Dickinson and Thomas Condon.
More information about the history of the Association can be found in Myron Eells' History of the Congregational Association of Oregon, and Washington Territory: The Home Missionary Society of Oregon and Adjoining Territories; and the Northwestern Association of Congregational Ministers. (Portland: Himes, 1881.)
Extent
1 folders (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Summary
The Congregational Association of Oregon was an organization representing the Congregationalist churches within Oregon and Washington Territory. This collection includes the Association's constitution, by-laws, minutes from 1857-1869, a list of members and associated churches, and a table of all meetings held between 1848-1886.
Location
Housed in MS File Box 2.
Bibliography
- Eells, Myron. History of the Congregational Association of Oregon, and Washington Territory: The Home Missionary Society of Oregon and Adjoining Territories; and the Northwestern Association of Congregational Ministers. Publishing House of Himes the Printer, 1881.
- Title
- Guide to the Congregational Association of Oregon Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Eva Guggemos
- Date
- 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Sponsored by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Repository Details
Part of the Pacific University Archives Repository