Gleanings From
In Christian Fellowship
By Shirley Lindahl
Edited by Jerry Rutherford
Consolidation for Survival
In December of 1894 the Fist Congregational Church of Kirkland was incorporated. The Houghton and Kirkland churches had petitioned the AHMS for aid so that they could call Rev. George Anderson for six months (that was in 1892 before the incorporation). In 1893 they called Rev. Horatio Alling.
Then in 1894 the Houghton Congregational Church members transferred their membership to the Kirkland Church. Reorganizing took place and elections were held. As a condition of the consolidation the council had recommended moving to a more central site. It was voted to move the Kirkland building and to use the Houghton building as a parsonage. A committee was appointed to select the new site, another to investigate moving and remodeling projects and third to correspond with the Congregational Church Building Society about consolidating the mortgages.
Since the Kirkland Land and Improvement Co. had donated the original site for the church, the committee decided to see if they could just trade lots. They proposed making an exchange for lots 7 & 8 in block 195 on Clarkston St. (5th Ave). The Land Co. agreed and the deeds were exchanged (much easier in those days!).
The church record says, "the church building was removed to the new and central site beginning Oct, 1, 1894. We held our Thanksgiving service in the church and gave a dinner in the new basement netting $40.75." (We can assume this over a mile move was by oxen and skids such as used by the local loggers.)
There were few completed streets and much of the platted township was only on paper. The building was set on the back of the present lot where our parking lot is now located.
By 1895 the steel mill dream had faded and the population was counted in the hundreds rather than thousands. But Kirkland did not become a ghost town. Still operating were the shingle mill, saw mill and woolen mill which was located on the lake just north of the dock at the foot of Market St. The families who were here before the "boom" began still remained. Gradually newcomers arrived.
Times were not easy and money was not coming in so by the end of the summer Rev. Alling offered his resignation. The congregation regretted losing him and passed a resolution stating their deep appreciation for the work he had done. He was instrumental in the consolidation, moving the church building, establishing services in outlying communities and encouraged the young in Christian Endeavor--all in a period of great financial stringency.
Rev. Bicknell then filled the position at a salary of $250 per month and the use of the parsonage.
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