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The
following is a page taken from the booklet of the
Dedication Services of our Church Building on October
12, 1958. It
gives a little history of our Church.
God’s
Blessing on Our Past
As the city of Iron Mountain spread, the need for a
Protestant Church to the south of the First Methodist
Church became apparent.
Following several informal meetings, evangelistic
services were held in the summer and fall of 1884 in the
Gospel Hall, southeast corner of Stephenson and “B”
Streets. These
culminated in a request to the Presbytery of Lake
Superior for the organization of a Presbyterian Church,
which was consummated December 2, 1884 by the Rev. A.F.
Ashley, the Rev. A.W. Bill and the Rev. H. P. Corry.
From
the original charter members of 15, the church has grown
to the present 525.
“Ups and downs” were part of the struggle to
maintain a Christian Witness in this community.
The “Ford Depression” in the early 30’s
drew many members elsewhere, and the closing of the
mines and the national depression made the years of the
30’s discouraging.
However, the Kingsford Sunday School, Christian
Endeavor and Ladies Aid helped strengthen the church and
prepare for later growth.
The
following changes were made:
A renovating of the Church in 1930, an Everett
Orgatron in 1937, a new entrance in 1939, new chancel
and north entrance as well as a furnace room in 1940,
new furnace and steam system with a stoker in 1941, a
new basement floor and partitions, lavatories and
kitchen cupboards in 1942 and a new Hammond Organ in
1943.
Though
initial efforts for a new church were made in 1929, it
was not until the purchase of a 3-acre site in 1953,
under the ministry of the Rev. N. U. McConaughy, that
any tangible progress was made toward a new building to
house the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church.
In
May 1955 the congregation voted by a substantial
majority to build a new church.
Much time and study were devoted before the Joint
Boards of Elders and Trustees voted to utilize the
facilities of the Board of National Missions of the
Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. to conduct the financial
campaign for us.
Appropriate
committees were appointed and the day of the campaign,
May 26, 1957, brought an overwhelming response on the
part of the congregation.
With
the $115,000 pledged during the campaign, tremendous
enthusiasm resulted and the “go-ahead signal” was
given for the hiring of an architect in the person of
Mr. Alfred Siewert of Milwaukee in April of 1957.
Groundbreaking for a new church was on October 6th
of the same year.
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