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TWO PASTOR'S REGISTERS RECORDING PERSONAL NOTES SERMONS BAPTISMS MARRIAGES AND FUNERALS PERFORMED MOSTLY IN MONTANA IDAHO AND WASHINGTON STATE BETWEEN 1915 AND 1938.
1519réf. 57522Various places mostly Sand Point Id. and Victor Mt. 1915-1938. Preaching in Montana and Idaho During War and Peace Two volumes of an unidentified pastor's register for a variety of locations in Idaho Montana and Washington beginning during the First World War and continuing throughout the entire interwar period. In it the unnamed pastor records his sermons the dates and locations they were given their titles the number of people in the congregation and frequently supplies notes about the service weather or other local events. In addition he has recorded extensive lists of baptisms marriages new church members and funerals throughout the entire period providing valuable demographic and genealogical information. On the rear pastedown of the earlier volume the writer has provided a brief history of his service: he began his ministry in 1893 and spent several years preaching in Alabama before moving to a variety of churches across the country including in Tennessee New York and Texas. The registers begin with a new appointment in Sand Point Idaho in November of 1915. During this period of worldwide tension and struggle the pastor's early entries often allude to the political situation at home or the ongoing war. On November 5 1916 - the day of the 1916 Presidential Election - the topic of his sermon appropriately enough is "Presidents." On December 28th of that year he notes that "Soldiers came home." Since the United States had yet to join in World War I this perhaps refers to new trainees inducted as part of the National Defense Act of 1916 which significantly increased the size of the Army and National Guard. The next year America had joined the war and supplies at home were scarce in the face of international pressures and German submarine patrols. In this environment a sermon was delivered on October 14 1917 titled "Food Conservation." In 1918 he notes a guest lecture by a "Mr. Krikorian" which proved to be "a splendid meeting on the Armenian situation. Collection $409.45." That year saw the beginning of several years of armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan exacerbated by meddling from the Soviets Ottomans and the British. Things didn't improve quickly for Sand Point as September of 1918 saw the first hometown death - a "Memorial service for W.D. Martin - Killed in France. First of Co. A to fall." His loss was dearly felt by his community as evidenced by a turnout of 225: much greater than the average congregation of fifty to eighty for that church. We unfortunately are not privy to the speech our record keeper would have made around Armistice Day November 11 1918; he was unable to preach for six weeks due to catching the Spanish Flu. The pandemic was keenly felt even in Idaho where annotations over the next several months note that the "flu scare is on." His topical lectures for the period end on April 13 1919 with an entry titled "Lecture on the League of Nations." Besides making note of current events in his sermons the preacher at times uses these registers as a journal. Particularly after moving to a new position serving Victor and Stevensville Montana in 1921 he struggles to reckon with the frigid temperatures and seems to have developed an interest in sports often noting local baseball and basketball games. One day in particular his sermon was not well attended because he assumes "many at ball game." Aside from taking notice of "much sickness" during the 1923 measles outbreak current events feature less in the remainder of the register. The Depression doesn't seem to have been strongly felt in his leg of Montana - or at least it is not much reflected in the register except perhaps for slightly decreased congregations in 1930 and 1931 which quickly recovered to record numbers or a 1933 sermon on "Hunger & Thirst." A guest lecturer "Reverend Adams of China" also delivered a speech on that country in 1933 but it is unclear whether or not that was related to the ongoing Uighur uprising or simply a description for a Western audience. The final entry is for a sermon given on Thanksgiving of 1938. An extensive and detailed record of a pastor's work throughout World War I and the entire interwar period augmented by a remarkable wealth of detail on local baptisms funerals and marriages in Idaho and Montana. Quarto. Original three-quarter leather and pebbled black cloth gilt. Leather rubbed both spines perished boards detached and most leaves of first volume loose hinges of second volume cracked but holding. Internally clean and unmarked. The bindings only fair but internally near fine. hardcover
William Reese Company · États-Unis2 750,00 $US≈ 2 456,89 €
