DIVISION SKVSN — SOCIETARY. 49 1 



The list of first members was 42 by letter and 3 on profession of faith. 

 Preaching was maintained by "supply" for some weeks ; then Rev. 

 Arthur Smith, a returned missionary from China was engaged, and con- 

 tinued to fill the pulpit until March 28, 1886 — when he was recalled to his 

 missionary work. The services were held in the old college building. 

 Meanwhile the committee on building site was at work. Several eligible points 

 were found ; and on June 21, 1886, final choice was made of the lot 160x275 

 feet, price $2,500, where the church now stands, corner Pasadena Avenue 

 and California street. In December, 1886, Rev. D. D. Hill was engaged as 

 pastor. The erection of a church building was pushed vigorously ; and it 

 was occupied as soon as built ; but being considerably in debt, it was not 

 dedicated until October 29, 1891, when the debt had been cleared off, and a 

 pipe organ had been furnished the church by Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Scoville. 

 The building and grounds cost $35,000. 



October i, 1894, pastor Hill resigned ; and March 31, 1895, Rev. H. 

 W. Lathe was called to the pastorate, and commenced his labors the first 

 Sunday in May. Membership, 317. 



Besides its Sunday school, this church has auxiliary organizations as 

 follows : Ladies Aid Society. — Womans Missionary Society. — Y. P. S. C. E. ; 

 and Junior Y. P. S. C. K. — Chinese Mission ; and Chinese Sunday school. — 

 Children's Missionary Society. 



North Congregational Church. — On December i8, 1887, Rev. E. 

 Bickford, a Congregational home missionary, preached in a barn west of the 

 Painter hotel ; and the next Sunday, December 25, a Sunday school was or- 

 ganized there, with Mr. and Mrs. M. D. Painter as the leading workers. It 

 soon outgrew the barn, and Dr. G Roscoe Thomas's hall was secured for its 

 sessions. Mr. Bickford continued to preach for these people until July 15, 

 1888, when Rev. H. T. Staats took up the work. And on May 3, 1889, a 

 Congregational church was organized, with seventeen members. They 

 bought from the Universalist parish the same building which had been the 

 first Methodist church of Pasadena — first erected on lower Orange Grove 

 Avenue ; then moved to Colorado street ; then moved to Chestnut street, 

 and now moved up Raymond Avenue to Jefferson street. In December, 

 1891, this little church was demolished by a wind storm. [See page 165.] 

 The society next bought the original Episcopal chapel on East Colorado 

 street and moved it to their own lot and built some additions to it, inaking a 

 much prettier and more commodious house of worship than they had before. 

 Its total cost, besides some back debt, was $2,034 > and on March 27, 1892, 

 it was dedicated — all dear of debt. Its membership in April, 1895, is about 

 seventy. The auxiliary societies are — Ladies Missionary and Aid Society ; 

 and Young People's Christian Endeavor. 



