198 



RED RIVER EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



Archdeacon), was placed there, and from that time the 

 population of the Grand Eapids' district increased by immi- 

 gration with great rapidity. After the erection of his 

 own house, the first act of Mr. Cochrane was to build a 

 room about 30 feet by 18, which served the double 

 purpose of school-house and church. As soon as it 

 became known in the far-distant outposts of the Company 

 that a school for the young, and a church, with a 

 resident minister, were established at Eed Eiver, many of 

 the retired servants of the Company, half-breeds and 

 Europeans, came from the Saskatchewan, Albany, and 

 even Moose, to avail themselves of the advantages whicli 

 were now for the first time offered to them, with a 

 guarantee for their continuance. 



In two years the congregation had outgrown the 

 school-house, and found themselves obliged to build a 

 larger church, to accommodate their growing num- 

 bers. 



This they completed in the autumn of 1831. It was a 

 neat wooden building, 60 feet by 24, and cost about 

 £200, which was paid by the people themselves in 

 labour, materials, &c. No sooner was the church built, 

 and things began to wear an aspect of stability and per- 

 manency, than others came in from Norway House, and 

 the southern department. The population of the parish 

 went on steadily increasing until every lot of land was 

 taken up for about five miles on either side of the church, 

 and a ten-mile fine of white-washed cottages and pleasant 

 homesteads enlivened the banks of the river. 



In the year 1844, the church was again too small for 

 the congregation, not more than three-fourths of whom 

 could find admittance. Mr. Cochrane now determined to 

 make an effort to build one of stone, instead of wood, 

 which should be large enough for the increasing wants of 



