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Pataha Church
There is not much know about the Pataha Church other than
what is found in the church publications of the times and Gladys Muir's Book
Settlement of the Brethren on the Pacific Slope pages
64-65.
The following is taken from Gladys Muir's
book.
On of the most important of these tours
made in 1876 (by David Brower) which resulted in the formation of a new
church, the Pataha church, the first Brethren nucleus in Washington, in a letter
to the Primitive Christian, dated December 22, 1876, Brower relates the
circumstances leading to the organization of this church:
Dear Brethren: - I will inform you that
I just returned home from Washington
territory. Last spring, Bro. Moses Hunter [Hunt] of Columbia Co. W. T.,
urged me, by correspondence, to make then a visit, and set things in running
order with them…. After much thought I yielded, and on the morning of the
7th of November, I got on board the steam-boat at Salem, enroute for
Walla Walla city, W. T. Arrived at Walla Walla city the 12th of Nov.
----
On the 17th
brother Ira Hopkins conveyed me over to brother Moses Hunt’s some 12 to 15 miles
nearly northeast of brother Hopkins. Although strangers in the flesh, the
brethren received me very kindly.
After
describing the visits made to various points, he tell of the organization of the
church:
Returned back to the neighborhood of
brother Hunt’s the 27th, commenced holding meeting there….
We had ten meetings and on council
meeting, which was held on Saturday, the 2nd day of Dec. At said
council we organized a church here according to the regular order of the
Brethren, both in faith and practice. We also held a choice for a visiting
brother, and the lot falls on our dear Bro. Eli Thornton.
The effects of this visit were soon to
be seen in the letters coming to the Primitive Christian and Pilgrim from
Brethren near Dayton, Washington. One correspondent wrote: “Elder David Brower
of Salem, Oregon, was with us a little season, laboring for the salvation of
souls. He preached the word with power. May God bless his labors. We organized a
church. A brother by the name of Eli Thornton was also called to the
deaconship.” Another says: “Brother Brower left a
lasting impression on the minds of the people. He organized a church about the
center of this county, the first church of the Brethren I believe that was ever
organized in this Territory.” The new deacon, Eli J. Thornton,
wrote a letter adding further details: there we twelve members in the new
organization; Moses Hunt was the speaker, Brower’s visit had done much good, but
they were in need of help:
….
We much desire some strong man, mighty in the Scriptures to come to our aid.
There are many souls starving here for the bread of Life. I do not believe in
paying preachers to preach, but I am willing to throw in my mite. We had a good
country here, the best for the poor man I believe in the Unties States. We can
raise from ten to sixty bushels of wheat per acre, and vegetables and fruits of
all kinds. If any of the brother desire to move West, come and look at our
country.
These letters were followed by other
letters describing the attraction of Pataha Prairie.
Two years later Brower made another tour
into Washington and Idaho which resulted this time in the formation of a second
church, the Palouse Valley church on the borderline Between Washington and
Idaho. This was the predecessor of the Moscow church, the oldest existing church
in Idaho. However Brower found that the Brethren of the Pataha Prairie, whom he
had helped to organize on this firs tour, had not fared very well, and it was
necessary to put an end to the work begun. The organization of the new
church and the
disorganization of the old he recounts in a letter to the Brethren at
Work, dated January, 6, 1879.
He says:
On the 28th of Nov., in
company of brethren Thomas Steward and Nathan West, we started for the Pataha
church, Columbia Co. WT., arrived at brother A. E. Troyer’s on the
29th. Remained here one week; had seven meetings and one council
meeting. Found things in a pitiful condition with most of the members—so much so
that it was necessary to disorganize this church
[ Primitive Christian and
Pilgrim January 16, 1877 page 44 David Brower
Primitive Christian and Pilgrim February 6, 1877 page 91 H. Hunt
Primitive Christian and Pilgrim February 6, 1877 page 94 F. N.
Winder
Primitive Christian and
Pilgrim February 20, 1877 page 108 Eli J
Thornton
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