HISTORICAL
RECORD
VISCOUNT UNITED CHURCH
SASKATOON PRESBYTERY
SASKATCHEWAN CONFERENCE
RECORDS COVERING 1908 – 1935
SUBMITTED
FEBRUARY 14th,
1935
By REV. D. F. MORRIS,
MINISTER IN CHARGE
The following particulars in connection with the Viscount United Church were submitted by the Rev. D. F. Morris, Pastor of the Viscount Field, during the year 1935, and which data were collected by his predecessor, the Rev. E. F. Congdon from every available source. [NB submitted to Archives]
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- ORIGINAL FAMILIES
IN THE DISTRICT
- William Jackson William Young Jack Wishart
- Mr. & Mrs. J. A. Henry Mr. & Mrs. George Storie Joseph Burr
- Gilbert Currie Mrs. Chas. Shannon Robert Hastie
- Mrs. John Smith Mr. & Mrs. Robinson Andrew Allan
- Mr. & Mrs. J.
W. George Mr. & Mrs. John Gibb
- Mr. & Mrs.
Wm. Gray Jack Jeffry now of Victoria
B.C.
- Mrs. Rowena Udell
- The above list
was submitted by Mrs. W. T. Morphy [wife of local newspaper editor] as families
that lived in the Viscount district in the year 1908 when James M. Would,
student, started church services.
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- FIRST CHURCH
SERVICES
James M. Would was appointed from Wesley
College, Winnipeg, Man to visit Viscount while waiting to take up his work at
Allan, Sask. and did so in May 1908, holding services in Boyle’s Barber Shop
and Pool Room during that month and until the end of June 1908. Mr. Would
recalls that he had the use of Mr. W. B. Shannon’s horse and buggy. He was followed in the work at Viscount by
D. Grant Porteous. In the summer of
1907 the Ladies Aid was formed, picture of which now hangs in the present
church vestibule.
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- CHURCH
ORGANIZATION
The first quarterly Board Meeting was held on August 5th,
1908 at the home of W. D. Stacey. The
circuit was called the Viscount Circuit of the Methodist Church to consist of
Viscount, Rapid Advance and Young.
Representatives were present from these places. The student minister’s salary was set at
$400 and $75 for horse keep.
On November 18th, 1908, it was decided to build a
parsonage 8ft x 12 ft and not to cost more than $45. The committee was to be W. B. Shannon, W. D. Stacey and J. L.
Jeffrey and Chas. Shannon. A lot was
owned by the church and it was built on a C. P. R. lot. Each year the Inspector would ask that it be
moved off their lot. So it would be
moved to the next lot and it would be alright for another year. In 1912 the new parsonage was built and the
old one was sold to George Gainer in 1914 for $30. In 1909 the odd sections were thrown open for homesteading and
many families came in. J. L. Jeffrey
said that in the early days there were no cases of sickness until after the
doctor came who happened to be Dr. Love.
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- EARLY SETTLERS
Among the homesteaders who settled the Viscount district were a number of Methodist families from Ontario, U. S. A., and England.
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- MEMBERSHIP ROLL
OF EARLY DAYS
In 1908 D. Grant Porteous was sent to this area as a student
missionary of the Methodist church and under his leadership the first
membership roll was made up, which shows fourteen names. Other preaching appointments linked with
Viscount were Young, Plunkett and Rapid Advance. Mr. Porteous was succeeded by John H. Hall who added Easterlea as
an outstation. During this time
Baptisms were conducted by Saskatoon
ministers, Revs. E. Val Tilton and W. W. Abbott.
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- SOMETHING OF
INTEREST
One man’s name had been entered on the membership roll and
soon after removed with the remark “says he has no use for the Methodist
Church”, but the next minister crossed this out and wrote. “Wrong. Just a matter of temperamental
Christianity”.
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In the year 1910, Alfred A. Thompson became student minister, and it was in the fall of that year that the basement church was built which is still the solid foundation of this church. Mr. Thompson organized a preaching place at Eltham.
In the year 1912,
(July), the rev. J. T. Stephens came as Viscount’s first ordained minister, but
Plunkett was made a separate Mission and Mr. Stephens preached at Royton and
Rapid Advance. At the beginning of Mr.
Stephen’s ministry a second parsonage was built. Before the close of Mr. Stephen’s ministry in 1915, the Plunkett
district was again joined up with Viscount.
Rev. R. McNaughton was minister from 1915 – 1918 and preached
at Viscount, Plunkett, Easterlea, Eltham and Badger Hill. The Presbyterian Minister from Young taking
services at Rapid Advance.
During Rev. Edward Smith’s pastorate Meacham had begun as a
separate charge with services at Kildrum and Peterson, but in 1924 it became
part of the Viscount field. This arrangement
of services was continued until 1928, when the services at Meacham were
discontinued and Plunkett was again joined up with Viscount with Brithdir
church, including the Glynfield people, as a third appointment.
Summarizing the church records, we find that up to November 1st,
1931, there were 320 baptisms, 77 marriages and 122 burials.
The basement church, which had served for 18 years was finally
completed with the present fine edifice in 1928 and was opened on November 5th
of that year.
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- PARSONAGE
After cellar wall was built a BEE was held and the frame was put up in one day, and rough siding put on outside. At beginning of harvest, work was stopped. Later Fred Dean finished east room upstairs. Two men were hired to shingle roof. Arthur Ricord and Paul Gregorie. George Garner did the remainder of the work. Rev. J. T. Stephens did a lot of lathing. The plasterer was Mr. Fewell.
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- HELPERS AT
BUILDING OF BASEMENT CHURCH
- This was in the
summer of 1910.
- COMMITTEE
Archie Balfour dug the basement. Dick Jeffrey was the contractor. The material was hauled by Mr. Bowden, Clayton Smith, R. Crawford, Percy Gee, Geo. Smith, and C. C. Udell. The carpentry work was done by Frank Smith and John Smith.
Bob McGee, Geo. Garner, Jno. Smith, Frank Smith helped to dig the cellar while Geo. Morris built the cellar wall.
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1912 – 1915 Rev. J. T. Stephens
1915 – 1918 Rev. R. McNaughton
1918 – 1922 Rev. W. G. Hancock
1922 – 1926 Rev. Ed Smith
1926 – 1930 Rev. D. A. McLean
1930 – 1934 Rev. E. P. Congdon
1934 - 1937 Rev. D. P. Morris NB list
brought
up to date when
this reprinted in 2003
1937 – 1943 Rev. A. T. McIntyre
1943 – 1944 E Gibson
1945 – 1946 Edwin Keam
1946 – 1948 Meredith Banting
1948 – 1951 Arburg Cross
1951 – 1954 W. R. Jackson
1954 – 1956 M. Gardner
(student)
1957 –1963 A. T. Moffat
1963 – 1967 Rev. Donald A.
Johns
1967 – 1969 Rev. T. M.
Beveridge
1969 – 1971 Rev. S. G. Doan
1971 – 1974 Rev. James H.
Hillson
1974 – 1976 Harvey Hurren (student)
1976 - 1978 Rev. Isaac
Kirkpatrick
1978 – 1980 Rev. Francis Moyer
1980 – 1983 Rev Robert
Kimmerley
1983 – 1985 Rev. Alan Richards
1985 – 1995 Rev. Dr. Bruce
Johnson
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- ANNIVERSARY
SERVICES
On Sunday, November 26th, 1933, the Twenty Fifth
Anniversary of the Church was observed with special services and with Dr. D. S.
Dix, Professor of Systematic Theology of St. Andrew’s College, Saskatoon as the
Anniversary preacher.
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- ACTUAL COST OF
THE VISCOUNT UNITED CHURCH
- Contract $8260.00
- Architect
210.00
- Glass
151.00
- Pews
700.00
- Sand &
Gravel 250.00
- Electric
Light 125.00
- Basement
3000.00
- Tile
1000.00
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- 13,736.00
Debt on church at time of opening $4,100.00
Insurance on Church 5,000.00
Manse 1,600.00
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- TRUSTEES
- John Smith
(deceased) , W. B. Timmerman, A. W.
Hanson, J. C. Smith, Wm. Kerr, Henry
Smith, T. E. Black, R. Crawford and A
Mack
- LOANS
Loan of $2,000.00 from Home
Mission Board of United Church
Loan of $1,500.00 from Royal
Bank of Canada, Viscount, Sask.
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- GUARANTORS TO
ROYAL BANK
A.
Allan, A. E. Hannigan, J.
Burr, J. Smith, F. C. Coen,
J. C. Smith, W. Gray and A. C. Parker
a. Mack, R.
Crawford, T. E. Black, J. C. Smith and H. Bowden
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MINISTER: Rev. D. P.
Morris
SESSION:
Elders: Andrew Allan
(Clerk), & Arthur Mack, Life Members
T. E. Black term
expires January 1937
W. B.
Timmerman “ “ “ 1935
H. L. Smith “ “ “ 1939
Jno. Smith (Life
Member) died April 6th, 1934
Congregation
ruled that elders shall become Life Members on reaching age 70.
BOARD OF STEWARDS: G. M. Creed
(Chairman), W. Stobart
(Vice-Chairman), T. E. Black
Sec. Treas., Arthur Mack (Hon. Treas.,) J. W. Hill, A. E. Hannigan, E. J.
Lindskog, R. A. F. Wagner, J. M. Young.
SUNDAY SCHOOL: Supt. T. E.
Black,
Assist Supt.
Andrew Allan,
Sec.- Treas.
Garth Hannigan
LADIES GUILD: Pres. Mrs. Ethel Smith,
Secretary Mrs. Sawatzky
Treasurer, Mrs. Dr. W. P.
Johns
PALS: (YOUNG WOMEN) President
Olive Crawford,
Secretary, Mrs.
Cliff Carlson
C. G. I. T.: President Grace Smith, Sec. Jean Neish,
Leader Mrs. H. C. Hodges
CHOIR: Leader, T. E. Black, Organist, Mrs. A. Christie
Assistant, Mrs. A. E.
Hannigan
BOARD TRUSTEES: See page 8
MISSION BAND: Leader, Mrs. W. T. Morphy
ADDENDA: This concludes the history of the
Viscount United Church up to the beginning of the year 1935.
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CERTIFIED TO BE A CORRECT SUMMARY OF HAPPENINGS IN CONECTION WITH THE VISCOUNT UNITED CHURCH FROM THE BEGINNING OF 1908 AND FORMERLY UNDR THE METHODIST CHURCH. COPIES OF DOCUMENT FROM WHICH THE FOREGOING PARTICULARS WERE TAKEN ARE KEPT ON FILE IN THE UNITED CHURCH MANSE, VISCOUNT, Sask.
Signed D. P. Morris Minister
Dated February 14th, 1935, In the Village of Viscount in the
Province of Saskatchewan
Copy of letter dated Feb. 14, 1935
Dr. E. H. Oliver
Principal,
St. Andrew’s College,
Saskatoon, Sask.
Dear Dr. Oliver,
I received your
communication dated October 26th asking for a Historical Record of
the Viscount Field, and was fortunate to have on file considerable material
which had been collected by my predecessor, Rev. E. P. Congdon.
I gathered this material
together and you will find same enclosed and thank you to have said document
placed in the Archives of St. Andrew’s College.
Thanking you in anticipation,
and wishing you a most successful year at St. Andrew’s this year.
Sincerely Yours,
Signed D. P. Morris
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Note – Viscount United Church congregation was disbanded in 1995 with
the church roll going to Colonsay United Church, Other archival material went
to St. Andrew’s Archives.
Retyped by Keith Bird
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In the year 2000, the Viscount Church building was to be demolished. Emily and Laurence Hill heard this and purchased the church for the price of $1.00 to prevent the destruction. They had planned to move the building to their farm and use it for an art studio. However, they found that the building was constructed of terra cotta blocks on a field stone basement, and therefore, very difficult to move.
In 2001 we saw an advertisement in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix listing
a church for sale. Lorna was also
looking for studio space and thought we should have a look. At they say, “The rest is history”. We did nothing to the building for the first year, while we sold
our Saskatoon home.
We then moved to Viscount in the summer of 2003 to the former United Church
manse, while we made renovations. We
moved in on December 1 2002 and continued to make improvements. The Sanctuary Restaurant opened for business
on Aug. 18, 2002.