Ordained as an episcopal priest in the early 1850s, Nevius served in the diocese of Alabama until he accepted a position as rector of All Saints Church in Oil City, Pennsylvania. In 1869, Nevius returned to Mobile, Alabama with his wife Margaret Tuomey, and became rector of St. John's Episcopal Church. Shortly after, Margaret died of yellow fever. After his wife's death, Nevius moved out west. In 1872, Nevius set his sights on Eastern Oregon. From this point on, until his death on December 14, 1913, Nevius founded episcopal churches in both eastern Oregon and Washington, overseeing the construction of many of the MDEO/EDEO's churches like St. Peter's La Grande, St. Paul's The Dalles, and Cove's Ascension Chapel.
Check out the photos above featuring Rev. Dr. Nevius (left hand side). The attached note is scribbled, and difficult to read. In the photograph on the left, taken November, 16, 1910, Nevius is standing with Mrs. Fannie Paddock Miller, the Superintendent of the Wood House at Wellesley College, a private women's liberal-arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Based on the photo, there is no way of knowing whether Nevius is in Wellesley, or whether Mrs. Miller is in the Northwest (since Nevius travelled extensively, my vote is with the former). In the photo on the right, Nevius is standing with a Mr. "Nest"? The men are posing to mark the thirty-year anniversary of the opening of the Episcopal Church in Chehalis, Washington. Can anyone name the church?
Notice how the second note states, "Dr. Nevius on his 85th birthday"? Unfortunately, there is no date on the second photo. Yet, we might be able to figure out the date based on the anniversary of the church's founding in Chehalis, which is also unidentified.
In a Gentleman of the Old School: Reuben Denton Nevius, Powers and Nelson claim that Nevius was born November 26 [1]. Run a quick Google search and look for yourself, note that Nevius' birth date is not identified in many online biographies. Do you think we can use the clues in these photos to ascertain Nevius' birth date or the founding of the church in Chehalis? What do you think?
[1]. Powers, David. W. III, and Gregory L. Nelson. A Gentleman of the Old School: Reuben Denton Nevius, 1827-1913, Botanist, Builder, Teacher, Churchman (Gregory L. Nelson, 2001), 2.