The construction of St. Paul's Church would not have been possible without the efforts of Rev. Reuben Denton Nevius, who oversaw the construction of six churches in Eastern Oregon, such as St. Paul's and the Ascension Chapel in Cove. Rev. Nevius also served as St. Paul's first clergy, but note how he is only listed as "occasional".
You can see from the photographs that a lot had changed with the church and property in forty years. I have not yet found a copy of the photo of St. Paul's (slide four) in the archives. If I find it, I will be sure to scan and share it with you. We have seen the photo from slide five before; if you recall last year's History Mystery "Case 13: 601 Union St.". Julie Reynolds found a copy of the photo in the Discovery Center's collection, dated circa 1915, which puts us around the fortieth anniversary celebration. This bulletin provides much more fascinating tidbits, including when the first service was held at St. Paul's Church, as well as when the first prayer book services were held in the Pacific Northwest. I need to confirm the date, but I think that who ever wrote this was referring to Rev. Francis Beaver's prayer services at Fort Vancouver in 1836.
All of this information leads us to this month's history mystery (though it's not really a mystery): on which side of the building is the corner stone? Also, please feel free to share any memories you have of St. Paul's Church.