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Brief History of Como Ave Congregational Church

(From its Dec.19, 1882- Dec.19,1907, 25^th Anniversary)

By Geo. H. Elwell

The history of Como Church cannot well be separated from the history of the beginnings and development of that portion of S.E. Minneapolis known as Elwell's addition. During the early 80's Minneapolis was blessed (or cursed)with what is known as a real estate boom. In many localities the improvements were of a mushroom growth; and few years later they stood or learned, unoccupied, a monument to the boom times. Such buildings were in event up to within a very few years in all parts of the suburbs of our city.

While S.E. Minneapolis probably suffered less that any other part of the city it did not wholly escape. In the spring of 1882 Kas. T. Elwell, then a young man who had achieved some success as a manufacturer of spring beds, purchased a tract of land consisting of about 100 acres lying to the east of the then St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad Co., now the Great Northern, on either side of what was then known as Como Road. This was a mashy piece of ground having only a few high spots of solid earth. A few straggling cottonwood and oak trees in the neighborhood of 13^th Ave. and 12^th St. marked one of these high places and from here sand was hauled out to the now streets before the lumber for the houses could be delivered.

During the first year of house building, many and loud were the curses of the lumber teamsters who, by accident, let the horses or wagon wheels get off these sand made tracks; for there was apparently no bottom to the bog, and one could step off of the sidewalk in an place into the mud. Looking over this portion of the city today one can hardly believe that such a transformation could be made in a quarter of a century. Today the soil is firm and the growth of elms present the appearance of a veritable forest in the summer time. In order to train the land and make it possible to dig cellars for the new houses, ditches were dug on either side of the street. Later these ditches were boxed and sidewalks built over them.

To give a clear conception of the physical condition of that time we quote for the first annual report of Mr. Fuller, Como's first pastor. "This quarter of the city where this church is located and now know as elwell's addition has, on account of the particular formation of the land, been a wet mashy tract of ground and with all the level ground to the north and east as far as the bluffs, has been regarded as unfit for building purposes. But by a thorough system of drainage it has been greatly improved. The first house in this addition was begun early in May and before winter more than 40 had been erected and some 30 familles had moved into their new homes. Many of these families had bought there houses to the city growing rapidly, the community seemed to be in a very thriving condition. The majority of these first families were inclined to the congregational faith, many of them being members of the First Congregational. Church which at the time was located at the corner of 5^th St. and 3^rd Ave. S.E. Olive Baptist at 5^th St. and 4^th Ave S.E. And the Holy Trinity Episcopal at its present location. Since then all but the Holy Trinity and the Andrew Presbyterian have moved to the new locations further south, coming nearer to the addition.

As indicated in the above pastor's report the families consisting mostly of newly married couples, ambitious to have not only family homes but a church home as well, soon reached the conclusion that religious services of some kind should be established in the community. About the first of September 1882 a Sunday School was organized in a vacant house on the east side of 16^th Ave. halfway between Talmadge and Como Ave. Later on a dwelling house on 14^th Ave. was rearranged by Mr. James T. Elwell for Sunday school and chapel services'. This is the house that now stands directly opposite the church building and occupied by Mr. Lane. A small belfry was placed upon the top of the roof and a cast iron bell was used for four years to call the people of the addition to worship.

On October 29^th of the same year meeting was held in this chapel to consider the advisability of organizing a church. A committee was appointed to solicit funds, and $500 was subscribed for annual support. Other meetings were held which led to an invitation to the Rev. Americus Fuller, recently returned in impaired health from Turkey, as pastor for one year with a salary of $1,000, $400, of which was to come from the Home Missionary Society, and $600 to be solicited on the field.

On Dec. 19^th a council was held for the purpose of formally recognizing and welcoming into fellowship the new church which was given the name of the Como Ave. Congregational Church. Rev. J. L. Scudder of the First Congregational Church delivered the sermon. The following members were received by Rev. Scudder: Talmagde Elwell, Margaret M. Elwell, his wife; Mary W. Elwell, Mattie L. Elwell; Jas. T. Elwell, Lizzie A. Elwell, his wife; Geo. H Elwell, Chas. H. Stevens and Eugenia H. Stevens by letter from the first Congregational Church of St. Anthony: Belle. H. Elwell from the from the Methodist Church at Appleton, Minn. C. A. French and Cecilia French, his wife, form Plymouth Church, Minneapolis; I. E. Gurie and Julia Gurie, his wife, from the Andrew Presbyterian; Americus Fuller and Amelia D. Fuller from the Congregational Church at Rochester, Minn.; Rev. Geo. Spaulding and Emaline A. Spaulding, his wife, and Anges L. and Lucy L., daughters, for the Congregational Church at Mason, N. H.; Theo. N. Spaulding form Kirk St. Congregational Church at Lowell, Mass. Twenty-one in all.

The church enterprise was now fairly launched and everything went on nicely for the time. The Rev. Fuller stayed with the church for two years and two months. When he again entered the foreign missionary work in Turkey. I quote again from one of his pastor's reports, which shows the reaction that set in after the first year of great building activity. "This building in most parts of the city has been over-done and rents are greatly reduced and it has been difficult to raise money for any purpose. Fully one-third of the houses in the addition have been vacant and there has been but small increase in the number of the families in the congregation. The interest in the meeting and in the church work has shared in the general depression, though the average attendance at church and Sunday School and Chapel has been fairly sustained. At the beginning of 1885 the membership has increased to 33."

Notwithstanding these financial reverses the church records do not show any deficit in the treasures report up to the occupancy of the new church building in 1887. The records of many of the annual meetings read about like this: "The Treasurers' report shows a deficit of blank dollars, which was promptly made up by the present."

The church records have very little to say about the erection of the new church building. We find that at a special meeting held August 3^rd, 1885, a committee consisting of Jas. T. Elwell, C. M. Way and the pastor, Rev. Gleason, was appointed to report on location and character of the Church building and the amount of money necessary to be raised. This meeting was followed by two or three others, resulting in the appointment of a church building committee. Nothing is recorded of the solicitation of funds nor where the means to build the church came from. But it does record the fact that the new church building was dedicated on January 9^th, 1887.

The increased cost of maintaining this plant as compared with running the little chapel across the street placed a heavy responsibility on the small church organization. But the people responsible bravely and it is doubtful if a community anywhere can be found that has given more liberally out of its scanty income that the people of Como Ave Church have done in all these twenty-five years.

In 1894 the church voted to discontinue asking aid from the Home Missionary Society and resolved to be self-supporting and has continued on this basis ever since. On the 20^th anniversary of this church the third mortgage was burned with appropriate ceremony. Since this time the church has been free from any permanent debt. The plant has been well cared for, repainted, decorated, recarpeted and otherwise kept up until 1906 when the recent addition was built costing approximately $7,500, making a total cost the the plant of $22,500. During the twenty five years past there have been six regularly installed pastors making the average term of each pastorate four years.

While this church is Congregational in its form of government, it has never been sectarian and we have with us Presbyterians, Methodist, Baptist and many other denominations. Its door have always been open to all who avail themselves of its privileges.