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Wilmettes 75th Anniversary 1872-1947WILMETTE LIFEWilmette Methodist ChurchHad Its Beginning in 1873During the autumn of 1873, Wil-mette saw the modest beginningsr.s well as the usual Sunday morningof what is now the Wilmette Meth-worship.odist church.Install 3-Manual OrganThe first Methodists, gathered to-A three-manual Kimball organgether through the efforts of Mr.was selected by the organ commit-and Mrs. Milton C. Springer, heldtee, headed by A. N. Page, with thetheir services in the schoolhouseaid of William Barnes, a well-knownat Central avenue and Tenth street,Nowhere other early WilmetteMrtohs Shore organist at that time.t of the inner furnishings ofchurches, lacking their own build-the sanctuary are memorial gifts.ings, met for worship. By the sum-Tmer of 1874, a simple form of of-Mhre inner chancel is a memorial to. and Mrs. Wilford C. Shurtleffficial organization had been estab-from their four children; severallished.rooms in the community house wereThecompletely furnished and decorated first official record of thechurchas memorial gifts, and the tree just appears in the minutes ofin front of the tower was plantedthe Rock River Conference for theyeain memory of Mr. and Mrs. Spring-r 1875. At that time the churchmembershiper, whose efforts brought together was 23 and the churchschoothe first Methodists in Wilmette.l census 103. The MethodistsoLong1 List of Pastorsf 1875, confronted with a rapidlyfrrowing congregation and no churchhome, decided to rent the frameMSetihnoced isits beginning, the Wilmettet church has had as pas-church building which Henry Dingeetors: S. G. Lathrop, Charles W.had erected at Lake and WilmetteThornton, J. P. Brushingham, J. B.avenues, on the site of the presentBurlingame, J. H. Ailing, R. W.church.Eland, John D. Leek, Edward Faw-Severacett, B. F. Carris, H. G. Leonard,l years later, this buildingwasH. D, Atchison, E. B. Crawford, purchased from the owner andSamuel Earngy, E. C. Arnold, S. C.terved as the church home until thesecondBronson, William C. Cloworth, church building, a red brickstructureJames OMay, Leon L. Hammit,, was erected in 1908. ByTthis time the membership had in-creasedW. aKlk.e rGale, J. M. Schneider, J. L., J. J. Rapp, Gilbert Stansell, to 247.Horace G. Smith, O. T. Olson, AmosBuild Gothic EdificeThornburg, Erskine M. Jeffords, andat present, Charles M. Crowe.The brick sanctuary housed thechurch services until the presentThe building committee for thestructure was built in November,present church had T. C. Moulding1928. Formal action leading to thefor its chairman, L. W. Benson, sec-building was taken at the Quarterlyretary, W. E. Lindblad, treasurer,Conference of May 2, 1927, at whichand A. J. Nystrom, financial secre-the District Superintendent, J. Has-tary.The first Methodist church edificetie Odgers, presided. No votes wereIn 1941, the Rock Rover conferencecast against the enterprise, and inheldchurch is a much more complicated its annual session in the Wil-Kimball, and B. F. Lewis Jr.quick succession a committee wasmette Church, an honor which comesone than that established in 1875. TheOther church officers include:appointed, Granger and Bollenbach-to a church only once in a genera-growth of the church from that timeer were selected as architects,tion, and an occasion for which theis easily illustrated by correspondingWMrosm. aAn. C. Groves, president of thes society, Mrs. L. F. Bond,churches were visited, plans werechurch made many preparations. Atstatistics of the present time. The isecretary of missionary educationchurch membership now numbers1316Manrds service for that organization,. F. T. Wiggins, secretary of\ and the church school enroll-menlocal activities for the Womans so-t is 653.ciety, Dr. Gerald Knoff, chairmanThe existent board of trustees isopresided over by T. C. Moulding;Mf othnse board of education, Mrs. H. W, chairman of the membershipAcommittee, David W. Ash, directorM.o Ln. Fuller is vice-president, H. W.s is secretary, H. A. Young is Ici youth work, Al Hackbarth, presi-treasurer. The board of trustees also Ident of Tri-Mu, and Norman Fen-includes: L. H. Hanawalt, E. E.ner, president of Neolea, the collegeHenderson, George Hoffman, R. G. Iage group.Edwinpositions as city collector and deputy Drurycounty clerk, and his employment inthe county treasurers office.LaunchedFollowing his service in these of- Homefices, Mr. Drury engaged in the ab-stract and general real estate busi-Buildingness with his brother, Horace G. BoomDrury, with offices in Chicago. TheyAnothebecame known as the best examin-r pioneer resident andpromineners of titles to property and ab-t citizen of the village wasThEdwin Drury. one of the first menstracts in early days.e Methodist church todaywho took an active part in promot-In 1874, the Drury brothers sawstudied,- and arrangements werethat time the church was calleding Wilmette as a residential suburbmademanthe possibilities of Wilmette as ay years ago. Living in WElmette for the final canvass. The House Beautiful, one of Meth-residence suburb to Chicago and de-The ground was broken for theodisms distinctively ornate Gothicfor more than 40 years at the timevoted their time booming the vil-firstof his death, November 4, 1913, Mr. unit and the cornerstone laidin September, 1928. This portion ofWcaathldeodrrals." Bishop Ernest Lynnf presided at the meetings.Drurlage. They were among the firsty was postmaster from 1908 toChicagoans to move here, Edwinthe building, the community house,The most recent addition to the1913, township collector from 1900-Drury making his home at 1112was completed and ready for usee1902, and village trustee in the yearson Sunday, July 21, 1929. During theMxetethrondails beauty of the WilmetteGreenwood avenue.t church is the landscaping1878 to 1880 and 1867 to 1B89.summer, the brick structure and theand planting which was finished inBonMr. Drury was married to Hannahn November 12, 1842, at War-two houses adjoining were wrecked1946Augusta Howard on April 19, 1871.. A placque remembering thoseren, 111., Mr. Drury was reared inso that the sanctuary itself mightto whom it is dedicated was placedLakThey had two daughters, Gertrude,e county and at the outbreak ofbe erected. The cornerstone of theenwho preceeded her father in death, the church wall on May 25, 1947,the Civil war enlisted in the 96thsanctuary was laid by Bishop Edwinbearingand Myrtle, later Mrs. John Ling. the names of Lestia C. Ev-Illinois regiment and served untillicit Hughes on Sunday, October 5,ans, Sara H. Hanawalt, Dr. Bryanthe close of the war. He was a mem-1929.L. Mitchell, and Halsey E. Poronto.ber of the George H. Thomas postThe dedicatory service was heldThe church lawn has become theNoFATHER AND SON. 5, G. A. R.on Sunday, June 1, 1930, with Bishopscene of the increasingly popular iceA case of father and son servingHughesProminent in Politics in the pulpit. Guides showedcream social which the Seventh Di-as village president occurs in Wil-interested people the new buildingvision of the Womans society pre-After the war, Mr. Drury locatedrhette history. Milton C. Springerafter the service, the church schoolsents every July.in Chicago, where for several yearswas president in 1887 and again inbegan to get underway, and theNow Have 1,316 Membershe was outstanding in politics. Chief1890. His son, George W., was presi-church held a special vesper serviceThe present organization of theamong his public services were hisdent from 1900 to 1902.