Chadron in Dawes County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The First Church in Chadron
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 15, 2023
1. The First Church in Chadron Marker
Shortly after the townsite of Chadron was selected on August 1, 1885, the Reverend Harmon Bross, a Congregational missionary, conducted the first worship service in the fledgling community. For a time services were held in the open air or in tents. On August 23, 1885, it was decided to organize a Congregational Church.
Chadron’s first church was built on this site in the fall of 1885. The total cost of the building and lot was $1775. The Congregational Church of Chadron was dedicated on Sunday, December 20, 1885, and stood here until 1959 when the new church was completed. The original building still serves another denomination as a chapel.
The church’s first regular minister was the Reverend G. J. Powell, who began his ministry in 1887. It was the Reverend Powell who led the effort to establish a Congregational academy in Chadron. The Chadron Academy operated from 1889-1910 when the land was acquired by the State of Nebraska for use as a normal school, today’s Chadron State College.
Erected by First Congregational, U.C.C. and Nebraska State Historical Society. (Marker Number 301.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Education
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Location. 42° 49.679′ N, 103° 0.111′ W. Marker is in Chadron, Nebraska, in Dawes County. Marker is on West 4th Street just east of Chadron Avenue, on the right when traveling west. The marker is located on the south side of the First Congregational United Church of Christ. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 370 Chadron Avenue, Chadron NE 69337, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 7 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Chadron-Chicago Cowboy Race (approx. ¼ mile away); Chadron State College (approx. half a mile away); Fort Robinson - Camp Sheridan - Pine Ridge Indian Agency Road (approx. 1.3 miles away); Historic Northwestern Nebraska (approx. 1.3 miles away); Bordeaux Trading Post (approx. 3.2 miles away); The Fort Pierre-Fort Laramie Trail (approx. 3.3 miles away); Chadron Creek Trading Post (approx. 5½ miles away).
Also see . . . Chadron, Nebraska (Wikipedia). Excerpt:
In 1884 the town was formally established when the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri(Submitted on October 17, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)Valley Railroad was constructed through the area from Omaha, Nebraska, en route to Wyoming. Chadron was first named O'Linn for its founder Fannie O'Linn, who built a community at the confluence of the White River and Chadron Creek. This is where the railroad was expected to branch. When it was built six miles away on Bordeaux Creek, the townspeople packed up the entire town — buildings included — and moved it to the new location.Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 15, 20232. The First Church in Chadron Marker(looking northeast from West 4th Street)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 15, 2023
3. First Congregational United Church of Christ (southwest elevation)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 17, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 17, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
