The church began
June 12, 1883 with a meeting in the local school. The rough logging town
needed a stable Christian influence, so fifteen charter members took on
the task. At the head of the list was a familiar name in our town,
Mrs. A. J. Hayward. That same month a convenant and church constitution
were drawn up and accepted. It stands nearly the same today as when
it was drafted.
The first building was completed
Feb. 12, 1885 and was in service for slightly over four years, when a fire
on the morning of Feb. 28, 1889 burned it to the ground. By this
time, the church had grown and the strong pioneer spirit of the people
took this mishap in their stride. On Aug. 4,1889 just five months
after the fire, the first service was held in our current building.
It is interesting to note the total cost of $5,125.38 reported by the building
committee. The church was built according to a set of plans used
for a church in Wabasha, Minnesota.
A review of the old records
reveals how the church touches our lives. The list of baptisms, weddings
and funerals follow through the families year after year. Occasionally
evidence of tragedy or sorrow is reported within the old record.
A young person drowns or an unknown couple dies in a strange town maybe
thousands of miles from home. Our church is still writing its story
on the lives of the residents of Hayward or the frequent visitor to the
area. The words may be modern but the text is still the same.
A beautiful youth educational
wing was added to the original 1889 building that had since become a landmark
on the streets of Hayward. Because of the place the church building held
in the hearts of the congregation, the architect was told to match the
educational wing as closely as he could to the original design.
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