| |
St. George's Episcopal Church to the east was consecrated in 1878. The Reverend Blackiston swept the congregation with his enthusiasm and eloquence at Easter Service in 1877 to bring forth pledges including the building, retaining wall, pipe organ, bell and a 20-dollar gold piece from every employee of a local mine. The organ was shipped around the Horn and by wagon from San Francisco. St. Augustine's Catholic Church to the west was built in 1866 of native brick and stone. Father Monteverde, the first pastor, conducted the first mass at midnight, Christmas Eve, 1866. Admission of $1 per person was charged to limit the number of people attending. The Methodist Church to the north was built in 1866. It was financed by donated stocks which were pooled by the canny pastor into the Methodist Mining Company and sold in the east. Lectures and entertainment were part of the church scene for benefit purposes. Emma Wixom attended Sunday School here. Later, as world-famous Emma Nevada, she brought her troupe to Austin and gave a benefit concert in this church.
|
|
