A Guide to the Papers of
The First Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada
Collection NC1108

The First Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada

The First Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada, was organized in November 1875 and held its first meetings at the Reno Opera House at 209 North Virginia Street. By May of the following year, the first church building was constructed at 25 West 2nd Street. The first pastor was the Rev. C. L. Fisher. After a March 1879 fire destroyed the church and many downtown buildings, a new church was built on the same site and completed in June, 1880. That building was the victim of a second fire in 1889 and was replaced by a new church at 2nd and Chestnuts Streets. By 1958, the congregation had outgrown that site so the property was sold and a church was built at Foster and Hunter Lake Drives.

As the church grew, several branches or missions were established, first in Verdi in 1896 and then in East Reno (Sparks) in 1903. By 1911, the church had become self-supporting and no longer needed aid from the American Baptist Home Mission Society. The Baptist Church was also growing regionally. Two ministers of the Reno church, the Reverend A. G. Sawin and the Reverend Brewster Adams, were instrumental in organizing the Nevada-Sierra Baptist Convention which held annual meetings in northern Nevada and northeastern California.

One of the best-known of the church's ministers was the Reverend Brewster Adams (1879-1959), who served from 1910 to 1946. For many years he authored a column in the Nevada State Journal called "Values in the Rough." He served on the Nevada Fish and Game Commission; and was a member of the Reno Chamber of Commerce, Civil Air Patrol, Reno Rotary Club, Elks, Oddfellows, and Shrine. Active in welfare work, he helped persuade the state legislature to create the State Board of Charities, Relief, and Pension Control; and the Welfare Board. He was a recipient of an honorary LL.D. degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1945.

The church was governed by a Board of Trustees which defined general church policy and administered fund raising, financial affairs, and church maintenance. There were several subcommittees, including Deacons and Deaconesses, and the Board of Christian Education. Church members, particularly women and older girls, were active in many church societies and circles. They included the Dorcas Circle, later renamed the Women's Auxiliary; Mission Circle; Ladies Serving Society, also known as the Ladies' Aid Society; Philathea Class; Junior Guild Girls; Baptist Young People's Society, and Friendship Circle. There were also several men's groups; however they are not documented in this collection.

The sources of much of the above history of the First Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada, are unpublished manuscript histories of the church by Maude Sawin Taylor, located in Series 10 of this collection and notes taken from the minutes of the Trustees and various women's organizations.

Scope and Content

The records of the First Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada, were donated to the Special Collections Department in 1977 by Marjorie Olsen on behalf of the church. The collection consists of four cubic feet of records which date from 1875-1972, and three Bibles, 1869-1879; there are no restrictions on use of the collection.

The collection thoroughly documents two aspects of the Reno Baptist Church community: that of the Board of Trustees and the numerous women's organizations.

The largest series in this collection is Series 1, "Church Records." This series documents the growth of the church, from its mission status in 1875 to creation of branch missions in Verdi and East Reno (Sparks), to its position today as one of several Baptist churches in Reno. As one of Reno's leading churches, the First Baptist Church reflects the history of Reno ,itself, illustrating the economic and social changes which were happening in the community at large as well as in the church.
Series 1 consists of minutes of general congregational and Trustees' meetings, beginning with the organizational meeting in 1875 and continuing with few interruptions until 1967. These volumes additionally contain covenants, constitutions and bylaws, statistics, and membership rolls. The membership rolls contain useful information about who belonged to the First Baptist, dates that individuals joined or left the church, the marriage of women members, and deaths. Other information inserted into the minutes includes financial reports and some correspondence, principally concerning the resignation of ministers and lay leaders. The minutes themselves contain committee reports, accounts of general church and organization activities, and discussions pertaining to the physical and financial management of the church. This series is arranged chronologically.

Substantive documentation of church activities is contained in the minutes of the many women's organizations. The oldest of these was the Ladies' Serving Society/Ladies' Aid Society, for which there are minutes from 1896-1915. The longest existing women's organization was the Dorcas Circle/Women's Auxiliary which was active from before 1899. Both the Ladies' Aid and the Auxiliary were important adjuncts to the Board of Trustees, assisting in the spiritual, physical, and financial maintenance of the church. Minutes of their meetings provide evidence of the prominent families in the church: the Frazers, Coffins, Sawins, Wedekinds, Churches, and Adams, to name a few. These societies and circles were major opportunities for social interaction in Reno, with regular meetings several times a month and committee meetings in between for specific functions such as bazaars and church suppers. All of these are documented in the minutes of these organizations.

Other records worth noting are the church histories written by Maude Sawin Taylor, the newspaper clippings, and the photographs. The church histories provide accounts of the several church buildings, lists of ministers, and events of note. The clippings supplement the histories and also provide published accounts of the Women's Auxiliary activities and prominent church members such as Dr. James Edward Church, Jr. and the Rev. Brewster Adams. The photographs, although few in number, include portraits of prominent church members and ministers, images of the various church buildings, and rare views of the Verdi mission and the railroad car used as the first meeting place of the East Sparks mission. There are also some scenes of downtown Reno. These photographs were transferred to the photo archives of the Special Collections Department and are now Photograph Collection No. UNRS-P1991-47.

Processed by: Susan Searcy
Date: August 23, 1991

 

The records of the First Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada, are arranged into the following series:

Series 1: Church Records

Series 2: Board of Christian Education

Series 3: Dorcas Circle/Women's Auxiliary

Series 4: Ladies' Serving Society/Ladies' Aid Society

Series 5: Mission Circle

Series 6: Philathea Class

Series 7: Junior Guide Girls

Series 8: Baptist Young People's Society

Series 9: Friendship Circle

Series 10: Miscellaneous

Series 11: Photographs

Series 12: Bibles

 

NC1108    Series I: Church Records. 1 cu. ft.

From the earliest days of the church, a record of congregational and Trustees' meetings was kept in the form of "Records." Although the fullness of the recorded account varies, in general these records include minutes of meetings, membership rolls and lists of committee members, statistics, covenants, constitutions, resolutions, and financial reports. Some of the volumes for the twentieth century also include annual reports, obituary notices of prominent church members, Brewster Adams' column "Values in the Rough," and church bulletins. Occasionally some correspondence was inserted into the minutes; these were usually letters of resignation from ministers and lay leaders. Arranged chronologically; these records represent a nearly complete record of church meetings from 1875-1967.

Box 1

1/1 Record and roll. Minutes, membership roll, covenants, financial records. Oct. 23, 1875 to Aug. 13, 1885.
1/2 Board of Trustees. Minutes, record of donations and assessments (sealed). Mar. 30, 1883 to Aug. 27, 1901.
1/3 Record. Minutes. Jan. 5, 1888 to Dec. 26, 1895.
1/4 Record. List of members. Jan. 1, 1898 to April 1899.
1/5 Record. Minutes, membership roll, statistics, treasurers' reports. April 1, 1889 to Oct. 1, 1913.
1/6 Loose documents from previous record book.

Box 2

1/7 Record. Minutes, 1922 Constitution, resolutions, bulletins. April 2, 1913 to April 1, 1925.
1/8 Record. Minutes, membership roll, lists of committee members, copies of Brewster Adams' columns, bulletins, obituaries. April 5, 1925 to Mar. 30, 1938.
1/9 Records. Minutes, membership roll, bulletins, clippings, church history. April 10, 1938 to April 7, 1946.BOX 2
1/10 Board of Trustees. Minutes. Jan. 9, 1945 to July 5, 1951.
1/11 Treasurers' reports. May 1948 to Oct. 1949.

Box 3

1/12 Board of Trustees. Minutes. Dec. 21, 1956 to Jan. 12, 1958.
1/13 Record. Minutes. Mar. 9, 1960 to Jan. 1962.
1/14 Record. Minutes, annual reports, bulletins. Jan. 17, 1962 to Dec. 10, 1967.Series 2 Board of Christian Education. 1948 to 1961. .25 cu. ft.
 

NC1108    Series 2:  Board of Christian Education

The Board of Christian Education administered the church's educational programs, including the Sunday School programs. Subcommittees under the direction of this board included a Children's Committee, Youth Committee, Stewardship and Missionary Education Committee, Adult Work Committee, and Leadership Education Committee. Records in this series are fragmentary, consisting of meeting minutes, 1956-1961; attendance record books, 1948-1956; and enrollment cards, n.d. (ca 1950s?). The minutes are arranged chronologically; Sunday School class books are arranged by class and within each class alphabetically; enrollment cards are arranged alphabetically; and records of attendance are arranged by class and by date.

Box 3

2/1 Board of Christian Education. Minutes. Aug. 16, 1956 to Dec. 7, 1961.
2/2 Sunday School record book. Oct. 24, 1948 to 1956.
2/3 Sunday School class books. 1954-1956.

Box 9

Registration cards (enrollment forms).

Box 10

Records of attendance (by class). 1955-1956.Series 3 Dorcas Circle/Women's Auxiliary. 1915-1956. 1 cu. ft.
 

NC1108    Series 3: Dorcas Circle/Women's Auxiliary

The Dorcas Circle was organized by at least 1899, although no documents from the early period exist. The object of the Circle was to aid in the general good and welfare of the Baptist Church, to assist in financial ways and social matters, to care for the sick, to welcome strangers, and relieve the distressed. In June of 1917 the name of the Circle was changed to the Women's Auxiliary to the Reno Baptist Church, but in the minutes of September, 1949 an entry indicates that the Dorcas Circle still existed as a separate entity or subgroup. In connection with the Auxiliary, regular monthly missionary meetings were held.

Activities mentioned in minute books which are part of this series included planning meals to be served at church functions and the Nevada Sierra Baptist Convention; having food sales, and sewing items to sell at their bazaar to raise money for projects or church financial needs. During the meetings, specific circle members are mentioned individually in connection with their circle activities, their acting as hostess, or because of ill health. A regular activity of every meeting was the quilting or piecing of quilt blocks; the completed blocks/quilts were sometimes given to individuals or sold at the Auxiliary's bazaar. These records are arranged chronologically.

Box 4

3/1 Dorcas Circle. Minutes, treasurers' reports. April 1, 1915 to Dec. 19, 1916.
3/2 Dorcas Circle/Women's Auxiliary. Minutes. Jan. 2, 1917 to Mar. 21, 1922.
3/3 Women's Auxiliary. Minutes. April 4, 1922 to Dec. 2, 1924.
3/4 Auxiliary. Minutes. Dec. 9, 1925 to Mar. 15, 1927.
3/5 Auxiliary. Minutes, membership roll. April 5, 1927 to April 21, 1931.
3/6 Auxiliary. Minutes. May 19, 1931 to Nov. 6, 1934.
3/7 Auxiliary and Mission. Minutes, membership roll. Nov. 20, 1934 to June 2, 1936.BOX 5
3/8 Auxiliary. Minutes. June 16, 1936 to Mar. 30, 1939.
3/9 Auxiliary. Minutes. April 18, 1939 to Nov. 5, 1940.
3/10 Auxiliary. Minutes. Jan. 6, 1942 to Mar. 21, 1944 (2 vols.).
3/11 Auxiliary. Minutes, membership roll. April 2, 1945 to Jan. 7, 1949.
3/12 Auxiliary. Minutes. April 4, 1944 to Mar. 19, 1946.
3/13 Auxiliary. Minutes, membership roll. June 28, 1949 to June 26, 1951.
3/14 Auxiliary. Treasurers' reports. Jan. 5, 1954 to Jan. 10, 1956.Series 4 Ladies' Serving Society/Ladies' Aid Society. 1896-1915. 4 vols.
 

NC1108    Series 4:  Ladies' Serving Society/Ladies' Aid Society

The Ladies' Serving Society of the First Baptist Church was organized in January, 1896, and although the name "Serving Society" was reaffirmed in the constitutions of 1896 and 1900, the group was more often referred to, and referred to themselves as the Ladies' Aid Society. The purpose of the society was to aid in the general good and welfare of the church. Membership was open to any woman church member; meetings were held every two weeks. At a meeting of February 2, 1903, the members voted to organize a Mission Circle; see series 5 for Mission Circle records.

Activities of the society were reported in the minutes. One regular activity was quilting, either working on quilt squares, quilting quilts, or tying comforters. The Society purchased new runners for the church carpet, gave money to the church for its support, and held bazaars and gave suppers to raise money. Mrs. James Edward Church, Jr. (Florence Humphrey Church) was one of the most active members; others included many socially prominent members of the community. Some of the volumes of records provide membership rolls and lists of committee members. These records are organized chronologically.

Box 6

4/1 Ladies' Serving Society/Ladies' Aid Society. Minutes, membership roll. Jan. 1, 1896 to Oct. 1898.
4/2 Aid Society. 1899 Constitution, minutes, membership roll. Jan. 11, 1899 to Jan. 16, 1900.
4/3 Aid Society. 1900 Constitution and bylaws, minutes, financial records. Jan. 1900 to April 1907.
4/4 Aid Society. Minutes. Jan. 14, 1913 to Mar. 15, 1915.Series 5 Women's Mission Circle. 1908-1926; 1959. 3 vols.
 

NC1108   Series 5:  Mission Circle

The Women's Mission Circle was organized by women of the Ladies' Aid Society after a proposal made in February, 1903. The Mission Circle supported foreign missions and did home missionary work with the local Indians, often assisting Miss Glick, a missionary for the local Indians. They did sewing for the Indians, held fund raisers, and had study sessions on foreign countries and other religions. They presented lectures on topics "closer to home," such as "The Problem of Race," given in January, 1912. In June, 1913, Circle members signed a petition against "The White Slave Trade."

A typed note on the history of the Circle was found within the volume of minutes for 1913-1916; the note stated that the Circle was organized in October, 1913. However, the first minute book in this series dates from 1908, and a notation about the founding of the Circle in the Ladies' Aid Society minutes of February 2, 1903 discounts the 1913 founding date.

The records for this series consist of minutes, 1908-1926, and several "study books," outlining meeting dates and speakers for the year. The minutes are arranged chronologically; study books can be found with the minutes of corresponding dates.

Box 6

5/1 Women's Mission Circle. Minutes, membership roll, financial records. Oct. 27, 1908 to Aug. 14, 1913.
5/2 Mission Circle. Minutes, constitution. Oct. 14, 1913 to Mar. 26, 1916. Also included are study books for 1914-1915 and 1915-1916.
5/3 Mission Circle. Minutes. April 11, 1916 to April 13, 1926. Also included are study books for 1924-1925 and 1959.Series 6 Philathea Class of the First Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada. 1922-1947. 3 vols.
 

NC1108   Series 6:  Philathea Class

The purpose of the Philathea Class was to "stimulate among young ladies the desire for true Christian knowledge, to create interest in Sunday Bible School, and to unite its membership in practical Christian sympathy and service." Membership was open to young ladies age 18 and over with approval of the Class.

Members of the Philathea Class met for Bible study every Sunday morning and had evening business meetings once a month. They assisted at Women's Auxiliary functions and fund raisers, held banquets and rummage sales, and organized parties.

Records of the Philathea Class consist of minutes, membership rolls, and lists of committee members. These volumes are arranged chronologically.

Box 7

6/1 Philathea Class. Minutes. April 4, 1922 to Nov. 27, 1923.
6/2 Philathea Class. Minutes, membership roll, list of committee members. April 1, 1926 to 1931.
6/3 Philathea Class. Membership roll, lists of officers and committee members. 1944-1947.Series 7 Junior Guild Girls. 1945-1948. 1 vol.
 

NC1108   Series 7: Junior Guide Girls

The purpose of this organization is not clearly stated in the minutes and there was no constitution found in this volume. Activities mentioned in the minutes included making items to sell at bazaars (held by the Women's Auxiliary?), serving at dinners held by other church organizations, and having parties. The Guild also had a small library for the benefit of its members.
These minutes are arranged chronologically.

Box 7

7/1 Junior Guild Girls. Minutes. Sept. 18, 1945 to Mar. 2, 1948.
 

NC1108   Series 8: Baptist Young People's Society. 1923-1924. 1 vol.

The Baptist Young People's Society was organized for both boys and girls and helped at fund raisers for other Baptist organizations. They also staged plays and had parties. The minutes are arranged chronologically.

Box 7

8/1 Baptist Young People's Society. Minutes. Nov. 4, 1923 to Jan. 6, 1924.Series 9 Friendship Circle. 1956-1973. 5 vols.
 

NC1108   Series 9: Friendship Circle.

The Friendship Circle was organized on January 17, 1956 by the Women's Baptist Mission Society for the purpose of making visitations and cheering the sick. Organizations or facilities such as the Redwood Room at Washoe Medical Center, were selected yearly to receive support from the group and "love gifts" or offerings were collected to give to memorial funds or to those in need.

Records of this series consist of minutes of meetings, arranged chronologically.

Box 7

9/1 Friendship Circle. Minutes. Jan. 17, 1956 to Nov. 18, 1961.
9/2 Circle. Minutes. Dec. 18, 1962 to Dec. 21, 1965.
9/3 Circle. Minutes. Oct. 14, 1969 to Jan. 21, 1970 (2 vols.).
9/4 Circle. Minutes. June 16, 1970 to Dec. 18, 1973.
 

NC1108  Series 10: Miscellaneous. ca. 1950-1972.  7 folders + 1 item.

This series contains the following materials: church histories, selected church bulletins, memorabilia from the Diamond Jubilee and ninety-fifth anniversary celebrations, and newspaper clippings about the Rev. Brewster Adams, the church, James Edward Church, Jr., and the Women's Auxiliary. Also included is one volume of a church financial ledger, 1964-1972.

Box 8

10/1 Church history, compiled by Maude Sawin Taylor.
10/2 Church Programs/Bulletins. 1950-1963.
10/3 Diamond Jubilee. Nov. 18, 1950.
10/4 Ninety-fifth Anniversary Service. Nov. 22, 1970.
10/5 Certificate of appreciation from the Colony Baptist Church in Reno, n.d.; and personal letter to Edna and Brewster Adams from Ernest L. Inwood, 1957.
10/6 Newspaper clippings about the church, Rev. Adams, and J. E. Church.
10/7 Newspaper clippings about the Women's Auxiliary.
10/8 Printing plate depicting the First Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada, at 2nd and Chestnut Streets. Not dated.

Box 11

10/9 Financial ledger, 1964-1972.
 

NC1108    Series 11: Photographs.

This collection contains one folder of photographs depicting early, prominent members and ministers, and the several church buildings occupied by the First Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada. Other images include a photo of the Verdi mission church; the interior of the railroad chapel car used for the East Reno Baptist mission; a church camp session at Sugar Pine, 1960; early Reno streets and buildings; an early Reno bridge; and scenes at a church dinner. These photographs were transferred to the photo archives of the Special Collections Department and are now Photograph Collection No. UNRS-P1991-47.

NC1108   Series 12: Bibles. 1869-18. 3 vols.

There are three Bibles in this collection, housed in individual boxes:

Box 12

Hardings' Medium Edition. The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments.... Philadelphia: William W. Harding, 1860.

Box 13

West, Nathaniel. The Complete Analysis of the Holy Bible: How to Comprehend Holy Writ from its own Interpretation, containing the whole of the Old and New Testaments,.... New York: A. J. Johnson, 1969. Inscribed "Presented to Celia E. Huestis by her Father Wm. Huestis. Western Star, Ohio, March 1, 1869."

Box 14

New Illustrated Devotional and Practical Polyglot Family Bible.... Philadelphia: National Publishing Company, 1879. Inscribed "Property of the Women's Auxiliary of the First Baptist Church. Presented by Mr. and Mrs. Noble Getchell."