Also; the first church.

The Methodist people organized about the same time, but neither of them had churches until about 1889. In 1887 the new Methodist organization were talking of "a fifteen hundred dollar church."

The Christian church came into being about 1890, and Rev. A. Slafter was the first minister. Among other early preachers who visited Gering were Rev. RRufus Cooley, who came out occasionally from Potter; Rev. A. Dorman, and Rev. A. A. Fries.

May 21, 1887, was the date of the first services held in Gering; presided over by Rev. Brisbane as the first minister.

About this time -- the same month -- Miss M. E. McKinstry organized a Sunday school in Horseshoe Bend.

The First Church

The first church actually built in Scotts Bluff county was in the Kiowa country. It was made of native lumber from the native pines, and the first load was hauled by J. E.

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

Jones. The first board sawed was by Thos. Shiels. This was the Methodist church with Rev. Tripp in charge. Elder Armbury obtained a loan from the church extension fund, which paid the necessary cash outlay, but much of the work was donated. The church was built near the old Couch place, and was later moved to Harrisburg.

The second church, in the limits of the county as now shown, was at Hull. It was also a Methodist church and was built very soon after the Kiowa building was put up.

Then the Methodists built at Gering and the Baptists built in the Robidoux valley. Rev. John Young and wife were quite active in the building of the latter.