Sherry Best, one of Trinity’s former Historians, recently brought in a box of historical goodies. In the box was a copy of “History of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church” by W.L. Shattuck, written in 1926. The next few articles in this series will be excepts from his booklet (edited just a bit for easier reading of the run-on sentences).

That future generations connected with Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church may have a complete record of the history, not only of this particular church, but of the establishment of the Christian church in what is now the State of Idaho, it is necessary to swing back for a moment into history and review the establishment of the church in this territory.

Nathaniel J. Wyeth, who was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, January 29, 1802, read the glowing accounts of the Oregon country, of which the present State of Idaho was then a part, written by Hall J. Kelley of Boston, [and] began the organization of a company of fur traders in the winter of 1831 and 1832. He was full of ambition, but lacked experience and, at St. Louis on his way west, joined William L. Sublette, who traveled with him to the Teton Basin, where they arrived July 6, 1832.

On account of lack of experience, Wyeth mismanaged affairs so much that on July 17th his men deserted him. Wyeth found his way down the Snake river, down the Columbia to the Pacific Coast where he spent the winter, returning to Boston the next year, and in the spring of 1834 contracted with Sublette to bring supplies to him from St. Louis.

There were seventy men in this expedition, among them being two Methodist Missionaries, Jason and Daniel Lee. On July 11, 1834, they camped near the Teton Peaks in Teton Basin, from which place they moved on down the Snake river, and four days later, on July 15th, on the south side of the Port Neuf river near its junction with the Snake, they constructed Fort Hall.

On July 27, 1834, Rev. Jason Lee gathered his little flock of trappers and Indians together and repaired to a grove near the fort about 3:30 P.M. for public worship, using for his text 1st Corinthians 10th and 21st, this being the first Christian sermon to be delivered west of the Rocky Mountains. It was on August the 5th 1823 [1834?], according to Townsend’s journal that at sunrise the Star Spangled Banner was raised on the flag staff at the fort and a salute was fired. This was probably the first time Old Glory was unfurled to the Idaho breeze.

We have no further history of religious services in this vicinity for many years, but the writer [Shattuck] had the good fortune to know dear old brother Riggins, Van Orsdel and Iliff, those three saintly missionaries, who gave their lives in the great work of the Master in Montana and Idaho, and heard them tell of driving through this valley going from Utah to Montana, about the year 1866 and of stopping at the toll bridge here at Idaho Falls, then called Eagle Rock, where they held a religious service on Sunday, the exact date not being known to me. This was undoubtedly the first sermon preached here at Idaho Falls, however, this was not an official meeting, being arranged by themselves while camped here over Sunday.

These men were members of the Methodist Church, and in 1918 Brother Van, as Brother Van Orsdel was called, attended the conference here and Brother Iliff attended the dedication of our present church building.

The first official service we have record of held by a Methodist minister was by Rev. F.A. Riggins in 1882, at which time he was the superintendent of the Montana Mission of which this portion of Idaho Territory was a part at that time.

Link to History page.