I am not a history professor, nor am I a history student. I am simply a man who has a love of Canadian history. Canada's history is a fascinating one. My mission is to not only educate, but to show everyone just how epic Canadian history truly is.
Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @CraigBaird. Facebook: Canadian History Ehx. http://canadaehx.blogspot.ca
By Craig Baird
Considered to be one of the first organized churches in Yorkton, the Presbyterian Church has its origins dating back to 1884, thanks to Allan Patterson, who was a missionary that came to the area and conducted services not in any church, but in the homes of settlers of the area.
Eventually, the home of James Sharp Sr. would serve as a temporary home for the congregation. Two of the student missionaries with the Presbyterian Church would have a major impact on the history of Yorkton. Mr. Urquhart was the person who would conduct the very first church service within Yorkton itself, in a home of a parishioner. R.P. Byers, another missionary with the church, would publish The Messenger, the very first newspaper in the history of Yorkton. This newspaper was a hand-printed sheet, duplicated with stencils and sold for one dollar per year. It was only published 12 times though, from June to September of 1892.
In 1893, the need for a church was becoming urgent and to aid the church, the York Farmers' Colonization Company donated the land for the church. While the church had the land, it did not have the building. The building was finally completed on Nov. 5, 1893 and Reverend James Robertson would officiate. The church cost a mere $975 to build at the time.
In 1895, the very first regular minister for the church came to town. Reverend W.E. Wallace would remain in the community until 1901, when Reverend M. Henderson took over. Under the leadership of Henderson, the need for a better church became apparent. The congregation was increasing in size but with a lack of money, the church would have to wait.
When Reverend H.D. Leitch came to town to replace Henderson, he helped to get a new church built. The new church was built at the corner of Second and Smith, on land purchased from Dr. T.A. Patrick. A Purves was awarded a $15,000 contract to build the church. The cornerstone of the church was put in place on Aug. 30, 1909 and the church was completed in March of 1910. Reverend Charles Gordon would dedicate the church, which by the time of its completion had cost $30,000 to build.
From that day on, the church would become an important gathering place for the congregation, both for church services, community events, weddings, fundraisers, funerals and much more.
