Reuben Gaylord

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Reuben Gaylord
BornApril 28, 1812
Congregationalist Church
Spouse(s)Sarah Burton; Mary N. Welles
Children5

Reuben Gaylord (April 28, 1812 – January 10, 1880) was the recognized leader of the

Omaha pioneer George L. Miller said, "It was Reuben Gaylord, the brave Christian soldier who brought Sunday into Omaha and the Trans-Missouri country.[3]

Biography

Early life

Born in

Yale Theological Seminary and graduated in 1838.[4]

Gaylord belonged to a band of pioneer ministers well known in the history of Congregationalism who came west after they graduated from the Yale Divinity School in 1838 to established churches in Iowa. He was ordained at Plymouth, Connecticut in August 1839. His first daughter was born on October 13, 1839. His 23-year-old wife died on September 23, 1840.

Career

Soon after graduation Gaylord was commissioned by the

Iowa College at Grinnell, now known as Grinnell College.[5]

Christmas Day
, 1855, Gaylord preached his sermons in the Nebraska State House in Omaha, which was the only place in Omaha available.

On May 4, 1856, Gaylord organized the First Congregational Church of Omaha with nine members.

Florence and Fort Calhoun.[2] He also played a key role in establishing the first Nebraska University in Fontanelle.[7]

In 1864 he was appointed agent for the American Home Missionary Society for western Iowa and the entirety of Nebraska. He accepted this appointment and resigned from the church in Omaha, working there until 1871. Afterwards he returned to Omaha, regularly preaching in La Platte, Papillion, Columbus,[8] and other places. In 1875, he returned to Fontanelle as the minister, and preached at the church in Jalapa as well. Gaylord died suddenly in the town of Fontanelle in 1880.

Family

Gaylord's first wife was Sarah Burton, whom he was married to in 1838; she died two years later. They had one child. In 1841 Reuben married Mary N. Welles, a direct descendant of Thomas Welles, the Fourth Colonial Governor of Connecticut.[9] Reuben and Mary were the parents of four children.

See also

  • History of Omaha

References

  1. ^ Clark, J.B. (2006) Leavening the Nation: The Story of American Home Missions. Kessinger Publishing. p 117.
  2. ^ a b Punchard, G. (1865) "Congregationalism in Nebraska," History of Congregationalism from about A.D. 250 to the Present Time. Hurd and Houghton. p 360.
  3. ^ Clark, J.B. (2006) p 119.
  4. ^ "Douglas County Biographies", Andreas' History of Nebraska. Retrieved 4/12/08.
  5. OCLC 10405591 (all editions)
    .
      1. "Mrs. S.E. Brewster". p. 17 – via Google Books (Wisconsin Historical Society). Free access icon.
  6. ^ "History," Archived 2008-05-10 at the Wayback Machine First Central Congregational Church. Retrieved 4/12/08.
  7. ^ Our 150th Anniversary, First Central Congregational Church. Retrieved 4/12/08.
  8. ^ Augsperger, D. "A Brief History of The Federated Church", Federated Church of Columbus. Retrieved 4/13/08.
  9. ^ Wells, M.M. (1889) Life and Labors of Rev. Reuben Gaylord: Home Missionary for Iowa and Nebraska. Rees Printing Company.
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