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Congregational Church
The Congregational Church was the first church in Pocatello. Its history is recorded by Minnie Howard (1927). Starting in 1887, the church met in one of the houses owned by the railroad in Company Row east of Harrison Avenue. The first sermon by a Congregational minister took place at 145 North Harrison on February 24, 1888. Formal organization of the Congregational Church took place on July 8, 1888, with 13 charter members.

On November 10, 1888, construction was commenced on a separate church building on West Center Street by the alley between Cleveland (now Main) and Arthur Avenues. This was a small structure, only 22 x 36 feet, but it had a steeple, built in 1890, to house the first church bell in Pocatello.

Need for a larger building was apparent and under the direction of Rev. C.W. Luck, lots were purchased where the present church stands, at the northwest corner of North Garfield and Lander, despite objections that this was "too far out" of town. The new church was occupied in 1894 and enlarged in 1928.



(left) Trinity St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, built in 1898 in Gothic Style. First stone Episcopal Church in Idaho, (March, 1993). (center) First Congregational Church, Pocatello, Idaho, built in 1894 with rear addition added in 1928, (March, 1993). (upper right) View of east side of Center Street Viaduct, 1914. Eastbound traffic off the viaduct made a right turn and a full clockwise circle under the viaduct to get back onto East Center. Westbound traffic turned north on 1st Ave. and then back south on an on-ramp to get onto the viaduct. The Phoenix Building is to the right of East Center. The Pocatello House Hotel with the pointed cap is east of it. The building with the gabled top was the Pocatello Opera House, which burned in 1899 and was rebuilt as an auditorium. It now is occupied by Southeast Furniture Store. The gable is no longer there. The Commercial Hotel (later the Keystone Hotel) is the large building on the north side of East Center. Bannock County Historical Society Collection. (right) St. Joseph's Catholic Church, built in 1897, (March, 1993).

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