The oldest Episcopal church in Montana is in Fort Benton. When the Rev. S. C. Blackiston arrived in that bustling frontier town in 1879, he formed a committee of prominent Episcopalians to build a new church, as prior to his arrival, church had been held in an abandoned saloon, a hotel and then a school. It was indeed time for a real church.
The committee consisted of W. G. Conrad, C. E. Conrad, J. S. Hill, W. H. Todd, A. B. Kester, F. C. Roosevelt, Charles Duer, William Wetzel, Joseph A. Baker and Paris Gibson.
Joseph S. Hill was general manager for T. C. Power & Bro, the main competitor to I. G. Baker & Co. W. H. Todd was likely related to Thomas J. Todd who married Martha Elizabeth "Mattie" Conrad as her second husband. Mattie was sister to the Conrad brothers. Joseph Amos Baker was the son of Isaac G. Baker of I. G. Baker & Co. and husband to Anna Maria "Nannie" Conrad, another of the Conrad boys' sisters. Paris Gibson later went on to found Great Falls, Montana, upriver from Ft. Benton.
The committe raised $4,000.00 by June 11, 1880 and the church, designed by architect John Wilton and built on land donated by Henry Brinkman, was duly built and put into use, the first services being held August 10, 1881. It took its name from St. Paul's in Concord, New Hampshire as its visiting headmaster, the Rev. Colt, made the initial contribution to the building fund.
Inside this well built and lovely red brick building are several very lovely stained glass windows. Two of them have special meaning for this blog.
The main window which occupies the west end of the church behind the altar is a large, three-paneled window. What makes it of special interest to us is that is was donated by Joseph Baker (one of the building committee members) in memory of his wife, Anna Conrad Baker, who had died rather suddenly and unexpectedly at the tender age of 31, and their daughter, Mary Ashby Baker.
The other window was installed in memory of Warren Edward Price, the son of Charles W. Price and Mollie Conrad. The senior Price was married to Mary Blanche "Mollie" Conrad, another sister of the Conrad brothers, W. G. and Charles E. Conrad. Warren was born 7 September 1884 in Fort Benton and died 13 December 1906 in Los Angeles, California, where he is interred.
The Conrads continued to have strong links to Ft. Benton long after they left for Kalispell. Their extended family was spread all over Montana and western Canada as a result of their far-flung business interests which provided a living for many a relative, near or far, and their in-laws.
--Richard L. Hardesty, 3 Dec 2022
Credits: Photos ©2022 by Richard L. Hardesty. All Rights Reserved.
Take a look at the church's website: https://stpaulsfortbenton.weebly.com
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