The records of Christ Episcopal Church were loaned for microfilming in three separate groups. In 1976, an initial portion was filmed and assigned call number Micro 610. These files date 1939-1956 and have been designated the Original Collection. In February 1977, the portion designated the “1977 Additions, Part 1” were loaned for filming; this microfilm was assigned call number Micro 627. These files date 1829-1961. Finally, the “1977 Additions, Part 2” were loaned for filming in November 1977 and assigned call number Micro 656; these files date 1843, 1849, and 1865-1973. The user copy of the microfilm housed at the Green Bay Area Research Center has all three portions available under the single call number, Green Bay Micro 12.
Original Collection
The ORIGINAL COLLECTION of Christ Episcopal Church Records is arranged in three subseries: Historical Materials, Records of Christ Church, and Records of Related Institutions. The Records of Christ Church, which make up the bulk of this portion, are divided into four groups: Correspondence, Minutes and Resolutions, Reports, and Other Records.
The Historical Materials consist of an early history of Green Bay, several versions of the early history of Christ Church, and histories of related parishes, missions, and schools; a photograph of the Rev. Richard Fish Cadle, and photographs of the buildings of Christ Church and other diocesan institutions; and memorabilia, 1829-1956, including a copy of the Acts of Incorporation (1829), papers said to be from the cornerstone of the first church, programs, bulletins, and clippings.
The Records of Christ Church include Correspondence from Bishops Jackson Kemper, 1836-1857; William Armitage, 1869-1870; J. Hobart Brown, 1876-1888; Charles C. Grafton, 1896-1911; and Reginald Weller, 1917; and general correspondence of the congregation and its officers. The correspondence from the bishops of Christ Church concerns diocesan jurisdiction, church visitations by the bishops, suggestions for the selection of rectors, and related matters. One copy of a letter to Bishop Kemper from Bishop Allen McCoskry regarding jurisdiction over Christ Church is included with the correspondence of Bishop Kemper. Correspondence of Bishop Brown pertaining specifically to the Cadle Home is included with the Cadle Home correspondence. Most of the general correspondence pertains to the resignation of rectors and the selection of their successors, finances and the collection of funds, and routine church business. A few notable letters include communications with the dioceses from James D. Doty and Daniety Whitney, a letter petitioning for the congregation's consent for the organization of St. James Parish, September 4, 1871, and a letter from the rector regarding the neglected and dirty condition of the church, 1886.
The Minutes and Resolutions record meetings of the congregation, 1834-1882, and of the wardens and vestry, 1834-1900, acting upon the resignations and appointments of rectors, changes in the constitution, elections of wardens and vestrymen, and financial matters. A copy of the constitution adopted on April 14, 1851, is filed with the minutes and resolutions of the wardens and vestry.
The Reports include annual reports of the rectors, 1848-1884, accounting for money raised at offerings and amounts collected and paid out by the rector; annual reports of the vestry, 1856-1882, pertaining to the general and financial condition of Christ Church; annual reports of the wardens regarding financial matters; annual, some semi-annual and some quarterly reports of the treasurer; and reports of miscellaneous committees. The latter include reports of special committees on missing revenue, on raising money for the rector's salary, and on the building. The report of a committee to “Confer with the Rector in Regard to the Parish School,” 1869, after discussing the operations and conditions of the school, the issue of tuition, and the management of the school by a “lady” for the past two years, recommended that a “competent man” should assume the managerial position.
In the Other Records segment are lists of subscribers, pew holders, and pledgers, 1834-1916, showing amounts pledged and contracts for pews; records of the construction of the first church building, circa 1831-1839, including estimated costs, plans, and itemized bills for labor and materials; deeds and mortgages, 1838-1929. Miscellaneous materials include a survey of the burying ground by A.G. Ellis, 1832; a preemption claim for forty acres of land near Green Bay, 1838; a list of instructions for building a fence around the graveyard; and the constitution and by-laws of the Society of Women of Christ Church, 1868.
The Records of Related Institutions subseries includes programs and clippings pertaining to the Oneida Mission; materials relating to the organization of Wisconsin University at Green Bay, 1836-1838; and correspondence, records, and reports concerning the Cadle Home. In the latter file most of the correspondence, 1872-1888, pertains to the establishment of the Home and to legal action taken against the estate of W.C. Pettibone for the recovery of an unapproved loan of Cadle Home funds; other records and reports, 1869-1886, reveal the number and condition of residents at the Home, and its financial affairs.
A large group of unorganized bills, receipts and cancelled checks, and some personal papers of the Rev. James Samter were not microfilmed with the collection.
The 1977 ADDITIONS, PART 1 is arranged in two subseries: records of the church and records of related institutions. Records of Christ Episcopal Church consist of Minutes and Resolutions of the Congregation, Vestry, and Wardens; Treasurers' Records; and Church Registers. The Records of Related Institutions include additional records from Cadle Home and Hospital and one volume each of records from Kemper Mission, St. James Parish, St. Mary's Mission, and St. Anne's Mission. The original materials are contained in 16 bound volumes.
The Minutes and Resolutions of the Congregation, Vestry, and Wardens, 1829-1930, provide a complete record of the proceedings of the congregation and its ruling bodies. The minutes document the development of the congregation, resignations and appointments of rectors, and decisions on major expenditures. Also included are a handwritten copy of the original Acts of Incorporation, October 21, 1829; the original constitution, adopted on September 16, 1829; and the revised constitution of April 14, 1851. Treasurers' reports from 1901 are included with the minutes. The church register, 1829-1842, originally in the first volume of minutes was microfilmed with the other church registers.
Treasurers' Records consist of an account book, 1894-1902, listing income from envelope collections, and morning and evening offerings; expenditures for such items as salaries, lights, repairs and the diocesan assessment; and records of special funds. The day book, 1894-1904, lists income, expenses, and occasional balances.
The Church Registers, 1829-1961, include a list of rectors and communicants; records of baptisms, confirmations, marriages and burials; and an index to the names in each volume.
Records of Related Institutions include a treasurer's account book, 1875-1877, 1904-1915, and a guest book, 1875-1881, from the Cadle Home and Hospital; minutes, statements of receipts and expenses, and a church register, 1872-1888, from Kemper Mission; a complete set of the minutes of the congregation, vestry and wardens of St. James Parish, 1871-1877; and church registers from St. Mary's Mission, 1912-1929, 1942-1943, and St. Anne's Mission, 1913-1914, 1921, 1938-1939.
The 1977 ADDITIONS, PART 2 also is divided into two subseries: Records of the Congregation, Vestry, and Wardens; and Records of Church Organizations.
The Records of the Congregation, Vestry, and Wardens contain the same type of materials as those found in the original accession of the Christ Episcopal Church Records, 1829-1956. They should be used in conjunction with the original accession. The Historical Materials include obituaries for John V. Suydam, 1885, and the Reverend M.V. Averill, 1888; a bulletin from laying the cornerstone of Fannie D. Joannes Memorial Hall, 1924; and one page of an undated historical sketch of the church. The Bishops' Correspondence is from Bishops Armitage, Brown, Grafton, and Weller primarily concerning the resignation and appointments of rectors. The General Correspondence includes rectors' letters of resignation and acceptances of positions, letters of resignation from minor church officials, and occasional communications from the diocese. The Minutes and Resolutions are from 1843 and scattered years between 1887 and 1910. The resolutions concern the hiring and firing of rectors, financial matters, the issuing of corporate bonds, and related matters. Minutes from the 1910 annual meeting and one set of undated minutes are included. The Reports concern a conference with the bishop regarding election of a rector, 1895, recommendations on building a new church, 1898, and an undated report on moving the rectory. The Financial Records include a record of pledges, 1849; an estimate of furniture loss caused by the church fire, 1898; scattered reports of income, expenditures, and cash on hand; and scattered annual financial reports, 1914, 1922-1936. Among the Miscellaneous Records are a declaration of assent and a license to the curacy of the Reverend R.L.M.F. McMurray, 1912, and the will of Lena Ludenbeck, 1928, in which $ 2,500 is bequeathed to the church.
The Records of Church Organizations include Sunday School records, records of Women's Organizations, and records of the Young People's Society, arranged by organization. Minutes from the Board of Education and Sunday School Teachers concern curriculum, teaching assignments, attendance and excuses from attendance, finances, singing, and related matters. The minutes and financial records from the various women's organizations document fundraising programs through dues, gifts, rummage sales, and bridge tournaments, and other activities such as landscaping the church property. The records of the Young People's Society include minutes of meetings where lessons, entertainment, and fundraising were discussed; attendance records; and financial reports.
