Like most pioneer settlements in their beginning, "sandy point" -- (called this by the Northern Pacific people) was rough and tough. As the women began to arrive and make homes for their families, they felt the need for moral influence.
Early history is a bit sketchy, but it is known that Mrs. George Holten had Sunday School in her tiny home with two other women helping her to teach. A Mrs. Murphy taught (gratis) day school for a while in her living room over the Northern Pacific Railroad station.
Both schoolings were rather sporadic between 1883 -1888 until when in 1888-1893 they met in a building near the depot in the abandoned White Swan Saloon. The day school had about 10 students and the Sunday School had 16 students of all ages.
A school board was formed and they pushed through the building of a little one room school house on the west side of Sand Creek. Except for the Earl Farmin home, this was the first building across the creek. Besides day school, the Sunday School and social affairs met here.
One day when the Methodist District Superintendent, Rev. G.C. Stull was traveling through by train on his circuit trips from Montana to Washington; Mrs, Earl Farmin (the Great Northern ticket agent) recognized he was a minister by his 1/2 price fair, so she asked him to stop sometime and preach in the little school house. He agreed to this and held occasional services during the winter and early spring. Then he sent Wm. Hoskins a student from the Theological school in Helena, Montana who pastored for 9 months, living with the Nesbetts for this time. After Mr. Hoskins went back to school, 2 or 3 itinerant preachers were filling in until Rev. Alvin Morton (also from Helena College) was sent here. He became the first resident minister in Sandpoint and was loved by all from the roughest lumberjack to the most refined ladies. He ministered to the entire community all the way to McArthur and up the Pend Orielle River to Laclede and Newport. Often, he would row a boat and stop to see settlers along the river. He would hop a train or horse to minister wherever he was needed, but mostly he would walk or catch a lumber wagon.
So desirous were some of the women to have an organized church that Mrs. Ella Mae Farmin (a Presbyterian), Mrs. Amanda Nesbett (Congregational), and Mrs. Carrie Le Huguet (Episcopalian) said they would become Methodists and find 5 other people who would join them to make up the necessary amount to become a church. This they did, and Dist. Supt. Stull and Rev. Morton presided over the little group and the First Methodist Episcopal Church was formed Aug. 31, 1897.
The first person to join the Charter members was Nancy Wray the school teacher who became the first Sunday School teacher in the newly formed church. She married Earl Farmin, son of L.D. and Ella Mae Farmin. Miss Josepine Le Huguet was the first Sunday School Supt. and later she married Rev. Morton and together they continued their education in Helena.
During this period the number of day school students was rapidly growing and the little school house was inadequate.
The timing was perfect for the new Methodists to buy the little school house for their first church. Mrs. Farmin being on both the church board and school board was able to mastermind this excellent arrangement.
The Methodists were on their way. The village was beginning to grow on this side of the creek and became incorporated in 1900 as Sandpoint. Streets were being platted, and Mrs. Farmin named the very first streets--First and Church right where the little church a new parsonage stood.
In 1903 the Allen brothers wanted this important corner location so they purchased the lots and buildings and immediately the congregation began to build a real church building 4 blocks north on Main and 4th -- a triangle piece of land donated by the Farmins for a church and park. They were in their new 150 seat church by 1904 and dedicated debt free in 1905. The minister at this time of building was Rev. Wm. Hoskins, the student preacher of 10 years past who had first been sent to Sandpoint before any church existed. The Dist. Supt. who dedicated the church was Rev. Van Orsdaile, a very colorful and respected man of the Pacific Northwest at that time.
Sometime in the twenties a hall was moved in and added on to the church which served the community activities such as basketball, creative dancing, socials of all kinds and even the first County Fair. This served until the now community hall was built in 1936.
After the depression and second world war the Methodists began to talk of the need for a larger and more modern facility. For years they talked and planned. Some wanted to refurbish the old church because of its historical interest and build a large all purpose building by the side --some wanted to. tear down the old church and build a new church on that location, others wanted to move out further and build. There were discussions of joining with Presbyterians as they wanted to add on their church.
Finally in 1971, when the First Security Bank approached to buy their property, the majority voted to sell. They then purchased the old Seventh Day Adventist Church on Boyer and Main and did extensive remodeling. Dr. Harold Huff was minister at this time, Win Cook was president of the Board of Trustees, and Helen Newton chairperson of ministries when the mortgage was burned in 1973 and the building was dedicated with the blessing of Bishop Wilbur Choy.
Like the original founders, the Methodists still feel they must be ever alert and sensitive to the community's spiritual and social needs.
