The State Conference of Congregational Churches of Minnesota, at its annual meeting at Faribault, October 11th, 1866, resolved to found a Christian college, when they were but a few men in number-yea, very few, and strangers in the land; when the whole number of their churches did not exceed sixty, their ministers fifty, and their church members two thousand souls, all told - men, women and children and these almost all in moderate circumstances, if not absolutely poor. And yet, in the fall of 1867, the embryo college was opened at Northfield, forty-five miles south of St. Paul, and seventyfive miles from the southern boundary of the State. It is beautifully located on a campus of about twenty-five acres, commanding a fine view of Cannon river and the whole surrounding country. It early received the name of "Carleton College," in honor of its most generous benefactor, William Carleton, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, who at one time gave the college fifty thousand dollars in money towards a permanent endowment. And it deserves remark, that from this same town of Charlestown came the noble benefaction of £779 178. 2d.noble for the time, 1638-from John Harvard, which gave name and almost life to the oldest and richest Congregational college now in the world. Carleton College, like most of the Western colleges of recent date, admits both sexes to all its privileges, and on entirely equal terms; and has CHAP. VI.] CARLETON COLLEGE. 263 a variety of departments and courses of study to meet the wants of the students. - In 1877-78 Carleton College had a president, six male and three female teachers, and two hundred and fifty-four students. The endowment fund of the college amounts to about ninety-five thousand dollars, and its entire investment to one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars; with no indebtedness beyond two or three thousand dollars. This college, though founded and made successful by the intelligence, enterprise, faith and self-denial of Congregationalists in Minnesota, and eminently by the church and people of Northfield, and though distinctively a religious college, yet, so far is it from being sectarian, that it gathers within its walls young men and women of all Christian denominations, and from many different States and Territories. Just here we are reminded most forcibly of the characteristic likeness of ancient and modern Congregationalists; a likeness, not only in their love of good learning for Christ's sake and his Church, as well as the Commonwealth, but also, and most noticeably, in their early, humble and self-denying efforts to secure this learning for their posterity. The history of Carleton College is, in point of fact, essentially the history of all the Congregational colleges of the West and South. And the self-denying efforts of the Congregational churches to establish these. colleges were and are as like the early efforts to establish Cambridge, and Yale, and Dartmouth and Williams colleges, as though the very same persons had been concerned in the work. But in this general commendation of the founders and humble, self-denying supporters of our Christian colleges, and just now of Carleton College particularly, it would be inexcusable to overlook the abounding liberality and devotion of the Congregational church of Northfield to this enterprise. Charles M. Goodsell, a deacon of this church, of honored memory, if not absolutely the founder of this college, was one of its earliest, most constant, liberal and efficient friends. It was through him, mainly, that the location of the college was made at Northfield; and that the church was induced to become its mother, loving and cherishing it as her own offspring, and contributing towards its support and endowment a sum but little less than all the other churches in Minnesota together have given.* This liberal, efficient and enterprising church was formed at Northfield, August 30th, 1856; when churches of any kind were rare in Minnesota; when in nineteen counties, containing forty thousand souls, there was not a single Congregational or Presbyterian church; and when *The entire contributions to the college by the Minnesota churches and others amounted, in May, 1878, to $88,861.34. Of this sum the Northfield people had given $43,325.91; just $1,104.76 less than one-half the entire amount contributed in the State. CHAP. VI.] THE NORTHFIELD CHURCH. 265 the entire population of the Territory did not exceed seventy-five thousand persons.* At its organization it could count but twelve members. But from this humble beginning, it has steadily grown, in numbers and wealth and influence, to the present day, when it has two hundred and eighty-nine members on its roll; and stands the third, in point of numbers, in the State - the Plymouth Congregational Church of Minneapolis, with four hundred and ninety-three members, and the Plymouth Church of St. Paul, with three hundred and eleven members, alone exceeding the Northfield church.t We have now finished the survey of the Old Northwest Territory, and have even looked over the ancient boundary line, towards the farther West. This survey has, we confess, been much more particular than was originally intended; though after all it has been very cursory, considering the magnitude and the political and religious importance of this field, and the romantic interest which surrounds its early history and settlement. * Am. Home Miss. Soc.'s Report for 1857, pp. 83-85. † For the facts relating to Carleton College and the Northfield church I am indebted largely to a manuscript letter from the president of the College, the Rev. Dr. James W. Strong; and to sundry printed documents with which he has kindly furnished me, including Dr. Whiting's Oration before the College in 1871; Our Mirror, a periodical sheet published by the church; Catalogues; Minutes, etc., etc. In all the vast territory which lies west and southwest of Minnesota-equal to one-half of the whole United States, and already divided off into seven great States and ten Territories there are as yet very few Congregationalists except in Kansas, Nebraska, California and Oregon.* Colorado perhaps should be added, in view of its college and enterprise under Congregational direction. To a summary notice of these States we now, therefore, will turn. *At the rate emigration is going into those States and Territories, however, it will not be long before there will be Congregational history made for them all. |