By Dr. Richard S. Beal, Jr.
There are very few pastors who have had two cities named after them. Nevertheless, this is true of one of Prescott’s early pastors at the Lone Star Baptist Church, now First Baptist Church.
In 1900, the church was located on the west side of South Cortez Street, south of the present Yavapai County Courthouse and city post office, the congregation having moved the church in1885 from its location on Fleury Street, where the Catholic Church now stands. In 1898, the tiny Baptist congregation had fewer than forty-five members. The previous pastor, the Reverend G. W. Cram served less than four months. Who could be persuaded to become the next pastor? How does a congregation in a pioneer town get a pastor?
Unlike most Protestant churches, each Baptist congregation is responsible for locating and asking a man to candidate as its pastor. After the members have had an opportunity to hear him and know him, the members vote on inviting (calling) him to serve as their pastor. Financial support in a town located in the Territory of Arizona came from contributions from the members and from the American Baptist Home Mission Society.
After the departure of Rev. Cram, the church was without a pastor for ten months. During this time, much of the preaching was carried out by Mr. Gregory, a member of the church who was given a small salary as its janitor.
After some searching, Rev. E. O. Cox originally from Brooklyn, New York was called in January, 1899. Not everyone was happy with him, for in a business meeting his call was approved by a vote of seven to four. The vote to call being a majority, it was moved and passed that it be changed to a unanimous call.
An appeal was made to the Home Mission Society for assistance with Cox’s salary, but the appeal was denied. Did the mission society know things about Cox of which the church was ignorant? On June 1st, he abruptly resigned the pastorate and left town. What could the tiny congregation do now?
The Lone Star Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church) met in this building on South Cortez Street from 1885 until 1927 when the stone building was built on the corner of Marina and Goodwin streets. Chaplain Winfield Scott (inset) was pastor of the church from fall of 1899 to August 1900 (Call Number: BU-C-1051p+insert).
The church was fortunate in having an experienced pastor residing temporarily in Prescott, the Rev. Winfield Scott, D.D. He was from Tempe and previously had been the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Phoenix. Although ordained, he preferred the title of “Chaplain, U. S. A.” to that of “reverend.” He had spent ten years (1882-1892) as an Army Chaplain. On June 22, 1899 he graciously volunteered to be a pastoral supply for the Lone Star church during his stay in Prescott, volunteering to do so without remuneration. The deacons were happy to have him. Yet, not until September 20 did the church vote to extend him a call as its pastor. The church also voted to give him a salary of $300 a year and to request an additional $700 a year from the Home Mission Society for his support.
It must have been in the providence of God that on July 14, 1900 the church had Scott as its pastor, for at 12:30 in the morning the downtown area of Prescott caught fire and was mostly consumed in the disastrous blaze. Although Whiskey Row and the block north of the Courthouse Plaza were destroyed, the fire did not spread to Cortez Street south of the square. Thus the Lone Star Baptist Church building was spared. Nevertheless, the disturbances that spread through the city could not have failed to affect the believers in the city.
Chaplain Scott’s valuable service at the church continued through August of 1900 when he was persuaded to return to the Phoenix area to promote the Salt River Valley for settlement. What did the people in Phoenix know about him other than as a pastor?
Probably some Phoenicians had learned that the town of Winfield, Kansas was named for him after he preached for the little community. That town, situated along the Walnut River in south-central Kansas, now has a population of 12,400.
They were also aware of Scott’s interest in the Salt River Valley where he had first visited in February of 1888 and, five months later, purchased a plot of 640 acres for $2.50 an acre. He was an ardent believer in the great future of the Territory and appreciated the potential of the Salt River Valley for fruit growing. Winfield and his brother, George, were known as adept farmers and they planted the area in orange, date, fig, and other trees and crops, never dreaming that the plot would be the heart of the second city honoring him in 1894 with its name, the City of Scottsdale, Arizona. The population of Scottsdale, as of the census of 2010, was 217,385.
Thus, Prescott and the Lone Star Baptist Church lost their honored pastor to his beloved Scottsdale in 1900. On October 17, 1910 he had emergency surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix for a strangulated hernia and died two days later. As a result of Scott’s spiritual leadership and influence, the First Baptist Church of Scottsdale was organized on June 12, 1912.
(Dr. Beal is writing a book on the history of the First Baptist Church of Prescott.)
Published in Prescott Courier: December 30, 2012