Orting United Methodist Church

History of the Orting United Methodist Church

Adapted from the article by Myron E. Thompson

Orting had its beginnings in 1854 when settlers from the first wagon train over Naches Pass arrived and took out donation land claims in and near what is now Orting. The first four settlers were Daniel Varner, Henry and Margaret Whitesell, Thomas Headley, and the Daniel Lane families. In 1856, the Indian War forced these settlers to relocate to Fort Steilacoom for protection. With the conclusion of the Indian problems, Orting was set for its real growth to become a town of note in its day in the upper Puyallup Valley.

1877 appears to be quite important in Orting's history. This was the year when the Northern Pacific Railroad opened its line from Tacoma through Puyallup, Orting, and Wilkeson to export coal from the area. It is also the first year noted in local Methodism when circuit riders began offering their religious services to area residents. Church services were held in Phelps Hall, the old school house, or in the New England Hotel in Orting with the circuit rider.

In 1886, Fredrick E. Eldredge arrived in Orting. While he came as a teacher, he is remembered as the one who platted the townsite and became Orting's first mayor. He donated a lot for the church, which the trustees later exchanged for the one on which the church now stands.

1889 was a turning point in Orting and the state, as well as for the Methodist Church. On April 22 of that year, Orting was incorporated as a 4th class town in Washington Territory. On November 11, Washington State became a reality. Less than a month later, the Orting Methodist Episcopal Church celebrated its first official day on December 9, when R.E. Welts, J.R. Chapman, O.C. Hutchins, and Gideon Wescott signed the papers of incorporation.

The church members then put their efforts into the construction of a building. In 1890, the lot where the church now stands was purchased. By the fall of 1891, services were held in the new church building. On January 29, 1892, the building was packed with people and the new church was dedicated. The church since then has had additions, been remodeled, and has remained a beacon of faith to the city of Orting through all these years at the same location.

With the exception of a few Sundays during epidemics, such as the influenza epidemic of the World War I period, services have been held every Sunday in this historic edifice. Early services used gasoline lamps for light and a wood stove for heat. The 1885 Bible used in those services is still on display in the fellowship hall.

Today, the church is the sole known remaining example of its period in the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church whihc has been continuously occupied by a Methodist congregation.

Methodism in Orting can fondly look back on 125 years of serving the community, with 113 of those years as an official congregation that will continue to carry the torch of the church forward to the next generation.

Ministers of Orting United Methodist Church