History

PILGRIM FIRS is named to recall our Pilgrim heritage and our Northwest home.

The site was purchased in spring of 1955 by the Washington Congregational Christian Conference* with a
gift given by Miss Julia Lane in memory of her parents Mr and Mrs Charles H. Lane.
Begining in the fall of 1955 volunteer workers recruited under the chairmanship of Harold C. Herman
contributed the labor that made possible Pilgrim Firs initial development.

Dedication of the main lodge and dining hall as well as the first seven cabins was held on July 29, 1956.
Since that date the camp has been used for the summer Conference program and Conference and local
church activities. The Managers residence was completed in the fall of 1958.

By June of 1959 ten cabins had been completed "completing the boys section" for availablilty in the fall of
1959.

In October of 1976, the main lodge was dedicated as "Madson Lodge" in honor of Pauline and Rev. Eddie
Madson for 20 years of committed and loving service to Pilgrim Firs.

Three additional acres of land were purchased in the early 1980's so that Pilgrim Firs property would
completly surround Lake Flora.

South Lodge, the two story, 4500 square foot sleeping lodge located at the South End of Lake Flora was
completed and dedicated in 1981. It has sleeping capacity of 30 and meeting capacity for up to 80.
Huckleberry House Lodge was completed shortly after South Lodge in the 1980's. It has a sleeping capacity
of 16 and meeting space for up to 28.

At present, pilgrim firs is approximately 120 acres, including 7 acre Lake Flora, four acre play field, 11
sleeping cabins with bathrooms and electric heat, 2 sleeping lodges, small basketball court, volleyball court,
and 60 acres of undeveloped wooded areas. There are sleeping accommodations for up to 125, and dining
capacity is about 150 persons.

While a facility such as Pilgrim Firs will never be "completed" each small addition brings it along in it's total
development as special place of spiritual growth for its users.

THE CABIN NAMES (Historical)
Robert Browne (c1550-1621): Pastor of the first regularly constituted Congregational Church, Norwich
England, 1580.
John Robinson (c1550-1625): Pastor of the Pilgrims in Leyden, 1609-1625.
William Brewster (1560-1644): Lay leader of the Pilgrim s, 1609-1644.
Thomas Hooker (1586-1647): Founder of American constitutional government and of Hartford colony, 1636.
John Winthrop (1586-1647): First governor of Massachusetts Bay colony (1630-1649).
William Bradford (1590-1657): Became governor of Plymouth Plantation in 1621 at age 31.
John Eliot (1604-1690): Apostle to Indians, translated entire bible for Indians by 1663.
Roger Williams (c1604-1683): Advocate of complete separation of church and State; equal protection for all
forms of Religious faith and driven from Salem 1636; founded Providence colony.
Cotton Mather (1663-1728): Most prolific writer of New England Puritanism; Pioneer in establishment of Yale
University.
Horace Bushnell (1802-1876): Father of modern religious education.
Johnathan Edwards (1703-1758): Leader of great awaking through preaching; first American theologian.
Samuel Mills (1738-1818): Haystack Meeting, 1806, proposed work of American Foreign Missions.

*In the early 1960's the Conference name changed to the Washington North Idaho Conference of the United
Church of Christ, then in the late 1990's, it expanded to include Alaska and became The Pacific Northwest
Conference of the United Church of Christ. For more information, please go the conference web site:
www.pncucc.org

For More information about the United Church of Christ and our recent "God is Still Speaking" campaign,
please visit our denomination website, www.ucc.org