Klickitat Valley Church  

The Klickitat Valley Church had members from Hartland Wash. to Dalles Ore. about a 50 square mile area. 

The first Brethren in the valley were the Rothrock family, who came in 1879 from the Salem, Oregon area and homesteaded at Hartland, WA on the High Prairie. About the same time Jacob C. Shermer & Family settled east of the Rothrock's near Goldendale, Wash. In August of 1880 Elder David Brower visited the Brethren in the valley.

The following is taken from Elder David Brower's diary.

Tuesday August 3, 1880
Boarded the boat (Portland) at 5 o'clock AM., arrived at Klickitat landing at 4 P.M., met Dwight Rothrock who brought me out to Michael Rothrock's, sister Mary Rothrock was anointed, she having poor health, Lodged at M Rothrock.

Wednesday August 4, 1880
Perry Rothrock took me to Bro. J. C. Shermer, he was not at home, met Bro. David Ives & Wife, then to Charley Hartley, supped there, thence to M. Rothrock, lodged there.

In the fall of 1800 Marion Andrew & family moved to the Dallas, Oregon  from Calf. and Allen Ives & family moved from Kansas to near his daughter and son-in-law's (Shermer) place at Goldendale, on the Washington side of the river. In November Elder Brower returned to Klickitat Valley.

Again we look at the Brower Diary:
Saturday November 20, 1880
Council meeting at Bro. J. C. Shermer, organized church called Klickitat Valley Church., Meeting that night a M. R. (Rothrock) Text Matthew 7 Ch. 21. Many out. Lodged at Bro. M Andrews. 

The following report was by Allen Ives to the Brethren a Work, which published it on January 18, 1881:
By request of Brother David Brower, of Salem, Oregon, I write this for publication. On the 7th November last myself and family arrived safely in the Klickitat Valley. One week later Brother David Brower came to us for the purpose of holding a series of meetings with the scattered members in this part of god's moral vineyard. We had nine public meetings. A council meeting was held, Brother Brower thinking it good to have us organized. Fifteen members were present, all of whom, after unanimously consulting, agreed that we form a church organization, to be under the care of Brother Brower, assisted by the writer. We accordingly organized, to be know as the Klickitat Church.... Those were the first meeting ever held in the country by the Brethren... Allen Ives

This is a list of the 14 known charter members out of the 15.

1. Michael Rothrock
2. Mary Elizabeth Rothrock (wife)
3. Marion Andrews
4. Elizabeth Andrews (wife)
5. Nancy Andrews (Mother of Marion)
6. Jacob C Shermer
7. Catherine (Ives) Shermer (wife)
8. David Ives
9. Bessie Ives (wife)
10. Elder Allen Ives
11. Mary K Ives (wife)
12. Emma E Shearer
13. Thomas Andrews
14. Morris Rothrock
15.
 

Bro. Marion Andrews and family moved to Oysterville, Wash. on the coast  in 1881.

The Allen Ives & Jacob Shermer family had move to Portland, Oregon by 1883 and then on to Centralia, Wash. in 1889.

This left only the Rothrock and Shearer families in the Valley and the congregation just fell by the way side. No church house was build for this organization and not much else is known about this congregation.

Nov. 2000 
Dennis Roth