This church was organized November 3, 1857, as St. Mary Magdalene’s Church, by Rev. Lewis R. Staudenmayer, John H. Stringfellow, Joseph P. Carr, G. W. Bowman, William O. Gould, John M. Maury, James W. Stringfellow and Daniel Adams. The Rev. L. R. Staudenmayer, a German, of middle age, was the first pastor, and the first property owned by the parish was at the northeast corner of Kansas avenue and Ninth street, where a small rectory was built in 1859. The first vestry was as follows: Richard C. Mackall, A. Hanson Weightman, James L. McClure, Philipp Link, John M. Maury and Joseph P. Carr, and in October, 1859, a committee from the vestry was authorized to procure estimates for building a church on its property upon Kansas avenue at a cost of $1,500. The foundation for this edifice was laid and some money expended, but the resignation of Mr. Staudenmayer in January, 1860, and his removal from the city, brought to a standstill the construction of the edifice. The court house and Price’s Hall were used as places of worship for ten years. The Rev. Faber Byllsby succeeded Mr. Staudenmayer, and in 1863 the Rev. John E. Ryan succeeded Mr. Byllsby. After Mr. Ryan’s resignation, in September, 1864, Bishop Thomas H. Vail was made rector of the church, and notwithstanding the manifold duties which pressed upon him as bishop of the diocese, he gave much of his time to his work here, with the assistance of his son-in-law, Rev. John Bakewell, who proved to be a very successful rector. It was during his rectorship that agitation for a new church building was started, and due to the efforts of Mr. Bakewell, Col. William Osborne, Richard A. Park, Judge Otis and E. S. Wills, the present church edifice at the corner of Utah avenue and Fifth street was erected, at a cost of $20,000. It is built of stone, in the early English style of Gothic architecture, slate roof and interior finished in black walnut and pine, and stands today one of the ornaments of Atchison. In 1871 Mr. Bakewell resigned and was succeeded by Rev. F. Nelson Meade in January, 1872, and continued in charge until April, 1874, when he was succeeded by the Rev Thomas G. Garver, who resigned in September, 1875. Rev. Frank O. Osborne became rector in February, 1876, and was succeeded by Rev. Abiel Leonard. Rev. M. Leonard found a congregation of 150 communicants, who in May, 1882, erected a two-story brick rectory on T street for him. It was during the Rev. Mr. Leonard’s rectorship that St. Andrew’s Mission, on west Commercial street, was built. Mr. Leonard was succeeded by the Rev. Francis K. Brooke, who in turn was succeeded by the Rev. John Henry Hopkins, who built a parish house adjoining the church, which was opened for use in 1905. Upon the resignation of Mr. Hopkins, Rev. John E. Sulger became rector, but he remained only a short time, and was succeeded by the Rev. John Henry Molineux. Rev. William R. Cross succeeded Mr. Molineux, and then came the Rev. Francis S. White, who