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The first church building in Riverton was a small white
frame structure located on the north side of East Main Street only one year after the town was founded. Built in 1907 under
the direction of Father John Roberts, an Episcopal priest, it was named St. James Episcopal Church. Father Roberts conducted
services at this mission church until 1913.
The church's namesake was James, the son of Zebedee, a Galilean fisherman, and Salome, a woman whose faithful attention to
Jesus Christ earned her recognition in her own right. James was the older brother of John. Both were called as disciples of
Jesus just after Simon Peter and Andrew were called. James, along with John and Peter, are often mentioned together in scripture,
having been witnesses to the raising of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration, and Christ's ordeal in the garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus is said to have referred to James and John as Boanerges or Sons of Thunder because they were similarly quick to anger
and zealous in everything they did.
After Jesus' ascension to heaven, according to generally accepted versions of James' story, it was James who was especially
zealous in his evangelization efforts and his travels took to him Spain and other locations. Returning from those travels
to Judea, he was martyred in 44 a.d.
In 1915 Mrs. Baird Cooper, donor of the money for the original building, also gave as a gift the money for a brick rectory
which has since become the west wing of the present building.
In 1931 construction of a new log church building was begun, using logs donated by Ricker Van Metre of the Wyoming Tie & Timber
Company. That log church was built on the site of the present church and consecrated in 1934. Jewett Hall was added in 1952.
The mission became a parish in 1948.
Deterioration of the logs made it necessary demolish that building in late 1973. During construction of the new building,
services were held in Jewett Hall. On December 1, 1974, the present building was consecrated.
An addition, providing a nursery and three classrooms was completed in 1992. This North Wing classroom addition was funded
in part by a United Thank Offering grant. The offices of the church are located in this wing. A chapel and a study area is
located in the old rectory. The Sacristy is located in the old rectory kitchen, and the upstairs bedrooms of the old rectory
were turned into classrooms.
St. James' Rectors
The Rev. A.H.F. Watkins; January 1, 1915 to May 1917
The Rev. Francis James Chipp; June 10, 1917 to June 11, 1922
The Rev. Thomas E. Winecoff; November 1, 1925 to 1927
The Rev. Zachary T. Vincent; April 7, 1940 to October 26, 1941
The Rev. James L. Ellis; December 14, 1941 to March 15, 1942
The Rev. W. Hewton Ward; April 5, 1942 to December 3, 1944
The Rev. Zachary T. Vincent; December 10, 1944 to September 30, 1945
The Rev. Blias Sever; November 1, 1945 to May 28, 1947
The Rev. Glenn S. Reddick; August 3, 1947 to May 25, 1952
The Rev. Bruce Henry Cooke; October 1, 1952 to October 1, 1955
The Rev. John Warren Day, Jr.; November 15, 1960 to December 31, 1969
The Rev. Robert M. Moody; September 1, 1970 to December 31, 1974
The Rev. John M. Galagan; September 15, 1975 to July 30, 1980
The Rev. Joseph M. Harte, Jr.; September 14, 1980 to January 5, 1992
The Rev. Michael Van Phillips; June 15, 1992 to September 30, 1998
The Rev. Russell E. Peck; August 1, 2000 to October 1, 2005
The Rev. Linda R. Wilson; January 15, 2006 to January 2007 (Interim Rector)
Rev. Linda Wilson and the Rev. Tommy Means continue to serve the church as ministry developers for the Diocese of Wyoming.
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