A Brief History

From its humble beginnings at the Railroad Station in 1870

Beginnings...
On the morning of May 23, 1867, Daniel Sylvester Tuttle, 30  years old and newly consecrated Missionary Bishop of Montana, Idaho and Utah, left his wife, baby son and a comfortable life in the East to make the arduous and very dangerous journey to the Wild West. So began the history of the Episcopal Church in Utah.

​When Bishop Tuttle came through Ogden, he held two church services in the Ogden Railroad Depot. Deciding to establish a church in Ogden, he selected the newly-Ordained James Lee Gillogly as its minister. On 30th June 1870, the day after marrying Lydia Webster, the Gilloglys left Connecticut for the two week train journey to Ogden.

​At first, services and Sunday School were conducted in the station Waiting Room. Gillogly then rented an abandoned saloon for both church services and a day school.

In 1871 the Gillogly’s bought the corner of land on which Good Shepherd Church now stands, thanks to a $1500 donation from Mr Wolfe of New York City. The old tannery on this land was done up for both a church and a school. A bell was donated and, when it was rung on January 18th 1874, it was the first church bell ever heard in Ogden.

Early in 1874 Bishop Tuttle decided to build a memorial church in Ogden (still called Junction City). The money came from John Hammersley of New York in memory of his daughter, Catherine Livingston who had died in childbirth. On April 29, 1874 the cornerstone was laid by Bishop Tuttle.
Building stones were hauled by oxen from Mendon, Utah to build this little Gothic –style Church. Simple stained glass windows and furnishings were all given as memorials. Two marble plaques, one in memory of James Gillogly and one in memory of Catherine Livingston, were later placed on the walls either side of the altar. (In 1978 they were moved to the back of the church). The church was consecrated on February 6th 1875.

 James Gillogly was a conscientious priest and during his ten years the school grew and was rebuilt, new congregations set up and served in neighboring areas and a cemetery purchased for Episcopalians.
Although by 1880 his health was failing, he continued to work hard until his death on February 4, 1881. Although originally buried in the cemetery he purchased, his remains and monument were later removed to Mountain View cemetery, where it can still be seen.
In 1899 Good Shepherd became an incorporated body for religious, charitable and educational purposes.
When public schools came to Utah about 1900, the school building became superfluous, and was eventually sold. It appears the money funded the addition of the north-south wing in 1906.

In 1924 a pipe organ replaced the reed organ and remained until the present organ was installed in 1988.
Priests came and went. Good Shepherd often struggled financially, but much good work was undertaken.

As with most churches, Good Shepherd thrived following WWII. A new altar and a reredos were installed in 1949 and the Good Shepherd window at the back of the church was put in. This window and all future windows were made by Mr Skinner of Charles Connick in Boston, Mass., and donated in memory by members of the congregation. The last was installed in 1970. Continued growth in numbers and activities necessitated a further addition to the building. This, begun in 1952, proved to be inadequate, so a larger project was undertaken in 1956. These buildings not only enabled a flourishing Sunday School, they also provided opportunities for outreach in the community. On June 5, 1977 a covenant was signed between St Joseph’s Church and Good Shepherd, which led to much shared community work, including the eventual formation of St Anne’s Homeless Center. In 1978 the church was remodeled inside to its present design. Today’s altar was given as a memorial, as were other memorials to finish the Sanctuary area. The courtyard was also redesigned at this time. In the 1980s the Good Shepherd Foundation was established to assist with maintenance of the buildings. In 1987 a spacious Columbarium was located on the north side of the church. Under Father Scott Hayashi (now Bishop of Utah) the Ulster Project continued, giving Irish Catholic and Protestant youngsters a vacation together. Youth Impact was also started at Good Shepherd, but outgrew our space. In Father Adam Linton’s tenure the Latino congregation was formed. In 2010 the new Ed and Mary Garrison Educational Center was added, offering further opportunities for Good Shepherd. In the 1930s/40s there was thought of building a new church, but the idea was abandoned. Eventually, in 1973, Good Shepherd went on both the National and Local Registers for Historic Buildings. We have no intention of leaving this beautiful little church in the center of Ogden, though we hope one day to add another chapel at the far end of our educational wing.