VIEWED from its present status, with eleven organized churches and two societies holding regular services, the story of the growth of Christian Science in Chicago, the great metropolis of the middle West, is one of such marvelous progress as to seem almost incredible, in view of the comparatively brief time since this healing truth, which is today an established part of Chicago life and constantly increasing in importance and influence, first found a hearing.
It was not long after the organization of The Mother Church, that one or two of Mrs. Eddy's earlier students began the practice of Christian Science in Chicago. Like all new movements, the start was slow, although in the spring of 1884, the date of Mrs. Eddy's first visit, the truth had been demonstrated to such purpose as to justify the holding of a meeting of about a dozen persons, who bore testimony to their healing through Christian Science and declared their allegiance to the new religion. At this time, too, Mrs. Eddy taught a class of twenty-eight students, some of whom had come from other parts of the West in their desire for instruction, and also delivered a public lecture before an audience which comfortably filled a small hall across the street from McVicker's Theater. It was two years later, however, before the cause had established itself firmly enough to justify an attempt at organization. A meeting was called at the Sherman House in 1886 for the purpose of organizing a church and holding regular services, and Weber Hall was the first church home.
Fresh impetus was given to the work by Mrs. Eddy's second visit, in June, 1888, when she attended a convention of the National Christian Scientist Association, and delivered her famous address, "Science and the Senses" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 98), in which she referred to Chicago as "the miracle of the Occident," before an audience which completely filled Central Music Hall. About one hundred of Mrs. Eddy's students were seated on the platform at the time of this meeting, and she was afterward given a large public reception in the parlors of the Palmer House. So steadily did the interest increase that soon the services were transferred to the old Methodist Church Block, and subsequently Kim-ball Hall was secured.
