Early pioneer men of the Cloth who came to Dakota Territory to carry the Gospel to the settlers were a hardy breed. Outstanding among these men was the Rev. James Harvey Baldwin.
Coming to Dakota Territory in the winter of 1878-1879, Rev. Baldwin first headquartered at Jamestown where he organized a Sunday School. At the same time, using his railroad pass, he preached at and organized churches at Mapleton, Tower City and Buffalo as well as aided in organizing a Congregational Church in Valley City.
Born in New York state in 1814, he came to Barnes County at the late age of 64. Records indicate that he filed on land near Tower City and he lived in Tower City for many years before retiring to Cooperstown, North Dakota to the home of his son, A. M. Baldwin.
During his years in Tower City, he organized the Presbyterian Church there in 1881 and worked out from that location to organize other churches in three counties. A list of churches established by the Rev. Baldwin includes Mapleton, Casselton, Buffalo, Tower City, Valley City, Jamestown, Cooperstown, Ayr, Page, Colgate, Broadlawn, Galesburg, Erie, Mardell, Riverside, Hannaford and Baldwin Township.
The Church in Baldwin Township he called "The Child of my Old Age" since it was organized in his later years. He did not live to preach in the new church building, built at the turn of the century.
The Reverend Baldwin died at Cooperstown, North Dakota on May 7, 1902 at the age of 88.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 22