USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > Directory City of Detroit, 1837 > Part 2
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There were two or three other small buildings then on Larned street, such as the Belcher house, the Gobeille house, (both in the rear of Mr. Wendell's, ) and another . near Griswold street.
The Catholic Church was then held in the house of Mr. La Salle on a farm about two miles below town- now Major Stanton's. There was not a place of public worship in Detroit.
The stores in the place then were H. I. Hunt's, Mack and Conant's, A. Edwards, J. R. Williams, P. J. Desnoy- nrs, P. Lecuyer's, &c. The taverns were Whipple's, Smyth's, Palmer's and Woodworth's. There were four Lawyer's and two Doctors.
Not a vessel, which then navigated the Lakes was owned in Detroit. There were but three or four then on Lake Erie, and most of them belonged to the British. A public vessel-the brig Hunter, was the more ordinary means of water communication beer can ~ woit and But- falo. The road around the Lake was not practicable for wheels, one third of the distance and, at certain parts of the year, was scarcely practice de for a horse. No road Ind out of Detroit except up and down the river. The
MISTORY OF DETROIT.
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mail was brought in on horseback once a week, in a small mail bag, which in bad travelling, was borne on a man's shoulders through the Black Swamp. It thus continued. to be brought until 1827, when the first line of wheel car- riages was established between Detroit and Ohio.
The military grounds were occupied by Fort Shelby . and the Infantry cantonment, and a few out buildings .- Fort Shelby which stood at the intersection of Fort and Shelby streets, was thrown up by Major Le Noult (the British commander) in 1777, and was thrown down in [827, after that part of the military ground had been ce- ded to Detroit. The cantonment was built in 1815-10. occupying nearly the square between Fort. Wayne. La- Fayette streets, and Gov. Cass' line. It was a quadrau- : gle of one story log buildings, about three hundred feet . long. It was pulled down, or removed in parts, between 1827 and 1832: The remnants of it are in various parts of the city. The recent city court room was the court martial and dancing hall of the cantonment ; it was me- ved to the rear of the late Presbyterian church, and used as a session-room ; and afterwards removed to its present site in the rear of the Methodist church. Judge M'Don- . ald's late residence on the corner of Fort and Shelby streets, was the quarters of the commanding officer of the Fort ; and the quarters of the commanding officer of the cantonment still remain on the back part of lots No. 9 - and 10, Congress street, partly in the alley behind. The adjutant's office was the sinall building now standing on the rear of Col. Brooks' Jot. The military burying ground 3 occupied most of the square formed by Fort, Shelby. La- fayette and Griswold streets. ' During the year 1828 the bones of the bodies deposited there were removed to the new burying ground, and the surface was taken off three or four feet, in order to fill up the embankment, then be- . ing constructed on the whole water front of the city-
The City of Detroit was incorporated by an act passed by the Governor and Judges on the 4th day of October 1815. By this act the municipal authority was invested in five trustees, a secretary, an assessor, a collector and a city marshal, who were to be chosen on the first day in
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HISTORY OF DETROIT.
May annually, by the freeholders or householders of the city'paying an annual rent of forty dollars, and such othe er persons who should be admitted to the freedom of the corporation by a majority of the electors at their annual meeting:
In 1817, J. P. Sheldon Esq. commenced the publica- ·tion of the "Detroit Gazette,", which was the first suc- cessful newspaper printed in the territory.
Gen. John R. Williams was elected first mayor of the city in the year 1824. On the 26th day of March 1836 the legislature passed an act extending the limits of the corporation. : By this and previous acts the boundarice of the city are defined as follows : Southerly by the na tional line in the Detroit river ; Easterly by the upper line of the Witherell farm, so called ; Northerly by the "township line of Greenfield, and Westerly by the lower line of De Garmo Jones' farm.
CHURCHES.
There are seven Churches in Detroit :- two Catholic -one Episcopalian-one Presbyterian-one Methodist -one Baptist-and one German Lutheran. . 4
THE CATHOLICS .--- The history of the Catholic Church in this city extends back to a period preceding its first . settlement by the French. Before the establishment of a military post on the Detroit River in 1701, the Catho- lic missionaries had spread over these extensive coun- tries, from here to New Orleans, (commonly called at that time Louisiana ;)-and the pioneering of these zeal- ous and intripid men in extending the gospel of Christ, was afterwards followed up by the establishment of mili- tary posts, at such points as were deemed most impor- tant in commanding the trade of the natives, and securing the possession of the country against other European ad- venturers. Accompanying every military expedition of that day in these vast wilds, where almost intolerable suffering and privation had to be borne, was always to be found a Catholic priest, who when a military post was . erected, was generally stationed as chaplain. The mili- tary detachment sent out from Montreal in 1701 to es- tablish a post on the Detroit river, was, like similar ex- peditions, accompanied by a chaplain, and who was pro- bably the first catholic priest regularly stationed at De- ' troit. But a great many of the Jesuits at an earlier pe- riod had undertaken, and very successfully too, the labo- rious task of civilizing and bring over to the flock of Christ, the aborigines of the country in every direction ; but after the withdrawal of the Jesuits from the field of labor, owing to the suppression of their order by Pope Ganganelli, the Indians returned to their wilds. Father
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HISTORY OF DETROIT.
Basle,* who visited this country in 1691, found missiona- ries of his own order at Mackinac, Arbre, Voche, Green Bay, St. Joseph, and also among the Illinois Indians near the Mississippi. Father Marquet, another Jesuit, had already established several missions thirty years previ ous to that time.
Setting out from Quebec in the spring, the missiona ries generally reached Mackinac in the fall, where they would remain through the winter, and continue their journey the ensuing spring to the Mississippi.
Under Louis XIV, a great number of French Catho- lics emigrated to America, and pushed their steps to wards Detroit, Monroe, Mackinac, Point St.Ignace, (near Mackinac) Green Bay, &c., as the records still extant af the Presbytery of Michilimacinac, clearly exhibit.
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After the suppression of the Jesuits, only one Priest was left successively residing at Fort Detroit (then call; ed Ponchartrain,) to administer to the spiritual wants all over Michigan.
The following is a list of priests stationed at Detroit beginning in the year 1703.
A. D. A. D.
Rev. Father Constantin De La Halle, from 1703 to 1706 Dominie De La Marche 1706 " 1707
Cherubin Denieau
1707 " 171.
Heacinthe Pelifresne
1715 " 1718
Calvarin V. G. of the missions of the Ta- maruas, Jean Mercier of the foreign mission of ( 1718 " 1719 Paris,
D. Thaumur, Pantoin Delins
1719 " 1723
P. Bonaventure, who removed the body of Fa.Constantin De La Halle to the then new Church of St. Ann
1722 " 1735 1735 " 1738 1738 “ 175
P. Daniel
P. Bonaventure, again
De La Richardie a Jesuit, resided at the Island of Bois Blanc at this time.
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Simple Boquet :
1754 4 1782
Hubert, cure of the assumption and af- terwards Bishop of Quebec 1782
Payet 1782 " 1786
Peter Frichette 1786 " 1796
Michael Levadoux 1796 # 1802
Gabriel Richard, Vic. Gen. Sulpicien 1789 " 1822
The very Rev. Gabriel Richard officiated alone near- ly 24 years, but was afterwards assisted, at different pe- riods, by the Rev, Messrs. Janvier, Bertrand, Badin, Jr. Billamy, Dejoin, Hermand, Ganilh, Kelly, Smith,* Badin sen., Cummings, and Carabin.
In 1821 the late Right Rev. Dr. Fenwick became bish- op of Cincinnati and administrator of Michigan. This prelate used all his energies to provide pastors for the dispersed flock, some of whom, viz :- the Catholics of Green Bay, had at one time been 26 years without see- ing a priest,
In 1833, Michigan was erected into a diocess, and the Right Rev. Dr. Frederick Rese, a native of the king- dom of Hanover, educated in the college of Propa- ganda in Rome was appointed the first bishop of Detroit with jurisdiction over Michigan and the northwestern territory, Bishop Rese was consecrated at Cincinnati (of which place he had been vicar general, and also apos- tolic administrator after the demise of bishop Fenwick,) by Dr. Rosati, bishop of St. Louis, on the 6th of Octo- ber 1833 ; the consecration sermon being preached by the Rev. J. Mullen.
The Bishop arrived at Detroit on the 7th of January 1834 ; since which time the number of clergymen has been considerably increased. At present there are thir- ty priests administering to the spiritual wants of a Cath- olic population of from 20,000 to 24,000 souls, composed of 3000 converted Indians, 8000 English, Irish, Ameri- cans, and Germans ; and the remainder of the descen- dants of the French.
*This individual some time ago became an apostate, is now one of the noble Trium of the Maria Monk humbug, and reviles the catholles with as much viru- leace as he formerly did the protestants of every denomination.
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"This exemplary divine who murdered at the foot of the cross at the malasie acar Boston, by the British troops , August 20, 1784.
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HISTORY OF DETROIT.
The first Catholic church in Detroit was erected about 114 years ago. It stood on Jefferson Avenue near the site of Levi Cook & Co's. present store, and was destroy- ed in the general conflagration of 1805; after which event, a tent was erected on the commons where the Catholics held their religious meetings, and attended di -: vine service.
The Cathedral of St. Anne was commenced in 1817 by the very Rev. Gabriel Richard, delegato to Congress from this territory, under whose direction it was a little better than half completed when he died, in 1832, but was finally finished some time after the present bishop of Detroit took possession of his sce.
This edifice stands in Larned street, between Bates and Randolph streets. It is built of hammered granite, · of an excellent quality, and measures 116 feet by 60 feet in the clear. The style of the building is Roman Doric, finished in front with two steeples, ornamented with Iron crosses. On the centre of the roof is an octagonel dome, 30 feet high and 30 feet in diameter. The or- chestre, situate immediately over the front door, contains one of the largest organs in the United States,
CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY .- The Cathedral of St. Anne accommodated Catholic members of three dif- ferent nations, and instructions were accordingly given in French, English and German. The English congre- gation however, increasing fast in numbers, a church for- merly occupied by the Presbyterians, was procured for them, was blessed and dedicated to the Holy Trinity by the Right Rev. Bishop Rese, (the Rev. Bernard O'- Cavanagh preaching the dedicatory sermon) on Trinity Sunday, A. D. 1835. This church which is a plain frame building with a steeple, measures 80 fect by 40 feet, and is even now found to be too small for its present congregation. It is therefore, in contemplation to dispose of it, and erect a splendid church on the ground. appertaining to St. Anne, and parallel with it, for the English, Irish, and American Catholics.
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HISTORY OF DETROIT.
p FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The first Protestant minister employed in this city, was the Rev. John Monteith, now teacher of a High School, in Elyria, Ohio. He came to Detroit ' about twenty years since, and remained here between five and six years. . Mr. Monteith at first preached in what was then called the "Council House.". During his ministry, the first house for Protestant worship was erected, and was called the "Presbyterian Church." It is still stand- ing and occupied by the Irish Catholics. Under the min- istry of Mr. Monteith, the first. Protestant Church wan organized, and had no other style or designation, being 'composed of Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists.
No creed was adopted, but the form'of organization was Presbyterian. .
The next minister employed by this church was the . Rev. Joshua Moore, from Virginia. Mr. Moore began his labors here in A. D. 1822, but continued them only, for a short time.' He was succeeded by an Episcopal clergyman, the Rev. John Weston, who officiated as pastor of the same mixed congregation. A Methodist minister took the place of Mr. Weston. The ministry of Mr. Weston and his immediate "successor, was short. The Rev. Mr. Cadle of the Episcopal denomination, thent commenced preaching here, but the return of Mr. Moore being anticipated, Mr. Cadle soon left.
A portion of the society at length withdrew, and com- menced the organization of the present Episcopal church in this city, and about the same time, another portion, united in the formation of the present Methodist church.
In the year 1825, the Rev. Noah M. Wells, of Brown- ville, N. Y. was invited to became the minister of the original Protestant congregation, and which, after the before mentioned .secessions, was composed chiefly of Presbyterians. Mr. Wells accepted the invitation, and continued his pastoral labors till the spring of 1833, when ill health compelled him. to desist.> Mr. Wells,was a graduate of Union College, was afterwards a tutor in that College, and was twice settled before his removal to Detroit. In the same year with the commencement
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HISTORY OF DETROIT.
of Mr. Wells' ministry, the form and name of the first Protestant church were changed to that of the first Pres byterian church. while the designation of the society con- nected with it, remains unchanged to the present time. The first Presbyterian church was originally taken un der the care of the Presbytery of Geneva, but soon be- came a part of the Detroit Presbytery, on it's being erec" ted by an order from the General Assembly. Owing to the uncertain state of his health, Mr. We'ls was never installed in this place. During the interval between the ministry of Mr. Wells and that of the present incumbent the desk was supplied chiefly by the Rev. George Hof- nell of Auburn, Oakland county, Michigan, and the Rev George Sheldon of Olin. In September 1833, the church and congregation presented a unanimous call to the Rev John P. Cleaveland, then Pa-tor of the "Tabernacle Church," in Salem, Mass. The call was accepted, ane Mr. Cleaveland entered upon his ministry here, on the first Sabbath in June, 1834. The society had just com menced the erection of their present spacious house of worship, but owing to the interruption of the work, og casioned by a dreadful visitation of the Cholera, it we not dedicated till. May 1835. On the day of its dedica tion, Mr. Cleaveland was regularly installed Pastor the church and congregation.
Mr. Cleaveland is a native of the county in which was first settled-was graduated at Bowdoin College 1821, and pursued his theological studies, first, at And ver, and afterwards under the private direction of Rev. Thomas C. Upham, now a Professor in Bowdo College. The present number of communicants in. th Presbyterian church is about 102.
This Church is situate on Woody rd Avenue at corner of Larned street.
Its extreme length is one hundred fect. Length, e clusive of the portico. ninety feet. Breadth of the hous 60 feet. The general style of the house is Grecian. front is a pediment, supported by six Doric Columns, feet in height. The house is built of brick. with to side galleries, a spacious orchestra, and a large Libra consecrated the church on a subsequent visit.
HISTORY OF DETROIT.
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room, in the rear. The number of pews is a hundred and forty-six. The pulpit, which is an open one, stands in the rear, and the orchestra in front.
The steeple isa hundred and thirty feet in height, & consists of three sections-"a" base, a belfry, and a dial section, with a spire thirty feet in height. Cost of the house, exclusive of the land, 825,000. This edifice is deemed one of the best churches in the Western States : and by those who have seen the inside, the beauty and finish of the building have been often noticed. It is arch- ed, and the arch is divided into four pannels, enclosing a quadrangle, which cverhangs the centre of the floor .-- The quadrangle is ornamented with two elegant centre- pieces, from each of which, is suspended a bronsed chan- delier.
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PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The first Episcopal clergyman who resided in Detroit was the Rev. Alanson W. Welton, in the year 1821 .- He was there in the capacity of a teacher, and occasion- ally performed the church service for the few Episcopa- lians of the place. He died of the epidemic which pre- vailed at that time.
In the year 1824, the Rev. Richard F. Cadle came to Detroit and established, in due form, the present Episco- pal society, under the denomination of St. Paul's Church. His services were performed during the first year, in a public building at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Randolph street, known as the "Council House." It was an humble beginning, as, for some time, scarcely more than "two or three gathered together" to hear him .-- But he was ardent in his zeal and sanguine in his hopes, and found himself, after a year or two, in a neat church, with a respectable and gradually increasing congrega- tion. By the liberal exertions of a few persons belong- ing to the church, a brick edifice was erected, which cost between four and five thousand dollars. The corner stone was laid by the Right Rev. Bishop Hobart, who
In 1829, Mr. Cadle left his charge in Detroit to super-
,
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HISTORY OF DETROIT.
intend the missionary establishment at Green Bay, an ar- duous and responsible duty. He was succeeded by the Rev. Richard Berry, who remained with his charge until 1833, when he was obliged, by a severe malady, to seek ca'new climate for the recovery of his health. The con- gregation constantly increased under this pious and ex- cellent rector.
The Rev. Addison Searle, a chaplain in the Navy, suc- ceeded, after some interval, to the care of the church, intending to resign his commission and become perma- nently settled, as soon as he ascertained that his services were acceptable and useful. He soon had many proofs of both, as the demand for pews in a short time became so great as to authorise an enlargement of the church .- This was done by extending its rear, adding about one third to its length: Under the addition was made a Sun- day School room for the accomodation of a school which had been organized by Mr. Cadle in the outset of his ministry. The sittings have recently been increased in number by the addition of a spacious gallery around the. - church.
; In the winter of 1834-5, Mr. Searle was induced, by reasons connected with his health and salary to with- draw from his charge, and resume his duties in the Na- vy.
This event was much regretted at the time, as it left the congregation destitute at a season of the year when a substitute could hardly be procured. But it opened a door to a change in the diocess which is likely to result in its lasting benefit. Embracing within its boundaries a sufficient number of presbyters to authorise the election of a bishop, it was determined that a rector should be Invited to take charge of St. Paul's church, who would be fitted for the high office of a Bishop. The Rev. Dr. Whitehouse of Rochester, N. Y. being favorably known by many of the congregation for his eloquence and piety, was accordingly elected at the ensuing convention, Bish- op of. the Diocess of Michigan. Doctor Whitehouse had been previously consulted on the subject as far as delica- cy would permit, and a strong hope was entertained that So would accept the office. But the diocess was disap-
HISTORY OF DETROIT.
pointed, and the church of St. Paul had to endure yet another season of spiritual destitution.
In the spring of 1836, under a new canon of the church, an application was made by the diocess for the selection of a Bishop, with an"info mal intimation, based on an unanimous vote of the r nbers of the convention then assembled, that the Rev. Samuel A. McCoskry of Phila- delphia would be accepted to both the diocess and the church of St. Paul, of the latter of which he was invited to become the rector. Some unforeseen difficulties, ari- sing from an unsettled construction of the new canon, embarrassed the application for a time, but in July of the same year, the Rev. Dr. McCoskry was consecrated Bishop of the diocese of Michigan, and accepted the office of Rector of St. Paul's church, Detroit. "He arrived in Michigan the following August, and the church, through- out the state, is now prospering under the influences his eloquence, devotion and efficiency.
SAINT PAUL'S CHURCH is situated in .Woodward Ave- nue, between Larned and Congress streets. Its order of Architecture is Gothic. The. body of the building is brick, and measures, exclusive of the vestry room, 90 feet by 50 feet ... The front is flanked with a buttress at each angle, with two regular offsets, crowned and ornamea- ted with a spiral roof, triangular caps, crockets and balls. The height of the buttress to the top of the spiral roof is 54 feet. The front entrance is a Gothic door, handsome- ly ornamented with two: columns on each side, which group and meet in the centre of the arch above. On : each side of the door is a Gothic window, ornamented with an architrave trefoil band. The tower to the top of the pinnacles is 115 feet in height, and 18 feet square at its base. It is composed of two sections-the first fin- ishi with a block cornice and battloment ballustrade ; and the second section finished with alarge cove cornice and castelated ballustrade. The pinnacles . that finish the top of this section are two feet and a half square, and twenty-two feet high, crowned and ornamented with a spiral roof, triangular caps, crockets and balls. The flanks of the building contain five Gothic windows, each finish- ed with a pannel ballustrade.' The inside contains three
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HISTORY OF DETROIT.
galleries-the pulpit and orchestra in the rear, and a su- . perior organ with four stops. The galleries are suppor- ted by well finished quatrefoil columns.
The whole presents an imposing appearance, and re- fleets much credit on the architect.
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THE BAPTIST CHURCH of this city originated in the year 1826, when a few persons entertaining similar views in regard to the ordinance of Baptism, and stand- ing in connexion with other Churches of this order in va- rious parts of the country from which they had emigra- ted, formed themselves into a Conference, for purposes of mutual encouragement, exhortation and prayer. They enjoyed preaching on the Sabbath from ministers occa- sionally passing through the place. The Rev. Henry Davis, now of Brockport, N. Y. was the first regular minister who remained with them any length of time .- He came here in the latter part of the year 1826, and continued with them for about a year and a half. Du- ring this period, the members composing the Conference being joined by some other persons belonging to the Baptist denomination, were regularly constituted into a Church. This took place on the 21st of October 1827. At that time they met for public worship in the Acade- my. In 1831, they applied for admission into The Mi- chigan Baptist Association, and were successful in their . application. About this time, a small Church was erec- ted for their accommodation, at the corner of Fort and . Griswold streets, on a lot of land which was generously given to them by the city. Here they continued to meet for worship till the erection of their present convenient and handsome edifice, the building of which, was com- menced in the year 1833, and finished in that of 1834.
The present pastor of the Church, the Rev. Robert Turnbull, was educated at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Church is now in a more prosper- ous condition than it has ever formerly been. By their own efforts, and the generous assistance of the citizens generally, their financial affairs have been brought to a prosperous condition, whilst the number of attendants upon divine worship has been gradually increasing.
HISTORY OF DETROIT.
The Church stands on an elevated site at the corme! of Fort and Griswold streets. It is a plain, substantia; "and well proportioned brick building, 70 feet in length and 50 feet in width, with a steeple and dome of consid- erable architectural beauty. The general style of the building is Ionic. The steeple is divided into three ser- tions, a base, a belfry and a dial-the first is square, thu serond is in part octagon, suspended on the corners his pilastern recessed back on the sides, and supported by iluted Ionic columns ; and the third is octagan suppor- ied by pillasters. Each section is encompassed by an open balustrade, supported by a pedestal on the angles, and capped with a handsome urn. The whole is crowned with a magnificent dome, the top of which is 100 feet from the ground. Three doors in front form the. eutrance. The interior contains a spacious gallery, a pulpit, and.GS pews on the first floor. The pulpit, which Is an open one, is supported by Ionic colunins, have se- mi circular stairs ascending on both sides, and is thrown back into the hall by an arched niche, standing between the two doors leading from the hall into the Church .- 'The ceiling is an eliptic arch, with a large sunk pannel? in the centre of which there is a centre for suspending .. chandelier.
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