USA > Michigan > Bay County > History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens > Part 36
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COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (West Side) .- In the summer of 1889, Hon. F. W. Wheeler established the mission from which this church has developed. The mission re-
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mained under the direction of the Westminster Presbyterian Church until the present society was organized in 1890. Their house of worship ship was erected in the spring of 1889, and was dedicated in June of that year. Its dimensions are 40 by 70 feet with an annex 30 by 40 feet. It has seating capacity for about 250 people, and cost $1,500. Rev. L. W. Chapman sup- plied the pulpit for a season, and was followed by a student from Princeton Theological Sem- inary by the name of Sinclair. He conducted preaching services on Sunday and a prayer meeting was held during the week. The Sun- day-school work was also kept up during this time. In the fall of 1889 a call was extended to Rev. A. F. Whitehead. He died the follow- ing year, and was succeeded by Rev. J. G. Gra- biel. Under his able ministry the membership of the church was more than tripled. Rev. Grabiel's pastorate came to a close after five and one half years of service, and in the same year, 1895, Rev. Alexander Danskin, now edi- tor of the Michigan Presbyterian, began a min- istry that extended over three years. The next pastor was Rev. George Luther, who came to the church in 1899, and remained about a year. After his release the pulpit remained vacant for nearly a year, though the Sunday- school was held from week to week without in- terruption. Then, in 1903, an arrangement was entered into whereby Rev. J. G. Grimmer, pas- tor of the German Reformed Church, of Salz- burg, supplied the pulpit once each Sunday for 18 months. He was released in 1904, and the pulpit is now supplied by Rev. W. L. Meck- stroth, who is also his successor in the Salz- burg church. The church started with 13 char- ter members and has now a membership of 60. The attendance at the Sunday-school averages about 125.
MUNGER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (Mun- ger) .- Rev. John B. Dawson, who was a pio-
neer Congregationalist in this section, during his pastorate in Essexville came to Munger and gathered the members of the various denomin- ations together to hold meetings. He continued this missionary work at intervals for years. About 18 years ago a number of these people came together and organized a Presbyterian Church. Their first pastor was Rev. Samuel P. Todd, who served the congregation for seven years. His successor was Rev. H. P. Parker, who remained several years. Then, after an in- terval during which the church had no settled pastor, came Rev. Mr. Austin, who was here about two years. He was followed by Rev. Mr. McAllister, whose successor, Rev. Mr. Daily, is the present pastor.
GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH (West Side) .- The church was organized September 26, 1880, with 27 charter members. At the meeting which met for that purpose, in the home of Jacob Laderach, it was decided to ex- tend a call to Rev. E. W. Henschen to become their first pastor. Meetings were held in the homes of the various members until April 22, 1881, when they purchased their present church property. This was the original meeting house of the first Methodist society. Their second pastor was Rev. R. Kirchefer, who was called in December, 1884, and commenced his labors at once. His pastorate extended to March, 1886. He was followed by Rev. Isaac Mat- zinger who assumed his duties in November of that year and remained until October, 1892. The next pastor was Rev. Mr. Ruetenik who ministered to the church until November 26, 1899. Rev. Richard Harnish came to the church January 1, 1900, and remained as pas- tor until September 30th of the same year. The church was then without a settled pastor until July 7, 1901, when Rev. J. G. Grimmer took charge. He remained until July 31, 1904, and on the first Sunday in October of that year, the
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present pastor, Rev. W. L. Meckstroth began his pastorate. The church now has a member- ship of 100, and an average attendance at the Sunday-school of 40. The present parsonage, which is valued at nearly $1,000, was built largely by the church's first pastor, who per- formed much of the labor with his own hands.
BAPTIST CHURCHES.
BROADWAY BAPTIST CHURCH .- The first Baptist Church in the Saginaw Valley, known today as the Broadway Baptist Church, was organized in the residence of Jessie N. Braddock in the township of Portsmouth, Bay County, Michigan, June 15, 1858. The name given the new church was: "The First Baptist Church of Portsmouth." The following is a list of the constituent members : Jessie and Mrs. Brad- dock, Appleton and Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Susan. Fraser, Mrs. A. McEwan, Miss Elizabeth Fra- ser, Henry A. Braddock, J. S. Judson, D. C. Miller, H. D. Braddock, John S. Wilson, Mrs. Sarah E. Johnson, Mrs. Susan Eddy, and Mrs. Shelby.
Under the ministry of Rev. S. Cornelius, a house of worship was built at a cost of $1,200. During Rev. A. Handy's ministry who served as pastor from some time in 1859 to April, 1861, the church was received into the Flint River Association of Baptist Churches. (Au- gust, 1860.)
Rev. Franklin Johnson, then a young grad- uate from Hamilton, New York, was ordained as pastor sometime in 1861 and remained nearly two years. During his ministry a mis- sion was established in Birney's Hall, Bay City, and in July, 1863, 27 members of the Ports- mouth church were dismissed to form what is known today as the First Baptist Church of Bay City. . Rev. Mr. Johnson soon afterward re- signed his charge to become pastor of the new
church. The following ministers have served as pastors at stated periods from that time until the present hour: Revs. William W. Robson, R. E. Whittemore, E. W. Andrews, M. W. Holmes, C. H. Fraser, A. M. Allyn, J. C. Rooney, C. Carrol, E. Chesney, N. L. Freeman, H. A. Smith, C. E. Maxfield, E. S. Willson and Benjamin H. Thomas.
In 1878 the old house which had become too small was enlarged and the name changed to the Fremont Avenue Baptist Church. In 1882 the church was incorporated.
A devastating fire swept through the South End in 1891 and the church which had never been so prosperous as then, was left without a meeting house. For a time they worshiped in the Sixth Ward School and in Marble Hall. On August 2, 1892, they decided to build at the corner of Broadway and 26th street and imme- diately proceeded to perfect plans for the same.
August 17, 1892, a large body withdrew from the church to what is known as the South Baptist Church on Cass avenue. The corner- stone for the present handsome building was laid November 23, 1892, and the name was changed to the Broadway Baptist Church.
The present property including parsonage is valued at $25,000. The church is an active, energetic body, organized into the following departments : Bible School, Ladies' Benevolent Society, Baptist Young People's Union, Junior Union, Men's League and Guards. It is espe- cially active in young people's work.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH .- This church was organized at Birney Hall in July, 1863, by 27 members who had withdrawn for that pur- pose from the society at Portsmouth (now known as the Broadway Baptist Church), the population of Lower Saginaw having so in- creased that they felt inclined to have a church of their own. At first services were held in the Court House and at Birney Hall until August,
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1874, when a neat church edifice was built on Washington avenue. This was almost entirely the gift of James Fraser.
The first pastor was Rev. Franklin John- son, who came with them from the Portsmouth society. He resigned in 1864 and was suc- ceeded by Rev. S. L. Holman, whose brief pas- torate was succeeded by the ministry of the la- mented Rev. D. B. Patterson, who labored very successfully until April, 1869, when failing health compelled him to leave the ministry. It was under his eloquent and genial ministrations that the church entered upon the prosperous ca- reer it has since known. Rev. J. A. Frost suc- ceeded Rev. Mr. Patterson, and he was followed by Rev. Z. Grenell, Jr., in 1873.
The society outgrew the little church on Washington avenue, and in April, 1867, a com- mittee was appointed to consider the question of securing enlarged facilities for worship. They recommended building a new church. The old church property was worth about $7,000, and John I. Fraser who had recently died had bequeathed the society the sum of $8,000. It was finally decided to build a new house of worship, and the corner-stone was laid in the summer of 1869, and the new church dedicated February 9, 1873. A litigation, in which the title to the site was involved, delayed its construction. The total cost of the struc- ture was about $75,000. The extreme length of the building is 140 feet, and its greatest width 72 feet. The audience room is 54 by 94 feet, finished in black walnut and ash. The windows are of stained glass arranged in highly orna- mental designs. An organ of nearly 1,400 pipes, above and in the rear of the pulpit, adds greatly to the general good effect, both upon the eye and ear of the worshiper. This cost $6,000, and was the gift of Mrs. James Fraser. In the rear of the audience room are church parlors, kitchen, robing rooms and lecture and
Sunday-school rooms. Its two spires rising, one to a height of 130 feet, the other to a height of 180 feet, are visible not only from all parts of the city, but attract the eye from a range of three or four miles beyond. The trustees who were charged with the responsibility of the work were : Rev. D. B. Patterson and C. McDowell -both of whom died before its completion- H. A. Gustin, E. B. Denison, C. M. Averill, William Westover, W. H. Curry, Harry Gris- wold, D. Culver, Luther Westover and Samuel Drake. Capt. C. M. Averill had the supervision of the work. The bell was also the gift of Mrs. James Fraser, and came as a complete surprise to the church and community. Captain Averill succeeded in placing it in position during the hours of the night, and its joyful peals on the following morning, which was Sunday, filled the citizens with astonishment.
The following is a list of the pastors since Rev. Z. Grenell, Jr., whose pastorate closed in June, 1879: Rev. J. W. Ford, February, 1880, to June, 1884; Rev. G. M. W. Carey, fall of 1884 to the spring of 1885 ; Rev. A. E. Waffle, 1885-1888; Rev. J. S. Holmes, D. D., 1888- 93; Rev. S. Nelson Glover, 1894-95; Rev. H. A. Sumrell, 1895-99; and since the latter date the church has been served by its present pas- tor, Rev. Julien Avery. Herrick, Ph. D.
Under the pastorate of Dr. Holmes about $7,000 was spent on repairs. Again in 1904 about $4,000 was expended on repairs. The church has now an active working membership of 435. It has always been a very active church and the six Baptist churches now here are evi- dence of its missionary spirit. Since 1863 the church has raised, exclusive of the $84.000 which the church and furnishings cost, about $150,000 and of this $25,000 has been spent on benevolences.
In May, 1904, special exercises were held to commemorate its 40th anniversary. Fine
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music, many addresses and a banquet were the principal features. The opening services were conducted by Dr. Franklin Johnson, the first pastor of the church.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH (West Side) .- In 1874, William Currey, a member of the First Baptist Church of Bay City crossed the river and organized a Sunday-school, of which he became superintendent. For six months the in- fantile society met in an opera house, which has since been turned into a merchants' storehouse. Afterward it found temporary accommodation in the Protestant Episcopal Church, which was later remodeled into a public school building. This work was vigorously prosecuted for two years. Then the founder of the school was pre- vented from giving it his attention, and the school soon dwindled away. No further at- tempt was made toward establishing the Bap- tist denomination on the West Side until 1882. In September of that year, the Sunday-school missionary, E. D. Rundell, visited the town and found a number of Baptist families, and it was decided to organize a Bible school. This was done, and the first meetings were held in the old Presbyterian Church on Catherine street. As time went on the work prospered, and the question of having regular preaching services was discussed and its advisability de- termined upon. To this end a subscription was circulated and received the signatures of 17 persons, and pledges aggregating $425. The agreement was that "preaching should com- mence on or before April first, A. D., 1883.". The next natural step was the organization of a church, and this was effected on May 31, 1883. at the residence of Dr. Marsh. There were 13 charter members. The first pastor was Rev. D. T. Firor, who commenced his labors October 10, 1883, the pulpit having been occupied dur- ing the time intervening between the organiza- tion and that date by candidates for the pas-
torate. A council of recognition was called, and in April, 1884, the church in West Bay City was duly enrolled among the Baptist churches of the Saginaw Valley.
All services of the church and Sunday- school were held in the old Presbyterian Church until November, 1883, when the hall in the Fisher Block was obtained. The desir- ability of having a permanent house of worship soon became apparent. Lots were secured on the corner of Ohio and Dean streets. Plans for a suitable building were adopted and the contract let on July 31, 1884. Owing to the limited means of the members, it was deemed desirable to finish only the lecture room. This room was available for services early in Febru- ary, 1885. The church continued to grow in numbers, and it was decided to complete the audience room as quickly as possible. This was accomplished June 28, 1885, on which date the church was dedicated with appropriate exer- cises. The total cost of the lots, buildings, fur- nishings, etc., was $8, 175.65. The property is now valued at $10,000.
Rev. Mr. Firor's pastorate came to an end in October, 1886, and his successor, Rev. B. Morley, commenced his labors on November Ioth of the same year. He remained with the church two years and seven months. In Sep- tember, 1889, a call was extended to Rev. C. H. Irving which was accepted, and he commenced his pastorate at once. During the summer of 1890, $1,000 was expended in repairs on the church, and by October of that year this sum, together with the debt of $2,200, had been paid, leaving the society free from debt. Rev. Mr. Irving continued with the church until July 30, 1902. His successor, Rev. George D. Harger, began his labors in December and continued with the church until February, 1905. The church at present is without a pastor. The church has 246 members; there is an average
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attendance at the Sunday-school of over 200.
About 1886 a mission was started in Brooks. The work was in charge of W. N. Fletcher, who afterwards became pastor of the Patterson Memorial Baptist Church, of Bay City. The work has prospered.
PATTERSON MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH. -During his pastorate over the First Baptist Church of Bay City, Rev. D. B. Patterson es- tablished a mission Sunday-school in the north part of the city. Members of his church pur- chased land on VanBuren street between North Johnson and Shearer streets, and erected a small building in which the school was held. The of- ficers of the school and the teachers came from the church, and as a result of their earnest en- deavors the work was prospered until the school had outgrown the capacity of their building. Then the structure was set farther back on the lot and an addition was built on in front. This was about 1884. The work continued to at- tract the residents of the neighborhood, and occasionally other services were held until 1892, when it seemed desirable to organize a church. The name Patterson Memorial Baptist Church was adopted to perpetuate and honor the mem- ory of the founder of the mission, to whose in- defatigable labors the Baptists of Bay City are so greatly indebted. An earnest Christian, W. N. Fletcher, of West Bay City, became pastor of the church, and a year later was ordained to the ministry. In 1901 he went to another field of labor, and the church remained without a pastor for seven months. Then Rev. Will- iam P. Lovett was called from Rochester, New York, where he had just completed a course in theology. He served the church until April I, 1905. when he accepted a call to a church in Grand Rapids. In 1896 the house of worship was moved from the place where the church was founded to its present site and was remod- eled, so that there is now a commodious audi-
torium. At present there are about 70 mem- bers, the membership having been considerably depleted in constituting the First Baptist Church at Essexville.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH (Essexville) .- Soon after becoming pastor of the Patterson Memorial Baptist Church, Rev. W. N. Fletcher started a mission Sunday-school in Essexville. At first the school was held in a rented room, and these quarters were occupied until 1901, when two lots of land at the corner of Dunbar and Langstaff streets were purchased, and a small brick church edifice was erected. At present the church has about 80 members. They. have never had a settled pastor, but join with the Patterson Memorial Baptist Church in sup- porting a minister, who divides his time evenly between them.
SOUTH BAPTIST CHURCH .- After the de- struction of the Broadway Baptist Church by the great fire which swept the southern portion of the city, a number of its members deemed it desirable to locate a church farther south. Ac- cordingly on September 1, 1892, the South Bap- tist Church was organized with 17 charter members, who had withdrawn from the Broad- way Baptist Church for that purpose. At first services were held in Moran Hall, at the corner of what is now Cass avenue and Harrison street. On March 1, 1893, Rev. J. E. Gregory was called to become their first pastor. About this time land was purchased on Cass avenue at the foot of Marsac street, and the erection of their present house of worship was begun. The church building was not completed until the fall of 1904, although services had been held in a portion of the edifice for some time prior to this. On Christmas Day, 1904, the first services were held in the completed church amid general rejoicing on the part of the members.
During the first six months of 1895, Allan McEwan of Bay City, served the church as
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pastor without remuneration. After that the church was without a pastor until the spring of 1896, the pulpit in the meantime being sup- plied by the different Baptist clergymen of Bay City. On May 6, 1896, Rev. H. E. McGrath was called for six months. He remained until April 1, 1897, and the church was again with- out a pastor until August, 1897, when Rev. George W. Bates commenced his labors here. During all the time the church has been without a settled pastor, at least one service has been held each Sunday. Rev. Mr. Bates remained with the church until October 29, 1899. His successor was Rev. William P. Squire, who was called the following September and served the church until August, 1900. The next pastor was Rev. Joseph Fox, who received his call the following October, and remained with the church until the spring of 1902. During the following months the members of the church became scattered and, becoming discouraged in the struggle to maintain an organization with so few members, had instructed the trustees to sell the property. It was then that Daniel H. Trombley, one of the charter members who had been most influential in organizing the church, but, who in the meantime had joined a church on the West Side, came back and rallied the mem- bers together, and by a vast amount of personal work brought about a reorganization. To him is due great credit for the noble work he has done. From that time the church began to prosper, and on March 22, 1904, the present pastor, Rev. F. W. Kamm, commenced his la- bors. The church was dedicated on February 12, 1905. At present there are about 40 mem- bers of the church. About 170 scholars are enrolled in the Sunday-school, which has an average attendance of 135.
SWEDISH BAPTIST CHURCH (West Side). -This society was organized by 15 Swedish Baptists in the fall of 1898. The following
year they purchased a private dwelling on the corner of Dean and Jenny streets and remod- eled it into a little meeting house. This served the church until 1904 when it was enlarged to its present size, giving it a seating capacity for about 200 people. The property is worth about $1,500. The church received its first minis- trations from Rognar Alender, a theological student, who came to them soon after the or- ganization of the society and remained three months. He was followed by another student, John Erickson, who came in the spring of 1899 and remained with the church until the opening of the fall term in the theological seminary. After he went away, prayer meetings were held and the Sunday-school was maintained, but the little church remained without regular preach- ing services until Rev. Peter O. Ekstrom took charge in the summer of 1903. He was a mis- sionary and gave only half his time to the church. Since he went away, the last of De- cember, 1904, the church has again been with- out a pastor.
KAWKAWLIN BAPTIST CHURCH .- This is the outgrowth of a mission started by the First Baptist Church of West Bay City a few years ago. A church building has been erected on an elegant site and fully paid for. The property is valued at $2,000. The present membership of the church is 34. Rev. Brent Harding be- came pastor in 1901, and still continues a suc- cessful work in that section.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH .- The first meeting in the interests of a Congregational Church in Bay City was held in Good Temp- lars' Hall, June 13, 1875. Rev. J. B. Dawson preached morning and evening. On the 29th of June a meeting was held at the residence of F. H. Blackman to consider the practicability
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of organizing a Congregational Church and so- ciety. It was decided to effect such an organ- ization and articles of association were adopted and officers were elected.
Regular Sabbath services were held in Good Templars' Hall for a month, after which the use of the Court House was procured, where, on the 25th of July, 1875, the church was organ- „ized in due form.
Twenty-five members composed the new church, five of whom united on profession of faith, and 20 by letters from other churches. On the following Sabbath a Sunday-school was organized under very encouraging auspices. Church prayer meetings were also appointed, being held from house to house. In August, Rev. S. P. Barker, of Ionia, was engaged tem- porarily as pastor, and at the end of three months his resignation was accepted.
In October the trustees of the German Lu- theran Church kindly proffered the use of their house of worship on Sabbaths for one preach- ing service, and also for Sunday-school. Short- ly afterwards the Good Templars' Hall was again secured where the regular church serv- ices were held until the new house of worship on the corner of Sixth and Van Buren streets was finished. From November, 1875, until February, 1876, the pulpit was supplied tempo- rarily, much of the time by Dr. Joseph Hooper, whose ministrations were kindly given, and were received with much gratitude. His sud- den illness and death, which occurred Febru- ary 27, 1876, terminated a useful and devoted life.
A movement was made immediately after the organization of the church and society to- ward the erection of a house of worship. Through the persevering efforts of the board of trustees, and the liberality of members and friends, the building committee were enabled to begin the work December 1, 1875. The church
edifice was completed and dedicated April 20, 1876.
About the first of February, 1876, the church and society extended a call to Rev. J. Homer Parker to become their pastor. The call was accepted, and Rev. Mr. Parker entered upon his ministrations March 12, 1876. At the expiration of a year he was regularly installed.
On June 28, 1879, Rev. Mr. Parker was compelled to tender his resignation on account of ill health. A unanimous call was extended to Rev. J. G. Leavitt, of New Gloucester, Maine, who accepted the same and commenced his pastorate under very favorable auspices, December 7, 1879. Failing health, however, compelled him to tender his resignation in Oc- tober, 1880, and the church was again without a pastor. An invitation to the pastorate was given to Rev. W. W. Lyle, of Duxbury, Mass- achusetts, which was accepted, and on January 2, 1881, he commenced his labors, which proved very successful. At that time the membership was 200. In 1891 he was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. Charles T. Patchell. The church has been out of debt for five or six years and is active and growing.
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