USA > Michigan > Branch County > History of Branch county, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 32
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Rev. S. C. Hickok served the church so acceptably that at the end of a year measures were taken to install him as pastor. This was done some time in October, 1845, and for his services he was to receive the sum of four hundred dollars per annum. In the month of Angust, 1845, Mr. Iliekok desired the church to unite with him in a request to the Presbytery that the relations existing between them might be dissolved. This request was granted. The close of his pastorate completed the first decade of the existence of the First Presbyterian Church of Coldwater. During this ten years the membership had increased from sixteen to one hundred and five.
From this time forward the church continued to prosper. In the spring of 1848 a call was extended to Rev. Elihu P. Marvin, who remained here until the summer of 1851, when he removed to Milford, Mass., and subsequently became the editor of the Boston Congregationalist and Recorder. Ifis salary was four hundred and fifty dollars. Rev. O.W. Mather was called, in the summer of 1851, to occupy the pulpit for one year, at a salary of five hundred dollars.
In May, 1853, Rev. R. S. Goodman was settled as pastor over the church, at a salary of five hundred dollars for the first year and six hundred dollars per annum thereafter. Elis pastorate continued until the fall of 1860, when the relations were dissolved. lle is now pastor of the Presby- terian Church at Kendallville, Ind. During the winter of 1859 several members were dismissed to form a Congrega- tional Church. At the end of the second decade, in 1857, the membership of the church had reached one hundred and eighty persons.
In November, 1860, Rev. Horace C. Hovey accepted a call and labored with this church two years. He is now preaching in Fair Haven, Conn., a suburb of New Haven. Early in 1863, Rev. G. h. Foster became the stated minis- ter, and remained nearly three years. He died some two years since at Holly, in this State. In December, 1865, a
call was extended to Rev. W. C. Porter, who had acted as chaplain iu the Union army from 1861 to August, 1865. He remained until December, 1871, when he removed to Fort Scott, Kan., where he has since labored. His salary, when called, was nine hundred dollars, which was subse- quently increased to twelve hundred dollars. At the cud of the third decade, in 1867, there were two hundred and twenty-eight members in communion and fellowship with this church.
On the Ist of April, 1872, Rev. J. Gordon Jones entered upon his labors as minister at a salary of fifteen hundred dollars, and continued to perform the duties of that office until Oct. 1, 1878. He is now visiting the home of his youth, in Wales, Great Britain. In October, 1878, a call was extended to Rev. IF. P. Collin, of Oxford, N. Y., to become pastor of the church, at an annual salary of four- teen hundred dollars. He is now acting most acceptably in that capacity. The present membership of the church numbers two hundred and ninety-three, and the records show that eight hundred and seventeen persons have united since the organization of the church in 1837.
In 1864 the society canvassed the question of building a new church edifice. As a committee to determine upou plans and to enter into a contract for labor and materials the following were appointed : R. F. Mockridge, John O. Pelton, Shelby A. Harrington, Ives G. Miles, and David B. Dennis. The work was begun, prosecuted, and cont- pleted under their general direction at a cost of $32,000, and the present elegant and substantial edifice is the result, which was dedicated Oct. 12, 1869, Rev. Charles N. Mat- toon, 1).D., of Monroc, preaching the dedicatory sermon.
The following are the names of the different persons who have served as officers since the organization of the church, with the time of their election, but without noting the length or terms of service :
DEACONS, 1837-79.
Edmond Sloan, elected Sept. 30, 1837.
William H1. Cross, elected Feb. 2, 1839.
Alexander Reynolds, elected April 3, IStI. David R. Cooley, elceted Jan. 13, 1814.
-Alvin Upson, elected Jan. 18, 1852.
James Smails, elected Jan. 27, 1856.
Daniel Gilbert, elected Jan. 6, 1861.
Ransom E. Hall, elected Jan. 3, 1867.
KI.DERS, 1837-79.
Luther Stiles, James Smith, elected Sept. 30, 1837.
Silas A. Ilolbrook, elocted Feb. 2, 1839.
-Seth C. Hanchett, elected April 3, 1841.
Daniel Gilbert, elected Jan. 4, 1815. David R. Cooley, Ira Lee, elected Jan. 31, 1846.
Hiram Shoudler, Nelson D. Skeels, elected March 27, 1849.
Alvin Upson, Wmn. H. Beach, John HI. Phelps, elected Feb. 16, 1851. Elihu Mather, Win. MeMechan, elected Jan. 4, 1852.
John F. Rogers, elected April 16, 1851.
Emerson Marsh, elected Jan. 28, 1855. John Chandler, elected Jan. 27, 1856. Win. T. Knowlton, elected Jan. 15, 1857.
David It. Davis, Joseph D. W. Fisk, elected Jan 6, 1861.
-II. B. Moore, It. N. Lawrence, elected Dec. 21, 1865.
John T. Gilbert, elected Jan. ", 1560. Thomas It. Vance, elected Jan. 5, 15;1.
David Bemiss, Abram J. Aldrich, elected Dec. 31, 1874.
George H. Barber, elected Nov. 8, 1877. Isaac N. Shaw, elected Jan. 2, 1879.
124
IIISTORY OF BRANCH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
TRUSTEES, 1843-1879.
Edson Benedict, Silas A. Holbrook, Orsamus B. Clark, Cornelius Van
Aken, Milton IT. Fuller, Ilenry C. Gilbert, elected Aug. 9, 1843. Albert L. Porter, elected July 30, 1844.
Seth C. Hanchett, De Witt C. Ransom, elected Aug. 2, 1845.
Ezbon G. Fuller, elected Aug. 10, 1816.
Nelson D. Skeels, Horace Lewis, elected Ang. 2, 1847.
Loren R. Austin, elected Aug. 1, 1849.
Robert F. Mockridge, elected July 22, 1850.
Samuel M. Dennison, James W. Gilbert, John Chandler, elected June 16, 1851.
- Alvin Upson, John Allen, elected Nov. 3, 1851.
Justus Goodwin, elected July 6, 1852.
Edwin R. Clarke, Curtis S. Tucker, elected Sept. 7, 1852.
Philander Reynolds, Win. McMechan, elected July 25, 1853.
James Smails, elected Ang. 29, 1553.
Ives G. Miles, elected July 24. 1854.
An interim exists between Aug. 6, 1855, and Dec. 16, 1861, wherein the records ap- pear to be lost.
Joseph D. W. Fisk, Ransom E. Ilall, David 11. Davis, Richard II. Drake, elected Dec. 1, 1861.
Julius 11. Barber, elected Oet. 26. 1863.
John O. Pelton, elected Oct., ISGI. Lorenzo D. Ilalsted, Henry B. Moore, elected Dec. 3, 1866.
Thomas H. Vance, elected Nov. 11, 1867.
Thomas W. Dickinson, elected Nov. 14, 1870.
Albert A. Dorrance, clected Oct. 23, 1871.
De Witt Cook, elected Dec. S, 1873.
Abram J. Aldrich, elected Dec. 6, 1875.
James Carleton, elected Dec. 18, 1876.
David F. Cole, Wm. A. Knowlton, elected Jan. 4, 1878.
ST. MARK'S PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH .*
"Organization .- Pasted upon the fly-leaf of the old parish register is a much-faded document, a copy of which is transcribed into the parish history. Upon examination, this document gives the information that a meeting was held February 9, 1848, ' at the White School-house in the village of Coldwater in the county of Branch (that being the place where the society statedly attend for Divine wor- ship)' by certain qualified voters for the purpose of organ- izing a parish under the name of 'St. Mark's Church.' The organization was effected in accordance with the statute and the following officers chosen :
" Wardens .- Joseph H. Moss, S. W .; Richard Green- wood, J. W.
" S'estrymen .- Luman Ilowe, Ezbon G. Fuller, Lorenzo D. Crippen, James Pierson, George A. Coe.
" It further appears from the records that the instru- ment was executed on the first day of March, 1848, but it was not received for record until the sixteenth day of June following,-just thirty years ago to-day. The first senior warden of the parish, who is now the only living member of the original corporation still worshiping with us, in- formed me that he is of the opinion that an organization was effected a year or two earlier than this, but that the records were lost and so never placed on file.
"Rectorships .- In parochial history, the successive pas- torates furnish convenient periods for recording events of interest. This parish is indebted to the Rev. Joseph Wood for valuable information not only of the period of his owu pastorate, but also of all the accessible facts relative to the
preceding years. In his handwriting we find some thirteen pages of valuable records, covering the period from Febru- ary, 1848, to December, 1865.
" The date of the first service held at Coldwater where our liturgy was used is not known to me, neither do we certainly know what elergyman was the pioneer in this matter. It lies, perhaps, between the Rev. Darius Parker, of Paw Paw, and the Rev. Levi H. Corson, of Jonesville, both of whom did hold services here at an early day. Pos- sibly this was true of others also. But such services were quite irregular previous to the parish organization ; and for want of such regular services, it was quite customary for the first junior warden to walk to Jonesville on Saturday.
" The first rector of St. Mark's was the Rev. George Willard, first sent here as a missionary in 1848, by the bishop of the diocese. Mr. Willard remained here about six years. A part of that time he held service in the pub- lic-school houses and a part of the time in the county court- house. Mr. Willard remained until the early part of the year 1855. During his stay there were reported forty-seven baptisms, twenty-two confirmations, thirty marriages, and twenty-six burials.
" The second rector was the Rev. G. M. Skinner, who came after an interval of a few months. Reorganization of the parish under the revised statutes was effected Aug. 10, 1855, the Rev. Mr. Skinner presiding at the meeting. The officers chosen at that time were :
" Wardens .- Joseph II. Moss, S. W. ; J. B. South worth, J. W.
" Testrymen .- Davis Smith, Richard Greenwood, George A. Coe, Marcellus H. Parker, John G. Parkhurst.
" Mr. Skinner was rector until 1859. During his stay serviees were held in the court-house. A lot was purchased on Hanchett Street and a foundation laid, but from a de- fective title the enterprise was abandoned.
" The statistics of the four years are : baptisms twenty- eight, confirmed eleven, married eight, burials sixteen.
" After Mr. Skinner's resignation, lay services were kept up by the then senior warden, who holds also that position at the present time. The Rev. Messrs. Barker, Corson, and Etheridge also officiated occasionally. Much interest was developed during the Lenten season of 1860, and a large class was prepared for confirmation.
" The third rector was the Rev. Henry Safford, who was called to the parish in March, 1860. The confirmation class which grew up during the vacancy was presented by Mr. Saf- ford and confirmed in April of that year. Prosperity is the record of that period, and the successful effort to build a church, which followed soon after, proves conclusively that when the heart is interested the hand will work. It seems an impartial judgment that the religious interest which manifested itself in that Lent of 1860 was the impulse which, kept in motion, gave the parish a church in 1862. This building was also on Hanchett Street. Originally it was of wood, twenty-four by sixty feet, with a recess-chan- cel fourteen by sixteen feet. The cost of the building and lot was about three thousand dollars. The church was con- secrated by the bishop of the diocese April 14, 1863.
" In the month of May following, Mr. Safford resigned the rectorship, which he had held for three years. During
# This sketch is taken from a discourse delivered by the rector on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the parish organization, Trinity Sunday, June 16, 1877.
ST. MARKS EPISCOPAL CHURCH , COLDWATER , MICHIGAN .
125
HISTORY OF BRANCH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
that period there were recorded twenty-eight baptisms, forty-four confirmations, twelve marriages, twenty-nine burials.
" The Fourth Rector .- On the fifteenth of June, 1863, the Rev. Joseph Wood became rector of the parish. At this point a fact appears upon the records which it were well to bear in mind in our missionary work,-especially in reference to diocesan missions. The parish had attained the age of fifteen years, and it is recorded that St. Mark's, Coldwater, had received missionary aid to the amount of two thousand dollars and upwards. Since that time the parish has been self-supporting and has contributed largely to mission work.
" We notice in the rectorate of Mr. Wood a second modification of the parochial organization to conform to the act of Feb. 15, 1857. It was at this time, also, that the old cabinet-organ was purchased for five hundred and fifty dollars.
"At the time of Mr. Wood's resignation, December, 1865, the statistics of his ministry were as follows : bap- tized, forty-seven ; confirmed, twenty-two; married, five; buried, twenty.
" The next (fifth) rector was the Rev. J. Wainwright Ray. The number of worshipers had increased so much that more room was desired in the church,-the former plan of building on the corner having been given up on account of the sale of a portion thereof. The wings, hold- ing two more rows of slips, were accordingly added, and the capacity of the church increased to upwards of four hun- dred sittings. Mr. Ray left the parish on All-Saints'-day, 1868, having been rector nearly three years. Fifty-two baptisms are reported, thirty-nine confirmations (another class ready ), twenty-nine marriages, and twelve burials.
" The sixth rector of this parish was the Rev. George P. Schetky, D.D., who entered upon the rectorship Feb. 7, 1869. The Ladies' Aid Society, though not organized at this time, appears more frequently on the records, and ever since, as before, it has been an efficient helper in parish work. Not seldom the ladies' organization is the very be- ginning of a parish, and such, I believe, was the case with the Ladies' Aid of St. Mark's. We learn that this instru- mentality liquidated the parish debt of two hundred and seventy-five dollars on the Feast of the Ascension, 1869. Later a rectory was bought with the funds of this society, and on April 9, 1870, the rector entered the pleasant home thus provided on East Chicago Street. Dr. Schetky, hav- ing accepted a call to Trinity Church, Marshall, resigned his charge Sept. 12, 1870, and renewed his resignation September 21, which was accepted by the vestry Septem- ber 29. Baptisms reported are forty-seven ; confirmations, thirty-five ; marriages, seven ; burials, twelve.
" The rectorship was filled for the seventh time by the Rev. Henry Safford, who was recalled at the beginning of the winter of 1870. He entered upon his duties on Christmas-day, and continued rector until the spring of 1874. During this period the parsonage was purchased by the rector, and the vestry, feeling the growing incon- venience of the old location, remedied the difficulty by the purchase of our present most desirable lot. The price paid (three thousand five hundred dollars) was necessarily a
large one, and a debt of some twelve hundred dollars re- mained until a recent date. But as years go by and cen- trally-located sites are taken up, the wisdom of securing this property will appear to all, if indeed it does not to-day. Twenty-nine baptisms are recorded in the second rectorship of Mr. Safford, also seventeen confirmations, twenty-two marriages, and thirty-eight burials.
" For various reasons the parish remained vacant over a year.
" The eighth rector, the Rev. Herbert J. Cook, who is the present incumbent, was elected to the position in April, 1875, and entered upon his duties in June following (the sixth day).
" Within the last three years the parish of St. Mark's has undergone some important changes, and these changes, let us hope, are in the line of advancement. Easter-day, 1876, saw a large offering of some twelve hundred dollars laid on the altar for the erection of this chapel. The work was carried to completion during the summer, and the ladies came forward with two hundred dollars additional for the purchase of substantial reversible seats. This gives us a comfortable anditorium and a fine Sunday-school rooui. Next came the sale of the rear portion of the old church lot, in 1877, and finally, in the autumn of the same year, of the balance of the property. But the work did not stop with our removal. The Ladies' Aid Society has purchased au organ which has proved a most valuable help in our worship. The total outlay will be six hundred and forty dollars, together with the old organ. The chapel, too, has had some much-needed, improvements. A vestry-room, with furniture, has been added by individual generosity. The ventilating-windows, both useful and beautiful, have been placed in position in the same way. Nor should we forget the fact that the Easter offering of above five hundred dollars, with additions since made, have put the parish practically out of debt, and the pledges and subscriptions made for current expenses lack but a little of being ade- quate for all the necessities of the year. It gives great pleasure, also, to be able to add that our missionary offer- ings have also materially increased. It is to be hoped that this will continue to be the case, and that this parish may be a practical illustration of what can be accomplished by regular and systematic offerings. You may be interested to know the amounts given for objects outside the parish in the year just closed. Diocesan missions, 870; domestic missions, $39.16; Christmas fund for aged and indigent clergymen, $18.50 ; foreign missions, 812.04; Indian mis- sion, $12.10 ; Freedmen missions, $9.45 ; increase of min- istry, $6.59; Bible and Common Prayer-Book Society, $5.50; diocesan assessment, 828. Total, $201.34.
" Upon examination of the register the following statis- ties appear of the past three years: baptisms, 58; confir- mations, 49 ; marriages, 16; burials, 24. We report this year 139 communicants, of whom, I regret to say, only about one-fifth are males.
" To summarize the statistics of thirty years, it appears that the eight rectorships have averaged a little less then four years each. In the parish, besides a few ministeral not here counted, which have been performed while the parish has been vacant, we find the sum total to be : bap-
126
HISTORY OF BRANCH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
tisms, 336; confirmations, 239; marriages, 129; burials, 187. Other items of interest, such as average attendance at church, Holy Communion, and Sunday-school, must be omitted for lack of time in this hasty sketch."
The present vestry of St. Mark's Church are as follows : Mr. D. S. Harrington, Senior Warden; Hon. N. P. Love- ridge, Junior Warden ; H. C. Safford, Secretary ; Hon. C. D. Randall, D. C. Powers, M.D., Mr. Elijah Ball, Mr. George Fitch.
Since the date of that discourse, the list of parochial statistics has been extended in all departments. Steps have been taken and plans secured for a new church. The architect is Mr. Henry Dudley, of New York. The cdi- fice (of which we give a sketch) is to be located by the side of the chapel, fronting on Chicago Strect. The ma- terial is stone, and accommodates about four hundred. The style is Gothie, with massive tower. A commodious vestibule, approached through tower and porch, opens into a nave eighty by thirty-three and a half feet. Organ and vestry rooms are each sixteen by fifteen, and the chaneel in twenty by twenty. The approximate cost of the building will be ten thousand dollars.
The following extract from a letter recently received by the rector from the Rev. D. Barker, of Paw Paw, Mich., will throw additional light upon the early history of the parish :
" CLAREMONT, N. II., July 22, 1878.
" REVEREND AND DEAR BROTHER,-I see by 'our dioceses' that you are in doubt whether I or Mr. Corson was the first (church) clergy- man who preached in Coldwater.
" I performed service and preached, rot in 'the white,' but in the little, old, red school-house, on the first Sunday in January, 1842, and administered the lloly Communion to six persons, of whom three were Dr. William Bacon, Mrs. Bacon, and their daughter, Maria Ba- con ; and I think Mr. Joseph H. Moss was another. Mr. Moss was there, and so was Mr. Coe, though not a communicant. Dr. Bacon moved to Jonesville that year, and so had nothing further to do with historic church matters in Coldwater. I continued to officiate there occasionally till May, 1843, when I went into a distant part of the diocese. Even then, I came all the way from Dexter in a carriage, and spent one Sunday in Coldwater. In 1843, measures were com- meaced for the organization of a parish. A meeting was called and the legal notice given in calling a formal meeting to that effect.
" In consequence of my distanco, I gave up the care of that mis- sion, and the Rev. Richard S. Adams (now of Brooklyn, N. Y.), who was then missionary at Battle Creek, took charge of it, and completed the organization, as 1 supposed.
" I should suppose Mr. Moss would remember those facts.
" Yours truly, " D. BARKER. " The Rev. II. J. Cook, Recter of St. Mark's Church."
The facts correspond with the recollection of Mr. Moss, as referred to in the beginning of the rector's historic dis- course, and the statement of the Rev. Mr. Barker is doubt- less correct, thus completing our early records.
ST. CHARLES BORROMEO ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The history of this church, which is located on Har- rison, between Clay and Pierson Strects, is among the oldest in the city, the society having been organized in 1849 by Rev. Father Smoulders, of Monroc, Mich. The lot at present occupied was bought in 1856, and a small frame church erected upon it, which was destroyed the following year. Rev. Joseph Kindikens, at that time, on
stated occasions, held service, and by a too rigid surveil- lance over the young men of the village, who no doubt were fit subjeets of this watchfulness, had rendered himself obnoxious to them. Expecting him on Sabbath morning to say mass, and presuming that he would arrive as he had donc before on Saturday evening and lodge in the church building, they placed kegs of powder, stolen from the drug- store of Mr. Rufus Kibbe, under the building, and during the night of the 7th of June, 1859, it was blown to frag- ments. Father Rychaert, with the help of the citizens, who subscribed $900, built the present brick structure in 1860. Previous to 1860 there had been no resident pastor, serviees having been conducted by pastors from neighboring parishes, who came at stated periods to Cold- water, and held their services at private houses before the erection of a church building. The first pastor who resided in the parish was Rev. Father C. Korst, who, in 1867, built the present brick parsonage.
He also officiated as pastor at Mendon, where he built a commodious church, and others at White Pigeon, Sturgis, and Bronson, all of which are in a flourishing condition. The Sabbath-school of St. Charles Borromeo parish num- bers sixty-five children and one hundred and twenty-five families. The pastor contemplates building a uew church edifice at an carly day.
WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCHI.
An old school-house, one and a half miles south of the village of Coldwater was, in 1850, the scene of the first service held by this denomination. Their numbers were at this early date small, and the first church organization was effeeted with but six members, three of whom are now living. Not having a church building, the service was still condueted in a school-house within the village limits, until a plain but substantial building was crected, corner of Church and Hudson Streets, which they still occupy and maintain in excellent condition. Elder Soddy for a time officiated as leading elder, and the present pastor is Elder Williams, who resides in the suburbs of the city. There has been a Sunday-school maintained in connection with the church, until it was recently temporarily sus- pended.
Since the above facts were furnished us we have discov- cred among the records in possession of the county clerk the following " articles of association" of the First Wesleyan Methodist Church of Coldwater :
" This is to certify that we, the undersigned, citizens of Coldwater, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, do hereby associate together for the purpose of forming a Wesleyan Methodist church in this city, with a view of becoming a body corporate, to the end that this church may enjoy all the rights and privileges conferred by law upon religions bodies and societies in the State of Michigan, under the act entitled ' An act conceruing churches and religious societies, estab- fishing uniform rules for the acquisition, tenor, control, and disposition of property conveyed or dedicated for religious purposes, and to repeal chapter fifty-two of the Revised Statutes, approved February 13, A.D. 1855.' The object of this church is to provide suitable ways and means for worship, to publish the truth of the gospel as revealed in the Holy Scriptures and in nature, and to oppose error in every form in which it may appear. The formu of worship and mode of discipline adopted by the church are such as aro contained in the discipline of the Wes-
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