USA > Michigan > Calhoun County > History of Calhoun county, Michigan : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 53
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Owing to the fact that the many new lines have been added there is practically no dull season.
Power used is electric and all machines are run from electric motors by current furnished by the Commonwealth Power Company.
THE COOK MANUFACTURING COMPANY
By L. J. Wolcott
The predecessors of the Cook Manufacturing Company dates back to 1874, when the first patent was issued to HI. J .Wolcott for a sectional wheel wind-mill. He built the mills in a limited number. When in 1878, L. J. Woolcott became interested. The demand was increasing from all sections of the country, and to meet the growing demand it became necessary to organize a stock company. The said company was in- corporated in October, 1880, with M. B. Wood, its first president and L. H. Brockway, secretary and treasurer, H. J. Wolcott, superintendent. In 1883, L. J. Wolcott was elected secretary and treasurer and con- tinued to hold that office until 1891. In 1881-2 there was a growing demand for a solid wheel wind-mill; to meet that demand H. J. Wolcott invented and secured a patent on a mill that soon took place of
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the sectional wheel to quite an extent. However the company continued to build both kinds, and ship to all parts of the country.
W. H. Brockway was president in 1882-83. In 1884 the business had grown to that extent that the company was re-organized, and the cap- ital stock was increased. R. J. Frost was elected president and con- tinued to hold that office until 1891, when O. B. Wood was president. L. J. Wolcott, treasurer and superintendent and V. S. Wolcott, secretary.
In 1891, L. J. Wolcott invented a new solid wheel windmill, known as the Wolcott Improved. There was a tremendous demand for that mill, and was a good business of itself. The building of said mill has been continued through all the different managements, up to the failure of the company in January, 1912.
In 1892, the business was in fine shape having recovered from a fire, that burnt the factory in 1887. When the loss was $5,000, over and above the insurance.
In 1891 and '92 the company owed the bank about $3,600 and had in good notes and accounts $8,000, and could have paid every dollar on a day's notice. In 1892, E. J. Wood was elected president and O. B. Wood, secretary and treasurer. The Woods having secured a majority of the stock, took full control and bought the interest of L. J. Wolcott, who had successfully managed the company for several years. The Woods managed the business for a year, having run the company in debt about $17,000 and used all the good assets, when the bank insisted they turn the management back to L. J. Wolcott, who on investigating the books after thirty days reported to the bank, which was the principal creditor that the stock was worthless and the bank could take it over any time. L. J. Wolcott and V. S. Wolcott were instructed to do the best they could until other arrangements could be made.
From 1895 to 1900 the company could make no money owing to the large indebtedness. In 1899 or 1900 Dr. Foster was elected president of the First National Bank, and a new board of directors with Frank Irwin as director. They proceeded to take over the Wind Mill Company, and place the business in the hands of Frank Bothwell as manager, but little was accomplished during the year.
In 1901, the bank officers were changed, also the management of the Wind Mill Company. W. W. Austin was in charge for a while or until the organization of the Cook Manufacturing Company, with I. L. Sibley as president and P. M. Dearing, secretary and treasurer. Later Sibley resigned and H. M. Dearing was elected president and continued in that office, and P. M. Dearing, secretary and treasurer, up to the failure of the company, January 3, 1912.
When the Cook Company was organized James Cook was taken into the company and for a time was vice-president and manager. The name of the company was changed and the articles of incorporation were amended to enable the company to build gasoline engines. The public are well acquainted with the winding up of the company or its manage- ment that for several years was entirely under the management of the Dearings, who had no previous experience in manufacturing hence the failure. The plant has been sold to the Wormer Company of Detroit,
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who no doubt will operate it for the benefit of the hundreds who are using and needing wind-mills and engines.
NATIONAL SPRING AND WIRE COMPANY
Wholesale manufactures of automobile, carriage and all kinds of up- holstering springs, operating under United States and Foreign Patents, shipping product to this and other countries.
Organized October, 1902, it began in the old Egg House, corner Eaton and Ash streets, started with a force of three men, remained there two years employing twenty men and then bought the brick building, former- ly owned by the Albion Buggy Company, employing forty men, after two years, rebuilt and remodeled, increasing capacity three times. In 1907 established a branch in St. Catharines, Ontario, and in the fall of 1911 built a new fire proof factory building at Windsor, moving from St. Catharines, Ontario. Employing one hundred and twenty-five men.
The officers and stock holders of the company are A. J. Abbott, S. M. Raftery, Elmer Jacobs, Otis Leonard, H. W. Wochholz, F. B. King.
CHAPTER XXV
CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH-METHODISM IN ALBION (BY EDWIN N. PARSONS) -FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (BY MRS. SAMUEL M. REED)-ST. JOHN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH-GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SALEMS CHURCH-ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH- FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST-F. W. HOLLINGSWORTH POST No. 210, G. A. R. (BY LEVI S. WARREN )-WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS- WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION (BY MRS. MARY BROCK- WAY DICKIE).
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
The First Baptist church of Albion was organized in 1837. The first preaching was in the year previous by the Rev. Mr. Twiss, and on February 21, 1837, the first business meeting was held in the town school- house located just south of the German church on the East side of Su- perior street, and Rev. T. Z. R. Jones, who was then preaching for the Baptists was chosen moderator, and L. Crittenden, secretary. The first to hand in their letters were Thomas Z. R. Jones, Joel Taylor, Polly Taylor, Orris Clapp and wife, Lumen Crittenden, Experience Critten- den, John Coonradt, Magdalen Coonradt Cynthia Warner and Fedelia Phelps.
The first Sunday-school was in the old red schoolhouse about 1846, and during the year 1849 a new church building was planned, and on January 23, 1851, it was dedicated. This building which was a frame building and cost about $2,500.00 gave place to the present house of worship, the corner stone of which was laid October 10, 1882. The audi- ence room was dedicated October 12, 1884, and this substantial struc- ture has served as the Lord's House to the present time.
The greatest growth that the church experienced was between the years 1856 and 1870. From the time of the organization of the church to the present twenty-eight men have served as pastors.
METHODISM IN ALBION
By Edwin N. Parsons *
The history of the Methodist Episcopal church in Albion dates back to Albion itself as a platted town. As soon as there was a sufficient
*For this comprehensive and carefully prepared article the Albion church and comunity are mainly indebted to Mr. Edwin N. Parsons, now and for the many years past, a devoted and exemplary member of the Albion Methodist Church. [EDITOR.]
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number of people to constitute anything of a congregation the settle- ment was supplied with preaching. The first minister who took up this place as an appointment was the Rev. Henry Ercanbrack, å super- annuated member of the Oneida Conference. This continued about two years. In the fall of 1836 the Rev. John Kinnear, traveling preacher of the Spring Arbor circuit, came to Albion and organized a society of seven members and made it a regular appointment on that eharge.
The names of the persons who constituted this first organized Chris- tian church in Albion were Almon Herriek, Lorenzo Herrick, Thomas Pray. Polley Pray, Betsey Montcalm, Noah Phelps, Mary Ercanbrack. Mr. Herrick was appointed the first elass leader. Soon after this, both the Presbyterian and Baptist churches organized, but there was no house of worship for any. In about the year 1838, these three socicties raised one hundred dollars and contributed toward the building of the "old red schoolhouse" on sonth Superior street, where the German church now stands, with the provision that it should be made of a certain size and should be open for their use as a church. The first quarterly meeting was held January 19 and 20, 1839. Rev. George W. Breckinridge and Rev. Thomas Jackway were the traveling preachers, and the Rev. Elijah H. Pilcher was the presiding elder. This historic feature of the Methodist economy came on a Sunday when the use of the schoolhouse was not regularly assigned to the Methodist society. Certain circumstances grow- ing out of this confliet in dates cansed this event to be impressed upon the traditions of the settlement, and led the Methodists to determine to secure a house of worship for themselves. On their next. "preaching day." only two weeks later, services were held in their own building constructed by volunteer labor during that time. This structure, being remodeled and improved in the spring of 1840 was oceupied for over ten years. The site of this church was what is now the northeast corner of Perry and Monroe streets where the Presbyterian church now stands. To sketch the progress of the Albion society from being a remote ap- pointment on a large cirenit until it was of sufficient strength to support its own pastor is to recite the common history of hundreds of pioneer settlements developing into towns and cities.
From the time preaching was established in 1834 until Albion became a station in 1846, thirteen itinerants ministered to the community. The greatest event which marked this early period was the revival of 1840. In the month of April of this year a religious awakening seemed to pos- sess the whole community. All of the churches were increased in num- bers, the Methodist church adding one hundred twenty-seven to its roll. Prior to the beginning of the second period in the history of the Albion church came also the loeating of the college in this place. And this in- stitution had already become a great source of influence and strength to the society.
The second period in the history of Albion Methodism began with the heroic and successful attempt of the little flock in 1846 to support their own pastor. The Rev. William Mothersill was the first man who devoted his entire time to this community. And the high standard for capable and devoted pastoral service which characterized the first resi-
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dent minister has been well sustained by the twenty-nine men whose leadership has made secure the sacrifice of the early days. In the year 1847 the Rev. Jacob E. Parker was appointed pastor, and he was fol- lowed in 1848 by the Rev. J. F. Davidson, who gave two years of service to the charge. In 1850 the Rev. Resin Sapp became pastor and remain- ed the limit of two years. Another stage in the progress of the church was reached in 1850 with the entertainment in Albion of the Michigan Annual Conference. Bishop Morris was the president of this first, among many sessions of conference to be held here. In that same year also the congregation erected the "Old Brick church" that so long occupied the site where the present church stands. This building was properly considered a fine strueture, and was made possible only by great sacri- fice. The extreme difficulty in raising funds was partially overcome by adopting the method of selling pews. Any person paying fifty dol- lars was given a deed to his pew. This became later on a source of great embarrassment in the management of the finances of the church. Persons leaving the community would transfer their deeds to the other members for a small consideration, until a large proportion of the sit- tings of the church were owned by a few, and rented for a personal gain. These holdings were not finally caneelled until 1876.
In 1853 the Rev. Francis A. Blades came to the charge. He was not only strong as a spiritual leader but was possessed of notable capacity as an administrator. In his case there is seen the sacrifice which the itinerancy entailed upon these men who foresook the glowing oppor- tunities of those early days in order that moral and religious interests might be served. For even after Rev. Blades had retired from the active ministry his ability and integrity were so impressed upon the city of Detroit that he was continuously elected controller until the time of his death. During 1854 and 1855 the church was in charge of Rev. William Mahon. During the full pastoral limit thorough and constructive service was given. The Rev. Francis B. Bangs, a faithful and successful pastor and typical representative of the great Bangs family, served the charge from 1856 to 1858. The Rev. Israel Cogshall was pastor during 1859 and 1860. Those who attended the "Albion Camp Meeting," famous for its great revival power during all those early years, report that this pastor made show of muscular Christianity in defending the peace of the camp ground upon one notable occasion. A shanty, erected at the edge of the encampment for the sale of liquor, was removed by its would-be proprietor in less than thirty minutes, while the belligerent pastor, with coat off all ready for action, timed the effort with his open watch. Those troublons times both demanded and produced such sturdy and heroic sonls. The Rev. Resin Sapp was appointed to a second pastoral term in 1861. His steady advancement in the conference ranks had kept pace · with the rapid progress of the charge. Ilis long and successful career gives him a high place among the makers of Michigan Methodism. The Rev. Riley Crawford became pastor in 1863, and in the midst of the tense excitement of the time, he gave a year of faithful service to the charge. The most notable event in any pastorate in the history of the chnreh occurred in 1864. The country was in the throes of Civil war.
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Men were esteemed quite as much for their loyalty as for their religion. The conference that year was held at Niles. The Rev. A. J. Eldred was at home from the army, where he had served as chaplain since 1861. No one seemed to know why he left the army-but, since he was a Democrat by party relation, there was in the minds of many a question as to his loyalty to the cause of the Union. During the conference ses- sion word reached the local church that he was to be appointed to Albion. This created great excitement and provoked a protest which was for- warded to the bishop with the warning that the church would not receive him nor fix him a salary, if he came. But he came, nevertheless. The officials, true to their pledge, refused to estimate a salary, and many went to the other churches, and would not hear him preach. In answer to the repeated question "What are your politics," he would reply "I am an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am here on His business." The first result of his efforts was the repairing of the church building.
Afterward there came the greatest revival in the history of Albion. The church which had refused to estimate him a support at the begin- ning of the year paid double the customary salary. Twice as much was given to the benevolences as in any previous year, and among the great throng of new members were many of the most prominent business men of the city. The prestige of the church, as an organization, was raised to higher levels, and the moral life of the community thoroughly aroused. The Rev. D. F. Barnes, who was the pastor from 1866 to 1868, was calm, sedate, but convincing as a preacher, and was a genuine fisher of men. Results seemed to ensue on every hand as he went quietly for- ward wthout any one being able to see just how they were brought about. A brief and effective pastorate was given to the charge in 1869 by the Rev. J. W. Robinson. In 1870 the Rev. J. C. Wortley was transferred from the Detroit conference and served the charge successfully for two years, and at the close of the pastorate returned to his former confer- ence. The next pastor, the Rev. H. M. Joy, who served the charge with great popularity through 1872 and 1873, was a young man of great promise. The tragic ending of his bright career caused the events of his pastorate to be the more strongly impressed upon the community. His removal from Albion was in response to an urgent request from the Uni- versity church at Green Castle, Indiana. After preaching one Sunday in his new field, he was killed by a runaway horse while driving with one of his official members. A brief, but earnest and effective pas- torate was given the charge in 1874 by the Rev. Levi Tarf. Professor W. H. Perrine, of the Albion college, served a full pastoral term from 1875 to 1878.
It was during the year of 1876 that the church was so extensively repaired as to make it to be practically a new plant. The floor was raised, providing a spacious basement, and Dr. Perrine executed for the use of the Sunday-school his well known map of Palestine. This pro- duction covered the entire south wall of the basement. It was at this time that the board was induced to reseat the entire church; and to the great relief of the general congregation, but to the disappointment of
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the few pew-holders, it was found that the right to control did not pass over to the new sittings. The next pastor, the Rev. George Hickey, served a full pastoral term, from 1878 to 1880. While a transfer from California at the time of his appointment, he was a Michigan man and a former student of the Albion college. Each year of his service was increasingly acceptable to the charge, and at the end of his term, he was assigned to the Lansing district. The Rev. Levi Masters, who came in 1881 and served a full term, sustained the pastoral standard of his predecessors with carnest, thoughtful preaching, with a home life that was exemplary, and with a transparency of character, which left its im- pression upon all who knew him. The Rev. John Graham was called to this charge in 1884. After one year of strong and acceptable service . as preacher and pastor, was advanced to the pastorate of the Division Street Church in Grand Rapids. Following this, two years of earnest and constructive service were given the charge by the Rev. C. L. Barnhardt. This pastorate may properly be considered as closing the second period in the development of this church. Full forty years had passed since the church had broken away from dependent relation to a circuit and had undertaken the task of self support. The faithful and spiritual min- istration of this long line of apostolic preachers, supported by the prayers and the finances of a devoted and constantly increasing membership, had developed the organization to that place in its history where a new and thoroughly modern building was a necessity to its further growth.
It was at this time and under these conditions, that Washington Gardner came to the pastorate in 1888. He solicited the funds which provided for the crection, in a town that was then only a village, of a temple which was at the time only surpassed for beauty and capacity by a few churches in the entire state. At the end of the year, but not before the success of the enterprise was made secure, he was appointed to St. Paul's church, Cincinnati. The pastorate of the Rev. John C. Floyd from 1889 to 1890 was constructive in every sense. First, the building for which funds had been subscribed and the structure well under way, was completed under his skillful leadership. Then came the task of gath- ering a congregation that would fill the church. This successful pastor- ate was terminated by the appointment of Dr. Floyd as a missionary to Malaysia. The briefest pastorate in the history of the Albion church was also one of its most notable. Following the appointment of Dr. Floyd as a missionary there was an interval of three months before another regular pastor was secured. And it was during this time that Bishop W. F. Oldham was a resident of Albion and acting pastor of the church. Into the work upon this field he flung himself with the same missionary enthusiasm which has characterized his work all round the world. The entire citizenship of the city accorded him a place in their esteem which caused him to be the pastor of the whole community, rather than of any one church. The filling of the vacancy was perma- nently effected by the transfer of the Rev. R. W. VanSchoick from Pennsylvania. His pastorate covered the years from 1881 to 1894. Additions were constantly received, the deeper truths of the bible were attractively presented and attentive and acceptable leadership was given to every department of the church. He was called from Albion to the
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presiding eldership of the Cold Water district. In 1895 the Rev. Alfred E. Craig was appointed pastor and through each of the six years over which his labor extended there was steady progress. Both as a speaker and as an administrator he gave evidence of those capacities which have since been so signally recognized by the general church. His pastorate here was terminated by response to an invitation to become pastor of the First church in Ottumwa, Iowa. The Rev. W. H. B. Urch who was the pastor from 1901 to 1905 pursued all of his duties on the basis of lofty standards and made every Sabbath an occasion for penetrating and in- spiring study of the Word. His removal from this charge was to that great post of importance in the new southwest, First church in Okla- homa city. The man who came to Albion in exchange for Doctor Urch was the Rev. Frank E. Day. During every week of the five years in which he ministered to the Albion church the congregation was conscious of having in him one of the foremost platform men in Methodism. His vigorous and successful career gained such recognition for him through- out the Michigan conference that he was elected as one of the delegates to General Conference in 1908. This pastorate terminated in 1900 by an exchange with Rev. Charles J. English of the First church in St. Joseph, Missouri. Doctor English had recently led his church in the erection of one of the finest structures in the central west. His prefer- ence for work in that territory caused him to request to be returned at the close of his second conference year, and an adjustment was effected by the bishops whereby he was appointed to First Church, Cameron, Missouri, and the Rev. Charles O. Mills, superintendent of the St. Joseph district in the Missouri conference, was transferred and appointed to Albion. His pastorate has continued for nine months at the time of the writing of the sketch. More than one hundred additions to the church membership have been made during that time with a net increase of sixty-five. During January of 1912 a steam heating plant was installed in the church and in the parsonage and other substantial improvements were made at a total cost of two thousand dollars. A subscription of five thousand dollars has been secured to pay for these and other im- provements previously made. The average attendance upon the various services is the largest in the history of the church, and there is every indication of continued and substantial growth.
The statistics tell an inspiring story of how this communion has grown from seven members in 1836 to eleven hundred in 1912, how three houses of worship have been erected by succeeding generations, each of them at great sacrifice and each of them prophetic of the future needs of the church, how the contributions of the people have advanced to a budget, including benevolences of ten thousand dollars a year. All of the organizations are prosperous and effective. A strictly modern Sun- day-school, thoroughly organized in all of its various departments, has an enrollment of six hundred scholars. The Methodist Brotherhood, the Epworth League, the Woman's Home, and the Woman's Foreign Mis- sionary Society, have each a membership of about two hundred, and are extending the interests of the church through their respective lines of effort. While this sketch has necessarily followed the lines of pastoral leadership as indicated by the records of the conference from year to
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year, it should ever be borne in mind that the results here outlined were only made possible by the loyalty, the devotion, the sacrifice of the mem- bers and the friends of the church through more than three quarters of a century. To make this history complete there should also be re- corded the names of scores of laymen whose wisdom and foresight in the counsels of the church and whose self-denying generosity in the crises through which it has come have made its present rank a possibility. But lest we do seeming injustice to some, we refrain from mentioning any.
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