USA > Michigan > Oakland County > History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories > Part 90
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In the dawn of this bright prospect for the place, Edward M. Peck opened a store about 1831, which he conducted about ten years, then moved to Pontiac, where he became one of the foremost business men of that place.
Alanson Pierson also engaged in the mercantile business about this time, being followed shortly after by Mason I. James, Smith & Howard, and Nathan Davis, all of whom opened stores at Troy, so that it had in 1835 and '36 six firms engaged in mercantile business.
Harry Sprague had also opened another hotel, thus giving the place two pub- lic-houses ; and the demand upon them was so great that Johnson Niles built a large hotel, raising it on the fourth of July, 1837. This house still remains, but is not used as a tavern at present. It was named the Troy hotel, and was conducted by Harry Sprague, who proved a most genial landlord.
Troy at this time had three physicians ; the first to locate there being Dr. Thad- deus Thompson, about 1830. He practiced about eighteen years, then moved to Detroit, where he still resides. Dr. N. D. Stebbins came about 1831, remained, perhaps, ten years, and then also moved to Detroit. Dr. O. H. Chipman was the third, coming about 1832, and continued his practice until about 1842, when he became a resident of Grand Rapids.
It also had a brilliant young lawyer,-George A. C. Luce,-who came from New York about 1835. He married a daughter of Johnson Niles, and became thoroughly identified with the interests of the place, living there until his death, about 1850.
In 1838, Mr. Niles platted sixteen blocks on sections 4, 9, and 10, on the corners, and on the section-line roads, for a town, which he called Hastings, in honor of E. P. Hastings, then president of the Michigan bank. But the decline of the place had come, and the new name was never accepted.
The panic attending the suspension of the " wild-cat" banks, the building of the railroad through Royal Oak, and ultimately through Pontiac, the increased growth of Rochester, on account of its water privileges, all tended to detract from the importance of Troy and to depreciate its value as a trading-point. Its pop- ulation, numbering at one time several hundred, was diminished month by month by removals ; and the business once centred at the busy corners had dwindled down to its small beginnings. The postman's horn was now heard less frequently, and the gay and festive throngs who used to frequent the place had departed for- ever. Like the ancient city bearing this name, Troy had reached the summit of its glory, and then sunk into such a comparative condition of decay that even now, before the generation which inhabited it has passed off the stage of life, its
former greatness is almost forgotten. The present population of the place is about sixty, and its business is as follows : store, James Hall; shoemaker, D. O. Ramsey ; wagon-maker, N. Voorheis ; blacksmith, F. Cutting; tinsmith, Henry Russell; carriage-painter, J. S. Leonard; carpenter, Clark Harris ; house-painter, S. M. Niles.
Aside from the hotels at Troy Corners, there was a tavern a mile east of the place, known as the " Union Corner hotel." The well-known H. O. Bronson was the keeper of this place in 1842. Subsequently A. Barnes purchased the prop- erty and enlarged the house to commodious dimensions. It was a favorite stop- ping-place for the teamsters on the old Paint creek road, who often gathered there to the number of a score. With the cessation of travel on this road departed the usefulness of the hotel, and it was soon after deserted. The building still remains, a weather-beaten and time-worn structure, a silent witness of the busy past.
POST-OFFICE, MAIL- AND STAGE-ROUTES.
The post-office at Troy Corners was established in 1823, with Johnson Niles as postmaster. This position he held many years, and was succeeded by his son, Orange. The present postmaster is Frank Cutting. The first mail service was via Mount Clemens, and was carried weekly from Detroit. Soon after the mails were more frequent, and the route was changed via Royal Oak. At a later period the office had daily mails from Royal Oak, served by a stage company, whose route extended from that place to points north in Lapeer county. When this line was withdrawn the mails were supplied only tri-weekly from Royal Oak via Big Beaver and return, which is the present service.
SCHOOLS-PRIVATE AND PUBLIC.
Soon after the settlement of the Rev. A. S. Hollister as the rector of St. John's, he opened a select school in a frame building which was just a little beyond the present residence of N. Voorheis, Esq. The latter house was used as a dwelling by the rector, and also furnished a home for some of the pupils coming from abroad. The school was well attended by the youth of the surrounding country, and had some students from Detroit and other cities, swelling the num- ber up to fifty or more. Many of the prominent men of the present received the benefit of the good dominie's instruction, and recall with pleasure their school-days at Troy.
Rev. Hollister left the place in 1843, and his position was taken soon after by Rev. S. N. Hill, pastor of the Presbyterian church. Under his principalship the school preserved its excellent reputation, and was continued with great success several years, when it was closed permanently in consequence of the decline of the village.
A public school was taught in a log house on section 9 about 1825, where William Morse was one of the teachers. A short time after its erection this house was destroyed by fire, and another log building took its place. This, too, was burned, as well as several frames subsequently built by the district. A fine brick school-house was then built half a mile west of Troy Corners, on the south line of section 4, which is at present used for school purposes by district No. 2, which includes Troy Corners.
. THE BAPTIST CHURCH.
The following history is compiled principally from an admirable sketch of the church, read before the Michigan Baptist association in 1876, by the Rev. J. E. Bitting, who was at that time pastor in charge :
The Baptist church in Troy was the third church of that faith organized in Michigan. It was originally a branch of the Pontiac church, and the members of that church living in the southeastern part of the county had established reg- ular covenant meetings. At one of these covenant meetings, held May 21, 1825, steps were taken to organize an independent Baptist church. Willard Daniels and George P. Morse were appointed delegates to lay this request before the Pontiac church, and ask for letters of dismission for those who wished to unite with the new movement. The request was granted, and at the next covenant meeting, Elder Comstock being present, seventeen names were reported as con- stituent members, viz. : Nathan Jones, Calvin Gibbs, George P. Morse, John Everett, Samuel Hubbell, Lydia Jones, Cynthia Daniels, Mary Jones, Francis Douglass, Deborah W. Gibbs, Esther Cole, Lucy Wellman, Willard Daniels, Avery Jones, Nathan Douglass, Ramah Cole, and Edward Swan. At the meeting a committee was appointed to prepare articles of faith and a covenant. Their report was adopted August 25, 1825, and a council of recognition was called. This council, composed of Rev. Elkanah Comstock, John Southard, and Henry Stevens, from the Pontiac church, Rev. Lemuel Taylor, from the Stony Creek church, met September 29, 1825, and recognized the brethren and sisters as a regular Baptist church, called the " Baptist church in Bloomfield."
On January 28, 1826, this new church appointed delegates to meet the other two churches-Pontiac and Stony Creek-at Stony Creek, for the purpose of
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
forming the platform for an association in Michigan, and the next Sabbath another delegation was appointed to attend a council at Farmington, probably to recog- nize the fourth church in the association.
It is probable that Rev. John Buttolph was the first pastor of the Bloomfield church, though perhaps only as a supply. He was received to membership June 25, 1826. " This worthy brother was permitted to live but four months after his arrival in the Territory," and his connection with the church consequently was short.
Northrup Jones was the first deacon, John White was the first licentiate, and the first baptism was that of Aaron Wellman, received February 24, 1827.
For the first two years the society worshiped in a school-house. In 1827 the first meeting-house was built. It was a log structure, on the " cross-road," half a mile south of Troy, on section 16. Its name was also changed to " The First Baptist church in Troy." The membership at that time was forty-one, and the church had no regular pastor. A call was extended Elder Eaton, of New York, to come and serve the people for one hundred dollars a year in produce, the church agreeing to furnish wheat at six shillings a bushel, corn at three shillings sixpence, pork at five dollars per hundredweight, and house-rent at twenty-five dollars a year. Elder Eaton did not accept this munificent offer.
On the 28th day of August, 1828, the church voted "to have no fellowship with Freemasonry, or any who uphold the institution of Freemasons in any wise." It was supplied monthly, for six months of this year, by Elder Clark, for four dollars a visit. Other preachers, visiting friends in the Territory or passing through the country, often ministered to the church, but there was no regular pastor until July 4, 1829, when Rev. John Booth, of Philadelphia, Pennsylva- nia, came in response to an advertisement in the New York Baptist Register, followed by a whole year's correspondence. He received a salary of one hundred dollars a year, and divided his labors between this and Stony Creek church. In 1831 the Troy church supported Rev. Booth alone; but soon after he divided his pastoral labors between this and the church at Auburn, which had just been organized.
In February, 1832, the church again changed its name,-this time to " The Troy Baptist Union Society." A board of trustees was also appointed, and a resolution was passed to build a new house of worship; but, being unable to agree upon a site, and owing to the lack of harmony, occasioned by the manner of raising money by " average" or direct tax on the property of the members, the project of building fell through. About this time Elder Booth resigned his pas- torate, having served four years and a half. During his connection seventy-eight persons joined the church,-thirty-nine by baptism and an equal number by letter and experience. The membership of the church was now about one hundred and ten.
Following Elder Booth's resignation the church was without a pastor for four months; then Rev. Moses Clark supplied, preaching half the time for eight months. He was succeeded on July 1, 1835, by Rev. Stephen Goodman, also a half-time pastor, at a salary of one hundred and fifty dollars per year. About four months after this, on the 23d of November, 1835, the building of a meeting- house was again agitated, and resulted in taking measures for this purpose. The pastor made several journeys to New York to obtain men, and after much effort the house was completed the latter part of 1836. It was a plain structure of wood, with spire and gallery, and was built on the northeast quarter of section 9, nearer Troy than the old building. The church was dedicated January 4, 1837, and the society began a prosperous career, enjoying a protracted meeting of sev- eral weeks, in which the pastor was assisted by Revs. Weaver and Barrett, which resulted in the conversion and baptism of about seventy persons. Elder Goodman served until April 27, 1839, when he severed his four years' connection by a resig- nation. During this period there were received into membership one hundred and forty-one persons,-one hundred and five by baptism and thirty-six by let- ter. The number belonging was now over two hundred. The church imme- diately called Rev. John E. Mitchell, who commenced his pastoral labors May 1, 1839. His work was attended by another addition to the membership, fifty-six uniting,-thirty-five by baptism and twenty-one by letter. In October, 1840, Elder Mitchell tendered his resignation because he could not get a suitable dwell- ing for his family, which he was obliged to remove to his farm, distant fifty miles.
Six weeks after, he closed his labors. In November, 1840, Rev. William Bar- rett was called as pastor. He was a man of great ability, and had many friends.
Now followed a dark period in the history of the church, a period which nearly eclipsed the brightness of its past, and which almost obscured its future pathway. Damaging reports concerning the pastor's character were circulated. These were attended with much excitement and considerable hard feeling among the members, seriously interfering with the work of the church, and causing many dissensions. The church delayed an investigation for some time, and Mr. Barrett having with- drawn from the pastoral office, but not from the membership of the church, the
reports of his bad character all the while continuing, the membership was dis- tracted, and the church was " like sheep having no shepherd." Finally, in 1843, the right hand of fellowship was withdrawn from Mr. Barrett, and the cloud which had so long enveloped the church was broken, revealing a divided, scattered member- ship of not quite a hundred. There was no regular pastor in all this period, although Rev. Dennison preached at irregular intervals, and others occasionally ministered to this distracted people.
Near the close of 1843, Elders Weaver and Simmonds came to labor with this church ; a " meeting of days," continuing three weeks, was held. "The Lord poured out his Spirit. The church was again revived, and union and peace re- stored. Likewise sinners were converted, backsliders returned, and the Lord be praised for his unspeakable goodness to us." At the close of the meeting the church-roll contained the names of one hundred and sixty-two members.
On the evening of January 31, 1844, the church held an experience-meeting. It was continued until a late hour, and some of the tallow-candles having been left carelessly burning into the pine sockets in the gallery, after the dismission of the congregation, the meeting-house took fire and burned to the ground. The church was now again obliged to worship in the school-house; but it was united and harmonious, and soon took measures to rebuild.
In the spring of 1844 a building committee, composed of James Bayley, Solo- mon Mathews, and N. Douglass, were appointed, and subscriptions, payable in notes, were taken to erect a new house. These notes were placed in the hands of James Bayley, and upon him devolved the burden of the work. About this time the doctrine of " Millerism" made its appearance in the church and the commu- nity, producing much excitement. More than a majority of the members were carried away with it, among them Deacon Douglass of the building committee. But Mr. Bayley thought it better " to occupy until the Lord came," and pressed his work to a successful completion, although general fanaticism prevailed. He held the notes of the members, and they generally honored them, so that the entire building was erected, all paid except one hundred dollars, which was shared between Deacons Bayley and Mathews; and the house was dedicated October 12, 1844, free of debt, by Rev. Supply Chase.
Most of the members who had embraced " Millerism" found their way back to the church again, and became useful members.
While the church was building, Rev. G. D. Simmonds preached as stated supply in the Presbyterian church, and for a short time after the church was completed. He was succeeded by Rev. Babcock, who remained about four months.
The church was now without a settled pastor for about three years and a half, until the Rev. Henry D. Buttolph was settled as pastor, April 19, 1845.
In February, 1847, the church set aside the articles of faith and covenant, adopted years before, and substituted the following:
" Resolved, That we consider it the duty of all those connected, or proposing to connect themselves, with this church, that they, without the least known reason, devote themselves to God, choosing the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to be their God and portion, for time and eternity, promising most solemnly to make the word of God their only rule of faith and practice."
Rev. Buttolph resigned at the end of two years, and was succeeded a few months later-in July, 1847-by Rev. S. Goodman. The membership was now only eighty-five, but this was increased by sixteen at the close of Rev. Goodman's pastorate, in 1850.
After seven months, in April, 1851, Rev. Samuel Cornelius became pastor, continuing three years, and resigning April 20, 1854. During his ministry the church adopted new articles of faith and covenant, such as are now generally in use in Baptist churches, which are now the doctrines of the church. There were forty-one additions to the membership,-eighteen by bapti ~ and twenty- three by letter.
There was again a lack of harmony, several members having considerable diffi- culty with the church authorities. Under these circumstances Rev. J. Ross be- came the pastor, in May, 1854. He was a man well calculated to effect compro- mises, and succeeded in restoring harmony. In the spring of 1855 the church was blessed with another revival, resulting in more than forty baptisms, swelling the membership to one hundred and forty-nine members in 1856. Rev. Ross closed his labors in November, 1859, leaving the church with one hundred and thirty-two members.
The church was again without a pastor five months, when Rev. A. Snider was called, in 1860. He was succeeded by C. G. Purrett, who remained until April 1, 1863. There were now one hundred and eight members.
The church was again without a pastor over six months; then Rev. T. S. Wooden, a recent graduate of the Hamilton theological seminary, was called, and accepted September 15, 1863. He was ordained in February, 1864, and served until 1866. The actual membership of the church was now only seventy-two. In this stage of financial weakness propositions were made to unite with the
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
church at Rochester in maintaining a pastor, but the project was never consum- mated.
Rev. J. L. De Land was the next pastor, serving the church two years, and closing his labors in April, 1869. During the following summer Elder Mendell supplied the church with preaching, and reported seventy-nine members.
Rev. Wm. Hartley was called December 4, 1870. He continued pastor two years, resigning December 4, 1872. Another interval of a year and two months, in which period the church had no pastor, followed ; then an arrangement was effected whereby the church was supplied in connection with the church at Birming- ham, Rev. D. Gostelow serving both churches for two years. He was followed, under a similar arrangement, by Rev. J. E. Bitting. The church is at present without a pastor, and has a membership of sixty-two. The meeting-house was repaired in 1875, and is now a plain but neat place of worship.
The church has a history extending over more than fifty-two years, in which period it has witnessed several stages of decay so marked that its very existence was threatened. It has also had seven revivals, which have had great influence on its history. It has participated in fifty-three ecclesiastical councils, helped to organ- ize twenty-two churches, and has aided in many projects whereby the interests of the Baptist church were advanced. Its membership is small at present, but its usefulness has not departed, and it is but reasonable to suppose that it will yet be a positive power in Troy.
A Sunday-school was organized by this church in 1830. It has been continued, with some intermissions, from that time to the present. Josephus Smith is the present superintendent. There are seventy members in the school, and it has a library of one hundred volumes.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
As early as 1827, Elder Warren, a Methodist, preached in Troy township and organized a class of those professing the doctrines of Methodism, a mile and a half east of the present village of Troy. Among the original members were the Blount families, the family of Andrew Downer, and others of that neighborhood. The class had no remarkable increase of membership, as the field was well occupied by other denominations, and the society had no place of worship except the school- house. From this time until 1860 preaching was maintained, generally in the afternoon, the society meanwhile increasing slowly in financial strength and num- bers. About this time the question of building a church was agitated, and, as some of the other societies worshiping at Troy had suspended their work, the moment was thought very opportune. A proposition to build a church east of the village was defeated, but the old church belonging to the Episcopalians, and erected by that society in Troy, in 1837, was purchased by the Methodists about 1862. At this time the class was served in connection with Utica, that place having the preference for the morning service. In 1867, Rev. L. H. Dean was on this circuit, and under his preaching a great revival was produced at Troy, which resulted in many additions to the membership of the society. It was now thought expedient to demand morning services for at least one-half the time, Utica to have the remaining half. This proposition was not received with any favor by the Utica members, and another, based upon the willingness of the Troy society to pay two-thirds of the pastor's salary if the entire morning services were granted, was also denied them. Convinced that the welfare of the cause demanded such a movement, the society besought conference to set the Troy charge off from Utica, and make it a separate supply. This petition was granted by the Detroit confer- ence, at its session held at Ann Arbor, August, 1868, and Rev. W. H. Benton was appointed to the new Troy circuit, which was included in the Romeo district. A few years later the Big Beaver appointment was added to the Troy charge, and is still served in that connection. Since 1868 the following reverend gentlemen have served as pastors : Wood, Baskerville, Deacon, Hedger, Houghton, and Tuttle, the present pastor, who was appointed in 1876. While Rev. Houghton was pastor in charge, in 1875, the old building was completely remodeled and enlarged, so that it is now a handsome little country church. Rev. Wm. Fox, then the pre- siding elder of the Romeo district, performed the dedicatory services on the 12th day of August, 1875. From that time the work has become fully established, and has assumed respectable proportions. The present membership is sixty-two, not including probationers. The official board consists of Stephen G. Conley, Elisha Hill, and Miles B. Clark. J. Jennings is the present class-leader.
A Sunday-school is maintained by the church. Its present membership is about seventy-five. Rev. William Tuttle is the superintendent.
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Following as the missionary successor of Rev. Alanson W. Welton, who came to Michigan in 1821, the Rev. Richard F. Cadle came, in 1824, as the repre- sentative of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, from New York to Detroit. Although assigned to all Michigan, his efforts were principally exerted
in Detroit and vicinity, and resulted in the organization of St. Paul's church, at Detroit, in 1824, and St. Andrew's church, at Ann Arbor, in 1827.
St. John's church was organized by Rev. Cadle in 1829, and is, therefore, the third Episcopal church in Michigan. Of its early membership and officers little can be said. The later history of the church was one of dissolution, and it is presumed that the records have been lost ; but chief among those interested in the establishment of the church were the Niles family, Alva Butler, some of the Spragues, and, later, George A. C. Luce.
The meetings were first held at the school-house, but in 1837 a neat frame church was erected in the eastern part of the village, in which services were held until about 1851. A few years later the parish became extinct, and about 1862 the church building was sold to the Methodists by the Zion church of Pontiac, the title to the property having vested in that church on the dissolution of the society at Troy.
The rectors of St. John's were : from 1835 to 1843, Rev. Algernon S. Hollister ; 1843 to 1845, Rev. Sabine Hough ; 1847 to 1850, Wm. H. Woodward, who was the last rector employed by the church.
The extinction of the parish is traceable to commercial rather than to spiritual causes. As Troy Corners declined other places became more important, notably Pontiac. Some members moved away, and the few remaining members could not bear the burden of sustaining the church alone. Its dissolution was unavoid- able, and there is nothing left of St. John's but the precious memories which cluster round it as one of the pioneer churches.
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