History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan, Part 110

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Michigan > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan > Part 110

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" February, 1858, Mr. S. F. Hopkins, who has long led the singing in the worship of the sanct- uary, requests to be released from the duties of leader on account of physical disability to perform them.'

The church expressed regret at this announcement, and requested Mr. Hopkins to procure a substitute, or with such assistance as he could get to go on with the choir. On one occasion in the old log court house, Mr. Hopkins was requested by the minister to " raise the tune." He declined, on the ground that the congregation all sang one part, but, on condition that four parts instead of one should be sung, he became leader of the choir, and filled that position for many years.

Another occurrence was a call upon the faithful Ladies' Sewing Society for assistance in pay- ing off a debt of $400, due the pastor. They generously responded, and the debt was paid. The Ladies' Society has been the reserve force of the church all along the way, and has often been called up to save the day in the hard-fought battle. When the meeting-house was first built, the pews were sold to individuals to hold as permanent property. In 1857, the majority of the pew owners agreed to surrender their ownership for the benefit of the church, and the pews were rented then by the church. Afterward the seats were made free. Some of the pew owners demurred to the vote to surrender the pews, but the church was in financial straits and no other way seemed to open to them. In November, 1858, owing to financial difficulties in the church, Mr. Tuthill was released from the pastorate by a council; Rev. W. P. Russell was Moderator of the council, and Rev. P. R. Hurd, scribe.

With its usual promptness in choosing a pastor, the church, in July, called Rev. James Vin- cent, who immediately began a pastorate which lasted four years. Three candidates had been heard before him-Rev. James McLain, Rev. M. Lightbody and Rev. Joseph Peart. The last of these came very near being called to remain. The church at this time made application to the

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY:

Home Missionary Society for $200 to aid in the minister's salary. It was during Mr. Vincent's pastorate that quarterly collections for benevolent objects were established, the four objects being the Home Missionary Society, the American Board, the Bible Society and the American Tract Society. Seventeen new members were received during these four years. The membership for these four years respectively was 83, 88, 91 and 87. The Sunday school numbered about 100. Mr. Vincent was not installed. In February, 1862, a circular from Chicago aroused the ladies on the subject of Missions; a meeting was called at Mrs. Cady's and the Ladies' Auxiliary Missionary Society was formed. Mr. Vincent resigned in February, 1862, but remained until April.

This year William Grace was chosen to represent the church at the State Association which met at Grand Rapids. Throughout its history, this church has regularly been represented at the meetings of the State Association and the Eastern Conference, except for a small period between 1871 and 1876.

Now comes an interval of eleven months filled up by reading meetings and occasional preach- ing. Rev. H. S. Clark occupied the pulpit for three months, but the choice fell finally on Rev. L. P. Spellman. who, in March, began his pastorate. The Plymouth collection was adopted as the hymn book.

A memorable event during this pastorate was the meeting of the Eastern Conference in May, 1866. In this year, the cause of the Freedmen was substituted for the Bible cause in the benevo- lences, and the whole amount of benevolent contributions was $107.65. The standing rules of the church were collected and put into shape. The building was repaired and banked for winter. Mr. Spellman's pastorate was quiet, earnest and enterprising, and resulted in adding thirty-three new members to the church, twenty-five of them on profession. For the four years of his pastorate, respectively, the church numbered eighty-four, eighty-eight, ninety-four, ninety-two. The Sunday school numbered seventy-five, eighty, ninety-five, eighty. The increase was about balanced by con- tinual removals of church members. Mr. Spellman was hired by the year and not installed, Mr. Thompson and Mr. Tuthill being the only installed pastors of this church. He closed his labors in the spring of 1863. Rev. W. P. Wastell was then in Port Huron and received a call from the church to be acting pastor for a year. He began his second pastorate here in May, 1867, and remained three years. These three years were the most prosperous in many respects which the church has seen. He found the membership ninety-four and brought it up to 120, the largest number it has ever had. The benevolent contributions averaged nearly $100 a year, except the last year, 1870, for which there is no report and the Sunday school was carried from a membership of ninety-five up to 150 members, the highest number it has ever reached. Evidences of the blessing of God upon the church appear in the records during the period, and many young persons were taken into fellow- ship, among whom are the names of Josephine Mortinger, George McAdam, Louisa McIntyre, Alice Grace, Mahala Mitchell, Millard Mitchell, Hattie Waterloo, Julia Palmer, T. L. P. Miles, Frank Paris, Edwin Earle, Joseph Johnston, Annie Johnston, Eliphalet Webster, Nancy Webster, Mary Earle. A general revival conducted by Mr. Graves was the occasion of bringing these accessions to the church.

The church lost its watchfulness over this precious flock during the following years when preaching was suspended. The fruits of this revival were gathered into the church, but by its sub- sequent neglect some of these young converts have wandered far from God, an inevitable result when a church suspends its watchfulness.

The pastorate of Mr. Wastell closed in the spring of 1870, and in June of that year Rev. H. B. Dean was called with the promise of a salary of $1,000, including a donation. The meeting house was again repaired, and it was resolved that " the church looks very much better than before it was renovated," and a general vote of thanks was moved and carried. Mr. Dean's pastorate lasted a year and three months. It was a year of stir and activity, but along with those came troubles. The amount raised for parish expenses was greater than any other year, reaching $1,600, benevolent contributions were $100. Mr. Dean began his ministry under more favorable circumstances than any other minister, but an unfortunate division arose in the church over the character of the pastor, and the bright prospects were not realized. Several dismissions from the church are recorded, but no admissions except that of Mr. Dean. He terminated his work in September, 1871, leaving the church with a membership of 116, and the Sunday school of 145.

A period of three months was then bridged over by reading services, and in December the pulpit was filled again by Rev. George F. Waters, a theological student from Oberlin. The records for

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

1872 show a serious falling off in membership caused by removals, which reduced the church to sixty-eight members, and the Sunday school to ninety. Mr. Waters spent three months with the church, and did vigorous work which greatly blessed it, but returned to his studies at Oberlin after his vacation had expired. He was here during December, January and February, 1871 and 1872.

The following in regard to the Baptist Church appears :

" October 13, 1872 .- The Baptist congregation and their minister Rev. Mr. Deland, will hold their services in our church on Sunday evenings until further notice."

This brotherly act shows the spirit which the Congregational Church has entertained toward the other churches in the place.

Now follows a period of a year and eight months from March, 1872, to November, 1873, in which there was no regular preaching. Calls were extended to Rev. G. F. Waters and Rev. J. F. Ellis, but were not accepted. Letters of dismission decreased the membership to fifty-eight. It was a period of retrograde. But in November of 1873, the wheels began to move again, and Rev. John Van Antwerp became pastor of the church. He remained one year. His pastorate was one of faithful work. No additions are reported, but letters of dismission were frequently granted, and at the end of the year the membership stood fifty-five, while the Sunday School numbered sixty. The five years between September, 1871, and 1876, were the darkest since the old pioneer days. No benevolent contributions were taken. The membership dwindled to fifty-three. The flock was scattered while the fold was empty. Some wandered on the mountains and have never yet returned to fellowship with their spiritual mother. Some grazed in other pastures, wisely deciding not to starve even though their own table was empty. All these days neither sun nor stars appeared, and voices were heard asking whether it were not better to give up the ship. The old pioneer spirit, however, came to the rescue; the honorable and sacred church of nearly a century was not to per- ish ; the Lord whom they sought suddenly came to His temple. After persistent and noble efforts on the part of several, and after one severe disappointment in not securing a pastor, the present pastor was called, and in September, 1876, church work under his ministration regularly began. During the two years between September, 1876, and the present month, the membership of the church has in- creased from fifty-three to seventy-nine. Thirty-seven have been received, eighteen by letter, and nineteen by profession of their faith. A number have been dismissed by letter. The constitution and by-laws of the church have been remodeled. The society has resumed its regular and dis- tinctive work as a secular body. In the fall of 1876, the meeting house was again repaired and repainted, and the choir seats changed from the rear to the pulpit end of the house. Quarterly contributions for benevolent objects are regularly taken ; the contributions for 1877 being in all over $100, and for 1878 they promise to be the largest ever made by the church in one year. The Ladies' Aid Society is thoroughly organized and doing efficient service in the church. The Ladies' Auxiliary Missionary Society raised over $30 last year and hopes to double it during the present year. The pastor's salary has been paid monthly and for the most part promptly. Looking back over the long and checkered years, we see that the hand of God has been over this people. A few of my hearers to-day have trod the whole journey and can remember the first beginnings. Their hair has gathered whiteness during the long journeying, and their eyes dimness, and the hand has learned to tremble, but they can testify that God has blessed this church, and they can testify to the sacrifices which its members have made all along the way, and they can rejoice as the most of us cannot, over the present favorable prospects in which the smile of heaven again rests upon this Zion.

This historical sketch will not be complete without some mention of prominent workers in the church who have died or moved away. Of those now living here, Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Hopkins and Mrs. Deborah Palmer were present at its organization, and Deacon Cady soon after its organization. Among those who are dead or removed the following are worthy of special mention : John John- son, Sr., Elisha Smith, Dr. Justin Rice, Andrew Blakie, Reuben Moore, Benjamin Bissell, A. North- way, Everett Beardsley, Gen. D. Northrup, Harmon Chamberlin, George Palmer, John Doan.

Reuben Moore united with the church in March, 1850, and from then till the day of his death he gave himself, heart, hand and pocket-book, to the work of the Lord. He was the staff on which the pastor might always lean. When the plan of rotary Deaconship was adopted, he was elected one of the two Deacons and was always unanimously re-elected Deacon of the church until the time of his death. His deeds of liberality and love are too many to mention, but they were continually blessing the church, and the cause of the Lord he delighted to serve, and both he and his faithful wife will always be held in loving remembrance by those who know the history of this church.

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

Andrew Blakie joined in 1851, by letter, from the Scotch Presbyterian Church in Detroit. He also put his broad Scotch shoulder to the wheel and made himself a power for good. A letter from him to the society, urging them to keep good faith with the pastor in regard to paying his salary, has such a hearty, genuine ring that I would be glad to quote it in full, but lack of time forbids. He became a Deacon in 1852, and was often re-elected to that office.

Dr. Justin Rice and his wife were received in 1846; but, after one year's most valuable service as a pillar of the church, Dr. Rice was removed by death.

Elisha Smith was one of the three Deacons who in 1841 were elected in the newly organized Congregational Church. His name appears often in the records, in committees and among the workers in the front rank. He was called from his work by death in 1847, and "received the promise."

Gen. D. Northup united in 1845, was prominent in church work and a great help in the choir. In 1850, both he and his wife requested and received letters of dismission.

The name of George Palmer appears among the Trustees of the Tabernacle Society at its organization in 1835. He was one of the financial committee during the building period, between 1835-40, and one of the six Trustees of the Congregational Society at the time of its organization in 1841. He died in August, 1859. Another prominent member for a short time was Deacon S. S. Barnard, who united in 1838 and was elected Elder, and in 1841 helped to organize the church in Algonac. Afterward he removed to Detroit and was for years a stanch pillar of the first church in Detroit, both spiritually and financially. He lives in St. Clair in feeble health, but sound in mind and in spirit as in his working days. The others we cannot now mention par- ticularly. Some who are still members of the church have done faithful service for many years, but their work is not yet done and we cannot speak of them here.

A large percentage of those who have formed the body of this church during its history are from New England. Out of a package of letters of dismission from other churches to the Con- gregational Church of St. Clair, nearly one-half are from the Eastern States. It is remarkable that all of the former pastors of this church are yet living, and all but one are in the State of Michigan. (The whereabouts of Rev. H. H. Morgan are not known to me.)

Is not this a history that should inspire courage and hope and respect for the church among all who value the cause of Christ and appreciate the influence of a church? The two great sins of the past have been allowing personal dissensions to continue in the church and that long sus- pension between 1871-76, but " let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone."

Amid discouragements and differences and financial weakness and indiscretions in the pulpit and out of it, amid reverses and removals and business depression in the town, amid skepticism and indifference without and financial straits within, through the long famine of 1837, through obstacles that would have crushed any church not having a tenacious faith, this venerable church has held together. She has struggled through them all. For forty-six years she has held up the torch of religion in this town, maintained regular preaching and won a reputation for generosity. With all the faults of the past she has a noble history. By much the oldest church in St. Clair, and the oldest in St. Clair County, her very age is honorable."

The corner-stone of the present Congregational Church of St. Clair was laid with appropriate form, September 3, 1879. The building is of red brick with stone facings, modern Gothic, with a clock tower sixty-six feet high, at the southwest corner. The length of the building is 103 feet, breadth forty-eight feet, and to height of apex of roof fifty feet. The audience room measures 59x40 feet. The pews are arranged in amphitheatrical form, and afford seating capacity for 360. The Sunday school room is 35x26 feet, while the Bible and class rooms, and apartments for secular use in the basement, are large and numerous.

Articles in the corner-stone. An account of organization of the church and its formeffortser to build ; a list of officers for 1879 ; Rev. A. H. Ross' address ; Plymouth Collection hymn book ; Gospel Songs hymn book ; American trade dollar, dated 1878, with the name S. F. Hopkins stamped on it ; a copy of Sunday School Times; a copy of the Royal Road ; a slip bearing the names of the Governor of Michigan and Mayor of St. Clair ; a photograph of the old church ; the old pulpit Bible which was presented to the church forty years ago ; an old pewter communion cup, in use at Bar- rington, Mass., for fifty years, and at St. Clair for the forty years ending in 1879 ; names of United States officers ; stamps, religious statistics, and a copy of the St. Clair Republican.

The church property is valued at $15,000. The building committee appointed by the society,

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

May 8, 1879, was composed of Mark Hopkins, R. H. Jenks, Crocket McElroy, Frank Moore and George W. Barnard. The present officers of the society are Rev. Clarence Eddy, pastor ; S. F. Hopkins, Mark Hopkins, William Grace, R. H. Jenks, C. F. Moore and P. A. Cady, Trustees. The present membership is stated to number 115.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.

The first movement toward a Baptist Church in St. Clair County was made in the township of China, south of the city. The Rev. Y. Z. R. Jones began work here in 1835. Afterward Rev. E. K. Grout came to the pastorate of the church in China and a church in Newport (now Marine City) a branch of the China church. He began a service in St. Clair at the old log court house. This led to the organization of the church, November 5, 1848. The original members were Rufus Swift, John M. Oakes, Daniel Stewart, Minerva Oakes, Elizabeth Swift, Mary Nicols and Maria C. Eldridge. Of these original seven members, Mrs. Mary Nicol, the wife of John Nicol, owner of the woolen mills of this city, is the only one now living. During the whole history of the church she has been a faithful laborer. The officers of the infant organization were, Pastor, E. K. Grout ; Deacon, Rufus Swift ; Clerk, Daniel Stewart. One of the earliest acts of the church was the adoption of a temperance resolution, February 24, 1849, reading as follows : " Resolved, That as a Church of Christ, we will not admit any person to membership with us that makes an habitual use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and that we will carry the amount of our influence, moral and religious, to effectually remove the evil of in- temperance from the world." The spirit of this resolution has been kept alive in the church through all its history, and at every covenant meeting the temperance pledge is solemnly renewed, being incorporated into the covenant itself. On account of the failing health of pastor Grout, Rev. Nelson Eastwood was called as pastor of the church, and began his labors November 30, 1850. In June, 1856, we find Rev. Silas Finn as pastor of the church. His pastorate was a long and successful one of nearly ten years. In the spring of 1866, Rev. D. C. Marybin became the pastor. On January 6, 1869, William A. Kingsbury was called to the pastorate, and June 24 of that year a council of the neighboring Baptist Churches was convened with the church of St. Clair, and Brother Kingsbury was ordained to the work of the Gospel ministry. April 4, 1874, Brother Peter Cary was called to the pastorate, and on June 18, following, he was ordained by a council convened for that purpose. On account of failing health, he served only a little over a year. June 5, 1878, Rev. Edward Blanch- ard was called to the pastorate and served nearly two years. He was followed February 14, 1877, by Rev. Henry Carroll. In November, 1878, Rev. J. Hall, D. D., of Port Huron, was engaged as permanent supply, and served as such for a year. At the close of this service the church enjoyed only occasional preaching until October, 1880. They were at this time very much discouraged by a debt that had rested upon them from the dedication of the church in 1874. On account of the financial depressions of these years, many subscriptions had failed, and a debt of over $600 on the now weak church was the consequence. It had been reduced in strength by both re- moval and death, and this amount small in itself, hung like a vampire over them. At this time, however (October 20, 1880), they secured the services of Rev. S. Hendrick, and began again in faith. The sisters took hold of the matter, the debt was soon raised, and the church moved on with the enthusiasm of former days. The present membership is fifty-six. The present officers are : Pastor, S. Hendrick ; Deacons, M. A. Cook, H. A. Cusick ; Clerk, D. K. Oakes ; Treasurer, Mrs. B. A. Jenks.

The Sunday school numbers about eighty and is in a flourishing condition.

The first meeting house was built about 1851 or 1852. There are no records to be found of the exact date. This house stood upon the present site of the church-Fourth street, between Trumbull and Cass. It was destroyed by fire, March, 1870, and was rebuilt in 1873. It is of brick, 40x70 feet. The audience room is twenty feet high, and will comfortably seat three hundred people. The basement contains a lecture room, parlor, kitchen and pantry. The building is well heated by furnaces. It was a fine building at the time of its erection, with a tower and spire on the southeast front corner. The present value of the house is $6,000, although when built, in 1873, it cost over $10,000.

PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Trinity Church, St. Clair City, was organized in 1848. In 1845, Rev. Phineas D. Spaulding visited the village and preached to the congregation from 1845 to 1847, when the society was organized. In 1849, Rev. Milton Ward came, and remained until 1854. He was succeeded by Rev. George B. Engle, in 1855 ; Rev. G. B. Hayden, in 1860 ; Rev. Osgood E. Fuller, in 1861 ;

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

Rev. Joseph Pritchard, in 1862 ; Rev. Thomas Dooley succeeded Mr. Pritchard. In 1876, Rev. A. B. Flower took charge of the parish and served until 1880. The church edifice, a small brick building near the Union School, was built in 1854. The parsonage was built in 1867. The church building was destroyed by fire in 1873, and since that time services have been held in the City Hall.

In March, 1875, a meeting of the members of Trinity Church was held at St. Clair. D. D. O'Dell, A. L. Padfield, Joseph George, S. B. Brown, Henry Luck, James McJennett, John E. Kitton, George I. Ward and Alexander Bartley were elected Vestrymen. A committee was elected, con- sisting of John I. Kitton, S. B. Brown and D. D. O'Dell, to take steps to build a church edifice on the grounds belonging to the parish. Whatever action was taken by this committee is not known ; in any case a house of worship was not erected. Now, however, with the revival of indus- try and the growth of religious enterprise, there is every reason to hope that still another Christian temple may be added to those of which the city now boasts.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The Methodist Episcopal Society of St. Clair was organized in 1850, by Rev. J. S. Smart. The new Methodist Episcopal Church of St. Clair was dedicated May 22, 1870. Rev. J. S. Smart con- ducted the dedicatory services. The reverend gentleman related some reminiscences of his pastoral labor in St. Clair twenty years ago, when he organized the Methodist Episcopal Society of St. Clair. His earnest, eloquent and humorous appeal to the members and others present for funds to free the church from debt was a master-piece of persuasive Christian argument and entreaty, and resulted in over $7,000 being subscribed in the church. At a meeting of the Sabbath school in the afternoon over $100 were subscribed by the children, which goes to liquidate the debt on the new organ. The evening services were opened with prayer by Rev. T. C. Higgins. This was followed by singing, after which the Presiding 'Elder, Rev. T. G. Potter, delivered an able and learned discourse, which showed depth of mind and liberality of views. Subscriptions were again taken up and over $1,000 was raised, the total amount, nearly $9,000, being more than sufficient to pay all debts on the edifice. The dedicatory service was then performed by the Rev. Mr. Smart, the Trustees being ranged in front of the altar, and solemnly charged to dedicate themselves to the cause of Christ ; Henry Whiting acted as sponsor for the Church.

The description of the building is as follows: "The first thing which attracts the attention of the visitor is the admirable arrangement of the seats, which, like those in most churches built within the past few years, are arranged in a semi-circle or concave form, so that nearly every per- son seated faces the pulpit. There are three isles, one in the center, and one on each side of the apartment. On each side of the center aisle are thirty-one pews, and also three on the north side of the pulpit, making sixty-five pews in all, with a seating capacity for 425 persons. At the east- ern end of the nave is a gallery, some ten feet deep, and extending the entire width of the church. In this gallery are six pews, which will seat from ninety to one hundred, making a total seating ca- pacity in the auditorium of over 500. The choir will be seated in chairs, on the south side of the pulpit. The seats are of pine and whitewood, with cheery rails and black walnut elbows at the ends. The backs are of matched lumber and the boards are stained alternately in imitation of mahogany, oak, cherry, maple and walnut. The cherry rails and the ends of the seats where they front the aisles, are stained in imitation of mahogany, and the varying but generally dark and warm tints give the body of the room a peculiarly fine and rich appearance. An open box consisting of slats extending two-thirds of the length of the pew, is placed at the back of each seat, and is an improvement over the common narrow shelf or desk in general use for holding Bibles, hymn-books, etc. The wainscoting around the room, as well as the wainscot paneling in front of the gallery, are stained in imitation of different kinds of wood, similar to the backs of the seats. The pulpit is a simple but elegant desk of black walnut, with panels corresponding to the backs of the seat. The platform on which it stands (on which also is placed the seats for the choir) is about ten feet deep, fifteen inches above the floor, and is inclosed by a railing of black walnut. We here make bold to express our opinion that the bare, blank, white wall on the west (or pulpit) side of the room, pro- duces an impression of incompleteness which the otherwise excellent appearance of the interior fails to entirely remove. The accoustic properties of the room, as tested during our visit, are not good, there being a reverberatory echo which will doubtless prove a source of annoyance, if not rec- tified by a sounding-board over the pulpit. It is said, however, that when the room is filled that this defect will not be so observable. The windows in the auditorium are twelve in number, which,

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History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan, Part 110

Author: Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co. Number of Pages: 818

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co.
Number of Pages: 818