USA > Michigan > Eaton County > The county of Eaton, Michigan : topography, history, art folio and directory of freeholders > Part 11
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The Eaton Rapids Congregational church was organized July 13, 1843, by Rev. Joseph W. Smith, who was pastor for only about two years, but lived in Eaton Rapids until his death in 1867. After the close of his pastorate, for about ten years, the church had only occasional services. In 1855 Rev. John S. Kidder became pastor, and the church has ever since steadily main- tained its church life. It occupied a small house of worship of its own for
the first time October 30, 1846. It stood about three blocks South of its present location. In 1860 the building was re- moved to the present site and greatly enlarged and improved, but on the night of January 6, 1877, it was burned down and the present nent brick edi- fice was eracted on the ground where it stood,
The Congregational church in Olivet was organized with seventeen members by a council that convened at the house of George Andrus, Olivet, March 20, 1813. At first its services were held in private houses. When the first college building was erected the upper story was fitted up for a chapel and the church worshipped there. The next place of worship was in a chapel across the East end of Colonial hall, the build- ing now used for a gymnasium. In 1852 it united with the college in build- ing a house of worship, which, in 1865, was enlarged by adding several fest to the length and putting under the whole a basement story. In 1894 college and church united in the erection of a beautiful house of worship, of field stone, containing some 500 sittings.
The Congregational church of Ver- montville was organized February 28, 1838, by Rev. Sylvester Cochrane, one of the original colonists from Vermont, who preached for a time in the, large log house of S. S. Church. When a log school house was built the church" met there for worship. In 1844 a two- story frame building was erected for an academy, and the upper story was fitted up for a chapel and is still used as such. The present house of worship was built in 1864, during the pastorate of Rev. O. H. Spoor. During the pas- torate of Rev. David Beaton, in 1886, a lot was purchased and a commodious parsonage erected upon it at a total cost of $2,000. It is the oldest Con- gregational church in the county, and was the second such organized in the county. It has in fifty-six years had thirteen different ministers.
The Congregational church of Grand Ledge was not organized until 1864. Rev. Wm. P. Esler was the organizer, and the church had four original mem- bers. Its house of worship was erected in 1866 with two hundred sittings and at a cost of $2,000. It now has fifty- one members and one hundred and six- teen in Sabbath school .. Its current expenses are $550 per year. There are at present fourteen churches with 1,368 members; their current expenses. are $18,352. They give annually for
benevolences $1,652. The value of Congregational church buildings in Eaton county is $04,000 and their com- bined seating capacity is 3.422.
CHARLOTTE METHODIST KPISCOPAL.
In 1838, Rev. E. H. Pilcher was Pre- siding Elder. and with the exception of Bellevue the Methodist work in Eaton county was known as the Ing- ham Mission belonging to the Marshal District. This Mission embraced also the west half of Ingham county. Rev. Washington Jackson was preacher and conducted services at the house of Jonathan Searles, two miles southeast of Charlotte. In 1839 Rev. Isaac Ben- nett was preacher and held services in the new court room in the hewn log tavern kro vn as the Eagle Hotel that stood where the Phenix now stands. It is supposed that he performed the first marriage ceremony in Charlotte, the parties being Rollo Cushing and Susan Searles. In 1841 Rev. Levi Warner was preacher and the meetings were transferred to a hewn log build- ing 16x20 feet that stood just east of the Sherwood House,and which, accord-
ing to the exegencies of the times, did service as a school house, printing office, chapel and dwelling. In that year a class was organized with David Darwin Hughes as leader, who later became a distinguished lawyer. The next place of meeting was in a block school house on the corner west of Munger & Jenning's store. In 1846 the court house was built and for some thirteen years the people met there for worship. In 1859 the society erected a brick house for worship 40x60 feet, which is the main body of the present edifice. During the pastorate of Rev. C. S. Fox in 1875, this building was en- larged by patting a transept across the south end and carrying out a vestibule and steeple in front.
KATON RAPIDS.
In 1840 the Ingham Mission of the Methodist Episcopal church embraced the west half of Ingham county and all of Eaton county except Bellevue. Rev. Isaas Bennett was pastor in charge and organized a class in Eston Rapids with nine members. During the pas- torate of Rev. W. E. Bigelow in 1845, the church ereeted a small frame build- ing for a house of worship. In 1856 Eaton Rapids was made a station with Rev. Richard Pengelly as pastor. In 1882 the society erectel its present beautiful and commodious brick edifica. GRAND LEDGE.
The first Methodist meeting in Grand Ledge was held in 1851 by the Rev. John Clayton, an earnest local preacher who is still living. The meeting was at the house of 'one Adam Smith. In 1852 the present Grand Ledge charge belonged to the Ionia Circuit, and Revs. O. Whitmore and A. R. Bartlett were preachers: No record shows the num- ber in class at that date. Its house of worship, built of brick, is furnished with a town clock and is the only church in the county that is thus equipped.
VERMONTVILLE.
What is now known as the Vermont- ville M. E. church was originally in the same circuit as Eaton Rapids, and later with that of Charlotte. In 1859 Ver- montville first appears in the minutes as a separate charge and Rev. Josiah Fowler was preacher. At the close of the year he reported one hundred and fifty-nine members and fifteen proba- tions, but the circuit then embraced classes in Kalamo, Vermontville, Bis- mark and the Dow neighborhood. In 1845 Rev. Noble was preacher and organized the Vermontville class, which held its meetings four miles north-east of Vermontville, where they erected a house of worship during the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Clark in 1862. In 1877 Rev. J. W. Smith was pastor and moved the house of worship to the village of Vermontville. Rev. J. H. Thomas was pastor in' 1887 in which year the church was enlarged by the addition of a wing, and was retitted. These improvements were made at a cost of $1,800.
HAMLIN.
The Griffith M. E. church in the southern part of Hamlin, although a country church in a remote part of the county, and but little known, is really one of the oldest religious organizations in the county. The first religious meetings held in the neighborhood were conducted by local preachers at the House of Stephen Reynolds. Those were days of boundless hospitality and Mr. Reynolds seems to have kept a vertiable ministers' ' tavern. At one time he had three local preachers and their families living in his house, viz: Revs. W'm. Crane, Truman Barrand and
Turner. It is said that thirty-two per- sons lodged at Mr. Reynolds' at one time. It is not strange that such a household should have felt the need of religious services at least once a week nor that, with so many preachers on band, Mr. Reynolds should have been able to secure them. In 1836 the Mich- igan Conference was held in Mansfield, Ohio, and sent a missionary into these parts by the name of Kinnean. In 1839 Conference met in Detroit and sent as missionary, Rev. Washington Jackson, who moved into his field with his fam- ily and lived in the house with the Blodgetts where three families were living before their arrival, Mr. Jack- son preached at different houses in the Griffith neighborhood once in two weeks alternately with Grand Rapids some eighty miles distant, going to his appointments on foot, and holding meetings at intermediate points on the way. His first station west of Griffith's seems to have been the house of Jonathan Searles two miles south-east of Charlotte. In 1838 Conference sent David Thomas as preacher, who, on the 7th of October in that year, organ- izel a class of fourteen members, and about the same t'me another class of seven members was organized at Tru- man Barr's; these two classes were soon after merged into one. In 1840 meet- ings were held in a school house. In February, 1855, the society had the pleasure of worshiping in their own new sanctuary. This church has had the benefit of the labors of twenty- eight different ministers besides those of local preachers and Presiding Elders.
BAPTIST CHURCHES.
In 1831 Mrs. Esther Searles, Julia Pierce and Mary Rager were, so far as known, the only Baptists living in the vicinity of Charlotte, and in 1852 they secured a visit from Elder John Tamp- kins, who preached at the old log build- ing in Carmel known as the Ells school house, and then and there these three women were recognized as the Baptist Conference of Carmel. In 1855 they changed their place of meeting to the Court House in Charlotte and seven new members were added to their num- ber, and these ten were recognized as the First Baptist church in Charlotte and the services of Elder Tompkins were secured for one-half the time. For several years services were held in the Court House, the Congregational church and in Carmel Hall, In 1869 a model frame building was erected for a house of worship. In 1889 it was enlarged, veneered with brick and a spire added, and more recently it has been still further improved and decorated.
On the 22d of February, 1815 Calvin Race, Ann Race, Henry R. Jeffries, Mary L. Jeffries, Timothy Wheeler, Asenath Wheeler, Ann Arnold and Samuel Ferris met and organized them- selves into the First Baptist Church of Eaton Rapids, by adopting articles of faith and entering into covenant with each other. On the 17th of the follow- ing April it was formally recognized by council. For three years the church was supplied by different ministers, among them Rev. J, C. Post and Elder Hill. The first building occupied by the church is the present upright part of the old Dr. S. M. Wilkins house next to the present edifice. In 1859, under the pastorate of Rev. H. G. Mosher, a frame meeting house was erected on the present site. This was extensively repaired in 1878 under the supervision of Rev. J. M. Titterington. This was again enlarged and remodeled in 1890 under the pistorate of Rev. J. P. Far- mer.
The Free Will Baptist church of Grand Ledge was organized in the Johnson settlement four miles west of Grand Ledge by Rev. S. A. Cusner in 1851 (one authority says 1863). There was also a small society of the same faith in Eagle, Ionia County, and in 1871 these united and changed their place of meeting to Grand Ledge.
In the year 1893 a number of repre- sentative men from the Free Will Bap- tist and also the regular Baptist churches met in Jackson to see if it was feasible to adopt some plan to secure a closer union between the two denomi- nations. After a protracted and friendly discussion an agreement was reached on the following principles, which are known as the Jackson Plat- form, and which is gradually being ac- cepted by the churches of each body.
THE JACKSON PLATFORM,
I. No abandonment of doctrines now held is required, but the regular Bap- tists are asked to simplify their accep- tance of the doctrines of freedom and responsibility of man, and the Free Will Baptists are asked to simplify their ac- ceptance of the doctrines of grace-the exact interpretation of all doctrines being left to the individual, subject only to the mind of the Lord as re- vealed in the New Testament.
II. According to the teaching and practice of the apostles, baptism should be received immediately after regener- ation, and therefore properly precedes the Lord's Supper and public Christian duties.
III. It is advisable that initiations to the Lord's Supper be omitted, the an- nouncement of the observance of the supper being considered sufficient,
IV. All our churches are advised to omnit the use of the term "Sacrament," as defining the nature and meaning of the ordinances, and that "watchcare membership" be discontinued where it bas existed.
V. It is suggested that our churches discontinue the use of the distinctive terms "Regular," "Particular," "Free" and "Free Will," and use only the name "Baptist "
V1. Itis suggested that the churches of both bodies mutually accept church letters of commendation and minister- ial credentials.
Inasmuch as there is a coming to- gether of the Regular and the Free Will Baptists on the basis of the Jackson Platform we have included the Grand Ledge church among other Baptist churches in the county.
UNITED BRETHREN CHURCHES.
The first United Brethren church of Eaton County was organized in Walton by Rev. Ross. It had five members. In 1877 they erected a new house of wor- ship at a cost of $800. It has a seating capacity of two hundred persons. They also have a $400 parsonage. In 1864 they organized a United Brethren so- ciety in Charlotte. Their present house of worship is a neat brick struc- ture, ereeted in 1874, at a cost of $3,000. In 1872 the United Brethren at- tempted to build a small brick church in Potterville, and laid the foundation and gathered some materials, but the leader became discouraged and called on Rev. W. B. Williams, then Superin- tendent of Missions, and requested him to organize a Congregational church and take the foundation and materials on the ground and go forward and com- plete the edifice, Mr. Williams sent word to Potterville that he would preach there on the following Sabbath. At the close of the sermon he stated to the congregation the request he had received, and inquired if anyone present
had any objections to the transfer. No. objection was made, and soon he or- ganized a church of seven members raised funds to finish the house.
In 1885 the United Brethren erected a brick house of worship in Mulliken, but before it was paid for dissensions arose and the building was advertised for sale to pay debts incurred in its erection, and Rev. Leroy Warren, then Superintendent of Missions, was invited to organize a Congregational Church in Mulliken, and take the meeting house on condition of settling all claims against the property. This he did, or- ganizing a church with eleven mem bers, and securing a liberal grant from the Congregational Church Building Society and becoming personally re- sponsible for the balance of the claims. There are at present eleven United Brethren churches in Eaton County, with a total membership of three hun- dred and thirty-four. The total value of church buildings is $13,630.
In 1851 there were, so far as known, not more than a half dozen Catholic fami- lies in Eaton county, and only two or
three in Charlotte, and for several years thereafter no services were held in Charlotte, but during the time Patrick McDonald and wife went once a year to attend worship in Marshal, and finally induced Rev. P. C. Koopmans to visit Charlotte occasionally and cele- brate mass in their private residence. The building of the Chicago & Grand Trunk railroad brought many more Catholics to the town, and in 1868 Rev. C. M. Frain, with the assistance of Mr. McDonald, raised money to erect upon a lot donated by the priest, and situ- ated on the high ground in the north- ern outskirts of the city, a modest edi- fice costing $5000 with a seating capac- ity of two hundred. In this effort they were generously aided by the Protes- tants. In 1892 Rev. F. Brægger, of Hastings was in charge of the parish and raised money to purchase a site upon which the present house of wor- ship was erected in 1893 through the ageney of Rev. P. Langhorn. In this effort also they gratefully acknowledge the liberal aid of Protestants.
In the spring of 1891, the Catholics of Eaton Rapids, under the lead of Rev.
Francis Broegger of Hastings, boaght the property of the Episcopal society in Eaton Rapids, put it in repair and furnished it, and in September of that year it was consecrated by Bishop Foley of Detroit.
EPISCOPALIAN CHURCHES.
In 1846 the Rev. L. Foote began hold. ing the services of the Protestant Epis- copal Church in the old Court House in Charlotte, and continued them for six years, Then for twenty years there were only occasional services. In 1872 a mission was organized under the name of St. John's Mission of Charlotte, subject to the visitation of Bishop Sam- uel A. MeCookry, and occasional ser- vices were held by Rev. G. P. Schetky and Rev. G. E. Peters. In 1878 a wing of the old Court House was bouget and fitted up for a chapel. The Rev. J. L- Taylor tool: charge of the mission as permanent Rector in the Spring of 1874 and continued services in Charlotte ani Eaton Rapids four years. In 1877 Bishop Gillespie changed the name of the mission to that of "Grace Mission, Charlotte." On the retirement of Mr.
Taylor, services were suspended for several years. In 1887 they were re- newed by Rev. J. W. Bancroft and for two years continued by him and Orr Shurps; a lay reader. In 1882 the pres- ent house of worship was built and Rev. Van Antwerp served as Rector for one year. Rev. M. H. Martin served as Rector from 1891 to 1894.
THE GERMAN BRETHREN.
This church, which is located at Sun- field, sometimes known as the Dunk- ard church, is the only one of this de- nomination in the county. One of its peculiarties is, they think it wrong to pay their ministers a definite salary. During the past year the church has made several contributions for, benevo- lent objects of which no record has been kept. The denomination supports missions in Canada, India, Denmark, Sweden and Germany.
UNIVERSALIST CHURCHES.
Ever since 1853 there has been occa- sional liberal preaching in Cearlotte by Unitarian and Universalist clergymen. For some months Rev. J. Pardee, a Unitarian minister, held services here
regularly. In 1870 a Universalist So- ciety was organized. Rev. James Gor- ton was the first resident Universalist minister. He began his ministry in Charlotte in 1881. In 1889 the society- was reorganized with seventy mem- bers.
FIRST HOUSES OF WORSHIP ERECTED. The Congregational society in Olivet in 1852, completed the first house of worship in the county. The second one was build in 1853 by the Methodists at Bellevue. In February, 1855, the Griffith M. E. Church was dedicated . and in the same year the Congregation- alists and also the Methodists in Eaton Rapids completed houses of worship that they had begun in 1843. The old church, built in 1856 by the Congrega- tionalists, in Charlotte, was the sixth meeting house built in the county.
The Township of Sunfield is better supplied with churches than any other township in the county. It has twelve church organizations and ten houses of worship. The Methodists are better supplied with parsonages than any denomination in - the county. They have one for every charge.
CHURCH SUMMARY.
The following tables will show the several historical points of interest con- cerning the remainder of the churches of the county.
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST.
Denominations.
Churches
Members.
No. Sabbath
Annual Our-
rent Expen-
Benevolences.
Houses of
Sittings.
Value of
erty.
Parsonages.
Parsonages.
Universalist.
100
Episcopalian ..
67
50
2
213
351
908
194
893
404
1,059
10
1 ,750 2,050
260 13,630
FAI DONai
9.950
Lutheran ..
Congregational
1.383
1.393
18.352
1.652
14 3.432
91,000 68 000
11
12.450
Total ...
75 5.837
8,615 $ 42,003 |$6.292|
67 16.213 5238.505
25 821,2 0
There is a Union church in Walton which is not included in the above table, making the whole number of houses of worship in the county 68.
The following table shows the census of Eaton County by Townships and Cities, since 1840.
Name of Town.
1840
1850
1880
1870.
1880
1890.
1891.
Bellevue ..
769
1,55
1,955
2.017
2.08
1.951
Benton. .
1,534
Brookfield.
1,306
Carmel
85
586
1.303
2,504
1.175
1.089
1.491
Chester. ..
195
1.330
Charlotte.
4,350
Delta ...
591
618
890
1,222
1.790
1.718
Eaton.
Eaton Rapids ..
1,525
2.855
3.630
1.330
1.250 1,970
3,157
Grand Ledge. Hamlin.
.....
.....
1.018
1.363
1.632
1.591
1,400
Oneida
265
492
1,352
2.047
2,638
0.930
1,229
Roxand.
358
129
MY
1.106
1.595
1 891
2.002
Vermontville
189
324
875
1.80
1.857
1,995
1.871
Total. .... 4
....
72 271.83,079 5
71
775 $8,300 $1,700
Walton .
116
481
1,000
1.61:
92575
.....
.....
....
.....
.....
.....
1.904
1,16
Ainger.
Revs. A. Byers and 8. Philips .. 1878 Rev. George A. Eadus. Rev. L. F. Hutt ....
1868
421
1.850
200 2,500
Parsonages.
300
900
900
Eaton Rapids Revs. L. Dodds and F. A. Perry 1893
Date of Or- ganization.
Original
Present
Annua
Current
Expenses
Houses of
Sittings.
Value of
erty.
Value of
Churches.
By Whom Organized.
Date of Or- ganization. Original
Present
Annual
Expenses.
Benevolences
Houses of
Worship.
Sittings.
Value of
erty.
Value of
Parsonages
Oneida. Sunfield. Windsor.
Rev. William U. Benedict .... Rev. William U. Benedict ... Rev. Calvin Clark. ..
-1848
41 3 350'S
112
40 61,000 210 2,000
187
19
900 3.000
Total ..... 3
....
191 81,147 5 264
640 86,000
METHODIST PROTESTANT.
Churches.
By Whom Organized.
Date of Or-
Original
Present
Annual
Current
Expenses
Benevolences
Houses of
Sittings-
Value of
Value of
Parsonages.
Charlotte.
Rev. J. N. Loughborough.
. 1862
17 12
33
30
432
200 1.700
Dimondale . ..
Rev. John Sisleg. ..
4
10
25
229 ..........
€50|$5,000| ..****
Total. ... . 6
Methodest Episcopal
1.998
2.199
10,800 2.080:
19 4,911
4
654
5.000
6,000 .
Potterville ..
Rev. Joseph Frisby
1882
64
7 %
150 31.500
100
600
Vermontville. Rev. J. D. Van Horn
1885
Brookfield ... | Rev. Franklin Star
15
74 219 8 115 81.268|
PRESBYTERIAN.
Churches.
By Whom Organized.
ganization.
Members
Membership.
Worship.
Church Prop-
on erty.
German Baptist Brethren.
Catholic ..
Free Methodist
2.800
8.300
1.700
Seventh Day Adventists.
6
Presbyterian.
Baptist ....
United Brethren
1
971
3,049
4
775
1.208
1.147
4.08
574
950
300
2
510
6.4 0
410
404
Methodist Protestant.
4
235
1,057
1.117
1.48
1.420
2.910
3.867
1,482
1.183
Windsor
1.08
1.058
1,249
Eaton Rapids City
1,808
2.218
Kalamo
9
40
25m $3,000 5. 200 1,900
Carmel .... Dimondale ...
1.58
1.593
Sunfield
NO.
No Church
Schools.
ses.
Worship.
Church Pr
No.
Value of
1.500 $ 100
300 8 7,000
110
3.555
1.200
1,763
1.53
1.431
1.31
1.613
1.151
2.035
1.14₺
1,598
1.881
1,746
Membership.
Benevolences.
Worship.
Church Prop-
1866
Members
Membership.
Current
Church Prop
Eaton Rapids Rev. J. O. Corliss ..
1876
1
1,000
4,000
1.270
Members
66 9 7.05
1251
7
CATHOLIC.
örshir
6-40
1,855
76
MISCELLANEOUS SKETCHES.
J. VAN OSDALL.
J. Van Osdall was born April 11th, 1839, in Wayne county, Ohio. He was united in marriage to Mrs. Susanah B. Dixon, February 1st, 1865: In the spring of 1860 they moved to Michigan, settling on a farm in Windsor township, where they still live. Mr. Van Osdall discovered, soon after his settlement on the new farm, that an excellent quality of stone lay hidden beneath the soil and decided to quarry some of it as an experi- ment. In color, the stone is a very light gray with a faint bluish tint. It is free from lime and iron and does not tarnish as quickly as many other kinds of sandstone. About twenty-five or thirty men will be employed this season in quarrying it.
8. HORNER & SONS.
The Eaton Rapids Woolen Mills, of which S. Horner & Sons are the proprietors, are located on the north end Main St., andrepresents one of Eaton county's varied industries. This plant succeeds the pioneer carding mill of William Gallery, the change from carding exclu- sively to woolen manufacturing having been effected some years ago. Yarns, flannels, cassimeres and blankets all of excellent quality are manufactured. The mills consist of a long three story frame building 35x90 feet, a dye house, a boiler house, and a one story frame struct- ure 20x40 feet. The mills usually run the year round and employ, when doing full duty, from twenty to thirty hands at good wages. The mills represent an invest- ment of about twenty thousand dollars and bring to Eaton Rapids a gross amount of some seventy-five thousand dollars each year. Messrs. Horner are also proprietors of the Eaton Rapids electric light plant.
MRS. T. W. DANIELS.
Mrs. T. W. Daniels, nee Anna N. Sherd, was born in Alleghany county, New York, in 1841. She was the daughter of John and Catherine Sherd who came to Michigan in '44 and settled in the town of Onondaga, Ingham county, where she grew to womanhood, coming to Eaton Rapids to live when but seventeen years of age. She had the good fortune to meet and marry T. W. Dan- iels who was known in Eaton county as one of the brightest of merchants and business men. Mr. Daniels died Sept. 7, 1891, and by his will showed his great love and the confidence he reposed in his wife by giving her his entire fortune.
WM. B. VAN ALLEN.
William B. Van Allen, who was one of Hamlin town- ship's historic landmarks, was born in Cayuga county, New York, January 10th, 1816. He was the third son of Daniel Van Allen of New York, and was given a very good education in that state. At the age of eighteen he came to Michigan and located in Hamlin township, then called Tyler. Here in a vast wilderness he began the subjugation of the soil and soon made for himself a valuable and comfortable home. He lived the life of an active, enterprising farmer, and was instrumental in the introduction of numerous local improvements. With democratic interests of the state and county, he was actively identified from the beginning. On the 7th of July, 1887, he passed peacefully away at the residence of his son, D. D. Van Allen, mourned by hosts of friends living in Eaton and other counties and states. He was the father of six children, four of whom are de- ceased. Mrs. Albert Clegg and D. D. Van Allen are of the county's substantial citizens and are still residents of the township in which they were born.
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