USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > The history of Detroit and Michigan; or, The metropolis illustrated; a chronological cyclopedia of the past and present, Vol I > Part 101
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633
MISSION SCHOOLS.
hymns, 327 questions in catechism, and 2 prayers for each Sunday.
The books used were the Bible, Brown's Cate- chism, Emerson's Evangelical Primer, Episcopal Catechism, Coleman's Catechism, Cumming's Ques- tions, and Watts's Psalms and Hymns. The school was held from 1.30 to 3 o'clock P. M.
At the beginning of 1820, the school owed the superintendent $17.00. During the year the collec- tions amounted to $34.44; the expenses were $44.25, leaving a net balance of $26.81 due the superin- tendent.
Among the teachers were Episcopalians, Presby- terians, and Methodists, all uniting in the work with the utmost harmony.
The second report says, "Libraries are frequently established in Sunday Schools, and did our funds permit, it would be of essential service to connect one with this school." On Sunday, December 17, 1820, the school assembled at the academy and pro- ceeded to the church, where a sermon was preached by the Rev. John Monteith. During this and the following year Lemuel Shattuck continued to super- intend the school, which was eventually transferred to the Presbyterians.
MISSION SCHOOLS.
From time to time, as the city has grown, mission schools have been established in various localities, sometimes under the fostering care of a particular church, but often sustained by individual members of different churches.
In the fall of 1851 Rev. W. E. Boardman, then residing in Detroit as agent of the American Sunday School Union, arranged to establish a mission Sun- day School in the Fourth Ward School House, a small, one-story wooden building on the south side of Fort Street, between Hastings and Rivard Streets. He appealed to the Congregational Church for teachers, received responses from a number of persons; and during the continuance of the school most of the teachers were members of that church. After fifteen years of service the school was discon- tinued because of a rule adopted by the Board of Education which forbade the use of school build- ings for Sunday Schools. No other convenient place in that vicinity could be found, and the school necessarily ceased. When it was first established, that part of the city was sparsely settled and there were no churches in the immediate vicinity. When it closed, the neighborhood was well supplied with churches and Sunday schools. Francis Raymond was superintendent of the school during most of the time that it was in existence. It was held at nine o'clock A. M. and had an average attendance of 100. The following persons, with others, were connected with the school: Professor Moses Coit Tyler, B. F.
Jacobs, the well-known Sunday School and Y. M. C. A. worker, Mrs. E. M. Sheldon, authoress of "History of Michigan," James H. Muir, Joseph and Thomas Berry, Col. F. W. Swift, and Miss C. Crossman.
During the summer of 1851, Mr. Boardman also established what was known as the Elizabeth Street Sunday School. A meeting, held on the evening of June 15, was attended by Sylvester Larned, John Robinson, A. N. Reynolds, Miss Nancy Fisher, Jonathan R. Axtell, David B. Reeve, Mrs. Nancy Reeve, Margaret and Elizabeth Beattie, Agnes Robinson, Mrs. Sheldon, and many others. After consultation it was decided to organize a school, and Mr. Axtell was appointed superintendent. The school was held in a small cottage on the north side of Elizabeth Street between Woodward Avenue and Park Street, which was occupied during the week by a day-school. This building soon became too small, and Mr. Larned volunteered to secure better accommodations. Not finding a suitable place, and being encouraged and aided by the friends of the school, he erected a building on Cass Avenue, a little south of Elizabeth Street. It was first occupied on September 21, 1851, with a Bible class of 30, an infant class of 28, and a goodly num- ber of male and female classes.
Mrs. E. M. Sheldon had charge of the infant class for some time; she was succeeded by Mrs. John Winder, and about the same time Francis Lambie became interested in the school. The teachers were mostly connected with the Second Presbyterian Church, and the school was consid- ered a mission of that society. George S. Frost succeeded Mr. Larned as superintendent, and in October, 1855, Hovey K. Clarke became his succes- sor. A short time after, as the neighborhood was cared for by other churches, the school was discon- tinued and the building converted into a dwelling.
A school, held in the Industrial School Building, was organized in November, 1864, by Miss Elmore, who was teaching the day-school, and added this to her other duties. The school grew, and Messrs. A. E. F. White, Ransom Gillis, Henry Wastell, and Bradford Smith, Miss L. E. V. Dol- sen, Miss Helen Hudson, and others came in to as- sist. On December 17, 1865, John Harvey was elected superintendent, and has occupied that posi- tion ever since. The school is undenominational. In 1880 the enrolled list of members numbered 250, with an average attendance of 140. It is held at 2.30 P. M. The school has accomplished an amount of good second to no other effort of the kind.
Several schools established as mission enterprises have developed into churches, and are described in connection with the church that now represents them.
41
634
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS.
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS.
The appended Sunday School Statistics, compiled by the writer in 1863 and 1870, and then published in the daily papers, contain many facts of interest, and are the only statistics of the kind ever gathered in Detroit.
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS FOR 1863.
Denomination - Location - Superintendents.
Time of meeting.
No. of Officers and
Teachers.
No. of Children on
School Register.
Average Attend-
ance.
BAPTIST.
Fort Street, corner of Griswold, Rev. J. H. Griffith Sup't
2.00 P.M.
21
I:0
IOO
Howard Street, near Second, Rollin C. Smith, Sup't
2 00
14
I20
Washington Avenue, corner of Clifford, Rev. J. Inglis, Sup't
2.00
13
106
IO6 Washington Avenue, near State Street, H. K. Clarke, Sup't
2.00 " 15
75
5℃
Croghan Street, near Beaubien (colored), C. E. Silsby, Sup't
2.00
30
255
230
CONGREGATIONAL.
Bates Street, corner of Farmer. James Ure, Sup't
1.30
24
183 130
Russell Street, near Catharine, P. Vol- rath, Sup't
2.00
7
120
85
REFORMED.
Monroe Avenue, corner of Farrar Street, Rev. C. Haass Sup't
I .30
IC
150
130
Catharine Street, near St. Antoine, M. Buss, Sup't
2.00
9
42
36
UNITARIAN.
Lafayette Avenue, corner of Shelby, Rev. S. S. Hunting, Sup't
12.00 M.
20
160
64
2.30 4
50
550
383
Jefferson Avenue, near Hastings Street, C. C. Trowbridge, Sup't
2.30 "
49
400
280
IO
Afternoon
34
Total number of schools
44
Total number of officers and teachers
781
Total number of children on school registers
6,652
Total average attendance
4,626
Probable number of children attending two or more schools, According to the census of September 1, 1862, the total
650
Rivard Street, near Croghan, Rev. A. Laser, Sup't
1 .30 P. M. 9 70
40
METHODIST.
number of children in the city between the ages of 4 and 18 was.
15,398
The number attending the public schools was. 6,747
As an interesting fact, in this connection, it may be mentioned that, as compared with the number of families in the city, the average was five children to every three families.
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS FOR 1870. METHODIST SABBATH SCHOOLS.
Name.
Superintendent.
Officers and
Teachers.
On the Roll.
Average At-
tendance.
MISSION SCHOOLS.
Central
Central Mission
IIO
Simpson
G. W. Hough
25
275
165
J. Oakes
30
400
180
Lafayette Avenue
A. T. Barns
18
156
120
F. Bechler
18
75
60
F. Schultz
12
70
60
C. Weimer
20
150
130
J. S. Thompson
23
150
139
East Fort Street, near Hastings, F. Ray- mond, Sup't
9.00
9
58 Lafayette Avenue Mission 60 Lafayette Avenue Mission No. 2
Edwin Reeder
12
80
69
Time of meeting.
No. of Officers and
Teachers.
No. of Children on
School, Register.
|Average Attend-
ance.
Woodward Avenue, corner Farnsworth Street, T. L. Partridge, Sup't
2.00 P.M. IC
50
38
Bishop School House, Z. R. Brockway, Sup't
2.30 "
1I
150 150
Orphan Asylum, Jefferson Avenue, F. D. Taylor, Sup't
3.00 "
4
30
3º
Sup't Bethel, Woodbridge Street, corner of Bates,
2.00 *
4
50
3C
NEW JERUSALEM.
Macomb Avenue, near Park St., George Field, Sup't
2.00 “
7 30
25
PRESBYTERIAN.
Fort Street, corner of Third, H. C. Knight, Sup't
2.00 3I 325 209
90 Lafayette Avenue, corner of Wayne, John Cameron, Sup't'
2.00 14
86
70
High Street, near Rivard, Arthur Tread- way, Sup't
4.00
8
53
30 Jefferson Avenue, near Rivard Street, H. Hallock, Sup't
2.00 3º 265 200
State Street, corner Farmer, A. Sheley, Sup't
2.30
20 200 155
Fort Street, corner of Wayne, R. W. King, Sup't
2.00 "
32
220
170
DISCIPLES.
Jefferson Avenue, corner Beaubien, Jos. Hawley, Sup't
2.00
9
52
45
Council Room, City Hall, George F. Brown, Sup't
2.00
6
26
20
EPISCOPAL.
Congress Street, corner of Shelby, A. A. Rabineau, Sup't
2.00 "
40
200
132
Woodward Avenue, corner State Street, H. A. Graves, Sup't
1.30 " 39 376 253
Congress Street, corner of Randolph, C. Pelgrim, Sup't
2.00
22
19I
151
Lafayette Avenue. corner of Fourth, R. Colclough, Sup't
2.00 "
13
III
68
Walnut Street, corner of Seventh, T. Rattenbury, Sup't
2.00 "
15 147 95
Beaubien Street, corner Croghan, A. T. Barns, Sup't
9.00 A. M. 24
118
98
Beaubien Street, corner of Croghan, R. Burchele, Sup't
2.00 P. M. 14
56
40
Lasalle Avenue, near Dalzelle, G. Strai- cher, Sup't
9.00 A.M. 9
77
51
Lasalle Avenue, near Dalzelle, J. P. Vandermeulen, Sup't
2.00 P.M. 17
107
7º
Lafayette Street, near Beaubien (colored) R. M. Smith, Sup't
4.30 " 10
130
79
Abbott Street, corner of Sixth, E. C. Walker, Sup't
Cass Avenue, near Elizabeth Street, G. S. Frost, Sup't
9.00 "
IO
60
35
Catharine Street, near St. Antoine, E. D. Fitch, Sup't
9.00 "
16
230
I12 First German Mission
Larned Street, near Dubois, F. M. Sum- ner, Sup't
9.00 "
75
38
HEBREW.
1.45
20
161
100
Michigan Avenue, corner of Trumbull Avenue, G. A. Farwell, Sup't
2.00 4
22
470
160
Congress Street, near St. Antoine Street, (colored) T. Lambert, Sup't
9.00 A.M. 8
68
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS - continued.
Denomination - Location - Superintendents.
MISSION SCHOOLS.
I. H. Fonda H. Hitchcock
55
600
410
27
275
200
9.00 A.M. 16 150
Jefferson Avenue
First German
Second German
Woodward Avenue, corner of High Street, H. P. Baldwin, Sup't
Woodward Avenue, corner Woodbridge Street, S. W. Johnson, Sup't
Morning Schools
635
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS - continued. METHODIST SABBATH SCHOOLS.
Name.
Superintendent.
Officers and Teachers.
On the Roll.
Average At-
tendance.
African
African No. 2
C. Pelgrim G. H. Smith Mr. Long
6
100
42
6
40
30
Totals, Schools I3
271
2, 571
1,755
Increase since 1863 : schools, 4 ; teachers, 89 ; scholars, 1,258. Average attendance, 850.
PRESBYTERIAN.
First
A. Sheley Bradford Smith
37
438 300
280
Fort Street
Jefferson Avenue
H. Hallock
38
350
260
Westminster
G. Dunlap
15
120
75
Calvary Mission
W. P. Kellogg
29
250
165
United
J. Cameron
26
225
I18
Scotch
Rev. Mr. Milligan John Harvey
28
210
160
Fort Street Mission
15
200
125
Totals, Schools 8
Increase since 1863: schools, I ; teachers, 87 ; scholars, 830. Average attendance, 586.
MISSION SCHOOLS.
Union Mission
Z. R. Brockway John Harvey
108
|1,250 938
Industrial School
15
150
75
Hamtramck Mission
L. Lawrence
15
150
100
Clinton Avenue
F. M. Sumner
25
350
200
Third Street
C. W. Noble
30
400
210
Ninth Avenue
D. M. Richards'n
25
500
270
Woodward Avenue
R. C. Smith
24
200
162
Totals, Schools 7
242
15,000
1,955
Decrease since 1863 of schools, 2 ; increase of teachers, 157 ; scholars, 2,015. Average attendance, 1,342.
EPISCOPAL.
St. John's
St. Paul's
J. F. Conover J. F. Sterling C. C. Trowbridge A. Matthew
59 22
700 130
I20
Christ
32
325
216
St. Peter's
26
200
150
St. Stephen's
Rev. D. Lumsd'n Isaac De Graff
25
136
IIO
St. John's Mission
32
250
140
Grace
38
202
175
Totals, Schools 7
234
1,942 1,4II
Increase since 1863: schools, I ; teachers, 45 ; scholars, 93. Average attendance, 318.
BAPTIST.
First
A. H. Wilkinson
Lafayette Avenue
O. S. Gulley
19 20
180 175
130
Second (colored)
C. E. Silsbee
30
250
200
German
Rev. C. Jung S. Finney
14
125
100
*Park Street
Rev. G. S. Chase
IO
60
60
Totals, Schools 6
115
960
725
* Held temporarily in a private house till church is ready. Increase since 1863 : schools, I ; teachers, 29 ; scholars, 276. Average attendance, 169.
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST.
Fourth Street
Walter Sanders'n J.M. L. Campbell 6
12
70
50 60
Jefferson Avenue
Rev. H. H. Black
12
IIO
70
Totals, Schools 3
30
250
I80
Increase since 1863: schools, I ; teachers, 15 ; scholars, 172. Average attendance, 115.
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS - continued. CONGREGATIONAL.
Name.
Superintendent.
Officers and
Teachers.
On the Roll.
Average At-
tendance.
First Second
H. C. Bostwick F. D. Taylor W. H. Bronson
34
230 220
170
Second Mission
8
60
5º
Totals, Schools 3
71
510
405
Increase since 1863 : schools, 2 ; teachers, 29 ; scholars, 290. Average attendance, 285.
St. John's Reformed. *Trinity
Rev. C. Haass Rev. J. A. Huegli Rev J. S.Schmidt Rev. K. L. Moll
IO
250 100
225
I
IO
100
70
*Immanuel
I
60
40
Totals, Schools.
4
22
510
435
* Not strictly a Sunday school service.
Increase since 1863: schools, 2; teachers, 3 ; scholars, 318. Average attendance, 269.
NEW JERUSALEM. H. Bigelow 13 80 60
Increase since 1863 : teachers, 3 ; scholars, 50. Average attend- ance, 35.
UNITARIAN. A. W. Rice 23 158 140
First
Increase since 1863 : teachers, 3 ; scholars, 58. Average attend- ance, 76.
HEBREW.
*Hebrew Rev. Dr. K. Kohler 2 40 30
* Meets on Saturdays.
Decrease since 1863 : teachers, 7 ; scholars, 30. Average attend- ance, 10.
Total number of Sabbath schools, 54; increase since 1863, 10. Number of officers and teachers, 1,251 ; increase, 468. Number of children enrolled, 12,115 ; increase, 5,363. Average attendance, 8,691 ; increase, 3,975. Forty-four of the schools were held in the afternoon, and ten in the morning ; the increase was wholly of afternoon schools. The morning schools met at 9 A. M. ; of the afternoon schools three meet at 12 P. M., one at 1.30, twenty-one at 2, thirteen at 2.30, four at 3, one at 3.30, and one at 4 P. M.
From careful observation and inquiry, it is believed that the number of children attending two or more schools in 1870 did not exceed 500, and the propor- tion was much less than in 1863. The proportion of children attending Sabbath schools in 1863, as compared with the enrollment made by the State for school purposes, was about 40 per cent. The number of children attending in 1879, as compared with the similar census for 1869, was 46 per cent. The average attendance on the public schools for 1869 was 7,127, the average attendance on Sabbath schools in 1870 was 8,601.
St. Andrew's Hall
70
125
French
22
170
IIO
228
2,093 1,505
260
40
200
170
Evangelical Association
185
29
100
Salem
LUTHERAN.
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS.
560
636
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS.
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS FOR 1880.
As there is no uniformity among the Lutheran and Catholic churches as to the holding of Sunday schools, and as both of these denominations make a specialty of giving religious instruction in their day schools, the total number of children receiving religious instruction can be determined only by combining the number of week-day scholars, under their auspices when such schools are held, with the number of Sunday-school scholars connected with the churches of the same denominations that have no day schools.
That method was adopted in the following table: SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS FOR 1880.
ROMAN CATHOLIC.
Officers
Teachers.
On Roll.
Average
Attendance
St. Patrick's
75
600
550
St. Anne's
14
200
180
St. Joseph's
14
1100
1000
St. Peter's and St. Paul's
25
450
390
St. Aloysius
12
150
140
Our Lady of Help
5
275
225
Sacred Heart (German), catechetical
3
350
300
Zion (colored)
5
31
20
Ebenezer (colored)
8
40
35
Bethel Evangelical Association
25
140
130
Total
342
3,569
2,554
Third Avenue Union Mission
22
240
198
Bethel
7
120
97
New Jerusalem
9
100
70
Church of Our Father
15
120
100
Unitarian
17
208
119
Christian, Plum Street Church
18
151
I12
Christian, Washington Avenue
13
135
105
CONGREGATIONAL.
Fort Street
32
235
191
Woodward Avenue
33
225
175
Trumbull Avenue
42
630
335
Fort Wayne
15
194
119
Second German
5
35
.30
Total
177
1, 803
1,373
PRESBYTERIAN.
First
40
400
260
Jefferson Avenue
32
231
189
Calvary
25
225
190
Union
55
700
510
Westminster
30
330
263
Fort Street
35
350
280
United
28
224
159
Clinton Avenue
21
175
140
Central
20
150
116
Trumbull Avenue.
20
250
190
Hamtramck
8
100
65
Dutch Reformed, Catharine Street
14
120
70
Total
328
3,255
2,432
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL.
Christ
Mariners'
8
50
30
Emanuel
27
200
150
All Saints'
8
81
46
Grace
34
238
182
St. Mary's
22
250
190
St. John's
6c
700
450
Church of Messiah
15
IIO
85
St. Paul's
31
310
260
St. Peter's
22
230
161
St. James'
23
180
151
St. Stephen's
50
40
Total
Anglo-Catholic Reformed Episcopal, Epiphany
8
100
60
12
80
70
SUNDAY SCHOOL STATISTICS FOR 1880 - continued.
LUTHERAN.
Officers
Teachers.
On Roll.
Average
Attendance.
St. Paul's, corner Seventeenth and Rose Streets
17
200
150
St. Paul's, corner Jay Street and Joseph Campau Avenue
I H
300
150
Reformed Zion
20
180
120
St. Luke's (German Evangelical)
I
60
40
St. John's
31
400
300
St. Peter's, catechetical
2
150
140
St. Matthew's, do
I
30
25
Salem, do
I
40
30
Immanuel, do
2
240
200
Trinity,
do
3
225
200
Total
79
1,825
I.355
METHODIST EPISCOPAL.
Central
63
650
475
Fort Street
31
225
189
Tabernacle
25
250
180
Simpson
38
625
443
Jefferson Avenue
32
340
275
Morning Mission
32
500
272
Sixteenth Street
19
268
200
First German
19
115
90
Second German
18
137
IIO
Junction
12
120
50
Lafayette Avenue African
19
128
85
Sacred Heart (French), Trinity,
do
14
750
700
St. Albert's,
do
5
4.50
425
St. Vincent de Paul,
do
IO
700
500
St. Boniface's, St. Mary's,
do
5
600
500
I
8a
70
Totals
188
6,385
5,830
BAPTIST.
Cass Avenue
14 26
418
303
337
240
Eighteenth Street
31
360
265
Twelfth Street
20
175
145
Lafayette Avenue
24
133
125
Second Baptist (colored)
22
125
70
First French
10
100
90
First German
25
120
105
Total
I22
1, 284
820
Grand total
1, 640
22, 114 17, 257
SUNDAY SCHOOL UNIONS, CONVENTIONS, AND CELEBRATIONS.
A territorial Sunday School Union, auxiliary to the American Sunday School Union, was organized on March 22, 1831, to encourage and aid those engaged in Sunday school work, and to promote the. establishment of new schools. Jonathan Kearsley was president, E. P. Hastings, secretary, and De Garmo Jones, treasurer, with directors representing the several counties then in existence. On March 6 of the following year, the society held an anni- versary at the Presbyterian Church. Its second annual report, presented in March, 1833, showed that there were then in the Territory 68 schools, 422 teachers, and 2,672 scholars.
In some form or other, similar organizations have existed ever since; and occasional meetings have been held to promote the Sunday school cause. On June 24, 1857, a State convention was held in De-
4
600
450
St. Anthony's,
do
I
80
70
do
Clinton Avenue
39
450
287
297
2,849
2,032
and
and
637
SUNDAY SCHOOL UNIONS, CONVENTIONS, AND CELEBRATIONS.
troit at the First Presbyterian Church, and General Cass delivered an address. On October 23, 1866, a State convention was held in the same church. D. L. Moody and Ralph Wells were present. On June 14, 1870, a State convention was held in the First Congregational Church; Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, D. W. Whittle, and B. F. Jacobs were the chief speakers. In connection with the convention, a children's meeting was held at the Detroit Opera House, at which addresses were made by Rev. T. K. Beecher and Professor J. M. B. Sill.
The Sunday School celebrations of the olden time were always held on the Fourth of July, and for many years constituted one of the features of that national anniversary. On July 4, 1838, the exer- cises were held in the Presbyterian Church. The
celebration of July 4, 1842, was a very notable one. About one thousand children marched in a proces- sion which was nearly a mile long. The exercises consisted of dialogues, etc., by the children. Ten years later two thousand children took part, and the exercises were held at the Presbyterian Church. The next year, on September 15, 1853, the celebra- tion took the form of an excursion on the steam- boats Keystone State and May Queen. This is be- lieved to have been the last Union Sunday School celebration held in the city.
On Sunday, April 24, 1864, various Sunday schools met in Young Men's Hall to hear addresses from Chaplain C. C. McCabe, B. F. Jacobs, and J. M. Strong, of the Christian Commission.
CHAPTER LXVI.
UNION RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES .- UNION MEETINGS .- REVIVALS AND REVIVALISTS.
UNION RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
Young Men's Christian Association.
The first society in Detroit bearing the name of Young Men's Christian Association was organized on September 27, 1852, at Young Men's Hall. Rev. H. D. Kitchell, chairman of a committee ap- pointed at a previous meeting, presented a constitu- tion and by-laws, which were adopted, and the following officers were elected : president, Edward C. Walker; vice-presidents, T. C. Miller of the Episcopal Church, S. M. Holmes of the Congrega- tional Church, R. C. Smith of the Baptist Church, L. L. Farnsworth of the Methodist Church, H. C. Knight of the Presbyterian Church; recording sec- retary, B. Vernor; corresponding secretary, George Mosely; treasurer, C. N. Ganson; managers: First Baptist Church, J. M. Gregory, H. Glover. Con- gregational Church: Rev. H. D. Kitchell, E. D. Fitch. Tabernacle Baptist : M. S. Frost, Seymour Finney. First Presbyterian Church: George S. Frost, Wm. A. Raymond. Second Presbyterian Church : Rev. R. R. Kellogg, B. F. Bush. First M. E. Church : S. Phelps, James Fenton. Second M. E. Church : Rev. C. C. Olds, W. C. Sabine. Lafayette St. M. E. Church: D. F. Quinby, J. Willetts. St. Paul's P. E. Church : James V. Campbell, H. P. Baldwin. Christ P. E. Church: Wm. N. Carpen- ter, James E. Pittman. Mariners' P. E. Church : E. Hewitt, Wm. Henderson. Wesleyan Methodist Church : S. A. Baker, Amos Page. At this meeting an address was delivered by Mr. Hoyt, of Boston, who spoke in glowing terms of the work of the Y. M. C. A. of that city.
Rooms were procured in the Phoenix Block, on south side of Jefferson Avenue between Woodward Avenue and Griswold Street, and a very complete reading room was established. On January 30, 1853, the president delivered a lecture on the de- mand for the Association and its work, which was so highly appreciated that it was published in pam- phlet form by vote of the board. In May, 1853, nearly all the original officers and members were re-elected, and during this year several lectures were given before the Association by the different pastors of the city.
In February, 1854, old records show that "several
hundred dollars of debt" was troubling the organ- ization.
At the annual meeting, held May 22, 1854, D. B. Duffield was elected president, and in May, 1855, he was succeeded by Hovey K. Clarke. On August 20 of this year Geo. S. Frost, E. C. Wilder, H. E. Baker, and E. M. Clark were elected delegates to the International Convention held at Cincinnati. This year terminated the existence of the Associa- tion.
A second organization of the kind was called the Young Men's Christian Union. Prior to its estab- lishment, the Free Press of October 24 and Novem- ber 7,.1858, contained articles nearly a column long, urging the revival of the Y. M. C. A., and on De- cember 4, 1858, in response to notices given in the churches, a meeting was held in the basement of the Baptist Church, a constitution was adopted for a society as above named, and the following officers were elected: president, G. S. Frost; secretary, L. S. Trowbridge; treasurer, Caleb Ives. The Free Press of October 30, 1859, contains this record of their work :
It is not quite a year since the Young Men's Christian Union of this city was organized. It has a tract department, through which the entire city is visited monthly, and a tract placed in the hands of every one who will receive it. Bibles are also circulated through this means, and all the work of colportage regularly per- formed. Besides these methods of labor, direct missionary work has been done by visiting the jail and imparting religious instruc- tion to the prisoners, and holding prayer meetings in various localities where, from the isolation of the neighborhood, or from the peculiar condition of the people, they are not within the influence of any church. At the small chapel on Catherine Street near Hastings, they also sustain a prayer meeting and two Sabbath schools.
The tract organization was very complete. Eighty- one visitors were enrolled, nearly 40,000 visits made, and about the same number of tracts distributed, at a cost of $175.
At the annual meeting, held on December 5, 1859, Mr. Frost was again chosen president. On January 22, 1860, an anniversary meeting was held at the First Baptist Church, at which addresses were made by Rev. Messrs. Hogarth, Blades, Neill, Eldridge, and others. At the request of the Y. M. C. A. of Richmond, Va., the following Friday, Jan- uary 27, was observed by all the associations in the
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