CHAPTER XII.

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CHURCHES, RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES, HOSPITALS AND CHARITIES

METHODIST CHURCHES

        According to the late Judge Albert Miller, the first church that was built in the Saginaw Valley and dedicated to the worship of God was the Methodist Mission Church at Kawkawlin, which was presided over by Rev. Mr. Brown.

MADISON AVENUE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

    At that time there were a few families living in Lower Saginaw, as Bay City was then called, who had so far advanced in civilization as to build a small school house about 20 feet square, which stood near the corner of First street and Washington avenue.  Here Rev. Mr. Brown preached occasionally, when the people at Portsmouth had the privilege of attending religious worship by walking two or three miles over a rough road.   Mrs. Belinda Barney, Mr. and Mrs. Raby and J. Crutchfield organized the first Methodist class in Bay City in 1837.  Meetings were held from time to time by the various Methodist preachers who road this circuit until 1852 when Rev. George Bradley was assigned to the pastorate by the annual conference held at Niles.   During his ministry in 1852-53 the society was fully organized and a church edifice erected on Washington avenue; here the church worshiped until its present beautiful home on the corner of Madison avenue and Ninth street was completed.  It was built in 1885 at a cost of $50,000, and about ten years later the parsonage adjoining the church on Ninth street was erected at a cost of $8,000.  On September 5, 1859, William Benson recorded in the county clerk's office the appointment of Calvin C. C. Chilson, Henry M. Bradley, Henry M. Stillman, John J. Nichols and A. G. Sinclair, trustees in trust for the Methodist Episcopal Church.   This is the first board of trustees, of which there is official record.   The present officers of the Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal are as follows:  Presiding Elder, Rev. W. M .Ward; pastor, Rev. G. E. Ackerman; resident minister, Rev. E. T. Lumber; trustees, Benjamin Boutell, Dr. Robert W. Erwin, Charles M. Hart, Cyrus Hiller, W. H. Nickless, E. T. Rowley, L. R. Russell, C. E. Walker and A. J. Woolfitt; secretary of the official board, D. O. Smith; treasurer, W. H. Nickless.   The church now has a membership of about 500. 

GERMAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

    This church dates back to 1857 when Rev. Jacob Krehbil visited Lower Saginaw and held religious services.   In 1858 he was succeeded by Rev. John Horst and his colleague, Rev. John Braun, who continued their labors until the close of 1859.  Various other pastors followed and the society grew in numbers and in strength, and about 1`867 a church edifice was erected on Adams street between Eighth and Ninth streets.   Here they continued to worship until about 1883, when their present edifice at the corner of South VanBuren and 13th streets was completed.   In 1894 a cellar was built under the church and furnaces installed.   There is also a comfortable parsonage built adjoining the church.  The present membership is about 135.  Rev. John Kuster is the present pastor.

FREMONT AVENUE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

    During 1853-54 the second settled pastor of the Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. Israel Cogshall, used to hold occasional services in Portsmouth.  In 1864 this church was organized and the following year, under the superintendence of Rev. William Fox, a church edifice was erected, on the site where the present church stands, and dedicated.   This building was destroyed in the devastating fire that swept South Bay City some years ago.  The society immediately commenced the erection of their present structure, and began to hold services in the basement the same year (1892).
It took about two years to complete the building, which cost about $15,000; of this amount only about $1,500 remains to be paid.   Rev. W. W. Will, who is now pastor of the church, came here in 1900.  The church, which has about 120 members, is active in Christian work.

WOODSIDE AVENUE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

    This church was organized in 1873 to accommodate members of this denomination who resided in the north part of Bay City.  The church edifice was erected in 1876, during the pastorate of Rev. A. B. Clough, which extended from 1874 to 1877.   He was followed by Rev. Calvin Gibbs, who remained with the church two years, During the next eight years there was a change in pastors every year, the ministers coming in the following order: Revs. Diverty, Spriggs, Lambly, Bancroft, Persons, Weir, William Pope, D. E. Birtch.  The next pastor, Rev. P. J. Wright, served two years and his successor, Rev. A. J. Richards, one year,  Rev. John A. Rowe remained with the church four years; and during his pastorate the parsonage was built, at a cost of $3,200.  The next pastors were Revs. Judson Cooper, J. B. McGee and William Edmunds, who served three, two and three years, respectively.   The next pastor was Rev. L. H. Stevens, who came to the church in 1904 and still serves the church.  They have a present membership of 100, and every department of the church work is well organized.

CENTRAL METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

    In the spring of 1887 members of the Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church started a mission Sunday-school in the South End of the city.  They met at various places and held preaching services and prayer meetings in addition to the sessions of the Sunday-school.  The work flourished, and in 1893 the Detroit Conference appointed Rev. A. J. Richards to serve this church together with the Woodside Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church for one year.  He was followed by Rev. J. A. Rowe, who also served both churches.   He was succeeded in September, 1895, by Rev. O. W. Willets, who remained wit the church one year.   During this pastorate the church became an independent body, and has been self-supporting since that time.   In September, 1896, Rev. George John Piper became pastor, and served the church one year.   He was succeeded by Rev. Erwin King in 1898, whose pastorate covered a period of three years.   In September, 1901, Rev. W. H. Gray became pastor.   In the following September, Rev. Otto L. Dreys was appointed to this charge, and continued until September, 1903, when the present pastor, Rev. B. C. Moore, took up his duties.
    In 1891 the land on which the church stands was purchased.   A boarding house was standing on this lot at the time.   This was remodeled and used for a place of meeting for two years.   In 1893 their present house of worship was erected at a cost of $3,000.   It will seat about 300 people.   Ten years later the present parsonage was built on 19th street in the rear of the church, which faces on Fraser street.   The parsonage is valued at over $1,000.   The present membership of the church is 125, and there are enrolled in the Sunday school 140 pupils.  The society was incorporated May 13, 1902.

THOBURN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (West Side).

    This church, which has also gone by the names of "Banks" and "Fourth Avenue" is the oldest church on the West Side.   J. S. Taylor, who later became one of the founders of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, West Bay City, established the meetings at Banks, and was the first superintendent of the Sunday school.   The church at first received the ministrations of various Methodist clergymen from the East Side, but when the Woodside Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church was established, one pastor was appointed to serve both churches, and this arrangement was continued until the church at Banks became an independent body, excepting while Rev. William Dawe and Rev. Mr. Davis were pastors of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, during which time they also served the Banks church.
    The Rev. A. J. Richards' term as presiding elder came to a close, he was appointed to this church.   The house of worship, which is located at the corner of Transit and Leng streets, was erected in 1867, and during the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Richards was enlarged to its present size.  It has ample seating capacity for 300 people, and including furnishings is now valued at $3,200.  The present parsonage, which is valued at $1,000, was purchased about nine years ago.
    The following are the pastors who succeeded Rev. Mr. Richards, and the periods during which they served: Rev. E. A. Cross, 1891 - 93; Rev. W. H. Allman, 1893 -96; Rev. George A. Fee, 1896 -99; Rev. W. E. Burnett, 1899 - 1901; Rev. H. G. Pearce, 1901 - 04; and Rev. W. E. Brown, the present pastor, who came in 1904.  Including probationers, the church now has a membership of 142.  There are enrolled in the Sunday-school 140 pupils and teachers.
    In 1901 a mission was started by this church at Wenona Beach.   Every Sunday afternoon the pastor of Thoburn Methodist Episcopal church preaches in the school house.

FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (West Side).

    The history of this church dates from the fall of 1866, when the Wenona charge was formed and Rev. A. C. Shaw was appointed pastor.  During his pastorate a house of worship was erected and dedicated by Rev. B. I. Ives, of New York.   In the fall of 1867, Rev. Alexander Gee succeeded to the pastorate.  Prior to 1868 Portsmouth had been included in this charge, but in that year, the work was divided, and Rev. Joel B. Goss became the minister.  In August, 1868, the society had to vacate the hall in which they had held their meetings up to that time, and until November 18, services were held at Bangor.   Then Babo Hall was secured, and the following Sabbath a Sunday-school was organized.   About this time the society commenced to build a house of worship on some lots which had been donated by Mrs. Calvin C. C. Chilson, who was also very energetic in securing subscriptions toward paying for the building.  Money did not come in very rapidly, and it was not until November, 1869, that they were able to dedicate their church.  In September of that year, Rev. Jacob Horton was appointed pastor, and during the latter part of his pastorate, which covered two years, the chapel was built.  Rev. W. O. Burnett was appointed to the church the following year, and remained with the church until the fall of 1874, when he was followed by Rev. R. Woodhams, who remained until 1876.  Rev. D. W. Misner was then appointed and was succeeded in the fall of 1877, after a pastorate of one year by Rev. William Dawe, who remained three years.  In 1881 the society purchased a house and lot adjoining the church for a parsonage. 
    In 1884 the old church was burned, and until their new church was completed the society worshiped in the old Presbyterian Church.   The construction of the present, fine brick house of worship was begun in the fall of that year, and the completed edifice was dedicated on June 20, 1885.  The dedication sermon was preached by Bishop Bowman.  Including furnishings, the church cost about $23,000.   The seating capacity of the main auditorium is about 450, and the lecture room, which adjoins, will seat 200 more persons.   These two rooms can be thrown into one.   The parsonage was begun in the fall of 1903 and was completed the following spring at a cost of $3,500.  The entire property is free from debt.
    Rev. Matthew C. Hawkes became pastor in 1883, and remained with the church three years.   During his term the name of the society was changed to that which it now bears.   After Rev. Mr. Hawkes came Rev. N. G. Lyons, whose pastorate extended to 1889.  He was succeeded by Rev. Charles Morgan, the duration of whose pastorate was two years.   Rev. James H. Kilpatrick came next and remained with the church three years.   His successor, Rev. H. C. Scripps, the next pastor, remained but two years.   He died at Mount Clemens in 1903.  He was followed by Rev. William B. Pope, whose pastorate covered a period of four years.   The present pastor, Rev. J. P. Varner, came to the church in September, 1904.   The church now has about 500 members, and the various church societies and the Sunday-school are in a flourishing condition.

    AUBURN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (Auburn).

    In 1875 a church building was erected here, and until 1892 this was a mission church in connection with the church at Freeland.   In 1892 the church became an independent body, and since that time has had the following pastors: Rev. R. Pattinson, 1893 - 94; Rev. W. J. Bailey, 1895 - 97; Rev. R. L. Cope, 1898; Rev. W. E. Edmunds, 1899; Rev. J. A. Rowe, 1900 ; and Rev. A. J. Holmes, the present pastor, who took charge in 1901.  During Rev. Mr. Holme's pastorate the parsonage, which was erected under the direction of Rev. R. Pattinson, has been remodeled and made very commodious.   In 1894 a beautiful little church was built at North Williams.   This is included in the circuit with Auburn and is served by the same pastor.

FREE METHODIST CHURCH.

    The church of this denomination in Bay City is located at the corner of Garfield avenue and Lafayette street.   It was organized about eighteen years ago, and now has about 40 members.  The parsonage is connected with the church in the rear.  The present pastor, Rev. J. H. McMillan, came here in the fall of 1903.  The society belongs to the East Michigan Conference.

FREE METHODIST CHURCH (West Side).

    In August, 1886, the land on Litchfield street where the church is now located was purchased and work on the building was commenced.   The property is now valued at $1,000.  The society owns a parsonage at 301 Spruce street, valued at $500.   The present pastor, Rev. Curtis Lum, came here September 25, 1904.   The church has now 21 members, ad about 30 pupils are enrolled in the Sunday-school.