History of Plymouth Congregational Church
Lansing
Michigan
1864 -
1893by C.
B. Stebbins
Engraving and Title Page, and First Text Page
(actual pages are 7½ _ x 5 _, gold edged)
Preface
Probably not one
in ten of the present members of Plymouth Church have personal knowledge of the
circumstances under which the church was organized, nor its severe struggles to
maintain an existence in its earlier years. Indeed, a person knowing only the
present situation could hardly realize it from any description our pen can
give.
All who partook of the anxiety and labor of those days will soon
have passed away; and those remaining, perhaps more than others, desire to leave
a record for those who have come, and will yet come, after them, of their trials
and remarkable success of the church under God _s guiding hand during its first
twenty-nine years.
Most of them were from the Presbyterian Church in
Lansing, where they had formed many tender social and Christian ties, which
could not be sundered without pain.
Besides, their church expenses would
be increased from ten to twenty dollars a year, to forty or a hundred dollars _
a matter of no small importance in a time when gold was at a hundred and fifty
per cent premium _ and most of the expenses of living on corresponding
scale. Indeed, were it not that five of the nine male members were enjoying
salaries of seven hundred to a thousand dollars in the service of the State, it
is more than possible that the risk of separation would not have been
taken.
At the annual meeting of the church in 1892, the question of a
history of the church was suggested, and by a unanimous vote, C.B. Stebbins was
elected church historian, and requested to prepare a history for publication.
That has been done, and is herewith submitted to the friends of Plymouth
Church.
It may be that some will think the trials of the pioneers are too
highly colored; but we are sure no participant in them will say they are
exaggerated. We believe all parties have long since out-lived the excitement
occasioned by the separation; and it is a happy fact that the two churches now
maintain the most cordial relations, and realize that, _One is our Master, even
Christ; and all we are brethren. _
C. B. S.
Typed into a computer
January 2003, by Win Stebbins. Plymouth Church has one bound original copy of
this history (109 pages), other long-time members may have copies, and Win
Stebbins has two similarly bound original copies with different covers. CB
Stebbins moved to Lansing in 1857 at age 45, and died in Lansing in 1901. He was
a cabinet-maker and newspaper writer/editor before moving to Lansing from
Adrian, and before that from Vermont. He was the Deputy Superintendent of State
Public Instruction 1858 - 1878. The Plymouth Church building that was built in
1877 and enlarged in 1891 was lost in a tragic fire February 25, 1971; the
church rebuilt in 1975 using a modern design on a new location two miles east on
East Grand River Avenue. Two C.B.
Stebbins descendants and their families
remain members of Plymouth Congregational
Church.
History of Plymouth
Church
Lansing,
Michigan
Statistics are not history. History must be more than a
mere record of events. The voluminous records of the State Senate, though
important elements thereof, are not history. Back of events are causes; and
without a knowledge of the causes, the events can be but illy appreciated or
understood. And beside the causes, a thousand circumstances _ perhaps
unimportant, separately considered _ connected with the progress of events, must
be taken into consideration to give the reader in future years, who will be
unacquainted with the details, anything like a complete understanding of the
subject. The primary causes, the incipient steps, the opposing forces, the
social and public influences, the encouragements and discouragements, the means
available, the risks run, the zeal, and patience, and motives of the actors _
all must be taken into account to make a perfect history.
In view of all
these considerations, the writer almost shrinks from the task assigned him by
Plymouth Church, with scarce a hope that his pen can do complete justice to the
work in hand.
As above intimated, history may demand notice of matters
relating to outside persons or parties, whose history must be given to a greater
or less extent, to understand the history we write. We realize this in what we
are obliged to say of the Presbyterian Church of Lansing, so intimately
connected with the founders of Plymouth Church.
Their vindication demands
that such reference shall be made; but while the memories of the past come to
mind of the writer, he will try to speak in kindness and with candor.
If
all these things are duly considered, it will at once be seen that a full
history of any
important enterprise may swell to a somewhat voluminous
document; and no apology
will be needed for the length of this. The object is
to make a record that may be read
with interest, not so much by those who can
say with the immortal poet: _All of which I
saw, and part of which I was, _
as by those who will be " Plymouth Church _ when all we
have passed
away.
In the winter of 1847, the Capital of Michigan was located upon a
section of school land
in the township of Michigan, afterwards changed to
Lansing. All the school section _
one mile square _ as well as the country
around it, was an unbroken forest, except at
the rapids in Grand River, a
short distance below the school section, where a dam and
sawmill had been
built a year or two previously, and two or three families were living in
rude
huts. Beside them, there was not an inhabitant within four miles.
Early in
the spring, 1847, the school section was platted into village lots by the
State,
as also territory on both the south and north by individuals, and the
erection of a State
house commenced. These measures brought at once two
classes to the scene; those
intent upon speculating in the yet-to-be city
lots, and those who came seeking work for
the time. Of both classes a
considerable number made permanent homes. But
naturally, the primary object
of most of them was their own material interests. A few,
and but a few,
appear to have realized the importance of an early establishment of
religious
institutions.
The first meeting of the legislature at the new State house was
in January, 1848.
Among its acts was a resolution to give a lot, four by ten
rods, to any religious
denomination which should apply for the same. Ten
denominations, or individuals on
behalf of the same, thus secured lots for
church buildings. Some of these did not
occupy the lots for several years,
and two _ the Swedenborgian and Old School
Presbyterian _ never.
The
Methodists, generally the pioneers in church extension in those days, had
formed
a class at North Lansing, of three or four persons connected with the
saw-mill, the
previous year.
In the summer of1847, while the forest was
yet being cut away, the Connecticut Home
Missionary Society sent Rev. S.S.
Brown to inspect the new Capital. He found seven
persons _ but two of whom
had ever belonged to a Congregational Church _ who
proposed to unite, and a
Congregational Church was formally organized July 7th. It
does not appear
that any other church was organized that year. The Presbyterians did,
in
December, vote to organize, but there were not enough men to fill the offices
and the
organization was not completed for nearly a year. The indications
were, that the
Congregational Church would be the leading religious society
of the Capital. The State
house was finished late in the fall, and the church
was granted use of it on the Sabbath.
The American Home Missionary Society
was at that time under the united patronage of
the Congregational and
Presbyterian denominations. The society gave its aid to new
and feeble
churches of both, as circumstances required. Rev. B.F. Millard, a young
man,
came to minister to the church. We are not informed whether he was sent by
the
above mentioned society or engaged by the church. Mr. Millard was a
Presbyterian,
and while we do not question his desire to faithfully serve the
church, possibly he would
have had more influence but for that fact. The
church showed its confidence in him
after preaching several months, by
sending him east for an effort to raise money to
build a house of worship.
For some reason he was entirely unsuccessful and returned
to report that
there was no prospect of aid from abroad. He remained after this but a
short
time, and his place was filled by Rev. Mr. Demarest of the Dutch
Reformed
Church. The church struggled on for a time under Mr. Demarest _ s
ministrations, with
diminishing attendance until the audience stood at zero,
and to all intents and purposes
the church ceased to exist. Two of the
leading members were contractors in the
erection of the State house, and they
moved away when the building was completed,
leaving but two male members and
their wives, and they not on the most friendly terms
socially.
And such
was the sad end of any expectations of Congregationalism securing a
standing
in the Capital for an indefinite period of time.
No one can blame the
Presbyterians for improving the occasion. When Mr. Millard left,
he probably
foresaw the failure soon to come to the Congregational enterprise, and
lost
no time in conferring with Rev. Calvin Clark, an agent of the Home
Missionary Society _
a good man and a firm Presbyterian _ not to secure his
aid for the struggling
Congregational Church, but to show him that the church
was doomed to failure, and
that the interests of Calvinism demanded the
organization of a Presbyterian Church
without delay, before any other sect
should get possession of the field. Mr. Clark
investigated the situation and
could find but two men and their wives desirous of uniting
with a
Presbyterian Church.
All the circumstances were a sad commentary upon the
religious character of a village
already of three or four hundred inhabitants
_ that could muster only four
Congregationalists, four Presbyterians, and a
few Methodists. The Free Baptist Church
was organized in 1848 and the First
Baptist in 1851; no others till 1856. But as before
stated, the first
settlers came for gain and not as missionaries, and for some years
made
little more progress in that direction than in spiritual things.
But it was
not for the Christian few to despise the day of small things, and
December
17, 1847, Mr. Clark organized as far as he could with two male
members, a
Presbyterian Church at _ Lower town _, now North Lansing. But the
church had only a
nominal existence until the fall of 1848, when the Home
Missionary Society sent Rev.
W.W. Atterbury, who remained four years, during
which time the church increased to
forty-eight members. The Home Missionary
Society gave yearly aid of $200, which was
continued until 1856. How many of
the forty-eight were Congregationalists, we are not
informed, but all of such
sentiments who had made a home in Lansing were on the roll
and were an
important element in the church.
The reader will by this, see that we are not
traveling out of the way in giving the space
we do to the Presbyterian
Church. We were all one till 1864.
In 1854 Mr. Atterbury was succeeded by
Rev. Benjamin Franklin, who served the
church one and a half years. He
resided in Lansing and died in 1889, eighty-two years
of age, universally
esteemed.
In 1856, Rev. C.S. Armstrong became the pastor. Under his ministry
the church
prospered, and in the spring of 1858, an extensive revival
occurred; Mr. Armstrong
being assisted by a Congregational minister, Rev.
Herbert Reed of Marshall. Forty
persons _ largely heads of families, men and
their wives together, united with the
church on one day. Nobody raised any
question of ism, and up to 1863 new comers
who were Congregationalists
cheerfully united with the church, and most perfect
harmony prevailed. Mr.
Armstrong was highly esteemed by all, but he was understood
to be strongly
Presbyterian in sentiment, and knowing the Congregational sentiment in
the
church, it was but natural to imagine that he was apprehensive that those
of
Congregational preferences would some day think of withdrawing, to make a
home for
themselves. He was naturally of a conciliatory disposition, and
never had said or done
anything to wound their sensibilities or prejudices.
After the Home Missionary Society
was changed to a separate society for each
denomination, he approved of dividing the
contributions for home missionary
work between the two societies. Whether from
disposition or policy, or both,
his fairness gave him a strong hold upon the
Congregationalists.
Thus
until 1863. The Methodists had the Central M.E. church on the corner of
Ottawa
street and Washington avenue, and _the First _ at North Lansing. The
latter was not in
a very prosperous condition, their house of worship _ on
the east side of the river _ was
in a dilapidated state, and they were very
much discouraged. There was no other
church north of the Presbyterian _ that
being on Washington avenue in the central part
of the city _ and somebody,
supposed to be Mr. Armstrong, conceived the idea of
detaching a portion of
his church _ those residing in the northern locality _ and uniting
with the
Methodists, organize a church, Presbyterian in form, but in action
so
unsectarian that the Methodists could not complain, and erect a church
near the foot of
Washington avenue, to be called the Franklin Street
Presbyterian Church.
The Congregationalists, as might be expected, could not
fail to be excited by such a
movement. They said: If a new church is to be
organized, common fairness demands
that it should be under the administration
of the Congregationalists. To make it a
Presbyterian church, under the
circumstances, was to them, not only unbrotherly, but a
palpable insult. Had
Mr. Armstrong yielded to that sentiment, the Congregationalists
would have
accepted the situation, and organized a feeble church in a location,
than
which a less desirable one for them could hardly be imagined. It was on
the northern
border of the city, in a sparsely settled section nearly a mile
from the main business
centre, where a rapid growth was not expected. But
their views were regarded with
hardly respectful attention, and the
subsequent years have demonstrated that success
would have been in the end
the greatest disaster.
It is not always safe to judge of men _ s motives, and
such judgements are often unjust.
However it may have been in this case, it
was a fact generally believed that, while Mr.
Armstrong was actuated by
honest Christian motives in desiring the consummation of
his project, he had
also a strong Presbyterian desire, and hoped that the carrying out of
his
plan would strengthen his denomination, and if the Congregationalists should
think
of withdrawing from his church, they might be held by the plea that it
had already lost
twenty-five members who had gone to the new church, and it
would be ruin to his
church should as many more leave for another church. And
when the time came, that
plea was made, not wholly without effect. The
Congregationalists had enjoyed a
pleasant home, social ly and spirituall y,
in his church; and it was not without some
heart-throbs that they could
sunder the ties by which years of church co-operation had
bound them to their
Presbyterian brethren. Some of them could not break those ties,
and still
wrought under the Presbyterian banner. But if such was the thought of any,
as
above suggested, they greatly mistook the Puritan spirit of a majority of
the
Congregationalists. They said: _If such is the plan we will depart in
peace, and submit
our action to the judgement of God and a candid world.
_
The Franklin street church was partially organized in October, 1863 but not
fully
completed until April 20th, 1864, with twenty-five members from Mr.
Armstrong _ s church,
and thirty-five on profession and from other churches.
In the meantime it is supposed
that the higher authorities of the M.E. church
decided that the Methodists should not
coalesce with the Presbyterians, and
no one of them came forward for admission or cooperation.
Hon. James Turner,
however, gave the lot on Franklin street, on which the
church was erected.
The Methodists, not long after, erected a neat building on Cedar
street
adjoining Franklin.
At that time it would perhaps be a fair estimate that the
Presbyterian Church was
composed of about one-third Presbyterians, one third
Congregationalists, and one-third
of those who had little or no
denominational preference.
Under this state of affairs and feeling, the
Congregationalists began seriously to
canvass the question of asserting their
independence. For sixteen years they had
brought their offerings to the
Presbyterian alter, and now they were virtually told they
had no moral right
to worship at any other. And there were, just then, indications
that
Providence was favoring independent action.
Rev. J.B. Walker, D.D.,
was a man of high standing in the Congregational communion,
residing in
Benzonia, Michigan, engaged in an enterprise of establishing Grand
Traverse
College. In the previous year, in company with Judge Wm. Chapman, they
had
erected a block of two stores on Washington avenue, with a public hall over
the
two stores. He proposed that, if the Congregationalists would organize a
church, he
would give his half of the rent of the hall for the first year,
and while he remained in the
city, which he expected to do for some months,
he would preach for them without
charge. Also, on inquiry, the Home
Missionary Society promised liberal material
assistance.
When these things
came to the knowledge of Mr. Armstrong, he seemed panic-stricken.
He said to
the writer: _If you go off and employ Dr. Walker, it will ruin our church.
I
won _t get an audience. I know who Dr. Walker is, and I will not preach
another day with
him for a rival! _ He did not over-rate Dr. Walker, but he
under-rated himself. He was
able to meet any rivalry, as his subsequent
history proved. He was then a preacher of
more than average ability, and for
over twenty years, to the time of his death, he was
regarded as one of the
strong men of his denomination. But his fears were rather a
stimulus to the
Congregationalists to _go forward. _
The critical _ or criticising reader may
ask: What valid reason had the
Congregationalists to break away from an
already weakened church, of a faith
essentially like their own, in a city of
a little over three thousand inhabitants, and having
already five or six
orthodox churches, to say nothing of two or three un-orthodox?
To this,
several answers may be given; not all of equal force, and perhaps no
one
reason a sufficient justification; but combined, they are
unimpeachable.
It is true that there were as many churches as the then
population could well support,
and most of them, if not all, only with
outside aid. But nothing was more sure than that
Lansing would soon become a
city of large numbers and influence. There was not,
south of Michigan avenue,
(which had not far from half the population) _ the civil and
political
centers of the city _ a single orthodox church of any denomination, except
a
small devoted body of Free Baptists, and the appearance on the very surface
was, that
a church was needed and would soon be demanded in that growing
section of the city.
There are in 1893, three large churches and three
mission buildings south of Michigan
avenue, west of the river. And all the
circumstances above related, indicated that it
was the mission of the
Congregationalists to take possession of the field. They had
united with the
Presbyterians because they believed every Christian should have a
church
home, and in temperament and faith they were more like them than like
any
other denominations. But by that they by no means ignored their
individuality or their
religious rights.
While the Congregationalists of
Lansing were discussing the expediency of
withdrawing from the Presbyterian
church, every conceivable influence was brought to
bear to dissuade them from
so doing. They were warned that they would fail; that they
were fomenting a
church quarrel; that another church was not needed; that they were
doing an
unpardonable wrong to the Presbyterian Church. And after Plymouth
Church
spread its banner to the breeze the air was full of expressions of
injured feelings and
predictions of speedy failure. It is but just to say the
bitterness manifested was by a
minority of the church. Mr. Armstrong was
grieved, but he showed no bitterness. A
warm personal friendship between him
and the writer remained unbroken until his
death. A few months after Plymouth
Church was organized the writer procured, by
recommendation to the governor,
his appointment of chaplain to the Fourth Cavalry
regiment in the war, and it
was twenty-three years before he learned how his
appointment came.
On the
part of a few the hostility was extreme. So persistent was their assertion
that
the whole enterprise would fail that the community quite extensively
were made to
believe it. It was like the cry of Tobiah the Ammonite, when
Nehemiah was rebuilding
the walls of Jerusalem: _what do these feeble Jews?
If a fox go up he shall even break
down their stone wall! _ They were
compared to southern rebels, and taunted as
_Secesh _ _ than which, at that
time, a more opprobrious epithet could not be applied.
When letters were
asked for, they were given by the session with a very bad grace, and
with two
it was evidently with malice that an insinuation was thrown in that they did
not
deserve it. Had the government of the church been Congregational such an
insult
would not have been perpetrated.
March 1st, 1864, Plymouth society
was organized by C.B. Seymour, Theodore Hunter,
George W. Swift, S.D.
Bingham, P.C. Ayres, Abner Brown, N.B. Jones, J.L. Lanterman,
C.B. Stebbins.
The population of the city in June of that year was 3,573. March 13 the
first
services were held in Capital Hall. April 26 was appointed for organizing
the
church. It was the first, and for nearly twenty years the only _Plymouth
_ church in
Michigan. It was unanimously so named on the motion of Mr.
Stebbins. Regular
church services were commenced March 13th, without waiting
for a church organization.
Twenty-four had letters from the Presbyterian
Church, not received until the morning of
that day, with one from
Massachusetts, one from Ohio, and one on confession of faith.
Two others had
letters, but were absent.
CB Stebbins was a member of and held offices in
Plym outh Church in Adrian from about 1842?
until moving to Lansing in 1857.
CBS _ s prior membership there might have been an influence in
him suggesting
the name Plymouth in for the new congregational church in Lansing where
he
helped in the establishment and was a member. Plymouth Church of Adrian
went through
disorganization in 1879.
At that time the only railroad was
to Owosso, and the new wagon roads were mostly
through the woods, and were
made by the spring rains almost impassable. There were
but three or four
Congregational Churches within twenty-five miles. The consequence
was that
only three ministers were present, Wm. P. Esler from Grand Ledge, Dr.
Walker
and Rev. Mr. Tilley of the Baptist Church, Lansing. And here it may
be
remarked that the enterprise appeared to have the good will of the
Methodist and
Baptist Churches.
It seems fitting to put on record the
names of those who assumed the responsibility,
and for some time bore the
brunt of the battle for life:
Stephen D. Bingham and Charlotte, his
wife.
J.L. Lanterman and Ammeretta, his wife.
Philo C. Ayres and Cornelia
B., his wife.
Claudius B. Seymour and Harriet N., his wife.
Theodore
Hunter and Eleanor R., his wife.
Abner Brown and Rebecca S., his
wife.
Cortland B. Stebbins and Eliza M., his wife.
Carlos A. Kenaston and
Lucy F., his wife.
Nelson B. Jones.
Mrs. Delia M. Knight.
Mrs. Lodelia
P. Almy.
Mrs. Deborah K. Shearer.
Mrs. Mary A. Nash.
Mrs. Harriet P.
Payne.
Miss Urania Seymour.
Miss Harriet A. Farrand.
Miss Emily E.
Nash.
Miss Laura Hinkley.
Miss Helen S. Norton.
To these should be
added Harvey Phinney and wife, who had letters with the others,
with the
gratuitous insinuation that he frequented saloons, and they declined to unite
at
the time. The falsity of the charge was shown, and they were received at
the next
communion.
Ten of these have passed away, and all but six have
removed from Lansing in 1893.
Mr. Bingham was clerk, and later Deputy Auditor
General. Since then he has been an
editor, and for several years previous to
1885 postmaster in Lansing, and since retired
from business.
Mr. Stebbins,
52 years of age, was Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction,
which
office he held twenty years; now interested in manufactures in
Lansing.
Mr. Brown, 51 years of age, was a mechanic and engineer. He ran some
of the
locomotives on the earliest built railroads in the west. Still resides
in Lansing.
Mr. Jones, 29 years of age, was by trade a printer, and several
years clerk of the
House of Representatives. In later years he has been
engaged in land and insurance
business, residing still in Lansing.
Dr.
Lanterman, 37 years of age, was a dentist. In 1875 he removed to California,
and
is carrying on a fruit farm near Los Angles.
Mr. Seymour, 43 years of
age, was Assistant Superintendent of the Reform School for
Boys, and was
connected with the school nine years. In 1866 he removed to Titusville
Penn,
and engaged in trade.
Mr. Ayres, 46 years of age, was a builder, and some of
the largest structures in Lansing
are the work of his hands and brain. He
removed to Jackson in 1882.
Mr. Kenaston was a professor in the Agriculture
College. He was appointed a
professor in Ripon College in Wisconsin in 1865,
so that he is hardly counted as one of
the original members. Later he has
been connected with Howard University,
Washington D.C.
Mr. Hunter, 50
years of age, was Deputy State Treasurer. In 1867 he removed to
Vineland,
N.J., and later to Brooklyn, N.Y., where he died this year _ 1893. He was
the
author of a work on commercial law, which is said to be a very able
production.
Mr. Stebbins was the oldest man and Mr. Jones the
youngest.
The women were all ladies of intelligence: Miss Farrand was a
graduate of the Normal
School, and has been twenty-three years on the
editorial staff of the Chicago Advance,
where she has made an enviable
record.
Miss Norton was a graduate of Holyoke, and has been most of the time
since engaged
in higher educational and missionary work. She was two years
principal of a female
seminary in Honolulu.
Miss Nash, now Mrs. Porter,
was several years a teacher in the public schools.
Mrs. Stebbins was on the
board of control of the State Industrial School for Girls, from
its inception
until her death in 1888 _ about seven years. She traveled about 20,000
miles
in the interest of the school.
The oldest woman was Mrs. Shearer and Miss
Nash the youngest.
The Rubicon was passed. The issue was made, and they saw
there was no halfway
house between success and ignominious failure; and while
they prayed the great Head
of the Church not to lead them up, unless He would
go with them, their resolve was to
_go forward. _
The first officers of
the church were C.B. Stebbins, C.B. Seymour and P.C. Ayres,
deacons; and
Theodore Hunter, clerk and treasurer.
Three of the district associations of
churches were about equally accessible _ perhaps,
more strictly, inaccessible
_ and it was a question as to which the church would ask
admission: Jackson,
Olivet, or Saginaw. Personally, a majority would have preferred
the Jackson
association; but it was argued, that Saginaw association most needed
whatever
strength Plymouth Church might give; and with some feeling of sacrifice
it
was agreed to join the Saginaw body; and that connection was continued
until Lansing
Association was established in 1880.
Dr. Walker was a man of
venerable appearance, though not more than sixty years of
age, and his
snow-white hair was not wholly concealed by a brown wig. He died in
1887, at
Wheaton, Illinois, where he had been fifteen years professor and lecturer
in
the college and theological seminary. He preached for Plymouth Church
three months,
when he returned to Benzonia, and in the fall was elected to
the State Senate from
Grand Traverse county. It was hoped that he would
preach through the winter, but his
health _ or want of health _ prevented. He
gave his half of the rent of the hall, and the
church paid Judge Chapman $50
for his share and Dr. Walker $75 for an office
adjoining the hall for social
and prayer meetings.
June 1, 1864, a call was given to Rev. A.H. Fletcher at
a salary of $800. Mr. Fletcher
had formerly been pastor of the Congregational
Church in Pontiac and later a
missionary in India. The salary was the same
that Mr. Armstrong was receiving from
his church. Two years previous, the
writer secured a vote of the church to pay him
$1,000, which was vetoed by
the session on the plea that the amount could not be
raised. Mr. Fletcher
accepted the call and for a time the sky looked bright. But after
preaching
acceptably two months, he announced, without warning, or giving any
reasons,
that he had concluded to accept a call from Pontiac. His reasons could
only
be guessed. There had been but three additions to the church during the
four months
since its organization, the congregations were small, predictions
of ultimate or even
speedy failure were industriously circulated, with
every-day assertions that the church
had in its own body personal elements
that must prove its destruction, with malicious
slanders of a prominent
member; and without investigation he had become
disheartened and decided to
leave the ship before it went down. Ten years later when
the church had
demonstrated its ability to live, he acknowledged to the writer that
such
were his reasons. He was a timid, but a good man, and did faithful work
at Pontiac and
other places until his death in 1880.
During the remainder
of 1864 Rev. Fayette Hurd was employed as temporary supply.
Through the
winter of 1865 the church had but one preaching service on the
Sabbath,
mainly by Professor Oramel Hosford of Olivet College; who that year
entered upon a
service of eight years as Superintendent of Public
Instruction.
Thus the little church completed its first year. The prospect
was anything but bright,
but not one had any thought of giving up the
struggle. The very abuse they had
received strengthened their determination.
There had been but four additions to the
church and two of those were
original members, but were absent at the time of
organization. The
congregation had but slightly increased, averaging less than fifty,
and the
Sunday-school not over thirty. A hundred dollars a year for rent stared them
in
the face, and the only outside help they could expect was $400 from the
Home
Missionary Society _ the same as the previous year. When the hall was
new it was
plain but clean, and a very pleasant home, but it was used for all
public purposes _
there being no other public hall in the city _ and had
become very dirty and of a most
forbidding aspect. It was seen that some
other place for public worship must be found.
Application was made to the
Board of State Auditors for the use of the senate chamber,
which was granted.
It had been occupied by other churches in previous years before
they erected
houses of their own. Mr. Stebbins assured them in Mr. Hosford _s
absence,
that they could have his office for prayer-meetings _ knowing that he
would
approve of it.
The spring passed away and they were still without a
pastor, though they never failed
of having preaching from some one. Ministers
seeking a charge _ well, it is not strange
that they were shy. By one a
formal call was declined. But depressed as they were by
all the
discouragements, they determined like Grant, to fight it out on that line if it
took
all summer or more.
April 16, 1865, a correspondence was opened with
Rev. C.C. McIntire of Windsor
Locks, Conn. It was proposed to pay his
expenses if he would come and preach three
Sundays with a view to a
settlement should it be agreeable to both parties. He came,
and after making
his acquaintance a call was tendered him. It was not strange that
he
hesitated. He did not decline, but said he must go home and _think about
it. _ He finally
accepted and commenced labor July 9, 1865, the church then
being about fourteen
months old and numbering but two more members than at
its organization. It was the
policy of the Home Missionary Society not to aid
churches which paid their pastor more
than $1,000. His salary was therefore
agreed upon at that sum, with the promise of
$200 by way of donation, which
was fully made.
Under Mr. McIntire _s labors, the church went on with renewed
courage and hope. The
Sunday audiences increased, and the Sunday school was
conducted with increased
numbers. But one of their greatest trials of _faith
and patience _ was soon to come.
It was not many weeks before the State
authorities engaged Mr. Ayres to enlarge the
two legislative halls, by adding
fifteen feet to the south end of the State house. So they
were driven from
the Senate chamber, and were compelled to go back to the despised
Capital
hall. A harder blow, perhaps, had never been struck them; but it was their
only
resort. The addition to the State house would not be completed till
about the time the
legislature would meet in January, and the church could
not have the Senate chamber,
at the best, under six or eight months, with no
certainty then. To occupy that filthy hall
another winter could not be
thought of without a sickening sensation; and there was
serious fear that Mr.
McIntire might leave them as Mr. Fletcher had done. Would men
have been
surprised, had they given up in despair? They were indeed cast down,
but
giving up was not a debatable question. The only query was, What shall we
do?
As to what was needed, there was no doubt. They needed a house. It looked
as
though nothing else could save them. But to build a house appeared
impossible. It
was all they could do to raise means for the current expenses
of the church. At least
they honestly thought so. It was soon after the close
of the civil war when taxes, and
most of the necessaries of life were two to
five times their normal cost; and not a
member of the society was of more
than a very moderate financial ability.
When the legislature offered to give
a lot to all denominations which desired it, the two
or three
Congregationalists in the place selected a lot on Capitol avenue, south
of
Washtenaw street. Mr. Hunter had for fifteen years paid the taxes on it,
amounting in
the aggregate, to nearly $200, to save it from forfeiture; fully
believing that the lot would
some day be required for a Congregational
church. It was very low ground, with by no
means pleasant surroundings. But
such as it was, Mr. Hunter was ready to give it to
the first Congregational
church that would occupy it.
On the 25th of October about half of the members
of the church met as usual at the
superintendent _s office for the weekly
prayer meeting in a desponding mood. At the
close of the meeting no one
seemed disposed to leave. The situation lay heavily on
every heart. A general
discussion went on for perhaps half an hour. In the meantime
Mr. Ayres said
nothing, but was figuring in his note book; at length, said he: _If you
will
raise $1,800, I will have a chapel 30 by 45 feet in size, ready for
dedication in eight
weeks. _
As by an electric spark every heart took
fire. Mr. Ayers said he would give $100, others
said they would raise $100,
the women agreed to raise $300, and in another half hour
$900 was pledged by
those present. Seven or eight hundred dollars more was raised
the next day,
and before night Mr. Ayers was collecting materials for the work.
December 24
_ one day less than the _two months _ a plain, but neat chapel was
dedicated,
finished and furnished. The whole had cost about $2,000, and was paid
or
pledged before the dedication.
It was found than one man claimed to be
the original church, and that the lot belonged
to him.
Absurd as his claim
was, he was offered twenty-five dollars for it, which he refused. At
the next
general session of the legislature the society was given a patent for it for
the
nominal sum of five dollars. As above remarked, the location was very
undesirable.
Opposite was a foundry, in the rear were stables, and close by a
blacksmith shop. The
ground was originally little better than a swamp, and
there was not a sidewalk within
thirty rods. Planks had to be laid down from
the corner of the street to get over the mud
in rainy weather. But inside all
was cheerful, and they could call it theirs. Those who
hailed the completion
of the enlarged house in 1892 were not half so happy as those
pioneer
builders in their modest chapel. For twenty months they had walked
principally
by faith; now they could almost walk by sight; and when they sat
down to the Lord _ s
table, served with a beautiful communion set from the
First Congregational Church in
Detroit, it was with heartfelt thanksgiving to
Him who had led them in safety through the
wilderness to a promised land. The
confidence of the public was soon assured and the
croakings of ill wishers
ceased to annoy.
In one year _ 1866, twenty-three were added to the church,
and in 1867, eighteen. Of
these in the two years, eighteen were on profession
of their faith. The Sunday
audiences increased in proportion. The chapel
could seat but about two hundred, and
it was seen that more room would soon
be needed, and a better location was greatly
desired.
In 1866 it was found
that two lots where the church now stands, could be bought for
$900, subject
to $235.80 due the State. The lands were sold by the State at
auction,
payable one-fourth down, and the balance at the pleasure of the
purchaser, with seven
per cent interest. For these lots the owner had paid
$58.95 down, and during eighteen
years he had paid $297 interest, and
probably $100 taxes; total, $455.90, making his
profit nearly $444. Probably
the bare lots would now be worth more than six thousand
dollars. Mr. Stebbins
purchased the lots for the society, and was repaid three years
later by the
sale of four-tenths of the land for $900. A dwelling was erected on the
same,
and in 1887 the premises were re-purchased by the society for a parsonage,
for
$4,000.
In 1868 Mr. McIntire resigned, after a labor of three years.
During that time forty-three
persons were added to the church, twenty-one of
the number on confession of their
faith. The total of members was ninety-two,
with over one hundred in the Sunday
School. Soon after his resignation he
received a call from Pontiac.
In a few weeks, Rev. Stewart Sheldon was
engaged at a salary of $1,500. That year
the church decided to ask for no
further aid from the Missionary Society. To this time
the society had aided
the church to the amount of $1,650.
Mr. Sheldon was an able and earnest man,
and very highly esteemed; but his health
was poor, and at the close of the
year he left, partly on account of his health, and in
part because some
thought it unsafe to promise so high a salary, as no more aid was to
come
from the Missionary Society. During the year there had been fifteen additions
to
the church _ five of the same on profession. Mr. Sheldon went to Dakotah,
where he
has ever since been active in the Master _s work
In January,
1870, after a lapse of six months, Mr. S.O. Allen, a graduate of Yale
College
and seminary, who had been teaching at Olivet, was engaged. He was
ordained
by a council in December, but declined being installed. He remained
two
years. On his retiring, a hearty reception was given him, with
appropriate testimonials,
at the residence of J.B. Porter. His sermons were
always able and finished
productions. During the two years there were
thirty-one accessions to the church; five
on profession, and those by letter
were: one from a Baptist Church, three from
Methodist Churches, twelve from
Presbyterian Churches and ten from Congregational
Churches.
In the first
year of Mr. Allen _s ministration the chapel had grown too small
to
accommodate its audiences _ or the audiences too large for the chapel _
and it was
moved from its wooden foundation to the corner where the church
now stands, and set
upon a solid foundation near the rear end of the lot,
leaving all the space that it was
supposed could ever be wanted for a large
church to connect with the chapel. At the
same time it was enlarged to thirty
by sixty feet in size, equal, by close seating, to the
accommodation of two
hundred and fifty worshipers. The walls were frescoed, and
after a time,
lighted by gas. It received its second dedication at the same time with
Mr.
Allen _s ordination, and the rejoicings of the first occasion were
repeated.
Rev. M.W. Fairfield was the first president of Olivet College, and
well known by
reputation in the State. When it was learned that he was at
liberty, a unanimous call
was given him, though few of the church had ever
heard him preach; and he
commended labor in May, 1872, on a salary of $1,500.
During his service of two years
the admissions to the church were
twenty-three on profession of their faith and thirty-six
by letter. He
resigned in May, 1874. On closing his work there was due him on his
salary
$316 with not a shot in the locker. At the same time there was a note of
the
trustees for $100 in the hands of other parties, upon which they were
threatened with a
suit.
No church could boast a more intelligent
membership than Plymouth. The honest truth
is: they had more zeal than money.
There was not a man in the society, up to that time,
who could be called
_rich. _ They were like many manufacturing companies which fail,
from doing a
business beyond their capital. They borrow, and borrow till the crisis
comes,
and then go to the wall. It is sometimes so with churches. Several years
ago
one of the largest churches in Michigan was destroyed in consequence of a
debt of four
thousand dollars and the property, costing twenty-five thousand
dollars, was sacrificed
to pay the debt. There were other difficulties in the
church, but it would have recovered
but for the debt. Church debts are
perhaps sometimes necessary, but they are
dangerous friends.
But a good
Providence did not design that Plymouth should yet fail or be
disgraced.
About that time Mr. S. was in receipt of funds with which he paid
the two obligations,
and was reimbursed by the women in due time. We shall
have more to say of the good
works of these noble women further on.
The
church was now ten years old and the membership was 163, after deducting
34
lost by removal and death. Its zeal and determination were not abated, and
all felt that
living was the way to live.
For several months an acceptable
pastor was not found. At length the pastor of the
church in Owosso gave the
information that he had a friend in Connecticut, a graduate
of Yale, who had
recently returned from a two year _s residence in Germany, whom he
could
recommend as a young man of marked ability. The result was that December
1st,
1874, Mr. Theodore P. Prudden commenced his first pastorate with
Plymouth Church.
His salary was to be $1,600 a year. At the close of the
first year it was raised to
$2,000. Plymouth has always paid as high a salary
to its pastors, and usually higher,
than any other church in the city. On
Forefathers _ Day he was ordained by a council,
and at the same time
installed as pastor, as he desired.
When the chapel was enlarged, it was
thought that it would answer its purpose for ten
or fifteen years. But four
years had passed, and again it was too small. It could not
accommodate, with
close crowding, more than 275 persons, and 50 per cent more slips
than it
contained could have been rented. Not only was every seat rented, but
in
several instances two families rented the same pew, each paying the full
price and
crowding in as best they could. This was necessary to make room for
an ordinary
audience, and to raise the necessary funds. One man, after
renting half a pew at full
price, bid eight dollars for, nominally, the
orchestra. The next rental after Mr. Prudden
came, amounted to $2,400. This
was over $12 for each individual seat; and _not
enough of them to go around _
at that.
They had come to a crisis as critical, if not as dangerous, as when,
in the day of small
things, at 10 o _clock at night, in Professor Hosford _ s
office, the little band determined to
build the chapel. But all agreed that
something must be done, or the church could
make no further progress. Some
wanted a large church. The largest then in the city
could not seat over 400
persons. But could that be had, in view of a certainly heavy
debt? Some were
ready to take the risk, but the more conservative shook their heads.
Some had
a chronic fear of church debts. After much debate, J.B. Porter was
appointed
a committee to raise $1,000 to build an addition to the north side of
the
chapel that would increase the capacity of the building to 400 seats. But
the
conservatives themselves, who favored the plan, felt that there were
serious objections
to it; for when the time should come, which would
doubtless come at no distant day,
that a large permanent building must be
erected, the addition must be torn away. Mr.
Porter was not in favor, but he
started out the next day in good faith, to perform the duty
assigned.
At
the next meeting he reported that he found in the mind of the public very
little
sympathy with the project. That the general opinion was: That they
should erect a
church larger than any in the city, that would be sufficient
for many years to come. He
had therefore, abandoned the thousand dollar
subscription as hopeless, and had
already $8,000 promised for the larger
enterprise. That settled the question, If $8,000
could be raised so readily,
what could not be done? It was voted that, when the
committee had raised
$10,000, the society would _proceed to erect a brick or stone
church to cost
not less than ten, nor more than fifteen, thousand dollars. _ A
few
protested, and predicted they were moving toward an outlay of at least
$20,000, and a
heavy debt. But they were unheeded, and the society was nearly
unanimous in taking
the risk.
All the talk was now for a large, beautiful
church. In April the committee reported that
they had obtained pledges to the
amount of $9,850, payable in yearly installments,
extending through five
years. No one seemed to take into the account the almost
certain fact that by
deaths, removals and failures, twenty per cent of the amount would
probably
not be realized.
Discussion and correspondence had been going on with
architects through the winter.
Among others, G.H. Edbrooke of Chicago
submitted a plan with which every one was
pleased, and it was adopted. He
assured the trustees that a firm in Chicago would
build it for $14,000. All
thought it very low, but few had any definite ideas upon the
subject, and
some said it could not be built for that by several thousand dollars.
The
architect evidently knew that it could not be done, for when asked if he
believed they
would take the job, answered hesitatingly, that they had so
promised him, and he
supposed they knew their business; and if they wanted a
job in Lansing badly enough
to lose money on it, it was their business. So it
was resolved by a vote of forty to four,
to mortgage the property for a loan
of $8,000 with ten per cent interest, payable $1,000
in one year, $1,000 in
two years, $1,000 in three years, and $5,000 in four years. It
was expected
that the subscriptions would meet these payments. The $2,600 interest
that
would accrue seemed not to be thought of.
Mr. Ayres was sent to Chicago to
perfect the contract. He went _ he saw _ but did not
conquer. He saw one of
the two members of the firm, who said he knew nothing about
it. He did not
know what his partner had promised, but declared, after examining the
plan,
that it could not be built for less than $18,000. Mr. Ayers just then wanted to
see
the other partner more than he did the brethren who scouted the idea of
$14,000. But
he had put himself safely out of sight. He consulted other
builders, but could not get a
bid at less than $18,000.
Mr. Ayres returned
and reported, but he was determined to have the house if he had to
build it
himself. He was a man of energy, a builder of considerable experience, and
a
great deal of zeal in whatever he undertook. His zeal seemed to influence
his better
judgement, and he was willing to take the job for $14,000, besides
giving $1,000 on the
five years _ subscription. The trustees did not believe
he could do the work for that sum,
and proposed to give him $15,000 and a
contract was made on that basis. Mr.
Stebbins was decidedly opposed to
mortgaging the property, and when required to sign
the mortgage, resigned his
place on the board of trustees.
Mr. Ayres went about the work with the same
energy as when he built the chapel
eleven years before. Slate for the roof
was donated by Hon. S.L. Smith. The house
was completed about the first of
March, 1877. It was an attractive building, both in its
exterior and
interior. The pews, pulpit, and orchestra were in the same style as
at
present. The tablet in the wall of the tower in large letters read, to
such as could
understand the characters, _FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH _ _ a
title of three
words, and but two errors. It is not the first Congregational
Church in Lansing, and it is
not the legal name of _Plymouth Church. _ The
trustees never _owned up _ to the error,
and it was several years before the
_ first _ was cut out and _Plymouth _ cut in its place.
Mr. Ayres presented
his account in minute detail, showing that he had expended about
$17,300,
exclusive of his time, use of tools, machinery, etc. The trustees
voted
unanimously that he should be paid in full. The society also passed a
similar vote,
which failed to be inserted in the records.
As the building
approached completion contracts were made, mostly on credit, for an
organ at
$1,350, gas fixtures at $377, cushions at $548, and carpets at $525, making
a
total of $20,150. The bronze gas stands in front of the orchestra were
presented by
Mrs. Wm. House of Kalamazoo. The beautiful baptismal font was a
gift from Judge
Thomas M. Cooley; the trimmings of which are from pieces of
olive wood and cedar
from Mount Lebanon, brought from Palestine by a friend
of the judge. The pulpit chairs
and communion table were a token from Mrs.
N.B. Jones.
In 1882 a syndicate consisting of the trustees, J.H. Moores, A.O.
Bement, J.B Porter,
Alfred Beamer, Henry Humphrey, and E.R. Osband, probably
having heard of the good
lady who devoted the profits of her hen to the
missionary cause, purchased a tract of
land with the understanding that the
profits on their venture should be applied to the
purchase of a bell; hence
the two thousand pound bell which every week preaches to
the people,
reminding them of their accountability to Him against whom they
have
sinned.
The church was completely furnished, and March 18th, 1877,
dedicated with great joy.
This was the third dedication indulged in by
Plymouth Church. In 1878 the pews in the
chapel were exchanged for chairs.
Part of the pews were given to the church in Delta,
and part to Williamston.
The desk, a combination of mahogany, rosewood and cherry,
was given to the
church in Farwell.
When the church was dedicated the people were told that
the debts were all provided
for, except some $4,000. The church was highly
prosperous, and from Mr. Prudden _ s
installation to 1881, when the mortgage
became due _ over six years _ there had been
about two hundred added to its
membership, and then, on examination of the
treasurer _s books, it was
ascertained that the mortgage and floating debts amounted to
not far from
$13,000, with nothing in reach to pay a dollar. Sixteen per cent of
the
$9,850 was lost by failures and removals, and the rest had been used in
paying for the
organ, carpets, cushions, interest and current expenses. Such
a management of the
financial affairs of the society, while they had all
along been told that all was well, was
a great shock; but the most important
questions was, how to meet the crisis.
Considerable financial strength had
been added to the church since most of the debt
was contracted, but to raise
the money seemed impossible. The trustees were most
interested of all, for
their names were on the notes.
They had heard of the celebrated church
debt-raiser, Edward Kimball of Chicago, and
they requested Mr. Prudden to
correspond with him. Three times he wrote him, but
received no reply. But
some months later, on a Friday evening, Mr. Prudden received a
telegram that
he would be in Lansing the next morning. He had not been asked to
come, but
he was there according to the telegram. During the day he was posted upon
the
situation, and in the evening he met the trustees and one or two others at the
office
of J.H. Moores. He thought the funds could be raised, and it was
decided that the effort
should be made.
The first thing was to decide what
amount would be required. Mr. Ayres had been paid
the $15,000 due on his
contract, but nothing on his extra expense of $2,300. One or
two of those
present were in favor of repudiating it entirely. One argued that he took
the
job at his own urgent request; as he thought with a thousand dollars margin;
and
they were under no moral or legal obligation to pay any more; and this in
the face of the
fact that both the trustees and the society had unanimously
agreed that he should be
paid; and he could no doubt collect it by a suit at
law, and he had been almost
impoverished, beside giving a thousand dollars on
the subscription and they were
enjoying the benefit of his labor.
Mr.
Kimball stood leaning against the wall, silently listening for some time to the
warm
discussion. At length, he spoke: _Brethren, who is this Mr. Ayres? Is he
a Christian
man? _ Yes, he was one of the nine pioneer men who organized the
church. _Well, _
said he, with an emphasis that forbade any answer, _if you
don _t pay this brother, I _ll go
straight home! I will not lift a finger to
help you out of your trouble! _
Without further controversy a committee was
sent at 9 PM to see Mr. Ayres and find the
amount of his demand, and see if
he would make any concession. The result was a
compromise at $1,468.78, or
more than eight hundred dollars less than his account
showed was his due.
Besides his time and other expenses, of which he had made no
charge, the
building had cost him about $18,300, and he was paid $16,468.78. But no
one
ever heard him complain. His enthusiasm had led him into it, and he bore
it
bravely, though it was a loss he could ill afford.
The next day,
February 5, 1881, was cold, the snow was deep, and the congregation
not
large. Probably not a dozen in the audience knew what was coming when they
saw
a tall, plain-looking stranger enter with Mr. Prudden and take a seat on
the platform.
The preliminary exercises were conducted as usual, when Mr.
Prudden introduced Rev.
Mr. Kimball, to whom he hoped they might listen with
interest. Still but a few
apprehended that he was the man celebrated
throughout the land as the dernier hope
of churches in debt. He spoke plainly
of the general interests of the church, and the
duty of Christians to sustain
all its enterprises, for fifteen or twenty minutes, and finally
told his
hearers that the church was in need of $13,000, and must have it; and
they
could raise it. He had canvassed the situation, and believed they would.
The first
impression of the audience was: _If the Lord should make windows in
heaven, can this
thing be? _ There was nothing in his manner or language
sensational, but his simple
talk produced an effect; and they began to
realize that the man who never failed in his
mission, had them in hand, and
to think it had got to be done.
It is not easy _ perhaps impossible _ to tell
the secret of Mr. Kimball _s power. It is a
secret to himself. He discovered
it, as we might say, by accident, by being called upon
to aid in a single
instance. From that time he has hardly ever failed in cases apparently
the
most hopeless.
At length pledges were called for. Rev. W.B. Williams chanced
to be present (or was it
Providential), and his magnetic influence was felt.
By 2 PM about $8,000 was pledged
by those present. At the evening service,
there was a good audience, many from
curiosity to see the church debt
magician _ and $4,000 was the result. The energy and
zeal was so strong that
at 9 PM, Mr. Williams and Mr. Stebbins went four miles to the
Agricultural
College, rousing professors from their beds to get their
subscriptions.
Before another Sunday, the subscriptions believed to be
reliable, reached $13,027.
Well might they say, _what has God _ and Mr.
Kimball _ wrought! _
Of the subscriptions there were four of $1,000, one of
the same being of a man who
had but recently made his residence in Lansing,
and one of $2,000, by the Ladies _
Society, which eventually raised twice
that amount. There were six subscriptions of
$500, of which one was by the
pastor (half of which was later refunded by a few
friends) _ and one by the
Sunday-school, four of $250, twenty-two of $100, nineteen of
$50, and the
balance in lesser amounts down to a dollar. The donors numbered 180,
nineteen
being children. Less than $500 was given by others than those of the
society,
or who soon became members. The cost of the entire property at that
time was not far
from $32,000; its real value not much more.
The church
has prospered in the admission of new members, but it can hardly be said
it
had _grown in grace _ in proportion to its material progress. This state
continued after
the incubus of debt was removed. Gradually the Sunday evening
service, as well as
the weekly prayer-meeting had diminished attendance, much
to the grief of the pastor.
The routine work of the church, however, was kept
up without abatement, the current
expenses were promptly met, and the pastor
_ s salary promptly paid. Personally he was
as ever, in the hearts of his
people, and was as ever, faithful in discharge of his duties.
Mrs. Prudden
was in declining health, and greatly beloved; and he was given a
furlough for
a voyage to Europe for her health. They were absent three months, but
she
seemed to have received no benefit from the journey. Some time after their
return
she was stricken with paralysis while with her class in the
Sunday-school. She
recovered from the shock, but was compelled to cease from
all labor.
In view of all the circumstances, Mr. Prudden thought it best to
resign; which he did,
May 3d, 1885, after a pastorate of ten and one-half
years, during which time there had
been 296 admissions to the church; of whom
112 were on profession of their faith. Mr.
Prudden accepted a call from
Leavitt Street Church in Chicago. January 24th, 1886
Mrs. Prudden died. No
man _ except perhaps a Catholic priest _ has ever continued a
pastorate in
Lansing so long as did Mr. Prudden.
On his departure the church began at once
to look for a pastor. It was resolved to hear
no one as a _candidate, _
except by invitation. Intimations were received of several from
various
places, of ministers who would not object to a trial; but for six months
not
enough were invited to _make a row. _ To one a call was given, but it was
not
unanimous, and he declined. Another would have been called, but it was
known that it
would not be unanimous, and no vote was taken.
A venerable
member of the church had returned from Traverse City where he had been
on a
visit to friends, and he gave such an enthusiastic report of the preaching by
the
Cadillac minister whom he heard there, that it was decided to send C.A.
Gower and
N.B. Jones to make a silent investigation, just as Leavitt Street
Church had sent spies
to hear Mr. Prudden. They found that Rev. Charles H.
Beale had been doing a highly
successful work at Cadillac for three years;
and returned with a spirit as enthusiastic as
Father Crawford had
shown.
The committee on supply conferred with Mr. Beale, but he did not feel
at liberty to allow
his name to be presented to the church. Later while
negotiations were pending with
another minister he supplied the pulpit, and
when the aforesaid negotiations failed it
was found that he had gained the
good will and good opinion of all to such an extent
that on November 19,
1885, a formal call was given Mr. Beale by a vote of 43 to 2 in
the church
and 55 to 2 by the society, and it should be stated in justice to the
two
doubters, they soon were among his warmest admirers. He declined the
call, as his
engagement with the Cadillac Church would not expire under seven
months; but
intimated that, if they did not find an acceptable man in that
time, he might give a call
favorable consideration. The church had already
been six months without a leader; yet
both the church and society voted with
practical unanimity, to wait seven months
longer. So the short courtship and
long engagement followed, and Mr. Beale
commenced labor the first of June,
1886. The salary agreed upon was $1,600, but in
ten months, at the close of
the fiscal year, the society voted to make it $2,000, from the
beginning. The
next year it was raised to $2,200, the next to $2,400 and in 1891
to
$3,000.
The society had built a chapel in its property, enlarged it
when it became necessary,
and when that overflowed, erected what was regarded
as a large church, capable of
seating five hundred persons, with the
supposition, and as we may say, the hope, that
they had made their last
sacrifice in the line of church building. But it was not long after
Mr. Beale
took the helm that the church began to be crowded, and by placing the seats
a
little nearer together, three additional tiers were added, giving 54 more seats.
This
proved but a temporary expedient. For the regular attendance there was
comfortable
room. The greatest difficulty was to provide a proper welcome for
the many strangers
who came every Sabbath. With a vivid recollection of past
financial throes, and
already a debt of $4,000 for the parsonage, and $2,000
for another lot in the rear of the
chapel, the thought of another enlargement
was anything but pleasant. An effort was
made to get relief by a rule that,
if pewholders were not in their seats when the bell
ceased its music, all
vacancies might be filled by strangers. That did not prove a
success, and the
conclusion was reluctantly reached, that nothing less than an
enlargement
would answer.
But the lack of room in the auditorium was not the only
embarrassment. There were
some three hundred and fifty scholars and teachers
in the Sunday-school who had to
be scattered around in the church, in the
chapel, and the annex designed for a parlor
and kitchen; and it was felt that
satisfactory work could not be done without some
arrangement more in keeping
with modern improvements. It was suggested that the
chapel should be moved to
the southwestern part of the city, where a Sunday-school
had been previously
inaugurated.
There was an old colored man, known by everybody as Father
Little; a simple-hearted
man, filled with the spirit, faith and good works.
Not a man of any race was more
respected throughout the city than he. He
occasionally dropped into the Plymouth
prayer-meeting, and took part in the
exercises. It was a pleasure to all to see him enter
the room. His quaint
remarks were always original and to the point, and his prayers
sounded as
though he had just come from the presence of the Master. Much of his
time was
spent in truly missionary work in the city; and though poor, he was
always
happy in his perfect trust in God. With the aid of friends he had
acquired a humble
home in the southwestern part of the city about a mile from
the church, and made his
will that his property should go to Plymouth Church.
After his death, the church took
possession with the hope, in due time, to
occupy it for a Sunday-school.
Plans were considered and estimates made, and
it was thought the desired
improvements would cost $30,000. This, with the
existing debt of nearly $6,000, was a
staggering blow to the more cautious
ones; but the trustees, with a confidence that
seemed like reckless
presumption, decided to _arise and build, _ and ask no one for a
dollar till
the job was completed. Work was begun the first of July, 1891. The _Little
_
lot was not in the most desirable location, and it was sold and a lot was
purchased by
the Ladies _ Society a little farther west, and the chapel moved
to it. It was re-plastered
and frescoed, making it a very inviting home for
children who would get religious
instruction nowhere else.
As the work was
going on, people wondered where they got the money for so great a
work. When
it was done the society was notified that $20,000 had been raised on
a
mortgage of the church property and $17,000 more was wanted within the
coming year
to meet all other indebtedness; most of which was incurred upon
the notes of the
trustees. Such was their confidence that men would subscribe
much more cheerfully
when they should see what they had got, than in advance.
The amount was raised
without much difficulty. The Ladies _ Society pledged
$4,000, which was nearly all paid
within a year.
It was a serious question
how the transepts could be enlarged, both in length and
depth, without
weakening the support of the roof. But an architect, S.J. Osgood of
Grand
Rapids, was found, who was equal to the task. By inserting two iron columns
for
each transept, perfect safety was secured, and architectural harmony
maintained. A
stranger would never suspect it was not an original design. The
transepts were
enlarged nearly two hundred per cent and the body of the
auditorium lengthened fifteen
feet by taking in the space formerly
appropriated to the organ and choir loft and an
entrance hall and the pastor
_s study. The general plan of the auditorium was
unchanged. It is pure Gothic
in its arrangement, with choir, nave, and transepts. A
large balcony partly
over the vestibule, with an inclined floor, has comfortable seating
for one
hundred and fifty persons. The pews on the ground floor radiate from
the
pulpit, making all of the eight hundred and fifty sittings available. The
choir loft is
commodious, with ample room for fifty singers. The organ,
decorated in terra cotta and
gold to match the general tone of color in the
frescoing, is a magnificent specimen of
good workmanship. The opalescent
glass used in the windows is a constant source of
pleasure to the eye. On the
archway of the organ loft is inscribed the motto which was
selected by Mr.
Prudden for the former edifice: _One is your Master, even Christ, and
all ye
are brethren. _
An amusing circumstance is connected with the painting of
this inscription; and
disproves the theory that lightning never strikes twice
in the same place. The artist in
the first instance, painted the word
_bretheren. _ Perhaps he was thinking so intently
upon the beauty of the
letters that he forgot the spelling, as it sometimes seems that
the singers
are so absorbed by their music they forget that their listeners would like
to
hear the words. The curiosity is in the fact that another painter in the
new edifice made
the same blunder. The errors in both cases were of course
duly corrected.
The Sunday-school building added to the rear _ about as large
a structure as the
church proper _ containing the Sunday-school rooms, ladies
_ parlor, trustees _ room,
dining-room, kitchen, etc., is built in harmony
with the church, of brick with stone
trimmings. A small tower is placed on
the northwest corner on Townsend street. The
Sunday-school room is a model of
its kind; consisting of an assembly room, into which
may be opened the parlor
and various class-rooms, which are arranged in two tiers; the
upper one
opening upon a gallery from which stairways lead to each side entrance.
The
dining-room, kitchen, children _s play-room, and various other rooms are
arranged
beneath the Sunday-school room. They are large, well ventilated and
lighted, and
supplied with every convenience.
Incandescent electric lights
are used throughout the entire building, eighty in number in
the auditorium,
though gas is arranged for in case of necessity.
The decorations throughout
are of frescoing, the shades of terra cotta or brown
prevailing, harmonized
in the various rooms with gold and blue or green tints.
The vestibule of the
church has been unchanged except by the addition of a second
stairway to the
balcony, and two additional doors into the auditorium. There are two
places
of exit in the rear, one _ a double door _ in the tower corner, and one in
front, of
two double doors. The front exterior was unchanged except in the
different style of
glass.
Reference has already been made to the part the
nineteen women bore, especially in
the first year of the church. But they and
their successors have been too important a
factor in the enterprise to be
left without a more extended notice of their deeds.
Fourteen of the pioneer
female members were married, and five unmarried. Five had
husbands who were
not professing Christians; two of whom became Christians not long
after their
wives were taken from them by death. All save two of the Christian
husbands
have lived to see the church enter upon its thirtieth year, and they can
hardly
look back to the work of those women without emotion. But for their
zeal and hope _
hoping almost against hope _ it is a problem whether the
church would have survived a
year. But their hearts never grew faint, and
they never grew weary in well doing. They
had a single eye to success. Their
courage, cheer and devotion kept the men in heart,
and their faith in success
went far toward securing it. Simultaneously with the
organization of the
church they formed a Ladies _ Society, and in the first year raised in
money
$238.57. The second year, in which the chapel was built, with an addition
of
three to their society, their contribution was $624.68. Not one called on
her husband
for this money. They were doing all they could in bearing their
own burdens. The good
sisters earned the money by their own genius, and often
severe toil.
And it is pleasant to record that the successors of that pioneer
hand have been imbued
with the same spirit of devotion and sacrifice shown by
them. The following figures will
give some idea of what they have done in aid
of the finances of the church in the
several years from the beginning,
exclusive of their donations toward outside
benevolences.
Year. Amount.
Year. Amount.
1864 $ 238.57 1879 $1,089.91
1865 624.68 1880
1,090.31
1866 258.92 1881 1,119.53
1867 392.46 1882 771.04
1868 323.46
1883 515.52
1869 767.25 1884 394.18
1870 696.38 1885 114.92
1871 300.00
1886 223.10
1872 257.12 1887 315.00
1873 300.41 1888 700.16
1874 248.62
1889 487.33
1875 396.12 1890 525.91
1876 1,270.42 1891 903.33
1877
1,387.06 1892 2,489.72
1878 934.57
Total $19,136.08
If there are yet
any people who think women are not capable of transacting business,
even
public business, they may study with profit, these figures in contrast with
the
records of the church kept by the _masculine men. _ While the latter have
been so kept
_ often so unkept, especially for most of the earlier years of
the church _ that it is
impossible to ascertain with any certainty, the exact
amount of the various funds raised,
and in making a statement it is necessary
to do considerable of it upon an estimate, the
records of the women, kept by
various secretaries, show the exact amount raised in
each of the twenty-nine
years save one. The secretary who furnishes the above
statement, Mrs. Wise,
we may remark, has looked upon the first Congregational Chapel
built in
Devonshire, England, in 1617, and probably the first built anywhere. She saw
it
in 1867, in passing, and stopped to read the inscription and date cut in
the stone wall.
Mrs. Wise is unable to find a record of the moneys raised by
the Ladies _ Society in
1873, and it is estimated upon the average of the two
preceding and two following
years.
If this were all the women of the
church had done, everybody would say they had _well
done. _ But it is not
all, by a large margin. In 1874 they organized a Society auxiliary to
the
Woman _s Board of Missions of the Interior; and since that time have
raised
$1,461.03 for Foreign Missions, as reported by Rev. A.N. Hitchcock,
District Secretary
of the American Board.
In 1883, they organized a Home
Missionary Society, and have given $1,198.31 for
Home Missions.
When the
Plymouth Branch mission was inaugurated in 1888, the women especially
engaged
in that enterprise formed a society, and in the next four years
raised
$2,419.92. These items added to the aid to the home church foots up
$24,215.62.
Estimating incidental objects for which no account was kept, or
were merged with the
expenses for various purposes, it is safe to say that
the women of Plymouth Church,
commencing with that little band of twenty,
have to 1893, raised twenty-five thousand
dollars for Christian work. It is
indeed a grand commentary upon woman _s zeal, patient
endurance and ability
to carry out their plans.
PLYMOUTH BRANCH AND PILGRIM CHURCH
Plymouth
Branch has been in its management, a somewhat unique institution; first,
a
Sunday-school mission; second, an adjunct of the church; and third, an
independent
church. Under the second phase it had a regular pastor and
regular religious services
like a fully organized church. It had its roll of
members, who were received into
communion at the chapel, but they were
admitted by, and received as members of,
Plymouth Church; and when Pilgrim
Church was organized they were given letters from
the parent church in the
usual form.
The following interesting history of this most successful
enterprise is from the pen of
Mrs. N.B. Jones, to whose indefatigable efforts
its prosperity is to no small extent
attributable.
During the autumn of
1886, by request of Rev. C.H. Beale, pastor of Plymouth Church,
Mrs. N.
Andrews and Mrs. N.B. Jones, members of the church, made a house to
house
visitation on the east side of the river in Lansing. This canvass
revealed the fact that
there were many strangers, new comers and other
residents, who rarely or never
attended church, and whose children were not
in any Sunday-school. For nearly a year
the project of starting a
Sunday-school was discussed. At length, one morning in July,
1887, a fire so
injured a store on Michigan avenue owned by A. Silverhorn, Jr., that
it
became tenantless, and stood so for a few weeks, until the thought entered
a woman _s
mind that it would answer for a Sunday-school room when repaired,
if it could be rented
for a moderate sum. A conversation with Mr. Silverhorn
led him to put the very
reasonable rate of $200 per annum as his price for
the rent, and yet it was a large sum
for an undertaking which as yet existed
only in the minds of a few earnest women.
Rev. C.H. Beale was consulted, the
matter was laid before Plymouth Church, and a
committee appointed to learn
what could be done to furnish the room. At the
solicitation of Mr. Beale a
number of gentlemen pledged a sufficient amount to meet the
rent for several
months. The committee appointed to look after the furnishing were
Mrs. N.B.
Jones, Mrs. Julian Ferrey and Mrs. Emily E. Porter.
A loan of some unused
benches was secured from the board of education, nine chairs
were donated by
as many different people, Mrs. A. Wise and son contributed a
carpeted
platform, an organ was rented, monthly rent to apply on the purchase,
and
later, E. Bement and Sons donated a large stove. The date of opening was
September
4, 1887.
In response to the invitation given by printed slips
circulated all over the _east side, _
ninety-eight persons gathered, and were
called to order by Rev. C.H. Beale, opening
the exercises with singing the
hymn _He Leadeth Me. _ Several classes were
organized. Rev. C.H. Beale was
chosen superintendent, Mrs. N.B. Jones assistant,
Mrs. J.F. Brown secretary,
W.W. W ise treasurer and Minnie L. Sherman organist.
Soon after the
organization B.F. Aldrich of Wauseon, Ohio, was invited to come
and
superintend the work. To his kindly spirit and excellent common sense is
no doubt due
very much of the early prosperity of the school. He remained
until July, 1888. At this
time the weekly pledge system of raising money for
expenses was adopted.
In September Elwell O. Mead succeeded in charge of the
school, with Mrs. Jones as
assistant and Miss Sherman as secretary. October
18th, 1888, a Ladies _ Society was
organized to work with and for the school.
Mrs. Jones was chosen president, Mrs. E.A.
Timmerman secretary. About the
same time a regular weekly prayer-meeting was
begun; Sunday evening services
having been maintained with more or less regularity
from the second month
after starting the school.
In January, 1889, the Ladies _ Society purchased
the old Fifth ward school house for
$85 and fitted it for chapel purposes at
a total cost of $512. It was dedicated for use
March 24, 1889, Rev. C.H.
Beale preaching the dedicatory sermon.
Mr. Mead, having received a call from
Burton, Ohio, was succeeded September 15,
1889, by W.H. Macpherson, under
whose efficient labors, seconded by those of his
wife, the work was greatly
prospered. June 1890, communion services were held at the
chapel, at which
time thirteen were admitted to membership in Plymouth Church. From
this time
a woman _s weekly prayer-meeting was held regularly by the Ladies _
Society.
The same season the lot on which the chapel stands was purchased by
the Ladies _
Society, aided by friends of Plymouth Church.
In April of
this year, 1890, a very flourishing Christian Endeavor Society was
organized
and has greatly aided in strengthening the work.
In June, 1891,
Pastor Macpherson was ordained at special services by a counsel
called for
the purpose. In every respect, outwardly at least, the work was in a state
of
remarkable prosperity, when in August Mr. Macpherson received a call to
Charlevoix,
Michigan, and chiefly on account of his health, he felt bound to
try a more bracing
atmosphere, and left September 15th for his new
field.
Rev. E.A. Fredenhagen was called to the work, but remained only until
January, 1892.
It was a time of much discouragement _ the winter of our
discontent. During the three
months _ interval before the coming of a
successor to the work, Mrs. Jones
superintended the Sunday-school, and the
Ladies _ Society stood steadfast and loyal to
the work. Evening services were
maintained by the kind assistance of Revs. J.E.
Weed, W.H. Allworth, Wm.
Ewing and C.C. Wood.
In March, 1892, the people extended a unanimous call to
Rev. B.F. Aldrich of Sault Ste.
Marie, who began his pastorate Easter Sunday
April 15. Having the benefit of a
previous knowledge of the field, he has
been able to carry forward the work very
successfully.
At the communion
service held June 12, the members decided to use water instead of
_wine. _ At
the November communion, seven were received into church membership.
September
4, being the fifth anniversary of the organization, an all day grove
meeting
was held, which was largely attended and very inspiring.
For two
weeks in November special religious services were held, at which the
pastor
was assisted by Rev. C.H. Beale, with excellent results.
Before
entering upon the recital of the church organization we may pause to say
that,
with rare exceptions, Plymouth Branch enthusiastically observed all the
festivals of the
year; Christmas, Easter, Children _s day and Thanksgiving.
An annual picnic has been
a source of great pleasure to the children of the
Sunday-school. The Ladies _ Society
has been most faithful in its efforts at
money-getting, and has averaged one or more
entertainments monthly in aid of
the pastor _s salary, janitor _s fees and other necessary
expenses. The
energy and harmony of this society is probably unsurpassed in
church
annals.
December 25, 1892, Plymouth Branch voted to apply to the
Home Missionary Society
for aid, and not longer look to Plymouth for
financial assistance.
January 1, 1892, a vote was taken to organize an
ecclesiastical society, and January 8,
a formal organization was effected.
Seven trustees were elected, viz., N.B. Jones, R.K.
Bryan, S.H. Manzer, F.D.
Bender, Mrs. Amelia H. (C.J.) Davis, Mrs. Arta R. (C.D.)
Dodge, Mrs. Irma T.
(N.B.) Jones. Sixty-two persons signed the articles of association,
and the
name East Side Congregational Church was adopted.
The Home Missionary Society
acceded to the request for $400 per year toward the
pastor _s salary on
condition of the society selecting its permanent location east of
Michigan
Central railroad. Through the efforts of Mrs. Jones, Mr. George Jerome,
of
Detroit, was persuaded to give the society a lot on Pennsylvania Avenue.
This gift led
to a unanimous vote to make that the permanent site, and to
purchase the corner lot
adjoining.
Sunday evening, March 19, at a meeting
called for the purpose, forty-three persons
gave their names as desirous of
forming a church. With a few needed amendments,
the constitution of Plymouth
Church was adopted, S.H. Manzer, N.B. Jones and C.C.
Wood were chosen
deacons, Mrs. Janzer and Mrs. J.F. Brown, deaconesses, J.F.
Brown, clerk,
Mrs. N.B. Jones, superintendent of the Sunday-school and C.C.
Wood,
assistant.
On the evening of March 26, at a meeting of church and
society called to ratify the
compact between church and society, and to
formally extend a call to Rev. B.F. Aldrich
to continue as pastor, it was
unanimously voted to change to the name of the
organization to Pilgrim Church
and Society.
On the evening of March 28, the Lansing Association of
Congregational Churches met
in the chapel of Pilgrim Church and voted to
receive into fellowship the new church,
whose roll-call numbered fifty-four
names, twenty-eight of whom came from Plymouth
Church.
_Thus to-day exists
Pilgrim Church in Lansing, Michigan. _
The Ladies _ Society, during the four
years of its mission work, raised $2,419.92 for
mission expenses, and
$1,047.53 was the donations of the Sunday-school and weekly
offerings.
The
twenty-eight who united with the new church from Plymouth (equal to the
original
members of the latter) were nearly all gathered into Plymouth,
through the personal
work of the branch laborers; and Mrs. Jones _ history
will ever remain a bright memorial
of her and their devotion to the cause of
the Master. It is also worth its place in the
history of Plymouth, as being
verily its child. It first existed in the mind of the pastor,
and has had the
sympathy and co-operation of the church by liberal financial aid, until
it
has grown to the dignity of an independent church, with promise of a
useful future.
Mrs. Jones well says: _It is a touching record of prayerful
work, guided and blest of
God; and is also the first fruit of a generous
investment of money and faith by the
pastor and members of Plymouth Church.
_
But the very gratifying success of Plymouth Branch was suggestive of
similar work
needed in the vicinity of the _Little _ property, spoken of on a
previous page. There was
a spare population, but which gave promise of rapid
growth; being in the vicinity of the
fair grounds, and a mile from any church
or Sunday-school. On February 1st, 1891, a
school was started in Bird _s hall
by H.P. Bartlett and wife, H. Williams, P.A. Stone, Wm.
Place, Mrs. E.H.
Porter and the pastor. At the first meeting twenty-five scholars
were
enrolled. There were very few professing Christians in the vicinity, but
nearly all
showed their good will toward the enterprise. 2003: the 1890 fair
grounds is the GM
Oldsmobile Assembly, south of Main Street at Capi tol
Ave.
The Ladies _ Society of the church, had five years previously erected an
eating-house
on the fair grounds, and their lease of the ground had expired
with the previous year.
They sold the building and took a mortgage on a lot,
but the purchaser could not pay,
and sold the lot to the ladies _ that is,
for the church. A more desirable location for the
school could not have been
found.
In building the addition to the church, the chapel had to be removed,
and once on
rollers it was an easy matter for U.D. Ward to roll it up to the
lot in question, a mile
distant. The building is 30x60 feet in size, with an
addition 15x30 feet, built for a parlor
and kitchen, answering well for a
primary class. It was re-plastered and painted, which,
with the moving cost
$700. The plastering was frescoed as a present from Mr. E.W.
Sparrow. The
whole is now estimated at the value of $2,500. The institution is called
the
Mayflower School. Those who first put the machinery in motion, and are
in
Lansing, with others, are still in harness, and every Sunday are at their
post with
unabated zeal. The success of Plymouth Branch naturally suggests
what the
Mayflower may in time become.
Plymouth Church has never held what
used to be called a _protracted meeting, _
continued for weeks with the aid
of outside ministerial assistance. The nearest it ever
came to it was during
Mr. Prudden _s pastorate. A _union _ effort was made with an
_evangelist _ at
the opera house, but it was soon suspended as giving little promise of
real
success. The _week of prayer _ in January has always been observed,
sometimes
continuing through the following week. The excitement of the
assembling of the
legislature has never sensibly affected the attendance at
these meetings.
It is no _figure of speech _ when we say the Sunday-school is
the hope of the church. A
striking illustration of this is found in the
report of the clerk for the year ending March
30th, 1893. There were received
into the church during the year, 28 by letter and 28 on
confession; and of
the latter 17, or nearly two thirds, were from the Sunday-school.
The total
membership of the church at the above date was 423. The dismissal by
letters
and four by death, were 44. Twenty-eight of these were dismissed to
Pilgrim
Church.
Plymouth is an independent, progressive church,
independent in thought and action. It
does not feel bound by old usages
because they are old, nor do they fear to adopt new
measures when the changes
in society and human progress seem to demand it. With
regard to creeds, a
candidate for admission to the church is not, as he once would
have been,
asked questions upon which the most learned theologians would not dare
to
express a positive opinion; but mainly, _Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ, and
is it
your fixed purpose to trust, and follow, and obey him? _ This is all
that Paul required in
the Congregational Churches established by him. We
believe in a religion of Christ
rather than one of creeds. Creeds may have
their use, but that they are sometimes a
stumbling block in the way of
salvation, can hardly be questioned.
Experience proves that this simplifying
of the rule brings no more unworthy persons
into the church that did the
iron-bound creed of a century ago, requiring the candidate
to profess belief
in _doctrines _ which neither they nor their examiners understood. And
a
special advantage it is, that not a few true disciples of Christ find their way
into the
church, who would not, if required to subscribe to a belief in
non-essential views on
which they have little or no knowledge or
opinion.
Christ instructed his disciples how to proceed in case of a personal
wrong against a
brother. If the aggrieved brother could not obtain
satisfaction from the wrong doer, he
was to go to him with one or two
witnesses; and if he was still obdurate _tell it to the
congregation _ who
would sit in judgement.
The translators of _King James Bible _ rendered this
_church. _ But not a church had
been organized at that time. Christ evidently
meant _tell it to the brethren, who will in
an informal manner decide the
controversy. _ A majority of the revisers decided not to
change the text,
but, as though conscious of its impropriety, inserted _congregation _ in
the
margin. Doubtless his followers were the Church of Christ, but all their acts
were
informal, and they were in no sense the same as an organized church of
the present
day. But if we admit that the rule will apply to a modern church
we still make the point
that Christ gave no directions how to proceed against
a wrong-doer, except in a
difficulty between two brethren, and his organized
churches are left at perfect liberty to
act in the matter of discipline
according to their best judgement under circumstances in
almost every respect
so different.
Plymouth Church has never formally excommunicated but one
member, and that was at
his own request. He had abjured the faith, and
supposed that was the only way to get
out of the church. A few who had for a
long time shown no regard for their covenant
vows, and were living as aliens
to the commonwealth of Israel, were not
_excommunicated, _ but after long
forbearance their names were _dropped _ from the roll,
and the church and the
community were spared the excitement which a formal trial and
decree of
excommunication would have occasioned. Should they repent and wish to
come
back to the fold it will be an easy thing to receive them again to
fellowship.
In 1886 a committee was appointed to correspond with absent
members. Six who
replied gave satisfactory account of themselves, and letters
were granted to such
churches as they named. From fourteen no response was
received, and their names
were stricken from the roll. Five replied that they
expected at some time to return to
Lansing, and desired to retain their place
in the Plymouth army. One old lady in
Pennsylvania, an original member,
responded that she expected not to remain long on
earth, but while she lived
she wanted to feel that she belonged to dear Plymouth
Church.
Letters are
sometimes asked for from persons who have been some time absent and
their
residence unknown. Such requests are considered with caution, and if
granted
are qualified by a statement of the facts. No one asking admission to
the church on
confession has been rejected. Some applying by letter
have.
On the vexed question of wine at the communion, Plymouth has taken
broad ground.
Indeed, as far as it is itself concerned, it has solved the
difficulty. Alcoholic wine is
admitted by all, whether they believe Christ
used it or not, to be a dangerous drink for
certain persons. A distinguished
clergyman believes that only the true wine that _gives
its color in the cup _
can be used at the communion festival. His conscience,
notwithstanding the
danger, approves of it, for the conscience approves of whatever
the mind
does, but he advises that persons who cannot risk the danger will do well
to
omit the cup when passed. As though Christ enjoined his followers, _Drink
ye all of it, _
of a substance that will not only _offend _ some of his
little ones, but absolutely destroy
some!. Some churches have supposed they
could get around the difficulty by using
what they call _unfermented wine, _
not realizing that there cannot be such an article,
and it is a mere childish
evasion of the question. Webster defines _wine _ to be _the
fermented juice
of grapes; a beverage prepared from grapes by squeezing out the juice
and
allowing it to ferment. _ Unfermented grape juice is not _wine; _ and calling it
such
does not make it so. Whether Christ used wine or unfermented juice is a
question only
of probability, and whichever we use, we cannot know whether it
is the same thing He
used or not.
But are we shut up to the necessity of
using the same drink that Christ did, even if we
knew what it was? We do not
think we must use unleavened bread, because we
suppose He did. We do not
think immersion is the only mode of baptism acceptable to
Him, even if that
was the practice while He was on earth. He did not use the term
_wine _ at
the last supper; it was the _the cup. _ He did say He would drink no more
of
the fruit of the vine until he drank it new in His Father _s kingdom, and
only from that can
we infer that He used either wine or juice, with no clue
as to which. The saying was
figurative, and there is no certainty that it had
any special reference to either, except in
figure.
We are willing to admit
that He did use one or the other; and why? It was the drink
furnished by the
disciples _ the common beverage used at a feast. If it had been tea,
or
coffee, or water, would he _as they were eating, _ have sent John or Peter to a
saloon
or drug store for wine? Would he not, in all probability, have used
what was in the
_cup _ as he found it? His comprehensive _ rather, perhaps,
his specific command, was:
_Do this in remembrance of me! _ Do what? To eat
unleavened bread and drink wine _
or grape juice? Or was it to _keep this
feast in remembrance of Me, _ with no injunction
as to the kind of bread _ a
general term for food _ or the character of drink?
There are four reasons
given by various persons why wine is the only appropriate, or
the only lawful
drink for communion use.
1st. _It has been used by the church from the time
of Christ on the earth. _ So have
other intoxicating drinks done their deeds
of death from time immemorial. Is that any
reason or apology for still using
them? The world grows; and it is well for us to outgrow
many things musty
with age.
2d. _Christ commanded it, or at least practiced it. _ Christ washed
His disciples _ feet,
and commanded them to _wash one another _s feet; _ and
we have a laugh of pity for
some sincere followers of the Master who think it
is literally binding upon them. The
command is much more specific than that
in reference to wine.
3d. Christ said of the bread: _This is my body, _ and
of the cup: _This is my blood; _ and
we laugh with more than pity at those
who teach their followers that they literally eat
Christ _s body and drink
His blood.
4th. _Christ talked of blood, in connection with wine. W ine
resembles blood, and is,
therefore, the appropriate article for our use,
independent of all other reasons. _ It
seems to us that this is no less than
a superstition; and the reason the weakest of all. If
the color is important,
a harmless drink may be made in various ways that will much
nearer resemble
blood than will wine.
A glance at these reasons, apologies or excuses, shows
that they all place the material
above the spiritual, and in trying to follow
the letter they forget, in a great measure, the
spirit of a sacrament so dear
to the Christian _s heart. We fully believe the time is not
far distant when
the Christian world will take a broader view of the subject, and wonder
that
it held so long to the supposed importance of the supposed example of Christ
in
one thing and not another in close connection therewith. May it not be
that Christ
purposely left the question undecided, that his followers in the
ages to come might
keep the feast with such changes in form as the changes in
the history of humanity
should, in their judgement, seem best?
These
remarks are by a layman; and theologians of an old-school,
precedent-bound,
ultra conservative mind, may take exception to the argument
and the conclusion. But
he has briefly given his views, after many years of
thought, and believes the members
of Plymouth Church generally, will agree
with him. And in taking a step so in advance
of the opinion and custom so
long held by the Christian world, it is but just to put it on
record in
justification of its action.
For several years Plymouth Church procured pure
fermented juice of currants,
prepared by the senior deacon. This was strictly
an evasion, but the communicants
satisfied, or tried to satisfy their
consciences with it. Later they procured unfermented
wine, so called,
manufactured by an enterprising minister. And such wine as it was!
Sometimes
it was perfectly nauseous to the taste. But a time providentially came,
when
even that was difficult to be obtained, and minds not a few were
pondering the question
in all its bearings.
The communion was about to be
celebrated at Plymouth Branch. A gentleman of rare
intelligence, and his
wife, desired to unite with the church, but seriously objected to
drinking
wine. The pastor suggested that they use water; to which the members of
the
branch agreed. The Prudential Committee of Plymouth Church were present,
and, on
consultation, it was found that they, nine in number, were all in
favor of following the
example. They did so at the next communion, and to
their great satisfaction, including
the pastor, no one has objected to the
_new departure. _ And Plymouth Church now
meets four times in the year _in
remembrance of Me _ _ Christ _ with pure water, literally
from the
rock.
When those who can look back to the humble origin of the church, while
the nation was
in the throes of the most terrible war of modern times, the
ordinary expenses of living
doubled, cotton sheeting seventy cents a yard,
coffee beyond the reach of families of
ordinary means, and gold one hundred
and fifty per cent premium _ when they think of
all this, and their
struggles, and anxiety within, and the opposing obstacles without,
and
contrast it with the growth and present strength of the church, they are
simply amazed
at what, with God _ s help, has been accomplished.
The scene
rises before them; _The hard times; _ the violent opposition of some, and
little
encouragement from any; desertion of a pastor from whom so much was
hoped; the
difficulty in finding a minister willing to enter the breach; the
ceaseless labor of the
women to raise money by suppers at half price, and
feeding the crowds at fair-time, and
public gatherings; leaving the hall for
the senate chamber from inability to pay rent,
soon to be driven back to the
dirty hall; the sad prayer-meetings at the superintendent _s
office, and the
very desperation out of which came the first chapel which decided their
fate.
In contrast, in twenty-nine years, they find a church of over 400 members
after
having organized a second church of 54 members, maintaining another
promising
mission Sunday-school, with a large church building, parsonage and
mission chapel,
upon all of which, with furnishings, over $80,000 has been
expended, nearly $25,000
raised in a single year for home expenses and
outside benevolence, while in the
twenty-nine years of the church, the city
has grown from a population of 3,573 to nearly
20,000, with water-works, gas
and electric lighting, and street cars with electric power,
and they almost
hold their breath and ask: _Is it real, or do we dream? _
To April 1st, 1893,
the church and society has paid to the American Board for foreign
missions
$2,967.64. Of this, $1,346.08 was by general contribution, $160.53 by
the
Sunday-school, and $1,461.03 by the Ladies _ Society. And to this may be
added
$45.40 by the Society of Christian Endeavor, aggregating
$3,013.04.
The account with the A. H. M. Society stands as
follows:
A.H.M.S. debtor to cash paid to April 1893 ...... $3,013.04
Cr.
by cash in four years of the infancy of the church.... $1,650.00
Balance in
favor of church, $1,363.04
The merchant would charge this to the account of _
profit and loss. _ The church
however will charge it all to profit; for the
profit of the amount received was far greater
to the church than the amount
paid.
The account is closed, and the dealings of the parties come to an end.
The society
asks no more money from Plymouth Church; and Michigan receives no
more from the
society, but is to support her own missions, which will require
five hundred dollars or
more a year from Plymouth Church.
As a natural
result of this increased expense of supporting the missionary work in
the
State as well as of the enlargement of the church, the donations to the
seven national
societies for 1892 are considerably reduced from the few
previous years.
The following may be of interest as showing the comparative
regard in which these
societies are held by the members of the church, as to
their respective importance. In
the last year ending March 31, 1893, the
donations were as follows:
American Home Missionary Society,
$248.27
American Board _ Foreign, 139.33
American Missionary Association,
22.58
College and Education Society, 5.14
New West Education Society,
14.69
In the earlier years of the church there were not enough young people
for any
organization of that class for special work. For some years but a
very few young men
were brought into the church. After Mr. Prudden, a young
man, began his work, there
was some improvement, and a goodly number of young
men and women were added to
the church. In Mr. Beale, the church found a man
of peculiar faculty for not only
attracting the young, but for setting them
at work as well. In 1886, a Society of
Christian Endeavor was organized,
which has proved its efficiency in church work. It
numbers fifty-eight active
members. Their regular meetings on Sunday afternoon, of
which notice is given
from the pulpit each Sunday morning, are well attended. The
main aim of the
society is, not to raise money, but for their own upbuilding in
Christian
strength, and the progress of Christ _s Kingdom among men. Yet it
has raised in three
past years, $157.25 for home missions, and $18.85 for
foreign missions.
For some time previous to the organization of the Society
of Christian Endeavor there
had existed a Young People _ s Association
composed of about a hundred persons of
five years and upward of age. Its
methods were not unlike those of the Society of
Christian Endeavor. They met
every Sunday, the members alternating in taking charge
of the meeting, and a
considerable number taking part in the exercises, with an
average attendance
of over seventy. It was a general Christian effort of the young
people for
growth in grace. But when the Society of Christian Endeavor was organized
in
the fall of 1886, with more specific methods of labor, the older members of
the
association united with it, while an effort was made still to keep up the
latter. But that
was found impracticable, and most of the older members
united with the Society of
Christian Endeavor, and the younger ones organized
as a Juvenile Society of Christian
Endeavor. For five weeks the society has
kept up its Sunday meetings which are
regularly noticed from the pulpit. The
two societies number about 150 members.
Whatever may have been said or
thought at the time, of the propriety or justice of
organizing a
Congregational Church in so great weakness and with so strong
opposing
forces, it can hardly be questioned that its twenty-nine years of
history has justified the
movement. The number of members gathered into a
church is a test, but the surest
test is the number received on their
confession of faith. In both of these it must be
admitted that Plymouth has
made a creditable record. The whole number received is
820. In a city growing
in twenty-nine years from a population of a little more than 3,000
to nearly
20,000, it must be expected that a large proportion of admissions would be
by
letter; yet, of the above number, 307, or over 37 per cent were on
confession. This is
an average of about three of the latter for each
communion session.
The Sunday-School Work
Plymouth society was organized
March 1, 1864, and Sunday service under Dr.
Walker _s ministration commended
on the 13th. The next Sunday twenty-five children
were collected for Bible
study _ all or nearly all, from the homes of the members of the
church. But
the school was not formally organized till after the organization of
the
church, April 26, when C.B. Stebbins was chosen superintendent. Mr. S.
protested
against holding the two most important offices in the church, but
he had the experience
of forty years as scholar, teacher, and superintendent
in eighteen or twenty different
schools in three States, and accepted the
responsibility, as it might be said, under
protest. The teachers took hold of
the work with zeal, not despising the day of small
things. It was indeed a
day _ a year _ of small things with school and church. The
church had no
prestige in the community to attract children outside of itself, and
the
growth of the school was as slow as that of the church. In fifteen months
the church
was increased by only four members and the school hardly more. But
the toilers toiled
on, believing that patience in well doing and faith in God
would have its reward, and
eighteen of the original members of the church
supposed to be living in 1893, have
seen the church and school reporting at
the close of the years below mentioned as
follows:
Year. Church.
School.
1864 31 40
1874 156 160
1884 310 285
1893 423 407
This is
exclusive of twenty-eight members who went out to Pilgrim Church, and
two
hundred or more scholars gathered into the Plymouth Branch and Mayflower
Missions.
Truly, those pioneers may rejoice in such a result of their work,
and give God the glory.
The Sunday-school has been supported by the funds of
the church and collections in
the school. The school has raised more or less
money for various objects, but its
highest donation was $500 toward the
$13,000 debt of the society in 1881. While the
teachers were considering how
much the school might safely pledge, it seemed to be
the opinion that it
would not be safe to promise more than $250. Rev. W.B. Williams
chanced to be
present, and by his magnetic influence they fixed the sum at $500. Mr.
J.H.
Moores loaned the school the money without interest and no security but the
good
faith of the school, and the debt to him was paid in about two
years.
Superintendents
The superintendents of the school have
been:
C.B. Stebbins, from May 1864, to April, 1867
J.B. Porter, from April
1867, to April, 1871
E. Bement, from April, 1871, to January, 1873
J.B.
Porter, from January, 1873, to January, 1875
E.V.W. Brokaw, from January,
1875, to July, 1876
Miss M. Louise Jones, from July 1876 to July,
1877
G.W. Bement, from July, 1877, to January, 1879
John T. Page, from
January, 1879, to January, 1880
C.A. Gower, from January 1880 to February,
1881
N.B. Jones, from February, 1881, to August, 1881
A.O. Bement, from
August, 1881, to April, 1888
G.W. Bement, from April, 1888
In bringing
this history down to April 26, 1893, we cannot do it better than by
quoting
the last paragraph of a sermon by Mr. Prudden on the twentieth
anniversary of the
church, as published in the seventh volume of Pioneer
Collections in 1884:
_God has been good to us beyond our power to understand.
Out of difficulties again
and again He has led us. Beyond the fairest
expectations or hopes of twenty, or even
ten years ago, we have been
permitted to attain. Devoutly therefore, and with
increased trust for the
future, because of these twenty (now twenty-nine) years, we say:
_Unto Him
who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us spotless before
the
presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God and
Saviour, be glory
and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.
Amen. _ _
List of Members Plymouth Congregational Church
April 1,
1894
Abbot, J. Rodney
Abbot, Mrs. Sarah H. (T.C.)
Abbott, Mrs. Emma
(S.F.)
Abbott, Miss Florence
Alexander, John N.
Alexander, Mrs. L.A.
(J.N.)
Alexander, Chas. H.
Allworth, Rev. W.H.
Allworth, Mrs. Anna
(W.H.)
Almond, Elizabeth
Alward, Dennis
Alward, Mrs. D.
Anderson,
Mrs. Margaret
Andrews, Mrs. Nancy
Baker, Mr. L.B.
Baker, Mrs. Helen M.
(L.B.)
Baker, A.D.
Baker, Luther H.
Baker, Miss Lucella
Baker, Miss
Helen
Bank, A.D.
Bank, Mrs. Mary A. (A.D.)
Bailey, M.
Leslie
Barnard, Mrs. Persis (S.A.)
Barnard, Miss Emily P.
Barnum, Cecil
J.
Bartlett, Henry P.
Bartlett, Mrs. Nancy (H.P.)
Beale, Chas.
H.
Beale, Mrs. Lucy M. (C.H.)
Beale, Arthur Stanley
Beamer,
Alfred
Beamer, Mrs. Lousia A. (A.)
Bedford, Mrs. Ellen A.
Bement, G.
Willis
Bement, Mrs. Rillie F. (G.W.)
Bement, Frank H.
Bement,
A.O.
Bement, Mrs. Vina L. (A.O.)
Bement, Mrs. M.L. (E.)
Bement,
Clarence E.
Bemrose, Miss Pearl B.
Bennett, Miss Stella
Blair, Mrs.
Katherine
Bott, Miss Delia
Boyce, Mrs. Grace Miles
Brackett, Mrs. Helen
C. (R.E.)
Brackett, Miss Helen L.
Broas, Mrs. Mary C. (Chas.)
Brooks,
Mrs. Ada E. (J.A.)
Brooks, Mrs. Carrie C.
Brown, Wyatt L.
Brown, Mrs.
Wyatt L.
Brown, Abner
Burke, Mrs. Lorinda
Cady, Mrs. Abbie L.
Cady,
Miss Clara Belle
Cameron, Alex
Cameron, Mrs. Sophia (Alex)
Caldwell,
Geo. B.
Caldwell, Mrs. Lucy S. (G.B.)
Caldwell, Miss Etta
Campbell,
Mrs. A.F.
Campbell, Miss May
Carrier, Mrs. Alice
Carrier, Alice
F.
Chamberlain, Paul M.
Chamberlain, Mrs. Olivia W.
Chapman, Gail
H.
Chilcutt, Mrs. Mary M.
Childs, Addison
Childs, Mrs. Julia S.
(A.)
Church, Mrs. Bertha L. (Frank)
Church, E.P.
Church, Mrs. Francis
L.
Clark, Mrs. Matilda L.
Clark, Mrs. E.A.
Clark, Hawley
Clark, Mrs.
Ortha (H.)
Clark, Floyd
Clark, Stella
Clinton, Louis A.
Clinton,
Mrs. Florence (L.)
Cole, Dwight
Coleman, Geo. W.
Coleman, Mrs. E.M.
(G.W.)
Cooley, Mrs. Kate T. (E.F.)
Cooley, Miss Edith
Cooley,
Edgar
Cooley, Miss Fannie
Cooley, Miss Elizabeth
Corey, D.R.
Corey,
Mrs. Sarah E. (D.R.)
Cowles, Freeman A.
Cowles, Mrs. Carrie
(F.A.)
Crane, C.H.
Crane, Mrs. Ada M. (C.H.)
Curtiss, Geo. R.
Davis,
Eli H.
Davis, Mrs. Lucelia (E.H.)
Davis, Arthur T.
Davis, Mrs. Lucy C.
(A.T.)
Davis, Miss Lucy
Davis, Miss Clara M.
Davis, Mrs. Annie
(P.J.)
Davis, Mrs. Ida M.
Davis, Gager C.
Davis, Mrs. Pearl Bank
(G.C.)
Day, Miss Sarah C.
Deland, Miss Gertrude
Dodge, Mrs. Laura
(E.)
Dean, Geo. Edward
Donovan, Wm.
Donovan, Mrs. Roxy C.
(Wm.)
Donovan, Arthur
Donovan, Homer
Donovan, Mabel
Edgerly, Mrs.
Julia A.
Edwards, Howard
Edwards, Mrs. Bannie W.
Elder, Mrs. Lilah
E.
Emery, Mrs. C.G.
Everett, Mrs. Mattie
Ewing, Rev. Wm.
Ewing, Mrs.
Sarah H. (Wm.)
Ewing, Anna Allworth
Ewing, Marion Janet
Ewing, Clara
Muriel
Fargo, Mrs. Hattie (E.H.)
Ferguson, Mrs. Kate
Ferrey, Mrs. Marie
B.
Fitzsimmons, Mrs. Delia A.
Fling, Mrs. Hessa V.
Ford, Dyer
Ford,
Mrs. May E.
Freeman, Mrs. Carrie A.
Freeman, Miss Edith E.
Freedman,
Mrs. Louisa
Frost, Mrs. Emilie
Frost, Miss Lillian
Fuller,
D.K.
Fuller, Mrs. Mary (D.K.)
Fuller, Mrs. Myra
Franklin, Miss
Ella
Gale, Theodore
Gale, Mrs. Sarah B. (Theo.)
Gale, Miss
Mabel
Gardner, Miss Salome
Gardner, Henry M.
Gardner, Mrs. Mary A.
(H.M.)
Gillam, Geo. F.
Gillam, Mrs. Nancy P. (G.F.)
Gillam Miss
Hattie
Gillam, D.J.
Gillam, Mrs. Susie A. (D.J.)
Gleason, Miss
Corinna
Gleason, Miss Carrie
Gower, Cornelius A.
Gower, Mrs. Dora L.
(C.A.)
Gower, Miss Helen
Gower, Miss Clara
Gower, Chas. A.
Grant,
Miss Lydia
Greene, Geo. H.
Greene, Mrs. Julia (G.H.)
Greene, Miss
Jennie B.
Haight, Mrs. Elizabeth
Haight, Miss Irma
Haines, Wm.
C.
Haines, Mrs. Mary C. (W.C.)
Haines, Miss Mary Alice
Haines, Miss
Helen J.
Hall, B.F.
Hall, Mrs. (B.F.)
Hall, Miss Lizzie
Harroun,
Grace L.
Hasty, G.A.
Hasty, Mrs. Belle (G.A.)
Hasty, Phillip
S.
Hasty, Ralph G.
Hendryx, Miss Amy Fay
Hinkley, Miss Laura
Hobert,
Mrs. Harriet M.
Hoes, Alex H.
Hoes, Mrs. Gertrude E. (A.H.)
Hoes, Miss
Cora E.
Holden, Ellsworth A.
Holden, Mrs. Maud E. (E.A.)
Holden, Perry
G.
Holley, Newel
Holley, Mrs. Emma R. (N.)
Hollister,
H.L.
Hollister, Mrs. Fannie (H.L.)
Holmes, Chas. H.
Holmes, Mrs. Sarah
A. (C.H.)
Holmes, Clarence
Holmes, Mrs. Alice (C.)
Hopkins, Chas.
C.
Hopkins, Mrs. Clara P. (C.C.)
Hopkins, Edward P.
Horton, Mrs. Sophia
C.
Hough, Miss Emma A.
Howe, Mrs. Frank M.
Howell, Mrs. Mary
A.
Howard, Mrs. Matilda W.
Houghton, Mrs. Amelia J.
Hubbard, Sylvester
H.
Hudson, Mrs. Maria Z.
Hulburd, H.R.
Hulburd, Mrs. Mary E.
(H.R.)
Hulburd, Miss Hannah M.
Hulburd, Miss Helen A.
Hulburd, Chas.
P.
Hulburd, Miss Carrie L.
Hume, Mrs. Alice
Hume, Miss
Elizabeth
Humphrey, J.B.
Humphrey, Mrs. Magie (J.B.)
Humphrey, Mrs.
Martha A.
Humphrey, Miss Jennie
Humphrey, Miss Gertrude
Huston, Miss
Grace
Huston, Miss Linna A.
Hyatt, Mrs. Carrie
Jameson, Isaac
R.
Jameson, Mrs. Florence (I.R.)
Jenison, Luther F.
Jenison, Mrs.
Lucina (L.S.)
Jenison, Miss Helen S.
Jessop, Mrs. Jessie (E.C.)
Jones,
Carl
Jones, Miss Neenah
Jones, Mrs. Marcia
Jones, M. Louise
Jones,
Miss Carrie
Jones, Dr. Freeman A.
Jones, Mrs. Estelle L.
Jones, James
D.
Jones, Mrs. Louisa (W.)
Jocelyn, Miss Fannie
Kedzie, Dr.
R.C.
Keith, Mrs. H.T.
Keith, Mrs. Adella J.
Kelley, Miss Anna
L.
Kilbourne, Miss Emily L.
Killian, E.H.
Kingsley, P.D.
Kingsley,
Mrs. Adelia (P.D.)
Knight, Mrs. Sarah M.
Krieger, H.H.
Krieger, Mrs.
(H.H.)
Larned, Mrs. Mary J. (H.H.)
Larned, Robert Y.
Larned, Fred
J.
Larrabee, John H.
Lawrence, Miss Fay
Lee, Mrs. Frances M.S.
(F.B.)
Le Vanway, Mrs. E.L.
Levering, Chas. T.
Levering, Mrs. Anna
(C.T.)
Lewis, Merritt
Lewis, Mrs. Charlotte (Merritt)
Longstreet, Mrs.
Caroline (W.)
Longstreet, Miss Edith
Loomis, Mrs. L.L.
Loomis, Miss
Nellie
Ludlow, Mrs. Hattie
Lyon, W.F.
Lyon, Mrs. Nell R.
(W.F.)
Macpherson, Mrs. Bessie A.
Macpherson, Miss Maude
Macpherson,
Miss Gabrielle
McCallum, Mrs. R.T. (E.H.)
MaCallum, Miss
Charlotte
McCallum, Miss Rebecca
McCormick, Miss Carrie L.
McClure,
Theo.
McElroy, James F.
McElroy, Mrs. Susan H. (J.F.)
Martin, Mrs. Cora
D.
Martin, Mrs. Francis J.
Martin, Edward
McKenzie, Miss Maggie
L.
Mead, Mrs. Sarah B.
Mead, Miss Lois
Meharg, Miss Lettie A.
Miles,
Mrs. Mary A.
Miles, Mrs. Mary E. (Manley)
Miles, Mrs. M.C.
Miner, Mrs.
Mary
Miner, Fred T.
Minielly, Miss Alice
Moffett, J.S.
Moffett, Mrs.
Viola G. (J.S.)
Moore, Mrs. Mary M. (C.M.)
Moore, Mrs. Sarah J.
Moores,
J.H.
Moores, Mrs. S. Frances (J.H.)
Moores, Miss Josephine F.
Morgan,
Mrs. Lucy A.
Nash, Miss Hattie
Nichols, Mrs. Fannie (J.E.)
Oliver,
Peter
Oliver, Mrs. Peter
Osband, Mrs. Louisa (E.R.)
Osband, Edith
G.
Page, John T.
Parish, W.D.
Parish, Mrs. Lillian (W.D.)
Park, Mrs.
Mary F.
Parker, Mrs. Elizabeth
Patterson, J. Wilbur
Patterson, Mrs.
Anna (J.W.)
Paterson, Mrs. Elinor (J.Q.)
Patton, Albert J.
Patton, Mrs.
Maude J.
Passage, Miss Ada M.
Passage, Miss Lou
Passage, Miss
Ernestine
Piatt, A. Arnold
Pickett, M.D.
Pickett, Mrs. Lettie
(M.D.)
Place, Richard F.
Place, Mrs. Sarah E. (R.F.)
Place, Edward
C.
Porter, Wm. H.
Porter, Mrs. Elnora L. (W.H.)
Porter, Miss
Florence
Porter, Edwin H.
Porter, Mrs. Emily E. (E. H.)
Porter, James
B.
Porter, Mrs. Eunice J. (J.B.)
Potter, Mrs. Sarah (J.W.)
Potter, Mrs.
Diantha (T.E.)
Potter, Miss Evelyn
Pratt, Hubert R.
Pratt, Mrs. Laura
E. (H.R.)
Pratt, Miss Harriette. L.
Pratt, Geo. H.
Pratt, Mrs. Martha
S.C. (G.H.)
Presley, Mrs. M.E.
Pugh, Miss Emma A.
Pugh, Miss Mary
R.
Rapp, Miss Georgiana
Randall, Mrs. (Ira)
Randall, Gaius L.
Reed,
Mrs. Anna
Reid, B.F.
Reid, Mrs. Jessie (B.F.)
Riley, Geo. H.
Riley,
Mrs. (G.H.)
Robbins, Miss Ida
Robertson, C.E.
Robertson, Mrs. S. M.
(C.E.)
Roe, N.J.
Roe, Mrs. Sarah E. (N.J.)
Roe, Leonard W.
Roe, Mrs.
Rose Sage, (E.J.)
Root, Orlando J.
Root, Mrs. Edith J.
Roper, Mrs.
L.S.
Rork, Mrs. Lillian L.
Roth, Miss Emily
Row, Mrs. E.E.
Row,
Friede A.
Sabin, Mrs. Mary (W.D.)
Sanderson, Rev. John P.
Sanderson,
Mrs. Alice G.
Sanderson, E. Dwight
Sanderson, Ross
Saveage, Mrs. Anna
C.
Scott, Mrs. Esther
Seage, Henry S.
Seage, Mrs. Clara
(H.S.)
Seage, Miss Ella May
Seward, A. Clark
Seward, Mrs. Mae
(A.C.)
Seward, Mrs. Carrie
Seward, Miss Fannie
Seymour, Miss Urania
S.
Shank, Mrs. Ella (R.B.)
Sherman, Mrs. Helen
Sherman, Miss Helen
B.
Simmons, Mrs. Lucy J.
Simons, Mrs. Lillie
Singer, Mrs. Hatie
J.
Slaughter, Mrs. Emma
Slaughter, Mrs. Mary
Sleeper, Mrs. Jennie
(H.S.)
Sleeper, Lewis C.
Sleeper, Miss Alice
Smith, Mrs. Mary D.
(J.F.)
Smith, Mrs. Emily A.
Smith, Miss Jane
Stebbins,
C.B.
Stebbins, Miss Susie
Stebbins, Mrs. Anna (Arthur)
Stone,
P.A.
Stone, Mrs. (P.A.)
Stone, Allan H.
Storrs, Lucius C.
Strobel,
Jacob
Strobel, Mrs. (Jacob)
Strobel, Miss Alice
Sullivan, Mrs. Jane
F.
Sunderlin, Eugene A.
Sunderlin, Mrs. Ruby D. (E.A.)
Sunderlin, Miss
Winifred
Taylor, Ralph
Taylor, Mrs. Charlotte M. (R.)
Taylor, Miss
May
Tenney, Mrs. Harriet
Thoman, Miss Bertha E.
Thoman, J.P.
Thoman,
Mrs. Candace (J.P.)
Thoman, W. Bartley
Thomas, Mrs. Anna
Thomas, Miss
Minnie C.
Thompson, Mrs. Alice L.
Thurston, Chas. H.
Thurston, Mrs.
Flora (C.H.)
Timmerman Mrs. E.A.
Todd, M.D.
Todd, Mrs. Lizzie
(M.D.)
Towar, Mrs. Ida Smith (P.J.)
Towne, Mrs. Laura (C.J.)
Towne,
Miss Norah
Trefry, Miss Lizzie
Tucker, Chas. C.
Tucker Mrs.
C.C.
Waldo, Miss Edna F.
Walker, Henry W.
Walker, Mrs. Jane B.
(H.W.)
Walrath, Miss Bertha M.
Warren, Mrs. Mary (J.F.)
Warren, Miss
Henrietta
Waterbury, Herman J.
Waterbury, Mrs. Mattie (H.J.)
Waterbury,
Mrs. Mary B.
Watrous, Mrs. Nancy
Wemple, Mrs. Marinda (C.B.)
Wemple,
Miss Bertha
Wheeler, Abraham
Wheeler, Mrs. Laura C.
Wheeler, Obie
C.
Whitney, Miss Tessa
Wight, Justin F.
Wilkinson, Mrs. Clara
(J.F.)
Wilson, Miss Lillian
Wise, Mrs. Elizabeth
Woodbury,
C.D.
Woodbury, Mrs. (C.D.)
Woodbury, John G.
Woodbury, Charles
G.
Woolhouse, Mrs. Carrie B.