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Rev. John Medford, a Methodist, and the first Sunday-school was by the Methodists in the town of Chambersburg. The Christians and Baptists are also represented by a host of good citizens. Flint has Methodist, Baptist and Christian churches, and the worshipers are devout and worthy citizens. Detroit has six churches: Christian, Methodist Episcopal South, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and Missionary Baptist. Montezuma township has the towns of Milton, Montezuma and Bedford, which each have Christian and Methodist houses of worship with good membership. Pearl has a Trinity Methodist Episcopal church and a Christian church. Both societies are in a flourishing condition. The first church was built in 1867. Perry has a Methodist church organized in 1832, with such noted old pioneers as B. L. Matthews and wife, G. W. Hinman and wife and ten others. The Christian church was organized in 1837. In 1879 a committee consisting of Jon Shastid, Alex Dorsey and seven others erected a gothic style church at a cost of about four thousand dollars. Zion church was erected in 1852. The Lutheran church was organized in 1859. Griggsville has six churches. The Baptist church was organized in 1834, and their first house of worship was finished in 1840. In 1873 the old church was torn down and a brick edifice costing about two thousand dollars was erected. The First Methodist society was called the Atlas mission in 1830, with the great Peter Cartright as presiding elder. The regular church was organized in 1835 by the Rev. William Hunter. The Congregational church was organized February 16, 1837. Hinman Chapel Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1844; the United Brethren church in 1842, and the church of Christ in 1874. Newburg has a Bethel church built by the Methodists. Hardin has a Methodist and two Christian churches. Spring
Creek has, in the town of Nebo, a Baptist church and the Regular
Predestinarian Baptist. The societies were formed in 1862 and
1863. Fairmount has the United Brethren, Presbyterian, Methodist
and Christian churches. New Salem has a Universalist church
and Methodist, also Methodist, Presbyterian and United Brethren
churches in Baylis. Pittsfield has a Congregational church.
Its first house of worship was built in 1838 and its second
in 1846. They now have one of the largest edifices, erected
several years ago. The Christian church is one of modern style
and has, perhaps, the largest membership of any in the county.
The Methodists also have a large and substantial church, erected
in 1876. The Baptist church was organized in 1839. St. Stephen's
Episcopal was built in 1852. The Roman Catholic church was built
in 1869. There is also a Presbyterian church, a German Methodist
and a church of the Latter Day Saints. Martinsburg has a Methodist
and a Christian church. Pleasant Hill has a Baptist, Methodist
and Christian church. Hadley has several church organizations
and their meetings are held in some of the commodious school
buildings of the township. Derry had a Methodist society in
1829, and in 1830 the renowned Lorenzo Dow preached there and
baptized two persons. The town of Eldara has a Methodist and
a Christian church. Atlas has a Congregational church at Summer
Hill, also at Atlas; a Methodist church at Rockport and Gilgal.
Barry has a Methodist, Baptist and Christian church, and all
three churches are large and commodious edifices, each with
large memberships. Pleasant Vale has at New Canton a Methodist
and Union church, the latter occupied by the Christian society.
Cincinnati has Wike chapel, a Methodist church. Kinderhook has
a Baptist and Methodist church in the town and the Akers chapel,
a Methodist Episcopal church, and a Methodist and Baptist church
at Hull. Levee has a Methodist Episcopal church near Spencer
Switch. The wonderful and famous Lorenzo Dow and Peter Cartright
several times preached on the west side of the county, notably
at Atlas, Derry and Pleasant Vale. This church history is not
as complete as desired, but the cause is that so few of the
church societies have kept records. CALIFORNIA |