Chapter 2

Thankful that they were now bound together in a Christian commity,
‘the small congregation of the newly-established Presbyterian Cimrch looked
to the future with enthusiasm and determination. Hopefully, the day would
soon arrive when they could worship in their own sanctuary. They could
expect some help from the Presbytery and from the General Assenbly, but if
their church were to become an effective voice for Christ in Mt. Pleasant,
they knew that all mst give generously of their time, their substance,
their labor, and their prayer.

‘The Reverend Luke Nott, whose missionary efforts had led to the
establishment of the church, served as pastor of the new institution.
During much of the week he traveled about Isabella County on his missionary
rounds visiting hamlets and lumber camps. Sunday morning, however, found
him in Mt. Pleasant preaching to the Presbyterians from the pulpit of the
Methodist Church. Later in the day he would journey to Calkinsville
(Rosebush) to conduct Sabbath afternoon services. Evidence seens to
indicate that the Board of Hare Missions of the General Assembly and the
Saginaw Presbytery may have agreed to pay half of Nott's annual salary
with the remaining half (probably $300) the responsibility of the Mt.
Pleasant congregation.

 

‘The steeple of the Court Street church may be seen in the center of this
bird's-eye view of Mt. Pleasant, 1884.

‘The women of the church were particularly active in raising funds for
its support. The congregation had accepted the obligation to pay its share
of the minister's salary but had no formal plan or procedure to acquire the
Recessary money. Indeed, money was apparently such a scarce comodity at
the time that Nott was forced to accept a portion of his salary in produce
and in mercantile orders. To pay the major portion of it, the women
menbers scheduled "donation" dinners at frequent intervals. Everyone in
‘the comunity was invited to these feast and fin affairs. There was no
Charge for the dinner but before leaving, all who attended "donated" scme-
thing of value or small sums in cash for the minister.

‘The burden of sustaining the church fell heavily on the small congre-
gation which, during its first year, attracted few new menbers. Fortunately,
Several former menbers of the First Presbyterian Society, although they did
not affiliate with the congregation, strongly supported efforts to erect a
church building. At a congregational meeting early in May, 1873, nine men
won election to a Board of Trustees and were delegated "to take charge of
‘the church property and to transact such business as may come before them

resolved to undertake the erection of a Presbyterian church in Mt. Pleasant

at a cost of “not less than $2,000.00." Tb accomplish this resolve, it

provided for the solicitation of a building fund, "for the procuring of a
y = "

of
On the day following the meeting of the trustees,

‘At Doughty's call, the Board of Trustees convened again early in
January, 1874. Despite continued "hard times" and the scarcity of money,

the Board decided to proceed with the erection of the building as planned.
‘Thereupon, Doughty appointed Charles Slater, Hopkins, and Fancher to a
committee to prepare plans, specifications, ‘and estimated costs. Slater
was well-qualified to head the committee. This twenty-six year old carpenter
in company with his parents and sisters, had joined the church the previous
year and had ever since been exceptionally active in its promotion. Indeed,
earlier on this Sabbath day, January 3, 1874, he had been ordained as a
ruling elder of the church which he would continue to serve as a trustee.
Doughty named a second committee consisting of D. H. Gilman and Alexander
Stevenson, both of whom were local grocery and dry-goods merchants, and
himself "to see about a lot or lots on which to build & to receive proposals.'
Before adjourning, the Board agreed that the ladies of the Society should

 

 

Charles Slater served as a ruling elder of First Presbyterian Church for
more than a half-century.

circulate the all-important subscription list to raise additional funds
for construction.

Despite the cold of a Michigan winter and the frozen barrenness all
about them, the Presbyterians in their mind's eye could dismiss the ice and
snow and envision a spring scene a few months hence and their own house of
worship rising somewhere in the village. After his committee had investi-
gated several sites and reported to the Board of Trustees, Doughty called
that body into session on February 7, 1874 to make its decision. In
addition to eight trustees, the Reverend Nott, another man and seven women
of the congregation were also present. After prayer, the group spent mich
of the remainder of this Sunday afternoon discussing proposed building sites.
‘The most favored location lay just east of the courthouse square. Comelius
Bennett, who omed many town lots, offered to contribute one-half of the
value of the site as his share of the building fund. Since the lot in
question had an acknowledged valuation of $400, Bennett's offer represented
a gift of $200. Pleased though they were with this develorment, the
‘trustees interrupted their discussion long enough to have two of their
mumber, Hopkins and Henry Bouton, “wait on" Bennett and learn how large a
sum he would contribute to the building fund in lieu of the half-value of
the lot if the Board should select another site. ‘The two callers returned
shortly to announce that the lot omer would limit a cash donation to $40.
Thereupon, Fancher moved and Doughty seconded "that Mr. Bennett's lot be
accepted on the best terms he would mke, all present menbers of the society
being allowed to vote." ‘Twelve of the fifteen persons casting ballots
approved the motion. ‘The Presbyterians of Mt. Pleasant had selected a site
for their church home.

aes

Bennett's tems for the sale of his lot incluied provision for payment
over a period of time. No sooner had the trustees canpleted the purchase
than the Ladies' Aid Society, ever the strongest force in promoting the
church, began a determined fund-raising effort to pay for the site. In
addition to the donation dimers which it continued to schedule, the Society
Sponsored msic festivals, ice cream socials, spelling socials, and just
plain socials—twenty-one in all during the year. On one occasion the
receipts totalled only seven dollars. By October, 1875, however, the
Society had paid in full for the church site.

Meanwhile, as was usual in mid-Michigan, winter seened reluctant to
give up its hold on the land. But as the days lengthened, hints of spring
Were everywhere apparent. Soon the last of the snow had melted and trickled
away to the turbid Chippewa. Aware that the time for action was at hand,
the Board of Trustees met again in formal session on a Sunday afternoon
early in April. Its resources were slim for only a few of the contributors
to the building fund had been able to pay their subscriptions in cash.
Nonetheless, the trustees reviewed building plans and made preparations to
begin construction as soon as possible. ‘wo of their mmber, Slater and
Fancher, were delegated to secure building materials. Before the month
ended ox-drawn lunber wagons rumbled over the primitive roads of the sur-
rounding stimpland to deliver freshly sawed pine and hemlock to the site.
‘There during the spring evenings men of the church gathered to prepare the
dumber and other materials for the start of construction.

Actual construction began early in July. By the end of the month,
with most of the labor contributed by the trustees, the Reverend Nott, and
other men of the church, the foundation was complete and work on the upper
structure was underway. Work continued somewhat sporadically during the
sumer and fall, but by the Christmas season the Presbyterians knew that
within a few weeks the doors of their new sanctuary would open to them.
In January workmen installed the "quite modern and handsome" new pews and
Suspended from the ceiling a "12 light chandelier." o the editor of the
Jocal newspaper the now all-but-completed church was "an omament, not only
to the industry and perseverance of those who erected it," but to Mt.
Pleasant and Isabella County as well. In his opinion it was "the finest
building in the county, being comodious, finely designed, well built,
tastefully finished and furnished."

‘The Presbyterians were determined that their church should be dedicated
to the worship of God with fitting ceremony. Congregations throughout
Isabella and neighboring counties were urged to join in the dedication which
was to be held on Sunday afternoon, January 31, 1875. On the designated
Gay, the Reverend Thomas Middlemas of Fast Saginaw preached the dedicatory
‘Semon before the largest gathering of Christians ever assenbled in the
county,

Occupancy of their own church home posed new problens for the
Presbyterians. In the past they had encountered difficulty raising funds
to pay their minister. Now with their numbers only slightly increased they
mist also maintain a building and pay the balance due for its construction.
With some work yet to be done, it had already cos!
anticipated. In recognition of this situation
blessing, some menbers and soe non-members at
had generously increased their subscriptions to
the total pledged anounted to less than $2,500.
economic conditions and the scarcity of money, however, some subscribers
were unable to honor their pledges. Thus, at the time of occupancy more
than $2,200 in building costs remained unpaid.

  

-u-

 

A view of the Court Street church in 1885. The man in front of the builé~
ing is probably the Reverend F. A. Bissell, pastor of First Presbyterian
from 1885 to 1887.

At a meeting early in February the trustees endeavored to ease the
financial crisis confronting the church. Of inmediate concer was the
pastor's salary for the forthcoming year. ‘The Ladies’ Aid Society had
contributed generously for this purpose, but it now had detemined to pay
‘the balance owing on the church lot and could not be expected to do as much
as in the past. ‘The Board of Home Missions would continue to pay half of
the salary, but some new means had to be found to provide the remainder.
Rather than seek individual pledges, as in former years, the trustees
decided to rent the church pews on a yearly basis and allocate the monthly
payments to the minister. To this end, on Saturday afternoon, February 13,
1875, they accepted sealed bids for the choice of pews. With an offer of
$2.00 monthly, I. A. Fancher won the right to make the first selection and
chose pew #21. Wilkinson Doughty bid $1.70 for pew #25. In all, the 28
bids received—ranging as low as 25 cents—promised an income of $23.07
monthly and $276.84 yearly to meet the $300 salary commitment.

‘The Reverend Nott began his pastoral year on March 1, 1875. He had
now served the church and the camumity for more than three years and had
won many friends. To provide him with a portion of his salary immediately,
the church arranged for a "donation" on March 17. "As usual," said the
announcenent," we anticipate a good attendance, good cheer, a pleasant time
generally, afd a liberal purse for our pastor." Despite a late winter storm
which by the next day had blanketed the tow under fourteen inches of snow,
‘townspeople crowded into the church on the appointed evening. The number
present, reported the local newspaper, "testifies to the esteem with which
Elder Nott is held in our midst. There was lots of fun, plenty of ham, and
‘the flow of generosity we are informed, reached the figure of $170.00."

IE the newspaper account is correct, the trustees retained a portion
of the proceeds to meet other church expense. They paid Nott $82.77 in cash
19

 

year's end, the treasurer, unable to raise enough cash to meet the balance

Of the pastor's salary, paid him with the due bills of several church menbers.
In all, Nott received $301.99, a sum slightly in excess of his promised
salary,

As the months passed, the new church quickly became an influential
Genter for Christian worship and teaching in the newly-incorporated village
of Mt. Pleasant. Townspeople, regardless of their faith, looked to the new

i as a symbol of progress, as an indication of the better times and
better life that were to come. They watched with interest and appreciation
as Billy Mann, a member of a touring theatrical group and a talented sign
Painter, worked with gold leaf on the transon window above the entrance to
inscribe, “First Presbyterian Church, Mt. Pleasant, A. D. 1874."

‘The congregation made excellent use of its new facility. The crowed
ews at both the Sunday morning and Sunday evening services seemed to belie
the fact that the fellowship had attracted only nine new menbers during
1875. Indeed, many townspeople who were unaffiliated with any denomination
regularly attended the Presbyterian services. he Thursday night prayer
meetings were also well attended. Frequently, on Wednesday afternoons or
evenings the women of the church sponsored "socials," msicales, lectures,
or other types of entertainment. ‘The Ladies’ Aid Society met weekly——some~
times at the church, but more often at the hones of meters. Sometimes a
missionary or visiting preacher would arrive in tow ani conduct daily
Services in the sanctuary over a period of a week or more.

in mid-sumer, however, a local disaster temporarily halted some church
activity. Early on the morning of August 5 the dreaded clanging of the fire
bell sent the citizens of the village tumbling from their beds and hurrying
into their clothes to fight the blaze. Mt. Pleasant was "a wooden town"
and its people were well aware that a fire, regardless of its location,
gould be a threat to every hone and building in the village. Despite the
danger, the town had yet to purchase a fire engine. Those who first reached
the scene found the night sky already alight as towering, wind-driven flames
Swept unchecked down & block cf adjoined stores. Nothing could be done to

aver, practically the whole business section of the village was in ashes.

Despite their heavy loss, some businessmen—including several menbers
and friends of the Presbyterian Church—began rebuilding before the last
mber was extinguished. “Within a week's time a few had replenished their

a

stock and were again in business at improvised sites. Before the year ended,
new, more substantial buildings had risen to ell but obscure the desolation
resulting from the fire.

‘Stunned though they were by the disaster, the tomspeople, too, quickly
recovered and soon proceeded with their affairs ina normal manner. On a
Friday morning only three weeks after the fire, at a time when Mt. Pleasant's
population was less than 800, more than a umdred children and adults
gathered at the church to set forth on a Presbyterian Sunday School Picnic.
Leading the procession of farm wagons to the picnic site at the Indian camp-
meeting grounds east of town was a gaily decorated carry-all "with twenty-
three gay and happy hearts on board." Joining in the festivities were
‘Sunday School groups from the nearby Mission and Salt Creek (Shepherd)
churches. The men quickly constructed a long table and the wonen loaded it
almost breaking weight with cake, pies, biscuit, sandwiches, chickens,
ham, goose, and peppers and spice and all things nice." After eating it
clean "except for a dozen choice cakes and about three bushels of fragnents,"

 

‘Their first Christmas in their new church proved to be another joyful
occasion for the Presbyterians and their friends. On the eve of the holiday,
groups of carolers approached the brightly lighted church over the snow
covered wooden sidewalks leading to its door. Inside was a Christmas tree
decorated with "fixings and goodies." The throng of happy children and
adults provided their own entertaiment—group singing, choral numbers and
solos, and tableaux vivants. To cap the festive evening, Santa Claus arrived
Seprty By oy of Oe ‘south chimney) ‘and distributed gifts to young and

When spring arrived the Reverend Nott ended his pastorate at the First
Presbyterian Church. In appreciation of the role this "faithful and consci-
entious worker" had played in the organization of the church, and of his
five years of service thereafter, the congregation promoted a second
"donation" for his benefit. Entertainment for the evening included "a
pleasant medley of attractive features." There was "Music, both choral and
solos, Tableaux, Reading, ani Singing by Prof. Curtis’ School." Unlike the
affair of the previous year, the total proceeds of the evening were given to
the minister. He preached his farewell sermon on April 1, 1876, and left
the tow. With him went the love and gratitude of the many friends he had
made in the cut-over lands of mid-Hichigan.

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