On December 31, 1834, several members of the Baptist denomination met at the home of Dr. Hiram Alden on East Chicago Street, elected a moderator and clerk and directed the clerk to draft and circulate "certain articles" among members of the Baptist denomination who were interested in forming a conference for the purpose of "maintaining the regular worship of God and for the edification and growth in grace of each other."
January 17, 1835, a conference of the group was held in the "old Red School house on the northeast corner of Pearl and Hudson, with Elder E. Loomis, a missionary of the American Baptist Home Missionary Society. Plans were made for a Church Council to be held in Coldwater February 11, 1835, at 10 A. M., for the purpose of organizing a Baptist Church.
On February 11, 1935, the Council consisting of pastors and deacons from the churches of Clinton, Greenfield and LaGrange County, together with Elder Loomis and members of the local group, met in the Alden home.
They found there were sixteen prepared to enter into church membership, nine of whom bore the name of STRONG.
In October of 1835 Reuben Graham became the first minister of the church. Regular worship services were held in the homes of members until 1844, when a small frame meeting house was erected on the northwest corner of Pearl and Monroe. By May of 1846 the clerk reported 99 members on the church roll.
In the spring of 1863, a lot having been give to the church, at the northwest corner of Pearl and Division Streets by two members Mr. Henry C. Lewis and Mr. Artemus Allen, the church made plans to sell the meeting house and parsonage.
The new church was built during 1864. The basement or "Lecture" room was used for the first time November 3, 1864. The sanctuary was finished later, and appropriate Dedication Services held on August 23, 1866. The present bell, weighing 2,500 pounds and costing $1,150, was purchased during the year 1869.
In the fall of 1878 an order was given to Johnson & Sons of Westfield, Massachusetts, for the purchase of a No. 10 Pipe Organ, the cost to be $2,150.
The sanctuary was redecorated and the original windows of the sanctuary replaced by stained glass memorial windows about 1906.
The church remained much the same in structure until after the arrival of Rev. Harold H. Hamilton in 1947, when the Board of Education of the City Schools purchased the parsonage on Division Street for school usage. It was decided to build a parsonage to the north of the church which would connect with the basement of the church. This served as a parsonage until fall of 1957, when the pastor moved to the new parsonage on the corner of Church and Daugherty Street, and the vacated parsonage was used to meet the needs of a growing Sunday School. It now became known as the "Church House."
The church has observed several anniversaries. The first one mentioned was the 38th annual meeting. The 75th anniversary was held during the pastorate the Rev. Frank Bachelor, at which time the Rev. Barnes of the Presbyterian Church was a guest speaker for the evening service. During the pastorate of the Rev. Hugh Crouch the 110th anniversary was observed on October 11, 1936…this date being two years late due to changes in pastors. At that time the church enjoyed a full day of fellowship with former pastors and friends. The evening service was given over to the presentation of a Centennial Pageant in four episodes. At the close of the Pageant a Centennial Communion Service was observed as a very impressive ending of the day.
This year, 1961, finds the Baptist Church, under the able leadership of Pastor William Harrington, seeking to fulfill the privilege of witnessing to the community of their faith in God. There is gratitude in their hearts and they are reminded of the rich heritage they possess because of the sacrifices made by pioneer people of a century ago.
On June 19th, 1832, these four people comprised the class organized by the Rev. E. H. Pilcher of the Tecumseh Circuit. He administered to the wants of the small flock until the Fall, when one Rev. William Sprague became the first pastor.
The first convert of this group was a Miss Amelia Harrison, an orphan 20 years old, who came to Coldwater to live with her aunt, Mrs. Hanchett. In her diary she wrote: "On the 4th of January, 1835, the Lord spoke peace to my soul and I was baptized in March, at Masonville on the right hand side of the bridge going west." Miss Harrison married Daniel W. Parsons, and it is to her memory that Mr. And Mrs. William Shipway dedicated their history of the First Methodist Church in 1958, from which this account is taken.
In 1835, the class was organized as a mission with the Rev. Richard Lawrence as pastor. The membership was increased that year by the coming of the Crippens, Dr. William B. Sprague and wife, Dr. Littlefield, Thomas Daugherty, James Fisk, the Rev. Francis Smith (father of Mrs. Sprague), Alonzo Waterman, and others. Their first place of meeting was in Allen Tibbits' log cabin (originally Hugh Campbell's cabin on the site of the Masonic Temple.) but in 1834 Mr. Tibbits' donated land and the Old Red School House was built on the northeast corner of East pearl and South Hudson Streets; hereafter the mission met there for worship.
In 1836 a frame church was built by Harvey Warner on the site of the present church. After more than a quarter of a century, this church no longer met the needs of a growing city,; therefore, under the pastorate of Rev. Joseph Jennings, they were urged to venture on the promises of God and build Him a house worthy of His name.
The basement of the new brick church was first used for worship in October, 1865, when the Rev. James Robinson had just become pastor. The completion and dedication came on January 26, 1869, the Rev. F. M. Eddy, D. D. preaching the dedicatory sermon. This building cost $25,000, and it remains in use today. It had a seating capacity of about 800. In 1878, 18 feet were added to the east end, and a splendid pipe organ was presented by Alonzo Waterman and his two daughters, Mrs. Mary C. Fenn and Miss Alice A. Waterman.
In 1923 the Church School and Community House was dedicated. In 1932, under the Rev. William W. Slee, the church celebrated its 100th anniversary. In one hundred years the church had grown from a class of four people to a congregation of 570, with a Sunday School of 447.
During the pastorate of Rev. Keith Avery, 1953-1959, the new Sanctuary of the church was built and consecrated on August 30th, 1959, by Dr. Marshall r. Reed, Bishop of the Michigan Conference.
In the days before the memories of those living today, four young men were said to have been converted in the local Methodist church and gone out to preach: The Rev. L. R. Fisk, D. D., for many years president of Albion College; the Reverends M. A. Daughtry , J. W. hart, and George H. Bennett. In 1900 the Rev. Harry E. King was sent to Shanghai, China, from this church as a teacher-missionary in the university.
At the Annual Church Conference, April 24, 1958, it was announced that one of the young men who had been reared at the church had applied for a license to become a local preacher. That license was granted, and after graduating from Adrian College and Studying a semester at Oberlin Theological Seminary, David Renshaw, son of the Hon. And Mrs. Fred J. renshaw, is now doing student supply work at the churches at Whitehall and Claybanks, Michigan.
The present pastor of the church is the Rev. Albert A. Butterfield who began his duties in Coldwater in June of 1959."
The formal organization of St. Mark's parish was effected February 29th, 1848, at a meeting held at the White School House. Wardens and vestry were elected: Joseph H. Moss and Richard Greenwood, senior and junior wardens; Luman Howe, Ezbon G. Fuller, Lorenzo D. Crippen, James Pierson and George A. Coe, vestrymen. This vestry elected as its first Rector the Rev. George Willard of Battle Creek, who later became United States Congressman from the Third District. Miss Flora Root is the only parishoner today descended from a founder, James B. Southworth.
Services were held first in homes and later in the Court House. The oldest vestry records in existence are dated march 29th, 1853, and are in the handwriting of George A. Coe, the organizer of St. Mark's first choir and later Lieutenant-Governor of Michigan.
On September 22, 1857, the cornerstone of a church building was laid, although the building was never completed. 1862 saw the erection of the first building which St. Mark's which stood on North Hanchett Stree,t on the present site of the Southern Michigan Wholesale Grocery. This building was enlarged in 1866, and in 1877 was sold to the Coldwater Light Guard, becoming the first Armory, and was destroyed by an incendiary fire in 1881.
The organizational meeting was held in a school house two miles south of the city, three men and their wives uniting as charter members: Mr. And Mrs. Caleb B. Peckham, Mr. And Mrs. James R. Wilcox, and Mr. And Mrs. Charles Davy.
Mr. Sawdy held meetings in the school house, as a result of which 14 more members were taken into the church. Quite a number of members of the Methodist Episcopal Church were dissatisfied with the toleration of slavery by members of their church, and some of them joined the little band of "anti-Slavery Disciples" at the school house.
After a few months, the school house burned down, but a place was soon arranged to hold meetings in the two-story school house between Jefferson and Morse Streets. Here they continued to worship for a number of years, until the present church building was erected in 1852.
The records of the church show that: "Faith and works were put together. Not only were strong crying and tears offered in behalf of the poor down-trodden slaves of the South, but constant and untiring efforts were put forth for the getting of them into a depot of the underground railroad system in those days, and willing helpers of like precious faith gave heed to the presence of the dark-skinned refugees and were ready to assist all such forward in their journey toward freedom."
There have been about 46 pastors following Mr. Sawdy. The Rev. T. D. Bowditch is now pastor. Much remodeling has been down on the church building through the years, and at this time a new building is being erected on Michigan Avenue. A service of ground breaking was held on June 12th, 1960, with plans for the new building to be finished in the near future."
We of St. Paul's are especially grateful to nine men - L. Erb., F. W. Flandermeyer, H. H. Flandermeyer, L. Denner, F. Korff, G. Meyer, M. Nehring, H. Lingle and G. Wahl - the charter members when our congregation was officially organized in 1860, and services were conducted in the County court house and even in a box car. According to available records, the first Lutheran service in Coldwater was conducted in a private home, in 1858 bv Rev. J. Trautman from the Hillsdale church.
Other pastors from Hillsdale and the surrounding area conducted services in Coldwater until the young congregation secured its own shepherd in 1878. During this twenty-year period, the following Hillsdale ministers visited Coldwater at various times: G. Spechkhardt, J. L. Hahin, A. Schoppel, and A. Schieferdecker. During the past year tl)ere has been renewed use of the terms "pioneer" and "new frontiers" but their application is much more modern than in those days when the real Coldwater pioneers approached the new frontier with God-fearing, zeal and love for their Savior. We must admire the enthusiastic dilligence of those men and women who planned. labored and sacrificed in the rewarding struggle to organize and nurture the infant Lutheran congregation in the young City of Coldwater.
We hope to bring to you some of the highlights of the growth of our congregation in Coldwater. Naturally we will not be able to include everything that would be of interest, but , we hope our contribution will refresh some memories of "the good-old- days" for many of you.
Of course we would not have much of this information available for you if not for the patience and generosity of Mrs. K. G. (Gelsa) Drayton Jr. Who translated the minutes written in German script.
When St. Paul's was first organized no permanent house of worship was available. Property was purchased at the northwest corner of S. Jefferson and Perkins Streets, and the church still in use at that location was purchased from the Presbyterians and moved from Marshall Street to its present site in 1863.
The first full-time Pastor, the Rev. F. Haueser, arrived in 1878. During the time that the infant congregation was still being served by Hillsdale pastors a teacher had already been secured and a Lutheran school was started in October 1874. Carl Monnorow offered room and board for four months to the first teacher. No. mention was made of the amount of salary. But there was a note that the teacher should be paid monthly. A committee of three: Mr. Flandermeyer, Carl Monnorow and Ernest Luedders, was appointed to rent space for the school in the Union school building.
January 7, 1878. Decided to call a Pastor speaking both German and English, preferably unmarried as we are unable to pay more than $300.00 annually in salary.
April 18, 1880, Each man to furnish two days labor on parsonage. June 8, 1880. Everyone is to furnish an extra day labor on parsonage. If unable to do so, pay $1.50. June 25, 1880. Anniversary program (twenty years). Morning service in German, afternoon service in English. Programs to be publicized in Reporter and Republican.
Hire the City band. Hire two policemen. Purchase a beer license. Erect two stands to sell beer, lemonade, cigars, ice cream, peanuts and root beer. Use Mr. Carl's organ. Borrow an American flag. Parade route: from Church on S. Jefferson to E. Chicago; West to Clav; South to Pearl, East to Jefferson; South to Perkins; then to Williams Grove. Chas. Papke will carry the flag. H. Carls will be parade marshall on horse. Mr. Single will be parade leader.
July 4, 1882. Decided to build a school house 14 feet high; 32 feet long; 22 feet wide with a six foot hall (between church and parsonage on S. Jefferson St.) Dedicated Sept. 16, 1883.
December 7, 1890. During the pastoral vacancy it was agreed to rent out the parsonage to a good reliable family, if possible, but for not less than $1.25 a week. September 4, 1904. It was decided to hold Sunday School half in English and half in German. August 12, 1906. Miss Ottilia Mannerow resigned from the duty of organist. July 5, 1903. It was decided to hold English services from now on as much as possible.
The Rev. Bruce Bartholomew served the Coldwater congregation from 1951 until accepting a call to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1954. He was succeeded by the Rev. E. D. Brockopp. It was during the pastorate of Rev. Brockopp that the congregation started the movement which resulted in the erection of its new edifice in the Highland addition. This property had been cleared and the church building on South Jefferson had been sold when Pastor Brockopp accepted a call to St. James in Grand Rapids in 1958.
The Rev. E. E. Meyer, a native of Michigan, who was located in Watonga, Oklahoma, accepted our call and has been a tower of strength to the members of St. Paul during the time we were without our own place of worship and the time that our present facility was being constructed. Pastor Meyer's experience of working with congregations, architects and contractors was invaluable to the building committee: Dr. John Heffelfliner, Harold Carls, Mervin Schlmke and Walter Smith.
Ground was broken for our new edifice in September of 1959. The corner stone was laid late in 1959 and the completed building was dedicated on May 8, 1960.
All the above material was transcribed and submitted to the Branch Co. GenWeb page by:
Judith Weeks Ancell PO Box 6443, Boise, ID 83707