The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-09-21
HISTORY OF 1gET.yoDEs.T IN So
PEfsD-s
As RcyieHad by Rev, u. g. NrsgHs'
In i,is Farewell Sermon, Sunday
Evening. the 18th inst.
"wAat hath God w,ogght"!--Hl ,sers 1928.

5SUtll al ltAN tto 1i@S 'AAN N'iS''NA4 - -
ceedingly appropriate 10 a review OF
the history of Methodism in Superior
for above all the strange vlclsSltudes
there has seemed to be a guiding Hand
overriding all for good. and after in
teresting ourselves with the history,
we c;nrfe. help eXclaiming, What
bath God wrought +"
In treating of the earlier history OF
Methodism, have had to depend sole
ly upon information | could obtain
from various sources, and in each case
the memory has been the sole recorder,
and this is some times treacherOuS, es-
peciallv when it is remembered that
more than thirty-two years has elapsed
since the first Methodist church was
built in this city.
1t is hard to say when the first Meth
odist preacher reached the townsite-
perhaps in the days of Indian barbar-
ism he appeared to-teach the red men
the gospel of great joy,-but the first
preachers name on record as appoint
ed to Superior District was the Rev.
John Pcet. He came here in 1885,
how, we Will leave for the old settlers
to decide, but very possibly on horse
back, with the tlmehonored saddle
bags full of literature to keep the cit
zens well posted, and to let them know
that Methodism is true to her welltried
tradition of spreading scriptural ho-
illness throughout the LAND. " y boom
: had struck the town. Everybody was
astir Pioneers came in from all points
and all times to participate i'll the pro-
fits. Here was to develC I, 4 second Chi
cago. Alas. they had disadvantage
to contend with. The great Northwest
was mdeveloped, whereas Chicago had
fast developing West to feed her en-
terprise. Non-residents sure o. success
threw themselves back upon the mat
ural advantages Of the Gown site,
with its beautiful breakwater ana bay
front, and calmly waited until the
American people should be forced tG
build up city on This elegant plateau.
They have continued to wait, and
many of them have gone TO their
graves none the richer but the poorer,
for their investments, while the re-
manning few. with white hairs and
crows-feet are just beginning to reap
the benefit
When Brother Peet came, he found
faithful few, anxious to organize in
to a church, and in the winter Of 1856,
in the home of r. &. CohrIn, the Or
ganization was completed The follow
ing is the list of charter members:
Mr.. and Mrs Charles Felt; Mr.. and
Mrs Pease; r. NJ. Hail; Geo Newton;
l. NJ. Clark and Mr.. and Mrs. r. G.
Coburn.
The determination Of tits little body
of Christians was TO builda church and
in very little time 81 100 was sub
Scribed and the church was erected
and dedicated. 1t occupied site on
Second street, and is now known as
" the old Bardon home" The church
Ntio llipl A-tl-SNd I'I TIC sum IICNNNoiIN
90 complete, over the 81, 100 subscribed,
and there seemed indications of pros
perity. The ladies of the church, IN
GLIDING some still residing in the city,
by personal appeal managed to raise
sufficient to provide a handsome ma
hogany pulpit suite, and it was expect
cd that the mortgage would soon be
raised.
The panic of 81, however, struck the
town, money became scarce, and the
mortgage on the church dragged wear
lily. on the discouraged few. III the
meantime, the dark clouds of war be
gan to threaten the horizan. The first
shot on Sumpter had been fired; the
Southern Confederacy had leaped into
cXistance; four years of bloodShed and
war had to blight this fair land before
the Union could be saved. The Meth
odist church had already divided on
the question of Slavery, and at the out
break of the war, the northern Metho-
dists were pronounced Unionists, and
this town not being the most loyal one
i'll the Union, it can easily be seen that
the Methodist pioneers had hard time
of it i'll Superior. They, however, per
severed, and the next conference sent
David Brooks, followed by John Pugh,
who was succeeded by j. c. Whitney.
The latter brother, after supplying the
charge for few months, left it vacant
and brother followed him in posi-
bly, the fall of 81, This preacher whose
name is forgotten, was an enthusiastic
supporter of the uFfiGn, and on visit
TO Michigan, was SO filed with patriot
ism for his country that he resigned
his charge, raised company of vofun-
teers in Michigan and few months
later was killed on the railway in Ten
nesSee. The charge was by this time
in forlorne condition and it did seem
rs if God had hidden himself from the
patient toilers. Payments were due
on the mortgage and the mortgage
was pressing his claims, but no money
Was on hand, and the prospects were
anything but cheerful, SO in this same
year, 1861, the church was sold and the
mortgage satisfied.
Deprived of their church they were
not robbed of God, and the faithful
Methodists were determined to persa-
we're and hope for better times. They
commenced services in an old building
on Second street where the Eeaough
Block now stands ana had prayer
meetings and ladies' aid society meet
jngs in the various homes, thus keep
ing the ire burning, though some
times very d;mly. There is Il spac,
Of six years at this period of the his
tory; the var had closed, the work OF
reconstruction had come ana ended