Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-03-23
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH SOCIETY,
Its Early Organization and the Erection OF
the Present Religious Edifce.

Its Early Organization and the Erection o
/ the Present Religious Edifce.
| Oberlin, Ohio, March IS, 1S99.- -Rev
Fred S. Wheeler, Pastor Congrega
tional Church, Grand Rapids. Wis
Having been one of the first on tht
ground of those who were interested
in the formation of a religious body
to be known as The First Congrega
tional church of Grand Rapids,
thought it possible that a review OF
the early history of that body might
be interesting to those who now reside
at Grand Rapids and vicinity, who
Were not thus early on the ground anC
did not pass through the scenes and
incidents which am about to relate
| moved to Grand Rapids in the fall
of 1857, at which time there was nc
protestant organization of any kind
and but very few who cared to have
any. Rev. Jesse Edwards, Presby
terian minister from Plover, used tC
come down and preach to the people
in the little old school house on the
hill occasionally.
On skirmishing around it was found
that there were a few residents who
had formerly been connected with
churches of our order in other places
and, on consultation, we decided tO
try and effect an organization. Rev.
| Dexter Clary of Beloit was then the
| Home Missionary for that region and
my memory is that through his help a
church was formed consisting of eleven
members, nine women and two men.
The names of the members were as
follows, at least all can now remem-
Der of them, B. Salmon and wife, J.
II. Lang and wife, Mrs. j. T. Black,
Mrs Chas. Edminster, Misses Alma and
Lucinda Clark, Mrs. Hileman. There
were two others whose names / do not
now recall. We secured a room, known
as Lavigne's hall, in which to hold
meetings A man by the name of
Smith, who wished to locate his boys
in the hardware business, came about
that time and, as he had been a minis
ter of the FreeWill Baptist church,
we engaged him to preach for us,
which he did with reasonable success
for year or more. Following him
came a man by the name of Freeman
who preached for us short time but
did not bring his family.
think it was in the winter of 80
and so that the Lemonwier cOnven-
tion held meeting at Wautoma and
Mr.. Salmon and the writer attended
as delegates from our church. There
we fell in with a young man who had
just been licensed to preach and was
looking for location. The result
was that we engaged him to go to
Grand Rapids and preach for us year
for the muniticent salary of three
hundred dollars. Mr.. Harris brought
his wife and remained with us, filling
the pulpit with great acceptance,
until about 1866, when he resigned his
charge on account of failing health.
In 1861, or Whereabouts, feeling the
need of church editice we undertook
the erection of one, though we realized
we had hard task before us. We
had many friends, who were not mem
bers of the church, who looked upon
the scheme in business point of view
and who subscribed literally. l think
the largest single subscription was
from Mr.. Howe of the firm of Howe
& Rablin, who gave one hundred dol
lars. We received many favors from
Howe & Rablin in addition to this.
| remember, as my part, [ undertook
to furnish all the timber for the frame
and put it on the ground. | hired an
OLE Frenchman by the name of DeSut-
tie to go into the woods and hew the
timber and l hauled it with my own
hands and team. The sawed lumber
for the frame / hauled from French
town.
/ think Charles Edminster was the
principal builder. The corner stone
was laid with due ceremony, and a
copy of the Wood County Reporter,
a copy of the church record, several
coins and some other things were
placed therein and the stone placed at
the southwest corner of the founda-
tion. The people turned out literally
to the raising, Notwithstanding we
did not have any whiskey or beer.
At this part of the work a peculiar
and almost fatal accident happened.
We had all the main frame up and
one bent of the Steeple. | was up on
this bent ready to receive and put the
girtS into the other bent. The men,
about a dozen in number, ranged
themselves along one of the middle
beams ready to lift on the bent when,
without warning, the support under
| the beam on which they stood gave
way, the beam broke in the center
and all the men on it were precipitated
to the timbers of the floor below. 1t
is the greatest wonder that any es-
capped with their lives or, at least,
without broken bones. The minister.