The Calumet news., 1912-06-03
CONGREGATIONAL
SEMI-CENTENNIAL
WEEK OF OBSERVANCE OF FIF-
TiETH ANNIVERSARY OF
CHURCH STARTS
TUESDAY,.

The celebration OF the nftieth anni-
Versary of the organizing of the Han
cock Conversational church will COM
mence. tomorrow evening when Rev.
Frank n. White of Minneapolis. a for
mer pastor, will give an address and
Prof. James Fisher Will read a hlstori-
cal sketch. "Wednesday June } at d.
IN. Rev. w. II. McElween of Chicago
and Rev. Frank White will speak and
Dr. McIclween also will be the speaker
at a meeting in the evening at z. so.
The feature for Thursday evening is
the grand sacred concert by chorus
OF 100 voices directed by Miss Alice
Camper. FRIDAY evening there will be
an anniversary banquet served by the
Ladies Industrial Society. Saturday
evening a great platform meeting will
lie held with addresses by Revs. Jesse
l'ovey, L. *. Long. w. e, Marvin, W.
Reed Cross. III. c. Shaw, Frank L.
Knowles and Rev. Frederick Bagnan.
Next Sunday morning childrens day
services will be held with a program
by the Sunday school and a brief adj
dress by the pastor, Rev. Mandus Bar
rett and Sunday evening at o'clocN
an address will be made by Dr. j. W.
Sutherland ID. d., state superintendent
of Congregational churches.
History of the Church.
A meeting OF the citizens of Han
cock for the purpose of considering
the erection OF Congregational
church, was held December 5. 1861. 1t
was voted to proceed Immediately with
the work, and committee of five was
appointed TO canvass for the required
funds and make plans for the building
Later a building committee was named,
and the erection of house OF worship
commenced. This first Hancock Con-
gregational church. a small structure,
was completed and dedicated in jan
uarv. 1868.
Rev. Thomas T. Bliss Of Massachu-
setts visited Hancock in the spring Of
1862, and on Jure 4 of that year or
ganized here the First congregational
church, whose first active pastor he
became. The membership of the first
church consisted of eighteen persons.
and Rev. Bliss guarded over his little
flock until July, 1863. He was sue
ceeded in October of that year by Rev.
F'ayette Hurd. who held the pasrorate
Tor a trihe less than year. After his
departure the church was without II
pastor for seven months although reg
ular Sabbath services were held cvory
week
Rev. c. b. Stevens accepted a call
i'm February, 1865, and remained until
the latter part of April. 1868. During
his stay the society grey IN strength
and the membership of the churcn
was increased
Rev. II. p. HOLSTER answered 4
unanimous call from the church and
society in August. 1868 and entered
UPon his new duties i'm October The
church continued its era of prosperity
under his guidance until ;he memor-
able morning of April II. 1869, when
it's house of worship with ali OF it's
furnishings was swept away by the
great Hancock fire. After meeting
for several months I'm the old public
school house, the congregation. in the
face of great disbursement began
the work of rebuilding. With uneX-
pected success the work progressed
until juno, 1870. when new and
handsome temple was dedicated TO the
service of the Almighty. rhe install
lation of The church's first pipe organ
purchased at cost of Sl,5OO, followed
three years later
After serving eight years in the par
ish, the longest term recorded for any
minister OF the Hancock Congrega
tional church, Rev. Hollister passed
away on December g. 1876. as a re-
suit OF an illness of but three weeks
Rev. Edmund II. stiles of Manches-
ter, Ia. in whose honor T.. II. stiles
post Grand Army of the Republic, IS
named. entered upon his pastoratc I'm
the Hancock church on october {,
1871. During his work here he won
large following, outside as well as in
the church, and succumbed January
49, 1881. of disease contracted while
serving as chaplain in the Federal ar