The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-03-20
teresting History of Park
I'VE. Church Told on the
18th Anniversary Today
TABLE IN THE PIONEER DAYS
story of the Church Prepared by DR..
y. L. Hewitt Thirty Years Ago,
Proves of Interest to Church Mem
bers and Older Residents of City.

Interesting "reminiscences of Meth
ism in Kenosha are being recalled
members of Park Avenue Church
day in connection with the celebra-
IN of the seventy-ffrh anniversary
the founding of the church. This
ening the members of the church
III gather at banquet in celebra-
IN Of the event at which it is prom
I'd that many of the former members
i'll be present.
On Sunday TIE celebration will be
ntinued with the services Of dedi-
ton of the rebuilt and enlarged
mrch. Bishop Mcdowell, one Of the
eatest men in Methodism, will have
large Of the services on Sunday. No
lurch organization in Kenosha has
ore interesting history than the
ethodist Church. It's development
IS been kept close with the history
{ the development of the city since
ie earliest pioneer days. Back in
SS3, when one of the churches was
edicated, the Rev. J. l.. Hewitt,
)rmer pastor of the church, prepared
history of the congregation. On the
eventy-ffth anniversary this will be
eeidedly interesting, not only to the
iembers of the church. but also to
ioneer residents Of the city and
ounty. 1t follows;
In writing the history Of Kenosha
Iethodism, one might wish that he
ad been in his prime when the first
ettler arrived, and that he were
mong the nineties, so that he could
rom memory, produce pen picture
( Pike River in pre-territorial days,
is surroundings, it's inhabitants, and
he church that has grown upon its
oil.
With the frst wagon that ever roll
ID through the Indian village came
brother Jonathan Pierce, the first
Methodist who waited only short
lime when two others arrived, these
ihree, enough to claim the premises,
proposed after a brief consultation to
meet and pray. In that beautiful
thought was engermed the beautiful
sdifce which this morning we dedicate
Sunday afternoon, August 2,-1S35,
nearly a year before congress passed
an act that created the territory Of
Wisconsin, and only two months after
the white man first visited this place,
Austin Kellogg, with his wife and FIVE
children and all their worldly effects,
was dropped from the moving schoon-
er Illinois, and scattered along the
Pike River Beach; now, brother KEEL
logg was a good Methodist, therefore
as soon as he had picked himself up,
he inquired what time service would
begin. There was no service, but
brother kellogg with the assistance of
brother Pierce, the following Sabbath,
August 9th, held the first prayer and
class meeting and organized the first
Sabbath School, The meeting was
held in a little cabin, on the shore,
little southwark from the harbor,
twenty-eight persons we're present,
these comprised nearly all the settlers,
some half dozen families; twenty-one
spoke and took some part in the service.
The members of the Pike River class
in 1887 were Rev. r. H. Deming, a
local preacher, Austin Kellogg, the
class leader; Ammonia Kellogg, Jona-
than Pierce, Hon. Chas. Durkee, Mrs.
Chas, Durkee, john w. Dana, Martha
S. Dana and Susan Dana, but probably
none of these persons except brother
Pierce and brother and sister Kellogg
were present at the first religious
meeting ever held at Pike River. The
log cabin on the shore proving too
small for the rapidly increasing CON
gregation, VIM. Bullen, gentleman of
Baptist predictions, in 1886 opened
wide the doors of his residence. From
1885 TO the autumn of 1887, though
meetings were held regularly each
Sabbath the sermon was less frequent.
but occasionally an itinerant with sad
die bags and books would ride into the
village end preach the gospel with that
fervaney and power which characteriz
ed the Methodist ministry Of that old
time. Among those names of precious
memory mentioR might be made Of
Rev. John Clark, that prince of pioneer
Methodist preachers, whose circuit ex-
tended from Chicago to Green Bay, and
who always left behind him the reputa-
ton of being an earnest and faithful
minister Also Rev. VIM. S. Crissey
and Rev. Mark Robinson, presiding
eleer Of the Milwaukee district, both
of them eloquent men, the latter it is
said having preached the first sermon
ever preached IN the settlement
These ever busy and self sacrificing
itine.ants were assisted by those de-
voted local preachers, Rev. DAME
slauson Of Racine, and Rev r. II
Deming Of Southport; but meetings