The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-01-04
Census Shows Park Ave-
nue. Church Has Larg-
est Membership.
IS RICH IN HISTORY
Was First Religious Organiza-
ton Established in Southport
and has Grown Steadily.

t4ng the largest Methodist cnufcn con-
gregation in Wisconsin, according to
figures which have just been made
public By church leaders and it is one
of the fftytwo largest churches of the
Methodist church in Illinois, Wiscon-
sin, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota.
In the states named there are fifty
two congregations with a membership
in excess of one thousand. In Wis
consin there are FIVE churches with a
membership exceeding the one thous-
and mark. The figures for the other
states showing the standing Of the
congregations, have not been given out
but the standing of the Wisconsin
churches of the denomination with a
membership of more than one thous-
and, is given as follows: Kenosha,
1875; Division Street, Fond du Lac,
1,146; First Church. Madison, Lit;
Beloit, 1,012 and Kingsley church, Mil
waukee with membership of 1907.
Is Historic Old Church.
Methodism in Kenosha dates back to
the earliest organization of Southport.
There are some conflicting statements
was held in Kenosha, but the best
authenticated records indicate that an
old Methodist preacher had the dis
tinction of sounding the first call for
prayers and there has been a Metho-
dist organization in Kenosha ever since
that time. It was. in November of
1886, that the Rev. Abner Barlow, a
veteran Of the war of the revolution,
held what is believed to have been the
first church service in Kenosha and he
organized at that time a Methodist
congregation. The service was held
at the old log home of Waters Towslee,
one of the first Of the settlers in what
afterward became Kenosha county.
The formal organization of the Meth
odist church of Southport was COM
pleted in 1887, this being the first
religious organization to be formed in
the community Among the pioneers
who were members of this first organi-
| cation, were the Rev. Deuben Deming,
pioneer teacher and preacher; Charles
Durkee, who afterward became the first
United States senator from Wisconsin,
and Judge Dana. All were most promi-
nent in the early life of Southport.
WOrshiped in Log Building.
About the time of the organization
of the Methodist congregation a log
school house was erected on Main
street and this was used by the Meth
odists as church home. Later it was
used by the Baptists, the Congrega-
tionalists and the other church or
CARNATIONS, the various dernomina-
tions meeting together The first
| Methodist church in Kenosha was built
and dedicated in 1843 and it was To-
Gated at the intersection of Main street
and South street. 1t was the first
church edifice erected in the town.
The Rev. 0. F. Curtis was the first to
be sent to Kenosha by a Methodist
conference and in the five years which
followed his appointment there were
many pastors sent to what is now the
largest organization of Methodism in
Wisconsin. Twenty-seven ministers
were sent to the struggling congrega-
ton during the first five years of it's
existence, some of them remaining but
few days and being unable or I'M
willing to bear the rigors of the pio-
neer life in Southport.
Secured the Church Lot"
When the original plat of the vii
iage of Southport was made, one lot
was set aside as a Church lot" with
the understanding that it should be
decided to the first religious organiza-
tion in the village which should erect
church on it at cost OF $1,000 or
more. This lot was formally decided
to the First Methodist Episcopal
Church Of Kenosha on February g.,
1912. R. H. Deming, Charles Durkee,
Ebenezer Pomeroy, Royal B. Waldo and
Oscar F. Dana were named as the first
trustees of the church and they ac-
cepted the gift of the church lot from
the village board. This building was
located in what is now South Main
street directly east of the building
now occupied by the Turner Flower
company. Later the church was moved
in order to permit the extension of
Main street south of South street. The
old church was moved to the corner
now occupied by the Park Avenue M.
z. church at the corner of Park avenue
land English court, and it has since
been the central home of Methodism
i'll Kenosha.
Grows Rapidly as Years Pass.
The Methodist organization grew
rapidly as the years past and for MANY
years it has had the largest member
ship of any of the Protestant churches
in Kenosha. During the three-quarters
of century which have passed since
the church was established it has been
served by many men who have been
prominent in the work of the Meth
odist church in the state and in the
nation.
Every department of church work
has been developed under the leader
ship of the various boards of trustees
and pastors serving the congregation.
For years the church has maintained
Sunday school which was by all
measures the largest in the state and
the methods of work in this school
have been copied by many of the lead
ing Methodist churches in Wisconsin
and surrounding states In recent
years the growth of the congregation
has been unusually large. Branch
work has been carried on under train
ed experts and this work has done
much to extend the influence Of
Methodism in Kenosha.
The present pastor of the church is
the Rev. z. Burns Martin, D. d., and
he is regarded as one of the best or
gsnizers of church work and<one of the
strongest pulpit orators among the
church leaders Of Wisconsin.