The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-10-13

centennial celebration Sunday at
, Stony Creek Methodist Church CEN
,ered on the founding. dedication
and events following in the next
hundred years. a history prepared
and read by Mrs. Ina Champion,
author OF From My Window"
proved highly interesting. Mrs.
Champion is acknowledged as his
torian OF the community since pub
, lication OF her history OF the Lin
coin Consolidated School district.
The history as read by Mrs.
Champion follows:
There were few settlers. COM
paratively speaking. trails instead
OF our good roads. The OK team and
wagon we're about the only means
OF travel. II / should sum IL up in
\ three words. think these are the
ones-log houses. forest, swamps-
would be about the way to describe
Augusta Township in 1913 Previ-
Gus TO this time. the only church In
Augusta Township so far as
could learn, was our neighboring
one. the Presbyterian, which was
vi SdnlAtu III AClODtI 1900 anu NdS
] a log building standing where the
Grange Hall now stands, but peo
pie who were Methodists came in
and previous to the organization
OF this society, held meetings occa-
sionally in the surrounding school
houses and their homes. Possibly
another reason why the Methodist
, band did not attend more frequent.
ly. the Presbyterian Church. was
that the pews were rented and
everyone was taken. At that time
and still exists in some churches,
] think, that was the method used
10 pay the minister's salary But
this band OF Methodists deter
mined to have a church. and we
find, by reading an abstract OBJ
tanned in 1920. that the following
men, Hiram Thompson, Caleb C.
Harmon, Henry Druse. Daniel
Bird, Palmer Elliott. George Col
Inns, Jacob Truax. Cary Stark and
Calvin Collar were the first trus-
tees and for consideration OF $50
they purchased, in trust from
James Pierson, 80 rods of land on
sVbtiOh III AutuoNd III
the purpose of erecting thereon a
house or place OF worship for the
use OF the members OF the NJ. f.
Church in the United States of
America. II might be OF interest to
note that in the description of the
land. it begins at a stake in the
. center OF the state road leading
} from Ypsilanti to Ridgeway on a
line between James Pierson and
Robert Barr. Also Mr.. Pierson is
TO have the use of the house for
the purpose OF religious worship
one day in year, II not otherwise
occupied. IL he may want it. Surely
strange reservation, and | never
|. heard he asked for it,
other Founders
Others who were founders OF the
church were Jesse and Richard
Hewens, Timothy and Moses
Crane and, no doubt. others. Moses
Crane lived one-half mile south.
west OF here. Timothy Crane lived
near the Seybert Church. The
!. Hewens' lived on farm in section
4, Augusta Township, where Gin
ton Hewens now lives, and Uncle
Richard was local preacher who
came from near oxford, England.
He preached many times in the
following years and never received
a salary. One OF his favorite ex-
pressions was Salvation is just
as free as the water that flows
: down the creek" The most enthus-
iastic member was Henry Druse
who had the first load of stone to
put on the ground as soon as the
plot was purchased and which no
doubt Is still in the foundation
wall. His home was beside the
York Baptist Church. AS you will
see, all the founders were in diff.
= ferent parts OF the county.
Large Families
AS each OF these leaders had a
large family, one Ohe Cary Stark
family, numbered Is. and as IL
was the custom in those days for
all to attend church. it can be
readily seen how to account for a
] large congregation. Another found
er. Thomas Shipman, who deserves
special mention, lived about a mile
south OF here and it was said he
prayed so loud that the Presbyter.
ian service had TO stop until he
had finished. Our chairman tells
me he doesn't think people pray
as loud nov-probab the Difficult.
!. ~ is to get them to pray at all. In
contrast to the loud praying OF
years ago, we have a prayer in
song: Dear Lord and Father OF
Mankind (Solo by Woodrow
jones'.
First Minister
THE first minister's name was
Stotford and he was a circuit rider
= How often they had service oil
where the circuit rider came from
or went to. could not find out. but
it was supposed he was an un
married man and boarded with the
parishioners. In September 1855
We find the Board OF Stewards met
at the house OF / T. Colby with A
]. Bigelow. preacher in charge. to
! find out Brother Bigelow's claim
and make a proportion to the diff
ferent classes, which is as follows
Claims $4,000
Board 1900
Housekeeping 1000
Travelling Expenses 1000
Elders Claim $500
y Total $4,000
Proportioned: