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the opera house now stands. The organizer was Richard Butler, and the number of scholars was twenty, one of whom was Mrs. H. A. Cady. The next school was organized by Samuel Evarts and Chauncey G. Cady, in 1825, and was held in the old log court house. The Episcopalian Catechism was used in the school; probably it was the only one that conld be procured at that early day. Mr. Evarts died in 1826, and the school was scattered.

In 1830, William and Samuel Canfield and R. O. Cooley organized another school, which was held in the court house. Those three men were not Christians, but the early habit of attending Sabbath school followed them to the far West, and they could not rest easy under the state of things they found here. Mr. Canfield went to Detroit to procure books, but could get nothing better than small primers, and they were distributed among the pupils. There seems to have been no one prepared to open the school with prayer, so they were obliged to use the Episcopalian prayer-book, Mr. Canfield reading the prayer. The teachers were Mrs. Silas Halsey, Mrs. R. O. Cooley, Mrs. Ezekiel Allen and Mrs. Ch. G. Cady. Col. J. Stockton was one of the officers. The next school was organized by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in 1832. It was held in a schoolhouse occupying a position near the present home of George Pelton. It afterward became more of a union school-Baptists, Congregationalists and Methodists all working together. Elder Booth, Mлs. Hosia Pratt, Mrs. Allen and others were teachers. In 1834, Rev. Mr. Eastman, a Presbyterian, came to Mt. Clemens and organized the first church of that denomination. The following summer of 1835, Mrs. Eastman and Mrs. Joseph Hubbard organized a Sabbath school in the log court house. Mr. Eastman was Superintendent. The Deacons were W. H. Warner, Hosia Pratt, Mrs. Eastman, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hudbard, Mrs. E. Mather, Mrs. R. Butler, Miss M. McChesney and others. This was not distinctly a Presbyterian enterprise. Churches of other denominations helped in the work. About the year 1836, the denominational schools commenced. The Methodists held a school in the schoolhouse hitherto referred to; the Presbyterians held a school in the court house. About the year 1840, the Methodist school was in a flourishing condition, the teachers being Mr. and Mrs. Gary Pratt, John Lutes, Hosia Pratt, and others. In 1841, the Presbyterian Church divided, a part calling themselves the Old Line and a part the New Line. They worshiped, one class in the court house, and the other over one of the stores. Soon after, the New Line got possession of the church building.now occupied by the Presbyterian society, and the Old Line built the church now belonging to the Methodist society. The New Line adopted the Congregational form of government with Rev. Mr. Hamilton as minister, and W. H. Warner or Col. Chandler, first Superintendent. The teachers were William Canfield, Mr. and Mrs. H. Warner, Mrs. D. C. Williams, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. High, Samuel Axtell and others. The Old Line retained the Presbyterian form of government, their minister being Rev. Mr. Wells. James H. Snook was an earnest worker connected with this church, and was probably the first Superintendent. Mrs. Wells, Miss J. Hall, Mrs. Lucy Mather, Mrs. Richard Butler, Miss Mary McChesney, John J. Leonard, were teachers.

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The Baptist Church was built in 1840. The main workers in the Sunday school were Elder Hillis, William Jenney, Thomas and Mrs. Gilbert. At this time, there were four Sabbath schools in operation, viz., Congregational, Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist. The Presbyterian and Congregational churches re-united under Rev. Mr. Foot. These two churches, after a struggle to keep up a separate existence, found that, after all, there was not past grievance of sufficient moment to keep them longer as separate organizations; consequently, they are now working together as a Presbyterian Church. The condition of the Sabbath schools of the county at the close of the last decade is set forth as follows in a table prepared by the Secretary of the Sunday School Association of the county, John E. Day, and shows the reports of various schools for the year 1878:

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In every city, township and village of Macomb, progress-remarkable, unusual, magnificent-has been made. No reasonable expense has been spared to render the workings of the schools perfect, and it must be a subject for congratulation to a people who made much sacrifice of time and money, to behold the results of their own earnestness in the matter, and the zeal manifested by both township, city and county school officials.

It must not be thought, however, that our system is perfect. It is wanting in many essential qualities. It is, in a measure, better adapted to a community of plutocrats, who can bestow upon their children a sufficient wealth to pass through this world without labor, than to a community of men who labored honestly to acquire a competence, and who expect that for all time their children will be honest workers.

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savage bigotry entombed, and the Republic happy in the possession of citizens each one of whom essays to serve God after his own notion, without impertinent interference with his neighbor's faith. The people have evidently realized the fact that the evil example offered by members of every religious society does more to check Christianity than all the sophistry of the infidel, the arms of the united Mussulmans, or the presence of one hundred thousand Mongolian mandarins and high priests. Abuses will continue so long as the world exists, but the number may be lessened if each section of the Christian Church will do its duty by watching its interests closely-by minding its own business.

In the following pages, the organization of each church in the county, as shown in the records, is given. There are no public records to base data regarding the first Catholic congregation formed in this county, but it may be presumed that large numbers of the French missionary fathers visited the camping-grounds of the Indians along the Huron, erected temporary altars, and offered the sacrifice of the Mass in presence of the wondering Red-men. After the French Canadians made settlements here, they were visited regularly by the priests of Detroit until the establishment of permanent missions here. Since the American pioneer period, the following religious societies were formed within this county:

The Moravian Church established a mission on the Huron and Clinton about 1781, under Rev. John Huckenwelder and sixteen Delaware Indians. This mission existed until 1786, when Mr. Huckenwelder and his disciples returned to Muskingum.

The Congregational Church society of Romeo was organized February 6, 1832, with Gad Chamberlin, Asa Holman and N. T. Taylor, Trustees. The church was formed in 1828.

The first Presbyterian Church of Mt. Clemens was organized May 4, 1835, with Rodney O. Cooley, William H. Warner, Daniel Chandler, Noadiah Sackett, Aaron Conklin and Joel Brown, Trustees.

The Baptist Church of Mt. Clemens was organized October 14, 1836, with Horace H. Cady, C. Flinn, Benjamin Gamber, Manson Farrar, Ortin Gibbs and John Gilbert, Trustees of the society.

The Bruce and Armada Congregational society was formed November 19, 1835, with Erastus Day, Joseph Thurston and John Taylor, Trustees. The church was formed in 1832.

The First Presbyterian Church of Utica was organized January 6, 1837, with Gurdon C. Leech, Orson Sheldon, Albert G. Fuller, Joseph Lester and O. Stevens, Trustees.

First Methodist Episcopal society of the village of Utica was formed March 19, 1839, with Ralph Wright, Elias Scott, Peter D. Lerick, Hiram Squires and John Stead, Trustees. A record of re-organization appears May 11, 1844, and April 25, 1856.

The Catholic Church of St. Felicite of L'Anse Cruse, in the township of Harrison, was organized July 16, 1839, with Joseph Pomerville, Joseph L. Sansfaucon, Hubert Forton, Trustees.

Methodist Episcopal Church of Romeo was organized January 28, 1839, with James Starkweather, Ariel Pratt, Job Howell, Sewell Hovey and Samuel Cooley, Trustees.

First Methodist Episcopal Church of Mt. Clemens was organized January 15, 1841, with Edward Tucker, Chauncey G. Cady, E. G. Pratt, Horace H. Cady, John Stockton, B. T. Castle and Robert Little, Trustees.

The first Congregational religious society of the township of Richmond was organized April 13, 1841, with Hugh Gregg, Arannah Gilbert and Jeremiah Sabin, Trustees. Reorganized November 11, 1844, and January 8, 1867.

The First Baptist Church of Utica was organized March 1, 1842, with Ephraim Calkin, Benjamin Morey, Dan W. Phillips, Daniel St. John, Ralph Sackett, Cephas Farrar, John B. St. John, Morris Todd and Manson Farrar, Trustees.

The First Christian Church of Washington was organized June 1, 1842, with George Wilson, George Hanscom, Levi Hoard, Hiram Andrews, Conley Bates, Nathan Keeler and Zebulon Hayden, Trustees.

The first Methodist Episcopal society of Washington was organized November 25, 1842, with Abel Warren, Benjamin McGregor, David W. Noyes, John Keeler, Justin H. Butler, Elon Andrus and Ephraim Graves, Trustees.

First Methodist Episcopal Church of Ray was organized February 4, 1844, with Jonathan E. Davis, Duncan Gass, John Inman, John Gass, Jr., William Lyons, Robert McGregor and Horace Myers, Trustees.

First Methodist Episcopal Church of Warren was organized November 24, 1845, with Elijah Johnson, Isaac Barton, R. D. Smith, Peter Gillett, H. Leroy, John Wilson, William Terry, Trustees.

The first union society was organized at Mt. Clemens September 1, 1845, with Prescott B. Thurston, Aaron Weeks, Isaac J. Grovier, E. Wright Hall, William Beer and John J. Leonard, Trustees.

First Congregational Church of Armada was organized November 26, 1844, with Alvah Sibley, Perrin C. Goodell, Sumner Pierce and Solomon Stone, Trustees.

The first Baptist society of Romeo was organized February 9, 1847, with David Quackenboss, Nathaniel Bennett, Horace Bogart, Wiley Bancroft, David Green and Philo Willson, Trustees.

The first Baptist Church was organized January 28, 1854.

First Baptist Church and society of Mt. Vernon was organized May 23, 1848, with Hiram Calkins, William A. Burt, A. G. Benedict, Lewis G. Tanner and Elisha Calkins, Trustees.

The German Evangelical Lutheran (St. Peter's) congregation of Wayne and Macomb Counties, formed in 1846, was organized as a society under State law February 6, 1849, with Frederick Reh, George Nauvmer, Fred Speirs, Bernhard Christoph, Schroeder, J. F. Winkler.

The Baptist society of Macomb was organized January 22, 1849, with Benjamin Gamber, George Hall, John Crittenden, Jesse Goodsell, Leonard Weston and J. Huntoon, Trustees.

First Congregational Church of Chesterfield was organized June 2, 1850, with Charles

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