Sheboygan Press April 29, 1927 Sheboygan Falls Religion 1 RELIGION CLOSELY ALLIED WITH GROWTH OF FALLS SEVERAL DENOMINATIONS REPRESENTED; BAPTIST IS OLDEST CHURCH IN STATE The first Baptist church of Sheboygan Falls was organized on February 11, 1838, at the home of A. G. DYE, which was then located at the northeast corner of N. Eighth street and Niagara avenue, in the city of Sheboygan. Later the meetings were held in the old school house at Sheboygan Falls, until the present building was erected in 1849-50, on the site where KROEGER's wagon shop now stands on the northwest corner of Buffalo street and the right-of-way of the North Western railway. In 1856-57, when the railroad was extended through Sheboygan Falls, it trespassed upon the church property. In 1872 the building was moved to its present site. In 1904 a basement was finished and in 1909 the front entrance was built as it stands today. At the same time new furnishings were installed. For a number of years, during the early history of the church, the bell, which still hangs in the tower, was rung daily at 6 and 7 a.m., at 12 noon, and at 1, 5 and 9 p. m. There being no factory whistles, this bell kept the community informed as to the time of day. The day on which President Lincoln died, the bell tolled constantly from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m., different men taking turns at the rope. The First Baptist church of Sheboygan Falls has the distinction of being the oldest Baptist church in Wisconsin, having a record of 90 years continuous activity from the date of organization. Many of the pioneer settlers of the county were connected with this church, among whom may be mentioned A. G. DYE, J. H. DENISON, (Deacon) William TROWBRIDGE, Albert ROUNSEVILLE, Nathan SARGENT, David GIDDINGS, and Ebenezer TUPPER. Since its organization, the church has been served by twenty-one pastors, ten church clerks and seven treasurers. The pastors were: 1845-1847......Rev. Mr. HITCHCOCK 1847-1856......Rev. Abner LULL 1857-1858......Rev. D. W. WILCOX 1858-1859......Rev. O. D. TAYLOR 1860-1861......Rev. H. S. KNOWLES 1862-1866......Rev. Abner LULL (second call) 1866-1870......Rev. Simpson TODD 1871 ......J. L. JACKSON (student) 1871-1873......Rev. William RONEY 1873-1877......Rev. P. WORK (died) 1877-1881......Rev. H. H. BEACH 1881-1884......Rev. John CHURCHILL 1885-1891......Rev. E. E. DRESSER 1891-1893......Rev. D. C. SMITH 1894 ......Rev. S. WILLSHIRE 1895-1898......Rev. C. T. EVERETT 1898-1905......Rev. E. E. DRESSER (second call) 1905-1912......Rev. F. F. PARSONS 1913-1914......Rev. O. P. MILES 1918 to date.Rev. C. D. MAYHEW FALLS M. E. CHURCH The first mention made of Sheboygan Falls in the annals of Wisconsin Methodism appears in 1843, at which time, it is recorded, David LEWIS was appointed to the circuit. He rode from Milwaukee, stopping at Saukville over night, leaving some of his books to pay for his lodgings. Then he started for his destination, distant about thirty miles, twenty of which were without human habitation. He reached Sheboygan Falls the same day and found a hearty welcome at the home of James GIBBS whose wife was a Methodist. The following Sabbath he preached a sermon at Sheboygan and that evening at Sheboygan Falls. An earlier pioneer, the Rev. H. W. FRINK, was sent here in 1837, the name of the circuit being Sheboygan, but owing to the impoverished condition of the country, the circuit was neglected from the autumn of 1838 to that of 184?. The first society at the Falls was organized in 1846. The Rev. J. S. PRESCOTT, its pastor, traveled the immense circuit entirely on foot. The first house of worship was built on the present site in 1851. The meeting, called for the purpose, was held on May 19, 1846, at which time it was found that $1,646.24 was available for building purposes. The building was completed and was dedicated on November 5, 1854, on which occasion $2,010 was raised in less than 30 minutes. The church board at that time included L. CHEESEMAN, J. SULLY, E. QUINLAN, D. J. GOULD, H. ACKERMAN, W. LONG, J. D. PARRISH, H. W. CLARK, and John BRYANT. The year 1859 was memorable by reason of the annual conference which was held at the Falls, beginning April 20 of that year. Owing to the impassable condition of the roads and the absence of railroads, many ministers did not reach the seat of the conference until the third day. This dissatisfaction was so great that the date for holding future conferences was changed from spring to fall. An unpleasant circumstance occurred at this conference. The Rev. J. W. WOOD, presiding elder, Janesville district, had divorced his wife and married another "for reasons other than one specified by our Lord as the only ground of justification for such action." Bishop Osmon C. BAKER, presiding, called Mr. WOOD and after a hearing the latter was expelled from the ministry and membership in the church. In 1893 the parsonage was practically rebuilt under the leadership of Andrew PORTER, and in 1901 extensive improvements were made, including opalescent memorial windows for Mr. BRYANT, Mr. MELENDY, John and Jane PARRISH, Eunice P. ROUNSEVILLE, Ephraim T. BOND, William and Mary SULLY, Hiram and Catharine BARRAGER, the Rev. Matthias HIMEBAUGH, and Hulda and Marie HIMEBAUGH. In 1906 to 1911 an addition was built to the rear of the church and a steam heating system installed. The addition provided two Sunday school rooms and room for a two-manual pipe organ which was the gift of A. E. HENRY. The Rev. R. S. INGRAHAM endowed the pipe organ for $3,000. Two new memorial windows were placed in the front part of the church building, bearing the names of Harmon L. HENRY and Eveline GALAWAY. The above mentioned improvements, amounting to $10,000 were the combined gifts of the Rev. R. S. INGRAHAM, E. G. TROWBRIDGE, A. E. HENRY, and Charles WEISSE. Looking over the records reveals that Hon. George SPRATT is the only surviving member who has been identified with the church since it was built in 1851. The following have been members for thirty-five years or over: W. P. BRYANT, Mrs. John NEWHOUSE, Mrs. Lucy HOPKINS, Mrs. Emma KALMERTON, Ida LEASON, Salome HUBBARD, Dr. and Mrs. R. M. NICHOLS, Laura NICHOLS, Hattie DeLONG, Emma CHAPLIN, and others whose names are recorded in the Lambs Book of Life. John HOUWERS has been superintendent of Sunday school for over twenty-five years. The property of the Falls Methodist Episcopal church, as it stands today, could not be duplicated for much less than $50,000. The main auditorium has seating capacity of 300 and the church parlors are well equipped to meet the social and religious needs of the coming generation. There are now 136 resident members and thirty non-resident members. The Woman's Foreign Missionary society has thirty-four members; the Dorcas, or Ladies Aid, about 60 members; a Service society comprising thirty-five young women of the church, and the King's Heralds numbering twenty members. The Junior league has a membership of seventy, which meets every Wednesday to receive Christian instruction. The present official board included the following members: John HOUWERS, superintendent of Sunday school Sarah SPRATT, superintendent of Junior League Mrs. PFEIFER, President of Dorcas society Mrs. N. TE SELLE, president of W. F. M. S. Esther NICHOLS, president of Service society Aug. POSNER, financial secretary and treasurer Trustees: Geo. SPRATT; W. P. BRYANT; W. DICKE; W. LUTH; W. H. BARRAGAR; Peter INGELSE; Robert SCHULTZ; and R. M. NICHOLS Stewards: Arno WEBBEN; Mrs. WEISSE FARDEN; Mrs. Ed. KERSKAMP; John WILTERDINK; John HOUWERS; Laura NICHOLS; Sarah SPRATT Communion Steward: Mrs. SIMESTER Robert PFEIFER is an ordained deacon and will be graduated from Harvard this spring.