In the history of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Tuscola County will be found the early history of the society in Tuscola village. The first sermon ever preached in the county was preached here in 1839 by Rev. Mr. Whitwan. The first class in the county was organized here ten years later and the members were Lovira Hart, Esther Hart, Leander W. Van Kleeck, Emily Van Kleeck and Mary Hines. The church edifice was built in 1867 and dedicated in February, 1868. The building was erected by the Wesleyan Methodists and Methodist Episcopal branches, to be used alternately, but the latter have succeeded the former.

December 25, 1858, William Johnson, D. W. Harrison, J. M. Palmer, Dennis Harrison, E. Harrison, E. Ellis, and A. J. Slafter signed articles of association for the organization of the "First Wesleyan Methodist Society of Tuscola." At a meeting held at the house of William Johnson in the town of Tuscola, January 10, 1859, the following named were elected trustees of the society; viz: W. H. Harrison, Edwin Ellis and James M. Palmer. This branch continued as a society until its numbers, from one cause and another, were so diminished that the organization was practically abandoned.

The Methodist Episcopal Society has, at the present time, about ninety-five members, and the Sunday school about seventy-five members. The more recent ministers have been Revs. Strong, Moon, Storer, Pierce, Bailey, and the present pastor, Rev. R. D. Robinson.

Among the early settlers of Tuscola there were a few who had been members of Baptist Churches in the Eastern States, but on settling in the "wilderness" they did not take steps to organize a Baptist Church, but helped to sustain other organizations and worked in their Sunday schools.

The first sermon preached in Tuscola County, so far as is known, by a Baptist minister, was preached by Rev. J. S. Goodman, then of Flint, at the funeral of John Slafter, in the latter part of November, 1856. In the winter of 1857-58, Rev. William Wisner held a very interesting series

of meetings in the school-house in the village, and in the spring following it was decided by the few Baptists in and about the village that the time had come to organize a church. Accordingly, on the last Saturday in March, 1858, the following named brethren and sisters entered into covenant obligations with one another and with their God, viz: Bretheren E. W. Perrry, G. W. Smith, and Sisters A. C. Slafter, Almina Richardson, A. M. Tobey, Persis Slafter, and Susan B. Tivy, three of whom, Sisters Richardson, Tobey, and A. C. Slafter are still with us.

Others soon united, so that in the latter part of December, 1858, when Rev. M. Hayden came among us, the church numbered seventeen members. The church was organized as a regular gospel church by council, July 15, 1858, A. H. Cole, chairman of council, F. R. Tracey, clerk. Soon after the organization of the church, Bro. E. W. Perry was chosen clerk, and Abijah Lee, deacon. Elder Hayden remained with the church about six months.

In March, 1860, Rev. W. D. Potter came upon the field as a missionary of the Flint River

Association, and remained with us two years, preaching to us once in two weeks.

Rev. J. Hawker was our next pastor, laboring very acceptably with us two years.

Early in 1865, Rev. W. W. Robson settled with us as pastor, and remained with us between one and two years, after which we were supplied for a while by Rev. H. Stowits, after which Rev. A. A. Mead acted as pastor till some time in 1868.

In the spring of 1866 it was decided to undertake the building of a meeting-house. Accordingly, work was commenced, but it was not completed until the spring of 1870, and the first meeting in it was the covenant meeting of May 15, 1870, and on June 1st of that year it was dedicated; sermon by A. J. Frost, prayer by Rev. S. W. Titus. The church then numbered thirteen members, four males and nine females.

Soon after the dedication a call was given to Bro. I. Horton to be our pastor, which he accepted, and at a council held September 14, 1870, he was ordained. He held the pastoral relation until September 10, 1871.

January 7, 1872, a call was given to Bro. H. E. Adams, which he accepted and on February 20, 1872, he was formally set apart to work of the gospel ministry by council. Bro. Adams resigned in the latter part of 1873.

September 19, 1875, Mr. V. Frazer was called to the pastorate. He resigned July, 1876.

October 11, 1876, a call was extended to our present pastor, Rev. P. Forbes, who still labors with us with much zeal and energy.

Since the formation of this church its statistical changes have been as follows: Baptized, 48; received by letter, 55; by experience, 24; dismissed, 44; excluded, 13; dropped, 1;

died, 14; present number, 61.

The Seventh Day Adventists Society, of Tuscola, was organized October 20,1866, with seventeen members. John L. Miller was chosen elder. About that time they purchased the old school house of Mr. Dennis Harrison for a place of meeting. The original number of members has been diminished and regular meetings are not now held.

A class of five members and a Sunday-school in connection with the North Michigan Conference of the United Brethren in Christ, was organized in 1883 by Rev. A. E. Seibert, of the Vassar Church, with a membership of five, which meets in the school-house in the northern part of the town. Services are held every two weeks.

UNION SCHOOL

The village school belongs to School District No. 1, and since 1867 has been a graded school. The present school building was erected about 1854. The present teacher is John A. Chapel, and the number of school children in the district is 148.

There is an Odd Fellows lodge which has a good membership and is flourishing.

A post of the G. A. R. was instituted in the village recently, and christened Harper Post, No. 101. The members were mustered in by Col. J. V. Russell, of Granger Post, No. 38, East Saginaw. Officers were installed as follows: Post commander, William Marks; senior post commander, A. J. Haines; junior post commander, R. B. Rogers; quartermaster, Orson Orms; adjutant, Alonzo Slafter; chaplain, M. E. Greenough; officer of the day, Charles Hustler; office of the guard, Lucius Bush; sergeant major, Fred Clemons, quartermaster sergeant, G. W. White.