First settlement and churches of Ellington, Tuscola County, Michigan Copyright © 1998 by Bonnie Petee. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. ___________________________________________________________________ ELLINGTON TOWNSHIP Contributed by Bonnie Petee. Extracted from, "The History of Tuscola, MI," H. R. Page and Co., Chicago, 1883. FIRST SETTLEMENT The settlement of this town dates back to 1854. The first settlers were William Medcalf, Jonathan White and his sons, B. W. and Almon, I. J. B. McKenney, William Robinson, Simeon Botsford, J. M. Dodge, William Wilcox, James Andrews and Elliott R. Burnett. Of these, Jonathan White, William R. Robinson and William Wilcox are dead; others have moved away. Mr. Botsford relates that his journey from Oakland County was made with a horse team largely by lumber roads, which, owing to the purpose for which they were constructed, were necessarily winding and indirect. His horses he was obliged to return and sell, a pioneer settlement furnished but little food for their support. The night of their arrival was spent in Mr. Medcalf's small shanty, twenty persons occupying the one small building. The next day Mr. Botsford commenced work on his shanty, and the following forenoon at eleven o'clock the family took possession. This house was in section 8 on the site of the present village of Ellington. The first child born in Ellington was a son of William Medcalf, and was named George Ellington Medcalf. Rev. I. J. McKenney was the third settler in Ellington and a pioneer in the religious work of Tuscola County. He remained a resident of Ellington until his death, which occurred October 15, 1880. His widow still continues to live at the old homestead near the village of Ellington. Having spent twenty-six years of his life in the Christian ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church, twenty-five of it in connection with the Genesee conference of New York State, he in 1854 took a superannuated relation to that conference and came with his family to Michigan in the fall of 1854 to make a home for his old age. Though adopting the employment of farming and with other pioneers bending his energies to subduing the forest and clearing the soil, he yet did not forget the earlier employment and service of his life. He at once resumed labor in the ministry of religion and preached from time to time in different parts of the country, holding the first service ever held in what is now the town of Ellington in the spring of 1855, and also about that time preaching in what is now the town of Indian Fields the first sermon preached in that town, being thus one of the pioneer preachers as well as one of the pioneer settlers of Tuscola County. METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH The first services of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the town of Ellington were held in the spring of 1855, when Rev. I. J. B. McKenney preached to the few settlers the first sermon to which they had listened in their new home. About 1858 the Ellington class of the Caro and Ellington Quarterly Conference was organized by Elder Klump with twelve or fifteen members. Its legal organization and incorporation was effected at a quarterly conference held on the Cass City circuit March 19, 1870, when the following persons were duly elected and appointed a board of trustees to be known and called the "Trustees of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of the Township of Ellington," viz.: James D. Sutton, of the town of Almer, William Medcalf, Inman J. B. McKenney, Samuel Miller and Ozias Hutchinson, of the town of Ellington. The church has a house of worship in the village of Ellington and is under the pastoral care of Rev. Mr. Benson, of Caro. The church edifice was completed in 1874 and dedicated July 18th of that year. The event was one of interest, and was mentioned at the time as follows: "The dedicatory sermon by Rev. O. J. Perrin, P. E., was received with great satisfaction, and listened to with profound attention by a large and imposing audience." "At three o'clock in the afternoon the church was again filled to overflowing to witness the solemn and beautiful ceremony of dedication as conducted by Rev. Mr. Perrin, assisted by Rev. Messrs. McKenney and Ashford. This service was followed by a children's meeting addressed by Rev. Messrs. Perrin, Gee and Maywood." "The building is a modern structure, completed in modern style and neatly furnished. Though not large, it meets the wants of the community in which it is situated." "The success of the enterprise is largely due to the enterprise of the pastor, Rev. Joseph Ashford, and the industrious ladies of the church. Great credit is due to Miss E. L. Bowen, through whose agency means were obtained to supply the furniture of the church. The day passed off pleasantly, richly enjoyed by those present, and will long be remembered with gratitude by the good people of Ellington as a new epoch in their history." METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH About the year 1858 a class of the Methodist Protestant Chrch was organized at the house of Simeon Botsford under Rev. A. M. Warren with four members, viz: Simeon Botsford and wife and William R. Robinson and wife. To this class Mr. Warren preached about three years, services being held at school-houses. He was succeeded by Rev. C. D. Covill. The first quarterly conference, embracing nearly all of Tuscola County , was organized as the Cass River circuit at a meeting held at the Bourne school-house, in what is now Ellington, in 1862: Rev. X. O. Smith was chosen pastor and Simeon Botsford, secretary. From this circuit as originally organized new circuits have from time to time been formed, viz: Fair Grove, Cass City, Prairie and Tuscola. Cass River circuit now embraces Almer, Columbia, Elmwood and Ellington. The pastors from the time of its original organization have been Rev. X. O. Smith, A. Omans, John F. Witherell and wife, Father Bradshaw, John Robertson, Mrs. N. J. Remington and E. B. Sutton, the present pastor. A special meeting of the legal members of the Ellington class of Cass River circuit of the Methodist Church was held at the school house of District No. 2 of the town of Ellington May 11, 1868, for the purpose of electing trustees and effecting a legal organization. The following were elected trustees: Simeon Botsford, William R. Robinson, John W. Ostrander, John Patterson and A. Wilcox. The trustees were they duly elected a building committee. The name of the church as organized was the "Methodist Church of Cass River Circuit." In 1871 a church building was erected a mile and a half west of Ellington village, and known as the Sutton Church. It is a neat, plain edifice, worth about $2,000. A comfortable parsonage was build about thirteen years ago, to which additions have been made from time to time. The total value of the property is about $3,000. ELLINGTON GOOD TEMPLARS The Good Templars Lodge at Ellington, was organized in the fall of 1879, with thirty charter members. It has kept up its regular Saturday evening meetings with increasing interest, and has now upward of 100 members. Great good has resulted from the presence and influence of this lodge in the community. TEMPERANCE ALLIANCE August 31, 1881, Rev. E. B. Sutton was appointed by the Michigan State Temperance Alliance as its agent in Tuscola County. By his invitation Capt. J. C. Bantieue, the state agent, visited the county and organized the first branch at Ellington on the evening of January 9, 1881, with twenty-three charter members. Nelson Hatch, president and Mrs. Lois Brooker, vice-president. The membership has steadily increased and now numbers fifty. The meetings are held the first Monday evening of each month without fail. Lectures are delivered at each meeting, the attendance is large, and the interest deep and constant. The present officers of this branch are: Nelson Hatch, president; Mrs. Lois Brooker, vice-president; Nelson Mallory, secretary, and Samuel Elliott, treasurer. dz