Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

BUNKERIIILL TOWNSIIP AND ITS I-ISTORY

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began to talk of building a church. It was a weighty undertaking,
but finally after many sacrifices Mass was offered, to the joy of the
little community, in their new church in the autumn of 1863.
The church still lacked plaster and pews and the choir-three
members of the Jackson choir-stood before the altar and sang
without accompaniment. The following year, 1864, the church
was finished and Bishop Lefever came from Detroit and dedicated
it. This church, a frame structure, as was the custom in those
times, stood in the middle of the cemetery. Long after it was
moved across the road where it served for some years as a school.
It still stands in the rear of the present church grounds.
In 1867 Father Moutard, of Jackson, received as assistant
Father Hilarion Driessen. This proved to be an important event
for Bunkerhill parish, for Father Driessen came to offer Mass
every second Sunday, thus establishing regular services. Many
families had moved into the settlement before this date, and a
thriving parish was under way. Father Driessen came on Saturday before the Sundays when services were to be held, and remained over night with the Birney family. Arriving from Jackson one Saturday in December, 1868, he said to Mrs. Birney,
"Well, Mother, I've come to stay," thus announcing that Bunkerhill parish was to have a resident pastor. The Bishop shortly
before had given him the appointment. The following spring the
parish purchased the farm adjoining the church property. The
pastor occupied the house which stood across the road from where
the residence of James Egenton now stands, and a tenant was employed to work the farm. A magnificent elm tree which stood
before the house is all that now marks the site of the former
rectory.
Father Driessen was a native of Belgium, and was a scholar of
unusual attainments. Being the first resident pastor of the
church we have the records from his hands, beginning with January, 1869, and the language and penmanship of these records are
witness of his abilities. Father Driessen remained as pastor until
the fall of 1871, and Father Slattery took charge of the parish on
the 23d of December of that year. A few years later after that
Father Slattery was moved to Pinckney; the church farm was sold
and the parish became a mission of Pinckney.
For many years after this Bunkerhill remained a mission,