History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

SAGINAW CITY.

619

the church was furnished; the two gentlemen named succeeded in
collecting $1,100 in the Eastern towns, together with a baptis mal
bowl and communion set, donated by Mrs. Hale, of Canandaigua.
Geo. W. Bullock presented the Bible and prayer-book, which are
now in possession of the pastor.
Rev. Mr. McGee was succeeded in the pastorate by Rev. 0. E.
Fuller, June 18, 1862. Rev. John Leetch, of Elmira, N. Y.,
was called by the vestry July 10, 1865. Rev. W. H. Watts was
next called to the rectorship, and entered upon the duties of his
office Dec. 1, 1871. Mr. Watts was succeeded by Rev. L. S.
Stevens, of Toledo, Ohio, Dec. 1, 1876, under whose administration the society has grown in number and influence. The church
was enlarged during the year 1873 at an expense of $2,200, and
the rectory completed in 1878 at a cost of $3,500. Further improvements are proposed, among them being the erection of a new
church.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
There are no records on which to base data regarding the first
services of the Church in the great camp ground of the Chippewa
Indians. It is, however, very probable that each and every one of
the French missionaries visited the Saginaw Valley, and, as is the
custom of the ministers of that faith, erected a temporary altar,
whereon to offer sacrifice. In the early trading days, before the
treaty of Saginaw was perfected, the blacked-robed missionaries
were wont to visit this section of the land at long intervals; and
even subsequently to 1819 a few priests came hither.
In 1841 Rev. Martin Kundig arrived here to establish a Catholic
mission, and in the month of May held service in the house of I.
J. Malden, on Water street, near the location of the first freight
depot of the M. C. R. R. Rev. Lawrence Kilroy, afterward agent
of the State of Indiana in the war for the Union, and now of Stratford, C. W., was appointed to the charge of the Saginaw mission,
and for many years held the services of the Church in the hollmes
of the people. Father Monahan andKendekens succeeded him.
Rev. H. T. H. Schutzes, Secretary to Bishop Borgess, was the first
priest appointed to the special charge of the Saginaw Valley mission. The first house of worship was a carpenter's shop, purchased
in 1852, which stood on Washington street, opposite the Baptist
church. In 1853 this building was moved to the N. E. corner of
Monroe and Washington, and used as a church for the 12 succeeding years. Rev. R. Vanderhayden was appointed priest of the
mission of Saginaw and East Saginaw in 1862, and under his direction the present church was built in 1865. Five years later the
building was enlarged, the erection of schools commenced, and
subsequently a parochial house erected. In 1866 the half parish
of East Saginaw was set off as a separate mission, and Rev. R.
Vanderhayden appointed pastor of the Church here. Since tlat